Congratulations, Steve, on getting that new cartridge! I cannot wait until I can visit and I can hear a comparison of the cartridges!
Doctor's Orders-Part Two-The New Listening Room Of Steve Williams
- Thread starter steve williams
- Start date
FedEx arrived on time with a new SME head shell. All changed and problem solved and have been sitting here the past 2 hours listening. I have to admit that this is a cartridge of a different breed totally different than my ZYX
I have been listening to large symphonies this afternoon and this cartridge checks all the boxes.
More to come
I have been listening to large symphonies this afternoon and this cartridge checks all the boxes.
More to come
If I had a phobia of snakes Steve, I'd be scared out of my wits looking at those two photos Lol.
Good question but for now and a while anyway, I'd like to get to know this cartridge and then move to the 12" arm
It's way too early to speak with certainties but first impressions is that this is so different from my ZYX (which was my reference) it is an instant keeper.
So far this afternoon I've listened to only complex music like large symphonies and wow, this stupid looking cartridge with this weird wood body and a stylus that reminds me of the old gramophones from a century ago, with a cantilever so long that it is begging to be broken has balls. It definitely has better bass than my ZYX
So far this afternoon I've listened to only complex music like large symphonies and wow, this stupid looking cartridge with this weird wood body and a stylus that reminds me of the old gramophones from a century ago, with a cantilever so long that it is begging to be broken has balls. It definitely has better bass than my ZYX
So only 20 hours I'm told for break in.
several years ago when I made a pilgrimmage to Cedar City Utah to spend 5 days with David to learn about all of his different tables and cartridges, I also learned about his love for the SME 3012R and SME 3010R arm. At the time David must have had at least 60 different cartridges all of which were vintage Many were played for me.. One in particular stood out that and no matter what turntable he played it on, it was always my favorite.
It was a Neuman. It was the best sound I have ever heard out of a cartridge.
David tells me that the cartridge I just bought is in his opinion in the same league as his Neuman, especially if it is mounted on the 12" arm. Guess where that thought is taking me
several years ago when I made a pilgrimmage to Cedar City Utah to spend 5 days with David to learn about all of his different tables and cartridges, I also learned about his love for the SME 3012R and SME 3010R arm. At the time David must have had at least 60 different cartridges all of which were vintage Many were played for me.. One in particular stood out that and no matter what turntable he played it on, it was always my favorite.
It was a Neuman. It was the best sound I have ever heard out of a cartridge.
David tells me that the cartridge I just bought is in his opinion in the same league as his Neuman, especially if it is mounted on the 12" arm. Guess where that thought is taking me
It's been a few weeks now since I have had the VDH MSS on my turntable using an SME 3010R. I must admit that I did have some iota of trepidation when I decided to buy this cartridge as there are countless posts here on WBF about members' love hate relationships with the cartridge as so many people commented about sibilance being its downfall. Yet if you take the time to read between the lines, there are so many members here who have this cartridge and rave that it is the best cartridge that they have ever heard. So what's the issue with sibilance. I had a long talk with David about the cartridge, set up and sibilance . David was more than candid when he stated that the cartridge isn't that easy to set up and if the SRA is not spot on the sound just falls apart and sibilance abounds.
Having spent 5 days at David's house several years ago and seeing his museum of vintage equipment and countless cartridges I was witness to his skill set in cartridge set up. I am still a noobie at cartridge set up and there was no way I wanted to tackle this myself as that cantilever to me was an accident waiting to happen. Long and the short of it was my decision to have David set up the cartridge to his satisfaction.
Well it's been a few weeks and I am quietly numb as I keep pinching myself to believe what I am hearing. There is so much more meat on this cartridge on the 10"arm than my heretofore ZYX Premium on the 12" arm which was my reference. I must admit that I was reluctant to David's suggestion to mount the MSS on the SME3012R even though he claimed that it sounds even better on the 12" arm
I listen to this cartridge for hours each day. I am here to report that thanks to David, I hear absolutely no sibilance. This cartridge is truly as others here have reported, Simply put, "the best sound they have heard in their vinyl rigs"
This cartridge IMHO is truly in the league of David's vintage Neumann cartridge which was my overall favorite when I visited him
I had a long walkabout this with David as he concurs that the MSS is in the same league as his Neumann. Then I was stunned when david went on to say that this cartridge has literally destroyed a 20 year quest on his part of vintage cartridge collection as he too feels it to be one of the best he also has heard
So in the next few weeks I will be moving the cartridges around and a that point I'm done on the vinyl side of my system. The two cartridges are totally dissimilar to the point that depending on the music played I will know which cartridge to use
Finally I need to give a huge shoutout to David who's mentored me through this entire process to the point where I am smiling from ear to ear about this new cartridge. I never expected the reward to be so great. So my recommendation is that if you're like me and far from an expert in cartridge set up, reach out to David as he likes to travel and enjoys setting up systems. You could do far worse and the rewards that David brings are far greater than I could ever achieve
And yes, this cartridge to my ears is every bit as good as that vintage Neumann which has previously been my all time favorite
Having spent 5 days at David's house several years ago and seeing his museum of vintage equipment and countless cartridges I was witness to his skill set in cartridge set up. I am still a noobie at cartridge set up and there was no way I wanted to tackle this myself as that cantilever to me was an accident waiting to happen. Long and the short of it was my decision to have David set up the cartridge to his satisfaction.
Well it's been a few weeks and I am quietly numb as I keep pinching myself to believe what I am hearing. There is so much more meat on this cartridge on the 10"arm than my heretofore ZYX Premium on the 12" arm which was my reference. I must admit that I was reluctant to David's suggestion to mount the MSS on the SME3012R even though he claimed that it sounds even better on the 12" arm
I listen to this cartridge for hours each day. I am here to report that thanks to David, I hear absolutely no sibilance. This cartridge is truly as others here have reported, Simply put, "the best sound they have heard in their vinyl rigs"
This cartridge IMHO is truly in the league of David's vintage Neumann cartridge which was my overall favorite when I visited him
I had a long walkabout this with David as he concurs that the MSS is in the same league as his Neumann. Then I was stunned when david went on to say that this cartridge has literally destroyed a 20 year quest on his part of vintage cartridge collection as he too feels it to be one of the best he also has heard
So in the next few weeks I will be moving the cartridges around and a that point I'm done on the vinyl side of my system. The two cartridges are totally dissimilar to the point that depending on the music played I will know which cartridge to use
Finally I need to give a huge shoutout to David who's mentored me through this entire process to the point where I am smiling from ear to ear about this new cartridge. I never expected the reward to be so great. So my recommendation is that if you're like me and far from an expert in cartridge set up, reach out to David as he likes to travel and enjoys setting up systems. You could do far worse and the rewards that David brings are far greater than I could ever achieve
And yes, this cartridge to my ears is every bit as good as that vintage Neumann which has previously been my all time favorite
Great to read Steve. And you are lucky to have only broken the wires and not the cartridge pin itself. Count me among those who love this cartridge. I currently have one on my SME V-12, and another on the SME 3012R. I will eventually set one combination up for thicker LPs which are usually jazz reissues and 45s, and one on original thin LPs, which are typically classical.
As David says, the set up needs to be very precise, and I am no expert. One card thickness in VTA matters as well as other parameters. I am sure I would learn a lot from having David set up my combinations.
Congratulations. Now it seems you are back to listening to some vinyl along with your streaming.
As David says, the set up needs to be very precise, and I am no expert. One card thickness in VTA matters as well as other parameters. I am sure I would learn a lot from having David set up my combinations.
Congratulations. Now it seems you are back to listening to some vinyl along with your streaming.
It was a rude awakening Peter because as you know I have been streaming primarily since October with the Taiko Extreme which I have said constantly has changed the way I listen to music. The sound is simply superb and I have also said that on occasion would be hard pressed to distinguish some passages from vinyl. Well these past few weeks of listening once again to vinyl has reinforced that there continues to remain a dichotomy between vinyl and great digital.
I also know that Emile is determined to create the best sound digitally to where it truly approaches vinyl quality
Steve,
The dichotomy will always exist - the two media have very different characteristics. And IMHO Emile is determined to create the best digital sound, not to emulate the best vinyl sound. Surely YMMV.
You also have tape. Can we know where does it sit in your comments?
I listened today to three Trilok Gurtu cds on my Eera cdp. The flow and texture was so analog-like there was absolutely no cognitive disconnect for this lifelong analog fan.
I then played stellar Japanese vinyl pressings of The Who and Mahavishnu Orchestra, and DG pressings of Karayan/Berlin Phil/Beethoven Symphonies, and the precision and stability of image replicated the best that digital has to offer.
At the end of the day, downing a couple of beers next to the creek celebrating another day survived in Covid times, I feel blessed I have digital that finally coexists w analog, never far behind, occasionally ahead...but now w my Eera, always enjoyable to a very high level.
And so for Extreme adopters to find their digital rubs shoulders w such analog paragons as AF1, CSPort, NVS, is massive testament to the genius of Emile.
I then played stellar Japanese vinyl pressings of The Who and Mahavishnu Orchestra, and DG pressings of Karayan/Berlin Phil/Beethoven Symphonies, and the precision and stability of image replicated the best that digital has to offer.
At the end of the day, downing a couple of beers next to the creek celebrating another day survived in Covid times, I feel blessed I have digital that finally coexists w analog, never far behind, occasionally ahead...but now w my Eera, always enjoyable to a very high level.
And so for Extreme adopters to find their digital rubs shoulders w such analog paragons as AF1, CSPort, NVS, is massive testament to the genius of Emile.
Congrats Steve on joining the club. I like this cartridge so much that I bought a spare one. I think the recent version has improvements on sibilance. I don’t find any sibliance with this cartridge anymore.
Yesterday, I spent the whole afternoon listening to Bohm’s Mozart symphonies with cartridge. Simply brilliant.
Yesterday, I spent the whole afternoon listening to Bohm’s Mozart symphonies with cartridge. Simply brilliant.
I have a suggestion where you could put your spare MSS if it’s feeling lonely!
well it's been another week and I have to admit that the lure of this vDH MSS cartridge is mesmerizing. It is as if I have been listening to my entire vinyl collection again but hearing detail in so many better ways
For the next few weeks the MSS will remain on the SME 3010R . Initially I was not only reluctant to switch these cartridges to opposite arms as the ZYX Premium was my reference and used almost 100% of my listening but I just was not prepared for the fact that this MSS is not only an amazingly excellent cartridge but it bests the ZYX in every way
For bass, dynamics, detail and a strong sense of presence along with a natural sound the MSS is in a league of its own IMHO.
Yesterday i spent the day not only comparing the 2 cartridges but also comparing the same music played streaming. As you all know the Taiko Extreme has for me changed the way I listen to music.The comparisons I did yesterday were somewhat sobering
One record that I use to compare mid bass is the Mercury Living Presence record by Janos Starker, side B, Kol Nidre
https://www.amazon.com/Dvorak-Concerto-Nidrei-Tchaikovsky-Variations/dp/B0000057KJ
This recording is also available on Tidal for streaming basic on Tidal i but I was aware that often classical music on Tidal is not always the best sonically
Having said that I spent more time comparing the cartridges.
First off I still love the ZYX Premium. It's going nowhere except to the 10" arm. It is a warmer cartridge than the MSS and lacks the bass finesse that the MSS brings to the table. What struck me immediately was that I could hear the vibration of the strings of his cello with the MSS but not with the ZYX. The ZYX has been used by me many times to play this record and have always enjoyed it to the max.
So how can I succinctly sum up the differences.Well first off the MSS is a cartridge built for classical music to the fullest degree as it fleshes out everything
The best way I can describe my listening experience to that recording is as follows......"listening with the ZYX is like listening to a wonderfully mastered recording of the event whereas listening to the MSS literally puts me at the event." This is something that I found astonishing
Finally playing the record streaming via Tidal was a clear third even though it too sounded darn good
The switch is going to happen in the next few weeks but the ZYX remains a keeper. I see it on softer passages, female voices or in
music where a little warmth is a good thing.
I discussed my findings with ddk who has said that this MSS is in the same league as his precious Neumann cartridge which I heard when I visited him. The Neumann has always been my favorite until I heard the MSS. David concurs that the MSS is in the same league. David whois a collector of vintage cartridges told me that the MSS has literally undone 20 years of his collecting vintage cartridges.
I'm no expert as most others are here but I know what my ears told me and this MSS cartridge is one that should be considered if you are looking for a new and amazing cartridge. Overall the sound is as natural as it gets with bass that is so articulate that as I said I could feel the vibration of every string with air around every string. This plus the fact that improving the bass for me has also always served to improve the top end sound. This was the case hear
If there is a downside (and it aint sibilance) it is the cantilever to this cartridge that is so long it looks like a sword and seems like an accident waiting to happen as the cartridge does not come with a stylus guard
For the next few weeks the MSS will remain on the SME 3010R . Initially I was not only reluctant to switch these cartridges to opposite arms as the ZYX Premium was my reference and used almost 100% of my listening but I just was not prepared for the fact that this MSS is not only an amazingly excellent cartridge but it bests the ZYX in every way
For bass, dynamics, detail and a strong sense of presence along with a natural sound the MSS is in a league of its own IMHO.
Yesterday i spent the day not only comparing the 2 cartridges but also comparing the same music played streaming. As you all know the Taiko Extreme has for me changed the way I listen to music.The comparisons I did yesterday were somewhat sobering
One record that I use to compare mid bass is the Mercury Living Presence record by Janos Starker, side B, Kol Nidre
https://www.amazon.com/Dvorak-Concerto-Nidrei-Tchaikovsky-Variations/dp/B0000057KJ
This recording is also available on Tidal for streaming basic on Tidal i but I was aware that often classical music on Tidal is not always the best sonically
Having said that I spent more time comparing the cartridges.
First off I still love the ZYX Premium. It's going nowhere except to the 10" arm. It is a warmer cartridge than the MSS and lacks the bass finesse that the MSS brings to the table. What struck me immediately was that I could hear the vibration of the strings of his cello with the MSS but not with the ZYX. The ZYX has been used by me many times to play this record and have always enjoyed it to the max.
So how can I succinctly sum up the differences.Well first off the MSS is a cartridge built for classical music to the fullest degree as it fleshes out everything
The best way I can describe my listening experience to that recording is as follows......"listening with the ZYX is like listening to a wonderfully mastered recording of the event whereas listening to the MSS literally puts me at the event." This is something that I found astonishing
Finally playing the record streaming via Tidal was a clear third even though it too sounded darn good
The switch is going to happen in the next few weeks but the ZYX remains a keeper. I see it on softer passages, female voices or in
music where a little warmth is a good thing.
I discussed my findings with ddk who has said that this MSS is in the same league as his precious Neumann cartridge which I heard when I visited him. The Neumann has always been my favorite until I heard the MSS. David concurs that the MSS is in the same league. David whois a collector of vintage cartridges told me that the MSS has literally undone 20 years of his collecting vintage cartridges.
I'm no expert as most others are here but I know what my ears told me and this MSS cartridge is one that should be considered if you are looking for a new and amazing cartridge. Overall the sound is as natural as it gets with bass that is so articulate that as I said I could feel the vibration of every string with air around every string. This plus the fact that improving the bass for me has also always served to improve the top end sound. This was the case hear
If there is a downside (and it aint sibilance) it is the cantilever to this cartridge that is so long it looks like a sword and seems like an accident waiting to happen as the cartridge does not come with a stylus guard
I just compared the Qobuz version with the reissue LP. The difference was startling. There is no comparison. I was using a Ikeda 407 with Ikeda 9GSS cart.
