Top Wing Seiryu arrives at Believe High Fidelity

[bonzo75]

If I get a Vyger, it will be my cart of choice. But since that is many moons away, I need to hear it do well on SME, fr64s, brinkmann type arms. I heard it on Schroeder CB and Vertere it didn't work well

 

[Tango]

I tried on SAT and Axiom. Ddk tried on SME.

Kind regards,
Tang

 

[Believe High Fidelity]

Hello WBF members,

We had some great press coverage for Munich 2019 for Top Wing. From TAS, to ETM, Stereophile, PTA, AVshowrooms, and others, Top Wing was the most successful cartridge at the show earning more than 5 Best of Shows and counting. Enjoy the reviews!


Part Time Audiophile- https://parttimeaudiophile.com/2019/06/07/its-a-wrap-and-best-of-show-high-end-2019/
TAS Valins Best Rooms Raidho and Zellation Rooms - https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/munich-high-end-2019-loudspeakers/
TAS Hannon Best Rooms Raidho and Zellation Rooms - https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/munich-2019-sources-and-cables/
Stereophile 1 - https://www.stereophile.com/content...electronics-reed-turntable-top-wing-cartridge
Stereophile 2 - https://www.stereophile.com/content...-pear-audio-blue-turntable-top-wing-cartridge
Stereophile 3 - https://www.stereophile.com/content...kers-cerat-erevus-5-basshorn-system-achilleas
Enjoy the Music 1 - http://www.enjoythemusic.com/HIGH_END_2019/Weaver/page2.htm
Enjoy the Music 2- http://www.enjoythemusic.com/HIGH_END_2019/Weaver/page3.htm
Enjoy the Music 3 - http://www.enjoythemusic.com/HIGH_END_2019/Weaver/page4.htm
SoundStage Austrailia - https://www.soundstageaustralia.com...3y0Hqe53DzSHUs2UXmf84QfOyeOJyY-sxtDOpy-1dsHMA
AvShowrooms -

 

[bazelio]

@Believe High Fidelity what is Red Sparrow's compliance? Thanks.

 

[Believe High Fidelity]

Saw your question on the other Top Wing thread, but it was deleted before I could reply

Top Wing is a high compliance cartridge, but it doesn't have a published specification.

 

[bazelio]

What's the recommendation for tonearm effective mass? If high compliance, I'm guessing something like a 11.5" Kuzma 4 point isn't a good match?

 

[Believe High Fidelity]

You should be ok. Kuzma 4 point is moderate mass and since Top Wing isn't a very high compliance cart it should be ok. Now way to confirm 100%, but I am willing to be it would work just fine

 

[Believe High Fidelity]

Recommended mass would be 9-around 20ish

 

[bazelio]

It's an expensive bet. Do you know which tonearms it's been demoed on by various vendors? At least that'd provide some data points.

Recommended mass would be 9-around 20ish

I'm not sure I know what you mean?

 

[Believe High Fidelity]

9grams to 18-20grams tonearm weight

 

[Believe High Fidelity]

Personally tested:

Primary Control
Thales
Reed
Walker LT
Bergmann LT
Clear Audio LT
Thorens
VPI
Pear Audio
Graham
Schroeder

There are more but that is all I can recall this late in the hour

 

[bazelio]

A friend of a friend reports the Red Sparrow seems to work on a Kuzma. This is good news.

I'd be curious to know why they are using an aluminum cantilever. That seems highly curious, especially on a product in this price bracket.

 

[Believe High Fidelity]

Good to hear.

Cantilevers and their performance is relative to the design and from my own curiosity it isn't that it couldn't be better but the results were marginal without going to diamond and would increase an already pricey cartridge for both initial cost and replacement cost. From the rumors a diamond may be released in the future provided it can work with the Coreless Straight flux technology he same way aluminum can

 

[bazelio]

Interesting, we'll see. I may have an opportunity to hear one soon. It's not so much the notion that a high end cart must have a diamond cantilever than the facts that aluminum is less stiff (than even Boron), higher in mass, and it resonates. Perhaps there is something inherent to this "straight flux" design that doesn't care about stiffness and added mass (though that seems hard to fathom), but the resonance properties of Aluminum are still a potential problem. Proof will be in the listening though, and again, I hope to do so soon.

 

[Audiophile Bill]

Interesting, we'll see. I may have an opportunity to hear one soon. It's not so much the notion that a high end cart must have a diamond cantilever than the facts that aluminum is less stiff (than even Boron), higher in mass, and it resonates. Perhaps there is something inherent to this "straight flux" design that doesn't care about stiffness and added mass (though that seems hard to fathom), but the resonance properties of Aluminum are still a potential problem. Proof will be in the listening though, and again, I hope to do so soon.

I did also hear rumours of a diamond cantilever Red Sparrow on the horizon.

 

[bazelio]

Diamonds are an audiophile's best friend?

 

[Audiophile Bill]

Diamonds are an audiophile's best friend?

Lol maybe.

I dunno tbh. I heard mixed things about diamond cantilever implementations - certainly not a panacea technology.

 

[spiritofmusic]

I don't think most women would find the idea of diamonds in our gear and not on their fingers or around their necks amusing in any way.

 

[Solypsa]

Yes it's mostly implementation. If synthetic gemstone (or beryllium etc.) was the panacea this discussion would have been over long ago....

 

[XV-1]

What does a diamond cantilever bring to the sonic character vs aluminium or boron cantilevers?