Interesting you stick with the MS and have yours reconditioned to 5R. You are not interested in Gran Cru given all the rave? I on contrary sent one of my MS to recondition but Mr.Van den hul decided to convert it to Gran Cru for me. I have a5R MS too. Overall it has the same "vdh" character as Grand Cru but the tone less meaty. The presentation is less "prepared for the show." And slightly higher resolution and nuances than the Gran Cru. Put the hifi check point aside, what I find most important is how the 5R present sound so humbly effortlessly believable. Many people seem to find the MS tip-up and think it attract listener with hyper detail and nuances in the high. If I hear like that it would probably draw my attention to sound not music. I would describe my 5R as a cart that when I listen to it makes me "watch" ... squeeze my eyes to follow how Heifetz would move his bow. "Watch" what he is going to do next and smile. If anyone have this kind of reaction to sound in front of him I don't think he no longer paying any attention to good sound but just enjoy the performance. This is what this cart can do more than other carts I had experience with..more than the Gran Cru. Minor difference in tone and other things become insignificant. It is as if Horowitz played two different pianos with different sound you gonna enjoy and follow his performance anyway and not paying attention to different sound of piano. Tonally 100% correct or not is not only up to the cart but to the sound of the whole system too. I don't think that "to be believable" everything has to be a 100% accurate. What is correct anyway when two violin of different makes (or even the same make) don't even sound the same. I also enjoy the Gran Cru very much. It seems to be made for jazz and vocal. Unfortunately your tt does not allow two arms. With two arms you have flexibility to match music and can easily hear differences in carts. For this kind of sound and other great carts pricing at more than 12,000 dollars, the VdH is cheap. Service is great. Cost to recondition is super low. Bang for the bucks.
Great post, Tango. Threads get more interesting when you and Tim offer your thoughts.
I just rechecked my two vdH Colibris. At one time they were both Master Signatures. I had them modified to Grand Cru status. This involved at the time different suspensions and magnets, and perhaps some other stuff, as far as I could tell. Each cartridge has been back to Mr. van den Hul three or four times, I've lost track. I had the outputs lowered from 1.1 mV to 0.75 mV, then to 0.25 - 0.3. I had the first GC in the US. The GC was a clear step up in my former less efficient Magico/Pass/SME system. But that system also was less resolving and my tastes were different. At that time, I preferred the GC because of what I now realize was a slight enhancement at the frequency extremes. I did not recognize that at the time with that system, but it became obvious in my current system.
When I got my new system that is much more efficient, the 0.75 output was too much, so I sent both cartridges back for another inspection and lowering of output. My original modified MS to GC came back at 0.25 output, but the "GC" was no longer painted on the front of the wooden body. I think he returned it to MS status, or simply gave me a new cartridge. The magnet was different, everything seemed different. It sounded glorious, especially after set up by ddk. My other GC is a "5R" or RRRRR over the signature. It was always a full, unmodified Grand Cru. It's output has also been lowered this time to 0.3mV. It still has the "GC" painted in gold on the wood body.
I now think I have one MS and one GC. The differences are as you, Tango, describe them in your beautifully descriptive post. In my system, the differences are subtle, and the GC only has about 15 hours on it, but it does sound slightly different. It is not as nuanced as the MS, and the bass is somewhat more robust, but I think it is just a bit more extended or full at bottom. The resolution is all there, and I go back and forth not really having a preference. They are just slightly different and both sound superb.
I am thinking that I will set up the GC for jazz reissues and thicker vinyl on the back arm, and use the MS on the front arm for standard vinyl jazz, classical, and choral early/original pressings. One day I may get an Ortofon SPU mono for my few mono recordings, but until then, I am enjoying the very subtle differences between these two highly resolving cartridges. Mounted on the SME 3012R, they present "natural resolution" better than any cartridges I have heard in both my former and current system.
