The Colibri “Master Signature”

[Tango]

I have two Master Sig. One is Strad with output 0.5 mV. The other is non Strad with 1.1 mV output. Before I sent the 0.5 to recondition I heard not significant difference between them. I sent the 0.5 for recondition after 300+ hrs because I was losing body and low down. Three weeks ago I received back the reconditioned cart. I then moved my 1.1 from the AS2000 to 927 with extra long Axiom and replaced that 3012R with the 0.5. Now the 927 with 1.1 sounds the best of all carts ever been on. Some how I still cannot get the reconditioned 0.5 to sound as good as it did. The signature high, super energetic sound and utmost transparency are just not there while the body andlow down is back. I notice the cantilever of the 0.5 is now steeper than used to and I had to mount the SME higher than used to. I also see the bottom of 1.1 on the big heavier Axiom has a scarily small clearance between vinyl. In a few days I will switch the 0.5 to Axiom and 1.1 to the SME to see how it is.

Tang

 

[howiebrou]

Tang, i can feel your anguish. Allow me to help. Please send me your axiom and 0.5 and you will never hear from them again. Life is too short to be stressed.

 

[PeterA]

I have two Master Sig. One is Strad with output 0.5 mV. The other is non Strad with 1.1 mV output. Before I sent the 0.5 to recondition I heard not significant difference between them. I sent the 0.5 for recondition after 300+ hrs because I was losing body and low down. Three weeks ago I received back the reconditioned cart. I then moved my 1.1 from the AS2000 to 927 with extra long Axiom and replaced that 3012R with the 0.5. Now the 927 with 1.1 sounds the best. Some how I still cannot get the reconditioned 0.5 to sound as good as it did. The signature high, super energetic sound and utmost transparency are just not there while the body andlow down is back. I notice the cantilever of the 0.5 is now steeper than used to and I had to mount the SME higher than used to. I also see the bottom of 1.1 on the big heavier Axiom has a scarily small clearance between vinyl. In a few days I will switch the 0.5 to Axiom and 1.1 to the SME to see how it is.

Tang

Wow Tang, those angles look really different. It seems the whole mechanism is mounted at a different angle. Is each armtube close to parallel to the LP surface?

 

[Tango]

Tang, i can feel your anguish. Allow me to help. Please send me your axiom and 0.5 and you will never hear from them again. Life is too short to be stressed.

I am actually not upset at all about the wrong sound I am getting from the 0.5. I have been through so many what-the-f*ck incidents with carts. Before this 0.5, some how my Coralstone broke and played only one channel. Before that the ZYX Optimum decided to put out signal one channel stronger than the other. Before that my secretary accidentally threw her hand at the ZYX Universe Premium and totally twisted the canti lever. Actually had three more incidents on ZYX before that too. Before that the Red Sparrow cantilever was skewed to the right. And before that the Opus1 gave distortion when it met high frequencies. I think I forgot a few more incidents. I am now the Zen master Howie.

 

[Tango]

Wow Tang, those angles look really different. It seems the whole mechanism is mounted at a different angle. Is each armtube close to parallel to the LP surface?

The SME is quite parallel. The Axiom is not, but if you look at the flat top of the cart you will see it pretty much parallel to the LP surface. The Axiom is weird all of them have tube bottom up.

 

[PeterA]

The SME is quite parallel. The Axiom is not, but if you look at the flat top of the cart you will see it pretty much parallel to the LP surface. The Axiom is weird all of them have tube bottom up.

It's hard to tell from the photos, but it looks like the SME VTA is much higher than the Axiom VTA. If they both give non distorted sound, then perhaps the stylus is mounted differently in each cantilever so that each SRA is close to correct. Otherwise, I don't see how the VTAs can be so different.

 

[Tango]

It's hard to tell from the photos, but it looks like the SME VTA is much higher than the Axiom VTA. If they both give non distorted sound, then perhaps the stylus is mounted differently in each cantilever so that each SRA is close to correct. Otherwise, I don't see how the VTAs can be so different.

No distortion on both Peter. Just one sounds a lot better than the other.

 

[bonzo75]

I am actually not upset at all about the wrong sound I am getting from the 0.5. I have been through so many what-the-f*ck incidents with carts. Before this 0.5, some how my Coralstone broke and played only one channel. Before that the ZYX Optimum decided to put out signal one channel stronger than the other. Before that my secretary accidentally threw her hand at the ZYX Universe Premium and totally twisted the canti lever. Actually had three more incidents on ZYX before that too. Before that the Red Sparrow cantilever was skewed to the right. And before that the Opus1 gave distortion when it met high frequencies. I think I forgot a few more incidents. I am now the Zen master Howie.

So why did you give me that look when I bounced your cart on the table? It was nothing in comparison

 

[microstrip]

I am actually not upset at all about the wrong sound I am getting from the 0.5. I have been through so many what-the-f*ck incidents with carts. Before this 0.5, some how my Coralstone broke and played only one channel. Before that the ZYX Optimum decided to put out signal one channel stronger than the other. Before that my secretary accidentally threw her hand at the ZYX Universe Premium and totally twisted the canti lever. Actually had three more incidents on ZYX before that too. Before that the Red Sparrow cantilever was skewed to the right. And before that the Opus1 gave distortion when it met high frequencies. I think I forgot a few more incidents. I am now the Zen master Howie.

Fortunately my list of misadventures is much smaller than yours - just a Sumiko Talisman a cleaning lady wiped too carefully and my recent aggression to the the VdH Stradivarius XGW Master Signature - I was even more destructive than your secretary, I separated the coils from the cartridge ... . But never had faults or trouble with long term reliability, although I have returned a couple of cartridges on arrival after measuring them.

 

[Tango]

So why did you give me that look when I bounced your cart on the table? It was nothing in comparison

Anybody should get that look bouncing the daddy long leg GFS like that dear Ked.

 

[bazelio]

Of course, what matters most is the final stylus rake angle, regardless of how parallel the arm appears to be. Though in this picture, it looks like there is a gap somehow between the cart and the headshell. What's going on there?

 

[howiebrou]

I am actually not upset at all about the wrong sound I am getting from the 0.5. I have been through so many what-the-f*ck incidents with carts. Before this 0.5, some how my Coralstone broke and played only one channel. Before that the ZYX Optimum decided to put out signal one channel stronger than the other. Before that my secretary accidentally threw her hand at the ZYX Universe Premium and totally twisted the canti lever. Actually had three more incidents on ZYX before that too. Before that the Red Sparrow cantilever was skewed to the right. And before that the Opus1 gave distortion when it met high frequencies. I think I forgot a few more incidents. I am now the Zen master Howie.

My father in law once 'replaced' my tonearm as the record had finished playing...that was the end of that cartridge (a Grado)

 

[Tango]

Of course, what matters most is the final stylus rake angle, regardless of how parallel the arm appears to be. Though in this picture, it looks like there is a gap somehow between the cart and the headshell. What's going on there?

View attachment 57054

It is a structure of an Arche head shell. Where cartridge screws mounted is a piece of pentagon pictured in circle below.



This piece is adjustable so you can also tilt to adjust your cart parallel to the vinyl here. Then you fine tune the vta at the stem of the arm turning the knob circled in pic below.

 

[tima]

Some how I still cannot get the reconditioned 0.5 to sound as good as it did. The signature high, super energetic sound and utmost transparency are just not there while the body andlow down is back. I notice the cantilever of the 0.5 is now steeper than used to and I had to mount the SME higher than used to. I also see the bottom of 1.1 on the big heavier Axiom has a scarily small clearance between vinyl. In a few days I will switch the 0.5 to Axiom and 1.1 to the SME to see how it is.

Without knowing more, the difference in performance of the 0.5mv MS could be a function of whatever changes were made in the 'reconditioning' process. A steeper cantilever may mean a stiffer suspension which could mean a lower compliance. My understanding of the 'reconditioning' process has it that you will not get a new box with updated specs. Not saying they are different, but if they are you may not have that information.

Just from the pictures... looking at where the white X former of the coils enters the metal tube, I see the 0.5mv/SME instance is more snug against the metal tube whereas on the 1.1mv/Axiom it is protruding out a bit. I claim no expertise, but just from experience of seeing and trying several MS, this suggests the suspension on the 0.5mv may be a touch stiffer. Again just from experience with those variances, sound can be different as you describe. Please take my comments purely as anecdotal.

Best I can tell, every one of these cartridges is different, and the suspension can be an area of difference. David has seen many many of these carts, hopefully he will comment.

Clearance of the 1.1mv/Axiom is not unusual, imo.

 

[bazelio]

Best I can tell, every one of these cartridges is different, and the suspension can be an area of difference.

I think "every one of these is different" hits the nail on the head. I guess that can be good and bad, bit it has dissuaded me so far. Let's just be open, three folks I know have recently received and needed to return Master Sigs due to poor initial quality i.e. showstopper issues. Now Tang's 0.5mV version no longer sounds the same after a service. There's too much variablity here by any reasonable measure. I'm really curious how Lavigne's experience goes, as that's the newest data point. One thing's for sure, though. I admire the patience you all seem to possess!

 

[tima]

One thing's for sure, though. I admire the patience you all seem to possess!

Yeah, but when it's right it is so very very right.

 

[christoph]

Those Pickups are handcrafted by an 80 year old man, of course each one is one of a kind (at least to some degree)

 

[howiebrou]

Those Pickups are handcrafted by an 80 year old man, of course each one is one of a kind (at least to some degree)

AJ is amazingly astute for his age. I had a very nice long chat with him recently about his sideline health products and he was as enthralling as he used to be.

 

[bonzo75]

Those Pickups are handcrafted by an 80 year old man, of course each one is one of a kind (at least to some degree)

This has been the case since he was young. He never had consistency. He has a lot of fans going back a few years who have reported the same. Mike himself has had 8 or 9 before each one different.

 

[bonzo75]

The thing to do then is listen and buy or let someone choose one for you like Tang did David