van den Hul Colibri Grand Cru

ddk

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May 18, 2013
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Dear friend: that 0.75mv cartridge output means " mediocre/average " quality level performance no matters what. I already posted in other threads that the best LOMC cartridges are the ones with lower output levels because the signal " sees " less coild wire that inside the cartridge is extremely important issue: more wire means losted signal information, signal quality degradation.

The best Colibri cartridges are the ones at 0.22mv and you can ask VDH that make one for you and difference for the better is like nigth and day. You have the phono stage gain to handle it.

Sorry but 0.75mv has no sense for that kind of price I suppose you paid for.

Lyra knows a lot about and that's why from the same models from some years now its builds low output versions and owners and reviewers of those low output versions always prefers these ones. For some gentlemans it's not posible to use the low output versions or cartridges with low output because have not the rigth phono stage to handle it.

In the past two of the best LOMC cartridges came with a really low output at 0.05mv ( I still own one of them. ), these ones are the Audio Note IO Limited and the Ortofon MC2000.

Btw, from some time now and today phono stage SS designs all of them has high headroom and can't be overloaded but additional almost all are very good designs. If we listen clicks then comes in the LP, as a fact the vinyl surface is really " tortuose " for the cartridge and non perfect and its inherent imperfections develops the clicks in all LPs but these clicks comes at different SPL that many times because are very low SPL we can't listen it.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.
In principle I agree with your premise Raul that low and ultra low output mc cartridges generally are finer and more nuanced than medium and high output ones but it's not everything. The character of the cartridge is still most important IMO. When MC2000 came out it was impossible to find a low noise enough tube phono/preamp to use it directly, at least that was case in my system and I recall the sound with the matching SUT was extremely detailed but too analytical for my taste. Never liked the IO either, too colored, too boring and the bass was off. To be honest I never liked anything AN/Kondo. I guess if I had to pick one of the ultra low output cartridges of that time it would be the Denon DL-SL1.

Regarding vdH cartridges I don't hear anything negative in the more recent higher output versions and I've had them all since the Colibri Stradivarius. Up to the end of last year there were some differences between the character of lower output Master Sigs, 0.28-0.34mv and higher output versions 0.75mv-1.1mv but they don't suffer the typical shortcomings of high output mc cartridges, in fact in many newer systems I prefer the higher output version. These days many speakers have low sensitivity and are difficult to drive the higher output is perfect in such systems, you'll get all the dynamics without having to crank up the volume which introduces noise. The Master Sigs I received this year seem to be very close in character irrespective of output.

Of course not always but in clean records pops & clicks can disappear with proper setup.
david
 

infinitely baffled

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Just a quick setup question, if i may?

I'm finding that the balance changes over the course of a record.
At the beginning of the side it is more left channel, by the end of the side it is perfectly centred.
I'm guessing this is a result of azimuth not being perfect, or anti- skate.

Any suggestions?
 

Vienna

VIP/Donor
Just a quick setup question, if i may?

I'm finding that the balance changes over the course of a record.
At the beginning of the side it is more left channel, by the end of the side it is perfectly centred.
I'm guessing this is a result of azimuth not being perfect, or anti- skate.

Any suggestions?
Which method are you following on setting the antiskating?
 

Lagonda

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Feb 3, 2014
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Just a quick setup question, if i may?

I'm finding that the balance changes over the course of a record.
At the beginning of the side it is more left channel, by the end of the side it is perfectly centred.
I'm guessing this is a result of azimuth not being perfect, or anti- skate.

Any suggestions?
Is your arm board perfectly leveled ?
 

infinitely baffled

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Jul 2, 2015
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That's a good one..:D.I've got it set at the lightest possible setting, but i can't quantify the anti-skate force as there are no values on the Ikeda arm

Since posting above I've slightly adjusted vta (by a single playing card), fiddled a bit with azimuth and re-adjusted tracking force, and i seem to have solved the issue
 
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infinitely baffled

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Jul 2, 2015
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infinitely baffled

VIP/Donor
Jul 2, 2015
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Thank you for your replies chaps

I reckon it must have been azimuth.

I should have been disciplined and only adjusted one parameter. But you know what it's like when you get your tools out...you check and adjust everything
 

infinitely baffled

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Sounding splendid
 

shakti

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May 9, 2015
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After some backwards and forwards I decided to use the Acoustical Systems Axiom tonearm as my main Tonearm,
coming from the beloved FR 64s and Glanz MH 124 the Axiom is for me the natural next step.
Unfortunately the Axiom is in the class of heavy tonearms (> 27g effective mass) and my Gran Cru does require 10 to14g.
To avoid an obvious mismatch I never installed the Gran Cru in the named tonearms.

So I like to sell my unused vdh Gran Cru (Stradivarius, Pau wood) for the best offer. If someone is interested, please send a PN.
 

mountainjoe

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After some backwards and forwards I decided to use the Acoustical Systems Axiom tonearm as my main Tonearm,
coming from the beloved FR 64s and Glanz MH 124 the Axiom is for me the natural next step.
Unfortunately the Axiom is in the class of heavy tonearms (> 27g effective mass) and my Gran Cru does require 10 to14g.
To avoid an obvious mismatch I never installed the Gran Cru in the named tonearms.

So I like to sell my unused vdh Gran Cru (Stradivarius, Pau wood) for the best offer. If someone is interested, please send a PN.
I have mine playing well on an FR64s - though mine is tuned for 18g. Could you send it back to AJ and get it tuned to a higher effective mass?
 
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shakti

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I have mine playing well on an FR64s - though mine is tuned for 18g. Could you send it back to AJ and get it tuned to a higher effective mass?
Fully agree,
Had that before with an 18g capable MS Colibri on Ikeda 407. Was a nice pair with the Thoeress Phono.
Finally, still not sure, where to go. Buying an Aquilar 10" with 11g mass is another alternative.
But sometimes you get a good offer (here for the Gran Cru) and you proceed to the next step.
 

shakti

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May 9, 2015
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Still not finally decided, if I like to sell the Gran Cru or to buy a matching tonearm for it.
Every morning I am looking to the beautiful cartridge...
The better match for my tonearms would be the Opus 1, may be I should got for the Opus 1?
If I would receive a fair offer for my new/unplayed Gran Cru, the way forward would be easier :)
May be someone likes to listen to a Gran Cru during Christmas Time?
IMG_4720.jpg IMG_4721.jpg IMG_4722.jpg
 

Ron Resnick

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That is interesting, shakti. I am sorry you are concluding the Grand Cru is not an ideal match.

What do you think is an ideal tonearm for an Opus 1?
 

Vienna

VIP/Donor
Still not finally decided, if I like to sell the Gran Cru or to buy a matching tonearm for it.
Every morning I am looking to the beautiful cartridge...
The better match for my tonearms would be the Opus 1, may be I should got for the Opus 1?
If I would receive a fair offer for my new/unplayed Gran Cru, the way forward would be easier :)
May be someone likes to listen to a Gran Cru during Christmas Time?
View attachment 71883 View attachment 71885 View attachment 71884
I noticed that your shell has wooden screw threads like the one I received and sold. Bazelio's had metal screw threads. Which is the reason for this?
 

shakti

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May 9, 2015
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That is interesting, shakti. I am sorry you are concluding the Grand Cru is not an ideal match.

What do you think is an ideal tonearm for an Opus 1?
The Gran Cru is a wonderful cartridge, if driven within Specification of effective mass < 14g
You will find some tolerance up to let us say 17g or so. Many SME 3012r users will agree.

My tonerarms from Sorane, Ikeda, Glanz and Acoustical Systems are more like 20g and even above 30g.
A nice match for all carts (for example) coming from the My Sonic Lab / Matsudaira production.
All carts from MSL and OEM customers were playing so far great on my available arms,
as the Opus 1 has the same DNA, this will work as well.
So I can do, what I like, switching the cart between different arms and learn/understand the character :)
 

shakti

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May 9, 2015
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I noticed that your shell has wooden screw threads like the one I received and sold. Bazelio's had metal screw threads. Which is the reason for this?

AJ decides on the individual wood body, if he is using metal screw threads or not.
As already said, every single Gran Cru is a unique peace of art.
 

Tango

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Still waiting for my Grand Cru to sound better than the Opus1. The Master Sig is still my first sword. The Opus1 second sword. Most reliable goes to the Opus.
 
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