Is there a "World's Best Cartridge?"

[morricab]

And? I've attended concerts with a Guarneri and Strad that's practical experience for you? Anyway don't know what your argument is here I wasn't commenting on violins.

david

No, it's like hearing something a show and making a definitive judgement on it. You should know how that is viewed on this forum...

 

[Solypsa]

Yes no luxury good german processing .
you forget one of best turntable , did you ever heard a vms cutting machine as turntable.

I did own a VMS70 for a time. After I sold it I made the mistake of selling ( cheap ) a spare motor and platter I had left over. Oh well

 

[howiebrou]

Good humor.

Dude. You are not supposed to say what is best in the What's Best Forum.

Out of fairway a little. I think the best BBQ is Snow's BBQ in Texas but I also havent eaten it. They wont do international delivery. ddk bought me their trucker hat and tshirt though. Go check them out in NetFlix. You always remind me of food somehow.

Where's the BBQ thread? There must be some experts here...

 

[PeterA]

Where's the BBQ thread? There must be some experts here...

Driving from Boston to Texas now stopping in Nashville. I’ll let you know.

 

[Audiophile Bill]

Where's the BBQ thread? There must be some experts here...

No expert but do like my BBQ’ing and also a big eater too. Somehow I think we might get along, Howie haha .

 

[howiebrou]

No expert but do like my BBQ’ing and also a big eater too. Somehow I think we might get along, Howie haha .

Good company and good food. What's not to like?

 

[SOS]

I've been listening to a MSL Gold Sig now and only have 18 hrs on it but it's finally starting to open-up and SING! For the 1st few hrs I thought I had made a mistake buying this cartridge but now I'm a very happy camper. I'm told it takes close to 50 hrs to be fully braoken-in. Do others have any experince with MSL catridges?

 

[PeterA]

I've been listening to a MSL Gold Sig now and only have 18 hrs on it but it's finally starting to open-up and SING! For the 1st few hrs I thought I had made a mistake buying this cartridge but now I'm a very happy camper. I'm told it takes close to 50 hrs to be fully braoken-in. Do others have any experince with MSL catridges?

I owned that cartridge for years and really enjoyed it. Mine took 50 to 75 hours to come into its own. It was on an SMEV 12 tonearm and SME 3012 R. VTA very important. VTF less so.

 

[SOS]

Thanks Peter. I have found VTF VERY important at around 1.93 - 1.97 and VTA a bit less. I have the body fairly level, did you find the body should be slightly up or down? I'm using it on a Kuzma Stabi R with 4Point arm.
Thanks for any insight.

 

[PeterA]

Thanks Peter. I have found VTF VERY important at around 1.93 - 1.97 and VTA a bit less. I have the body fairly level, did you find the body should be slightly up or down? I'm using it on a Kuzma Stabi R with 4Point arm.
Thanks for any insight.

I can not say about how level the cartridge needs to be. With some it varies from sample to sample. I suspect with MSL less so. Start with level and go up or down and listen. It will get better or worse. Listening is the only way to find what is best.

 

[Tango]

I've been listening to a MSL Gold Sig now and only have 18 hrs on it but it's finally starting to open-up and SING! For the 1st few hrs I thought I had made a mistake buying this cartridge but now I'm a very happy camper. I'm told it takes close to 50 hrs to be fully braoken-in. Do others have any experince with MSL catridges?

I have the Platinum. It sounds more color, more dynamicly authoritative, more signature than the Opus. Tag team with AF1P they bring super excitement to Scheherazade. As if you were riding through storm on Sinbad boat.

 

[SOS]

Tango out of curiosity have you listened to the Gold Sig vs your Platinum? Thoughts on the differences if you have. How long did it take for your Platinum to break-in?

 

[Tango]

Tango out of curiosity have you listened to the Gold Sig vs your Platinum? Thoughts on the differences if you have. How long did it take for your Platinum to break-in?

No I have not. I bought the Platinum just to find out how it differs from Opus1 since they were designed by the same designer. It did not take long for the Platinum to break-in. Same with Opus. They both gave good impression right out of the box for me.

 

[Hxt1]

Professors like to lecture. When I was studying architecture and ready to really learn, the teacher presented himself. His name was Tadao Ando. He taught me how to think about form and light, and the spirit of a building.

Years later after flirting with audio for a while, I went to Vienna and was again ready to start learning. Once there, the chief archivist of the Vienna State Opera became my mentor and taught me how to listen to the instrument’s energy in the concert hall.

Ten years later, I stagnated and needed a new way to think about my system. David Karmeli taught me how to improve my set up. I started to experiment and began to learn again.

I welcome learning from others who understand things at a deeper level than I do. The good teacher suggests new ways of thinking about things and encourages one to dig deeper. He will encourage the student to learn by doing.

In each case, someone planted the seed, but I did the learning myself. These are people who have ideas and are willing to share them. The recipients are the lucky ones.

Interestingly, both Dr. Poltun in Vienna and David Karmeli in Utah like early Ortofon cartridges and certain vdH Colibris. I am glad I listened to them.

There is definitely a world’s best cartridge. It is the one that enables the listener to have a similar experience at home that he has in the concert hall. The challenge is identifying that cartridge and then being able to get it.

Fascinating. I've reached the peak (for now, due to mostly financial and space restraints) of vinyl playback in my system so at this point the focus is superior source material. I was hooked on 15ips tape, but once in a while a vinyl will open my eyes. It's nice to have access to a forum such as this, with such a breadth of combined experience and expertise. An endlessly rewarding hobby.

 

[SOS]

Just installed the MSL Signature Platinum will now be able to hear the differences between Gold & Platinum.
Kuzma SAFIR tonearm arrives next week.

 

[Zeotrope]

Do you find that tracking ability improves after it‘s broken in, especially for low compliance cartridges?

 

[Loheswaran]

Can I just ask about synergy. Not compliance. I find my transfiguration temper v sings on my Amazon model one as they were developed together for instance likewise my EMT tsd SFL is extraordinary in my EMT 950. I’m still looking for the perfect home for my monster sigma which I am told is an exceptional cartridge

 

[Another Johnson]

Do you find that tracking ability improves after it‘s broken in, especially for low compliance cartridges?

Makes sense. It is the suspension that needs the run in, and that does affect tracking.

Back to the OP, I started out like everyone else in my generation… with “needles.”

Moved on to cartridges from Stanton, and Pickering when I had a TT that was compatible. Got into Shure, and eventually into their top of the line tracking masterpieces. They were unbelievably expensive at over $200.

Later to Grado and Clearaudio. The Clearaudio Veritas took my breath away at its absurdly high $800 price point.

Then I discovered Ortofon and fell in love literally for decades. What a great range from top to bottom.

By 2016 I’d switched again to try a Linn badged cartridge. This was on a whim to have an all Linn kit. That did not go well, and so within less than a year. I decided to check out Lyra.

I moved up from Delos (the teaser) to Kleos (significantly better) to Etna (wow… best I’d heard on my Ekos SE arm), by 2018.

Auditions of the Atlas were great, but so was the Etna, so I stayed with the Etna until this year when I took advantage of Lyra’s trade up program. I traded my Etna for a 50% credit on a brand new Etna Lambda. It is a major upgrade over the original Etna (which is a wonderful cartridge).

Alan Taffel reviewed the Etna Lambda in issue 338 of TAS (the current issue for May/June 2023). Although I doubt that I could have written the review, I read it carefully, and agreed with every observation that he made. The Etna Lambda at $8995 has to be considered as both an outstanding sonic performer (at least on my Ekos SE arm through my ARC Ref Phono 3), and an excellent value.

It sounds great not long into the first side, but after 40 hours of play in time, it’s just incredible.

I was getting to think that my Rossini DAC might bring digital close to analog here. The Etna Lambda has changed the equation, and not in a subtle way.

 

[Another Johnson]

The worst aspect of the quest for a world class vinyl setup is that when you achieve it, it diminishes the impact and enjoyment of your other sources.

If you’re like me, you can’t unhear the best you’ve heard. It’s going to take a bit of further investment to catch my digital sources back up.

 

[Zeotrope]

I still enjoy my digital source but it is nowhere near as natural sounding as the TT.