Removable headshells 101

Dear Banquo363: The very first time ( one year ago ) that I tested the Azden I made it mounted in a SAEC ULS-2X ( composite build material. ) in the AT 1503 tonearm with very good results.
This time ( you can read about in the MM thread: last posts. ) I mounted in the Grace G-945 with own magnesium Grace headshell and its performance is nothing less than spectacular.

Remember that as important is the headshell as is the tonearm and cartridge/tonearm set up along capacitance loading.

Btw, I don't think is the best move to go for the Technihard AT headshells: its plattform body ( between other things. ) is too short for many MM/MI cartridges.

On the Empire cartridge you can read here about:

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?ranlg&1275323834

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

Dear dertonarm: Yes, " every one in a while ...". Well, I think that we agree more than what we " shows ".

Audio it is not E=mc2, is almost simple that it is difficult not to agree on the main subjects.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

Dear Raul, indeed. Regarding the AT Technihard and the short platform (which 2 of the 3 indeed have) - that's why I recommended the AT-LH18 ONLY. This - the most massive of the three AT-Technihard headshells features are much longer mounting platform.
Cheers,
D.

Dear Downunder: +++++ " I have no idea how someone can make decisions on the full merits of a cartridge after using it for 4 or 5 choice cuts or several days. " +++++

agree, me either!.

+++++ " I have to live with a cartridge for a long period of time to appreciate all its strengths and weaknesses. " +++++

the " all " word is the key on the whole subject. I already explained to you and other people the why and how's about but here we go again:

if you are trained ( in deep and through a learning process ) say as a Formula One driver ( like Alonso or Shumacher ) when you move the switch on car " key " in that very first moment you know 40% of that car and after one-two turns to the circuit race you know other 55% of the car's characteristics.
The " full and all strengths and weknesses " certainly will take you a little more: maybe two or three or four full races.

Well, my target when I give an opinion on MM/MI cartridges is to help other interested people , if overall, one or the other cartridge could be a good alternative.

Now, due that the whole MM/MI cartridge subject is " new " for many of us there are out there a lot of cartridges ( vintage. ) that we can buy but how can we make a choice? what to buy ? .

I think that always help to make those cartridge choices at least to have, if not a full precise idea, an " idea " about and that was and is my role in that thread that over the years added great contributors that with their opinions on the same subject already helped all of us that are " discovering " the MM/MI analog source alternative and that's all.

Yes, I'm trained in deep on purpose to do that with a good average % of sucess and no I don't heard only " 4-5 choice cuts " because if you think this then is a totally misunderstood.

I receive over 10+ email every day asking for MM/MI cartridge set up and asking for advise on that MM/MI ( vintage and today ) cartridges and all these daily emails comes from people that never posted in that MM/MI thread.

I don't know you but my main targets in this forum and in every single thread is to learn and try to help other people when I can. The 95% of my posts are experiences that I share with you/other people.

My contribution and contributions of all the people should be a real contribution: I mean that can help some one.
Like in any forum we are free to " take " what we like and what did not left alone.

In the other side we all are free to: just don't read " this or that " post or " those threads ".

Anyway, always a pleasure to talk with you.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

Dear Nick_sr: +++++ " In regards to the head shell leads issue, I just did away with them completely. " +++++

yes the best headshell leads are no headshell leads. Not only you but many other persons out there ( including me ) already taked that alternative that between other things make " life more easy ".

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.