I have a lot of respect for Mr. van den Hul. He is a gentleman and a real artist. He loves music and cares deeply about satisfying his customers. At least that has been my experience. These cartridges are the result of incredible passion for his art.
Dear friend: From many years and as you I share your words about A:J van den Hul the man and his cartridges. I would like to share with you some things that could or not helps your enjoying room/system experiences with those cartridges:
My first vdH cartridge was the Frog that still is good performer and after that came ( in no order. ) the Grasshopper, Condor, Black Beauty and several Colibri samples been the latest the Stad Signature.
I learned several things about and some of them really makes a difference for the better, for me with my self audio/MUSIC sound priorities/targets and in my room/system the best performer is the cartridge with the lower output of 0.22mv and with the old black " plastic" body but not as wider cartridge top plate like the today ones. The wood cartridge different bodies just can't " do it ".
The Colibri makes things that no other cartridge I experienced can do specially at the high frequency range where for some owners could sounds a little brigth or aggresive in that frequency range and even shirll and with sibilance but all these adjectives are part of orfrom a near field seated position ( same as recording microphones. ) real SPL live MUSIC.
You can make a test by your self: please make a high SPL shout say with the word what's and you will note your self sibilance and with out microphone, just do it.
I really like the 30 TT and in Agon always supported and I'm owner ( between several today and vintage tonearms. ) of the V tonearm and owned the 3009 and 3012R you own.
For today quality performance standards the 3012 is not the rigth tonearm for any single LOMC cartridge and never for the Colibri. The arm is not very well damped ( this is a necessity and obligated characteristic in any arm because is what the cartridge ask for. ) and to resonant not only for that but for the kind of bearing design and I'm refering to that knife part of the arm bearing and I know very well the performance of great knife bearing design ( not good performers either but very well made and very good look. ) the double knife SAEC 8000 and the 560-30 that I owned for years .
I'm not the only one that do not like knife bearings Maybe some of you already know about Sao Win that between other things designed a LOMC cartridge with ruby cantilever ( I own it. ) but he designed too a starin gauge one and TT/tonearm that you can see here:
https://www.usaudiomart.com/details...-table-dr-sao-win-original-tonearm-and-motor/
well Mr. Win in his LOMC cartridge operation manual stated a big warning: please don't mount our cartridge with knife bearing tonearms, he was very specific about and you can be sure that he knew the why's behind his warning to his customers. Yes the knife tonearm designs are really bad on its quality performance and yes I know that as you several audiophiles die for the SAEC tonearms or the one you own.
The other bad issue with the 3012R is the SME removable headshell that along the Orsonic and SAEC ceramic headshells are the worst headshells ever: extremely resonant and I know it because I owned all mated with top LOMC cartridges and MM/MI too and my opinion are shared for other knowledge audiophiles.
A.J. van den Hul loves vintage Technics cartridges and tonearms and for very good reasons and I know that because I was lucky to meet him one time several years ago and he was the only cartridge manufacturer or re-tipper that fixed my Technics EPC 100C MK4 MM cartridge even I helped a gentleman with the same problem that me with the same Technics model.
This cartridge was his reference for Mr. van den Hul for several years as was the Technics EPA 100-MK2 tonearm.
In the very first moment that you listen a Colibri mated with the EPA 100-MK2 tonearm you will know why vdH him self loved it.
Look, the best cantilever build material is boron and diamond by its very high Young Modulus measure/value because in that cartridge place any cartidge designer knows it needs zero resonances and stifness and boron is the metal one that fulfill those needs and things are that the Technics EPA 100MK2 tonearm all arm wand and removable headshell was made with Boron ! ! ! and additional to that incredible choosed material the tonearm has a unique damping mechanism never beated or even by any other tonearm designer: just outstanding as its jewels bearing but the design execution quality level is second to none ( Technics belongs to the Japan gigant Matushita enterprise group. Do you need resources of every kind they have it. )) as is its unique VTA set up mechanism. A dream of tonearm for any MUSIC lover or audiophile that competes with the best of the best today tonearm designs.
So for me is the perfect match for your Colibri not that ( sorry ) 3012 that's not up to the task .
Other great great tonearm that can run not only with your Colibri but with any today cartridge is the MAX 282 ( 3 different arm wands and very well damped unique balanced design with no ringing, etc, etc, ) by MS. The MAX 282 along other great vintage tonearm the GST-801 are the only two tonearms in the audio history to be balanced designs and both with different VTF set up designs that do it with out any single kind of ringing or any noise as all the other dinamic balanced tonearm designs including the today ones.
Both tonearms could needs a internal rewiring with Audio Note UK 300 wire or the Kondo or:
https://www.zavfino1877.com/4litz3ag-pure-silver-tonearm-re-wire-kit well the GST-801 too.
Sorry to disturb you, I'm trying to help nothing more. Btw, very difficult to compare cartridges when mounted in different tonearms.
Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS.
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