The Colibri “Master Signature”

[PeterA]

The Colibri is extremely dynamic and transparent, the highs and the lows go on forever and if there's a problem with the system it will come through, your chance to look for the cause. Aside from the Neumann DST the current Master Sig Stradivari is by far the best cartridges I've had, currently running 3 variants in my own system.

david

David, it sounds like a superb cartridge. How would you describe the differences between Tang's Colibri and the Opus in his system?

 

[ddk]

David, it sounds like a superb cartridge. How would you describe the differences between Tang's Colibri and the Opus in his system?

I really like the Opus a little bland compared to the vdH but that’s it’s attraction.
david

 

[bonzo75]

Aside from my own system I've set up 11 Master Sig Stradivari Colibris in 5 different systems without any problem with sibilance. Tang's system already had a lot of sibilance which we reduced while I was there but still prominent. The Colibri is extremely dynamic and transparent, the highs and the lows go on forever and if there's a problem with the system it will come through, your chance to look for the cause. Aside from the Neumann DST the current Master Sig Stradivari is by far the best cartridges I've had, currently running 3 variants in my own system.

david

Hi, what are the three variants and what are the differences

 

[ddk]

Hi, what are the three variants and what are the differences

If you look at vdH website you’ll notice that he offers many different and customized versions of the same cartridge, I have stone body and copper wired variants of the same cartridge you heard at Tang’s which started as off as my own sauce too. I’ve been too busy the past few months and haven’t had a chance to listen properly to any of them to form any kind of opinion on their differences.
david

 

[tima]

Aside from my own system I've set up 11 Master Sig Stradivari Colibris in 5 different systems without any problem with sibilance. Tang's system already had a lot of sibilance which we reduced while I was there but still prominent. The Colibri is extremely dynamic and transparent, the highs and the lows go on forever and if there's a problem with the system it will come through, your chance to look for the cause. Aside from the Neumann DST the current Master Sig Stradivari is by far the best cartridges I've had, currently running 3 variants in my own system.

david

Thanks for giving us a golden recommendation, David - even in the early stage I'm quite happy with my purchase decision and my ears are happier still.

Out of those 12 installs, do you see any tendency in 'arm position as regards SRA?

 

[Tango]

Tang's system already had a lot of sibilance which we reduced while I was there but still prominent. The Colibri is extremely dynamic and transparent, the highs and the lows go on forever and if there's a problem with the system it will come through, your chance to look for the cause.

This is true about my system and also the cart's attributes. Let's see if the change in amps and preamp would bring down the sibilance further and make my system go beyond as you said .

Also, not sure whether I mentioned that I have t encountered any problem with classical and jazz - none whatsoever.

Same here. Only with vocal.

Kind regards,
Tang

 

[microstrip]

(...) I must say that vdH has done a marvellous job with the Colibri. I usually use Feickert's Adjust+ for the principal azimuth adjustment and the Colibri is the best measuring cartridge I ever had since I use Adjust+.

What specific parameter are you addressing?

 

[sujay]

Aside from my own system I've set up 11 Master Sig Stradivari Colibris in 5 different systems without any problem with sibilance. Tang's system already had a lot of sibilance which we reduced while I was there but still prominent. The Colibri is extremely dynamic and transparent, the highs and the lows go on forever and if there's a problem with the system it will come through, your chance to look for the cause. Aside from the Neumann DST the current Master Sig Stradivari is by far the best cartridges I've had, currently running 3 variants in my own system.

david

Hi David, I do wish I had the benefit of your expertise. I agree, the cart is absolutely fabulous!

 

[Tango]

If Tinka would like to do shopping has to come to Milan,not to Bangkok
Actually Milan is the best center shopping in the world,also better than Paris

Ok. You are right. But that's only because you have nicer weather.

Tang

 

[bazelio]

If you look at vdH website you’ll notice that he offers many different and customized versions of the same cartridge, I have stone body and copper wired variants of the same cartridge you heard at Tang’s which started as off as my own sauce too. I’ve been too busy the past few months and haven’t had a chance to listen properly to any of them to form any kind of opinion on their differences.
david

David, what's your take on the different voltage outputs available? How do you select a particular output level for a given system?

 

[Tango]

David, what's your take on the different voltage outputs available? How do you select a particular output level for a given system?

I think he would sigh before answering and say it is only a bit here and there. He is very particular but yet very practical person on audio. The custom output voltage of this cart is more for system gain matching. He told me he couldnt play 1.1 mV in his system. A click on his volume would already be so loud.

(I am no his secretary. I just have problem sleeping tonight and I cant turn on tv my kid is sleeping next to me.)

Tang

 

[bonzo75]

David, what's your take on the different voltage outputs available? How do you select a particular output level for a given system?

Vdh recustomizes. Start at 1.1 and if it doesn't work send back for 0.9

 

[ddk]

Thanks for giving us a golden recommendation, David - even in the early stage I'm quite happy with my purchase decision and my ears are happier still.

Out of those 12 installs, do you see any tendency in 'arm position as regards SRA?

I always start with eyeballing the stylus perpendicular to the record and then go from there. With the SME 3012-R I tend to up lower than eyeball straight but I don't think that's true for all tonearms.

 

[ddk]

David, what's your take on the different voltage outputs available? How do you select a particular output level for a given system?

Tang is correct I match the output to the system. With active preamps there usually is an optimal range of amplification, ie the volume setting, where things sound better. Too much and things becomes noisy too little and things are a bit dead. That's how I make my recommendation for output voltage of a cartridge.

Vdh recustomizes. Start at 1.1 and if it doesn't work send back for 0.9

I have 0.38mva for mine and 0.50mva for Tang's output, Mr. van den Hul is a very talented and capable individual. Little things matter when everything else is right.

david

 

[bonzo75]

I have 0.38mva for mine and 0.50mva for Tang's output, Mr. van den Hul is a very talented and capable individual. Little things matter when everything else is right.

david

Yes Bazelio does not have horns. And he can keep working downwards if higher value does not work.

That said, did you not have 0.9 at one point?

 

[ddk]

Yes Bazelio does not have horns. And he can keep working downwards if higher value does not work.

I have to check my records, not sure right now.

david

 

[ddk]

Thanks for giving us a golden recommendation, David - even in the early stage I'm quite happy with my purchase decision and my ears are happier still.

Out of those 12 installs, do you see any tendency in 'arm position as regards SRA?

One other thing that came to mind since this morning is that aside from the tonearm design tail up or tail down with the same tonearm will change depending on the height of the armboard, ie the distance from the top of the armboard to the top of the platter. The difference between Tang's setup and mine could be just that, he has his armboard positioned lower than mine. This is something that you need to figure out in your own setup.

david

 

[microstrip]

One other thing that came to mind since this morning is that aside from the tonearm design tail up or tail down with the same tonearm will change depending on the height of the armboard, ie the distance from the top of the armboard to the top of the platter. The difference between Tang's setup and mine could be just that, he has his armboard positioned lower than mine. This is something that you need to figure out in your own setup.

david

IMHO tail up or tail down should be referred to the horizontal position of the tonearm.

 

[ddk]

IMHO tail up or tail down should be referred to the horizontal position of the tonearm.

Yes and I'm referring to the tail but that tail position can change by the distance between the armboard and platter top and of course different tonearms can have different geometry.

david

 

[Ron Resnick]

I think maybe she wanted to visit Bangkok because of shopping not really about testing cart .

Really Ron, I wrote about sibilance but it is far from my intention to overblown the issue. And if you worry about loss of nuance with higher output cart, there is a 0.5 mV version that both ddk and I are using. When Ked was here he heard all the nuances from this cart he kept mentioning about this aspect quite a few time in his report. He might be talking about the nuance aspect of AS2000 (which you will be using) but it was the Master Sig he kept listening with. So no worry of nuances whatsoever with this cart and tt combo...they are unbeatable. I have not yet heard better reproduced sound of piano with other carts. Nuances can be lost a lot more from power cables, phono stage, preamp and other things down the chain than from the difference in output of carts. My low output Atlas and ZYX don't give any better nuances or lowlevel resolution than the Master Sig. You will have capability of doing four arms why not have one of the greatest cart on one of them. And trust me with your AS2000 and coaching from David you are not going to stop at two arms.

Tang

I thought Tinka might want to listen to one track 16 times to give all cartridge/tonearm combinations a fair audition. But maybe you are right. Tinka likes to travel. (On one of our earliest audio expeditions together I brought Tinka to Touraj’s Vertere office where Touraj and I compared his three turntables by playing my “Send in the Clowns” track over and over and over and over and over and over. She does not want to repeat that experience!)

Thank you for this further experience information. It is interesting that the Atlas and the ZYX did not display greater nuance than the VdH.

I would like to have:

1) ZYX UNIverse Premium on a 3012R;

2) Opus 1 on a Bergmann Odin

3) Grado Epoch on a Reed 5T

4) Opus 1 or Grado Epoch on a second 3012R.

But I intend to stop at the first two combinations (unless audioquattr persuades me and others that we cannot live without a Grado Epoch on a Reed 5T).