What Cartridge(s) Is Everyone Using
- Thread starter Steve Williams
- Start date
'Course that's like asking who will ever replace The Mick. Time has shown others step up to the plate. Been many great CFs since.
---- I like your post; it's very honest and rings true. :b
* BTW, did you ever listen to a digital machine (CD/SACD player) with the Ring DAC?
I think if you search WBF, you'll see some discussion about the Magic Diamond. I seem to remember it being based on a Denon?
Whatever, it was for a long time the favorite cartridge of Lloyd Walker; now his allegiance is to the Air Tight PC1 Supreme.
http://www.elusivedisc.com/AIR-TIGHT-PC-1-SUPREME-MC-CARTRIDGE-04mV/productinfo/AIRTPC1S/
Correct it's based on a Denon, Whats your opinion on it .... ? Whats your King Dragon vote .... ?
How did you pick that one, A. Wayne? It was never on my radar, but that was a period when I was not really paying attention. There is a lengthy thread on A'Gon about it, disputes over whether it is a modified Denon 103, questions about what Lloyd Walker really prefers, even though he apparently sold those cartridges at one point with his fancy turntable, and how it compares to other cartridges. The dealer, audio federation, is one who I have dealt with by phone, and I really liked Nell, one of the owners.
Yes, the HDCD capable Arcam 9 and 23 I'm most familiar with, although I've heard other Arcam ringers sing in store demo's prior to their move to Wolfson Dacs. Actually, it's funny you should mention the Ring DAC, the audiophile who finally sold the Sony sa777es replaced it with a 9. The 9 was a warm (literally to the touch) but not a soft type player, with a very different tonal balance compared to the Sony 777(*). I've also heard dCS based systems, but they (or the system they resided in) were a little too clinical for my taste.
(*) the 777 was perhaps a better player than even I gave it credit for. It could in fact sound impressive at times given the right software. Strange, I was one of the rare people who actually thought it played CD at a "decent" level, and that it's SACD performance was also just as "decent" ... but none of us thought it nearly as "resolute" as the massive hype surrounding their introduction. I can still recall how certain audiophiles insisted that it was the best digital player ever made, going as far as comparing it favorably to the Linn CD12 (not even close). The hype surrounding these players was in my experience, NEVER justified. They showed consistent negative characteristics (compression during peak periods & a "hashy" noise floor which fogged-over ALL low level details). My CDP was clearly superior 90% of the time, the 777 10% advantage only evident with native DSD recorded material (but even that advantage could be offset by HDCD to quite an extent).
To this day, l still can't believe how the vast majority (but not all, some actually got it right) of the audio press kissed these players Derrieres. Furthermore, when Stereophile re-classed their digital components list, it further justified the hype, further justifying (to me at least) why the RCL is but a "borderline" useless ranking scheme.
Anyway ...
tb1
---- ^ Good post; I see that you are familiar with some of the best digital playback systems. 
Thx, I appreciate your input. :b
Thx, I appreciate your input. :b
Lyra Atlas
Clearaudio Goldfinger Statement (in for review, but probably staying)
Lyra Kleos
Kleos Mono
Sumiko Palo Santos
Sumiko Blackbird
Grado Statement 1
Ortofon SPU
Ortofon Cadenza Bronze
Ortofon VMS20 mk II
Myajima Kansui
Zu Denon 103
Denon 103
Rega Exact
Shure V15xmxr
Clearaudio Goldfinger Statement (in for review, but probably staying)
Lyra Kleos
Kleos Mono
Sumiko Palo Santos
Sumiko Blackbird
Grado Statement 1
Ortofon SPU
Ortofon Cadenza Bronze
Ortofon VMS20 mk II
Myajima Kansui
Zu Denon 103
Denon 103
Rega Exact
Shure V15xmxr
The Monster Alpha is a very famous cartridge made by Monster Audio. It has been modified by A.J. Van den Hul with a new boron cantilever, a new VDH tip and a modified suspension. Result is that it is more dynamic and transparent as the original version and it has a better tracking. I really like this cartridge.
The Alpha-2 holds many fond memories for me. If only had a phono section back then that was really capable of amplifying the cartridge's low output eg. not a Premier 3
I had an Alpha 2 High Output, and I used it for a few years. Tracking was quite good, better than the Carnegie 1. It can be on the 'lean' side. I always tried to tweak it to make it sound more full at the middle. But I couldn't make it sing like a Koetsu Black.
No idea, I got it from a VDH distributor in Germany, it was from his private collection. I just checked the link and it's not coming up. Shoot me a pm and I'll provide you his email address.
Yep - I still have a couple.... and also a Virus.
http://www.whatsbestforum.com/showt...s-Everyone-Using&p=89904&viewfull=1#post89904
I think that it's a wonderful cartridge, but it got "discredited" when someone posted that it is based on the lowly Denon 103 (not the R) and then charged megabucks. However, given the amount of work and selection (left/right channel matched to 0.1dB for example) that goes into this cartridge, I don't begrudge the manufacturer.
However, I found that it's tracking a bit lacking, and the top end a little compressed when compared to the truly megabuck cartridges, and I have the cantilever replaced with solid ruby, the stylus replaced with a line contour, and a couple more changes. Unfortunately, this makes it more finicky with set-up. SRA and azimuth has to be spot on. When it's properly aligned, it's the Emperor Dragon.
I used one of my modified Magic Diamonds in the demo in Hong Kong with the TechDAS Air Force ONE. After the first track that we played, the designer of the turntable looked at me and asked, "Can I buy 5 of your cartridges?"
Like taking a Porsche 911 and turning it into a Ruf 911
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