Anyone got any experience of the Glanz MH-124S tonearm?
- Thread starter montesquieu
- Start date
So I will try to get an Arche headshell too
At the Moment the Ortofon LH 9000 , a heavy rigid Magnesium Headshell with an embedded Carbon Resonance damping pad works fine, but still not on the original Glanz headshell level.
It is the other way around, the Clearaudio Stability is the original, the Orsonic is the cheaper original.
After having spent some hours with the Glanz MH-124s I can say, this tonearm fits my taste a lot.
Up to now, this is the best tonearm, I have fitted to my TechDAS AF3P turntable.
Boeing used to Fidelity Research, SAEC, Ikeda tonearms, the Japanese Glanz tonearm is easy to fit as well.
The tonearmbase of the turntable needs a classic 30mm hole in 290mm distance.
Ikeda and FR do like a heavy and rigid turntable base. So I even fit the FR 64s with a heavy Gunmetal Micro Seiki Base to my TechDAS.
The Glanz tonearm comes with a heavy stainless steel plate which will be fitted between tonearm and turntable base to give the Glanz arm a heavy and rigid base to be fitted. I like this
For Fidelity Research the heavy fitting nut N-60 was always a better option, than the standard nut. The more heavy nut (similar to B-60) improves Ikeda and FR tonearm to a reasonable margin. So no wonder, that Micro Seiki had this nuts as Gun Metal option for many different tonearms on offer as well (N-60 do fit to current Ikeda as well)
Looking into the Glanz package, such a perfect solid steel nut is part of the assembly as well . I like this
The Tonarm as such feels heavy and well produced. Look and feel is like you would expect from such an expensive product. I like this
Antiskating is similar to the old FR64 & Fr66. But Glanz recommends to run the tonearm even without this assembly. Have not tried it yet.
The Glanz headshell is perfectly done from one stainless steel billet. so the headshell is one part only, not two parts like mostly.
The bad side of this construction is, that you cannot adjust azimuth. I do not like.. :-(
The Glanz manual is recommending 50mm distance from needle to headshell start, so an easy and fast cartridge fit.
The tonearmcable going with the Glanz looks more basic, so I am using my personal cables.
Further installing was simple and logic, like with the most Japanese tonearms.
My first Cart fitted is the Murasakino Sumile, which works nice in my former Ikeda and now in the Glanz Tonearm.
But I cannot manage to get the Azimuth with the Glanz headshell into a region that I am satisfied.
So I decided to use various aftermarket Headshells to overcome the Azimuth situation.
Until now, I was not able to identify a Headshell with such a good sonic fit, than the Glanz headshell.
But the Sumile needs correct Azimuth...
The Ortofon LH 9000 is for today the best fit. But I will try to get an Arche headshell as well.
Need to decide which one , they have different weights and materials available.
Listening to the Glanz tonearm started with a smile, just after the first seconds. So much weight, power, resolution, fun
How to compare?
If you now a typical wooden plate turntable like the old Rega Planar 3 with all of his vibrant music playing.
Than change over to a good heavy mass turntable.
The most of the Rega "vibrant" playing is gone. And you understand, that a lot of this were only resonances,
and not information of the music as such.
Very similar to the Glanz. The resonance management seems to work very good. The music is clearing clean and full of energy, so not over dampened. With the most headshells I tried, the performance is a little warmer that I am used to it. But I can hear some details on Records I know, which I never heard before. So I guess, that the little "warmer" translates in little less resonances in the treble as well.
Most significantly the Glanz makes the difference in playing sybillants with ease. Changing headshells means, that you cannot spent 5hours to adjust the cartridge. You have to compare it by 95% exact fitting. Some other Tonearm combination would translate this in distortion and sharp "S" tones. Not the Glanz. In the manual you can find a 50mm +/- 2mm advice for the cartridge fitting. Which is a real wide tolerance. But it is working.
I am listening at the moment mainly to the "Tone Poet Series" from Blue Note , very nice Jazz records urn superb quality.
You can listen to this kind of Jazz music with your intellect or with your heart. The Glanz makes you dancing to the music
My wife likes Jazz with Glanz, she never visited me in my music room so often, sometimes also dancing to the music.
If a component is able to connect you the the music in a way, that you really feel the music, than something is fundamental good.
Independent, if the next headshell will give me a little bit more of something, the base performance is perfectly correct makes fun with every headshell tried so far.
Unfortunatley I cannot compare the Glanz as fast as I wish with my other tonearms, as the Glanz does not like my SME to XLR cables, being fitted with no ground wire, so I had to listen with some other tonearm cables as usual.
But I have ordered the matching JPS Supercoductor V as Phonocable in SME/RCA as well, so I can compare more easy.
(my NAT MCXXX step up has RCA and XLR inputs , excepting balanced mode on both)
...to be continued.
Today the 2020 Arche L headshell In Leica quality black finish arrived.
The L version is produced from a lighter alloy, so more close to the weight of the original Glanz Headshell.
Since 2020 the Arche headshell has an improved VTA screw, now it is possible to fine adjust the VTA with the screw in both directions.
The Arche comes with a set of brass? screws, a rubber and a copper ring .
The headshell wires are not very special, just a typical OEM part, so I replaced them with the Ikeda Copper leads.
So it is possible to connect the Arche without , with rubber or with a copper interface to the tonearm.
Glanz recommends to mount the headshell without any ring, so I did.
Fitting the cartridge and doing the first fast fitment was done fast, but I would have loved to have a manual, as the Arche has a lot of functions. I am still not sure, what I am missing (like the function of the small plastic screw in the accessory bag?)
I used as cartridge fitting screws my standard, the Yamamoto Titan version, so not the bass? Arche screws,
which are as well looking like standard OEM.
My first listening was not very satisfying, the former Ortofon LH 9000 was definitely better in all matters. So I tried out the additional copper ring. This interface between headshell and Glanz Tonearm is a very critical area, as all the energy of the cartridge into the tonearm and back into the Hedshell will be transferred here.
The copper ring was really the game changer and from now on, the Arche was performing better ,
than the previously tested after market headshells.
Due to the many places of comfortable adjustment, it is most likely, that fitted into the Arche any Cartridge will be better playing,
as just better fine tuned.
I will give the Arche some more hours to play, than I will start the final tuning of the Cartridge adjustment
The L version is produced from a lighter alloy, so more close to the weight of the original Glanz Headshell.
Since 2020 the Arche headshell has an improved VTA screw, now it is possible to fine adjust the VTA with the screw in both directions.
The Arche comes with a set of brass? screws, a rubber and a copper ring .
The headshell wires are not very special, just a typical OEM part, so I replaced them with the Ikeda Copper leads.
So it is possible to connect the Arche without , with rubber or with a copper interface to the tonearm.
Glanz recommends to mount the headshell without any ring, so I did.
Fitting the cartridge and doing the first fast fitment was done fast, but I would have loved to have a manual, as the Arche has a lot of functions. I am still not sure, what I am missing (like the function of the small plastic screw in the accessory bag?)
I used as cartridge fitting screws my standard, the Yamamoto Titan version, so not the bass? Arche screws,
which are as well looking like standard OEM.
My first listening was not very satisfying, the former Ortofon LH 9000 was definitely better in all matters. So I tried out the additional copper ring. This interface between headshell and Glanz Tonearm is a very critical area, as all the energy of the cartridge into the tonearm and back into the Hedshell will be transferred here.
The copper ring was really the game changer and from now on, the Arche was performing better ,
than the previously tested after market headshells.
Due to the many places of comfortable adjustment, it is most likely, that fitted into the Arche any Cartridge will be better playing,
as just better fine tuned.
I will give the Arche some more hours to play, than I will start the final tuning of the Cartridge adjustment
Thanks. I had read all of this at the time when seeking opinions.
In the end I did manage to hear it with my favourite cartridges, but preferred my Ikeda IT-407 and stuck with that. Nice arm though.
Ad you can see on the pictures of my turntable, I like the Ikeda 407 too. And the SME 3012R. Now I can choose, depending on the Cart, which Arm I do prefer ( and a Sorane 12,7‘ is on the way)
It should work well with the Glanz although I have never tried it. I would also consider getting a better phono cable. The one that comes with it isn't very good.
There are two different Glanz Tonearm cables existing. The black one is a Japanese standard cable, like also being shipped with Sorane Tonearms, The blue one is better, mostly sold with XLR connectors. This cable is fine and a little on the warm side.
A good match, if RCA is needed, is the Ikeda Tonearmcable, which has a similar sound, than the blue Glanz cable.
Regarding the Glanz headshell, I do miss the Azimuth adjustment. So I am using the Yamamoto HS 6s Titanium headshell or the Acoustical Systems Arche headshell on the Glanz.
Both headshells will move the Koetsu signature a little into the dynamic and open direction.
If you like to underline the rich blend of the Koetsu, the Koetsu headshell is a nice pairing.
(which is an OEM version of the Jelco HS-30 headshell)
Enjoy the Glanz with Koetsu, very nice together!
Thanks for your feedback.
regarding the cable, I will buy with the blue one you describe coming form the more costly premium version of the arm.
I’m not so familiar with the finer points of set-up, and having used SME or Rega in the past, the exposure to azimuth changes.... I’ll have a look at this and perhaps also get a second head shell.
Simon
Ralphio,
Glanz is my favorite arm and one of the best I’ve heard on the market. I did not like silver wire quality they put inside. I would suggest you to buy cheaper version (copper) and send arm to AnalogMagik to put continues run of silver wire from cartridge clips to RCA. Change is dramatic comparing to standard wire. Ricky has had many Glanz customers all around the world. His service is second to none!
Glanz is my favorite arm and one of the best I’ve heard on the market. I did not like silver wire quality they put inside. I would suggest you to buy cheaper version (copper) and send arm to AnalogMagik to put continues run of silver wire from cartridge clips to RCA. Change is dramatic comparing to standard wire. Ricky has had many Glanz customers all around the world. His service is second to none!
Dvuc, thanks for the response. I have a couple of Koetsu stone body cartridges and am thinking this arm looks like the perfect match and also just happen to have an armboard for Brinkmann Balance to accept it.
And yeah, Ric at AnalogMagik is local to me, so I'll be in touch.
Thx. again.
And yeah, Ric at AnalogMagik is local to me, so I'll be in touch.
Thx. again.
AnalogMagik Reference Phono Cable installed onto Glanz MH-124S Tonearm
AnalogMagik's philosophy for Phono Cable is to have a direct wire from Headshell Clips to RCA output without any breaks in between. The Glanz MH-124S can be fitted with a direct connection from Headshell Clip to RCA output using the AnalogMagik Reference Silver Tonearm wire.
www.analogmagik.com
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