I've heard Gary Koh's modded Magic Diamond a couple of times and it is very very good. I want one too.
What Cartridge(s) Is Everyone Using
- Thread starter Steve williams
- Start date
garylkoh
WBF Technical Expert (Speakers & Audio Equipment)
It's a one off as far as I know. I don't think he's offering them for sale.
My Japanese distributor, when he heard it, wanted to buy five of them. Then, my Hong Kong distributor wanted six..... so I may have to try to get it into production, but it's going to be heck of a pricey.
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
Thanks for the response Gary , sounds serious, as much as me modifiying the Ruf ...
Uhh, Ohh, Emperor Dragon Prices ....
You should throw one in for every G1 purchase .........
garylkoh
WBF Technical Expert (Speakers & Audio Equipment)
Uhh, Ohh, Emperor Dragon Prices ....
For Chinese customers - the Dragon's Pearl.... which gets me thinking that it should be in a 3D-printed pearl body
Hey guys! I'm super excited! I'm about to rock an Ortofon 2M Black. Got it for a steal. Only 1 month old and 20 hours on it. The seller accepted a deposit as I can't pay for it in full until my bonus arrives in mid-December. I've never owned on Ortofon before, so I'm kinda nervous, but this cartridge has been highly praised and recommended, which is what made me decide to jump on it. If any of you have had any experience with this I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Ah...that's encouraging to hear, so thanks for your post! I do hear that this cartridge needs to have VTA available, so I'm going to be ordering the Pete Riggle VTAF. My Nottingham/Rega doesn't allow for this at the moment.
The stylus tip to body dimension on Rega cartridges is 15mm. Measure the 2m when you get it and chances are it might be something like 17mm, in which case you may only need to order a 2mm spacer from your Rega dealer to get great results. The VTAF used to require boring a hole in the plinth of your table. Make sure you are comfortable with doing that before proceeding. I've always been able to get close enough with the spacers, though I did use the VTAF with excellent results on a P25 years ago. Plus, I think the spacers are only about 20 bucks. Just a thought....
Thanks for the tip on the spacers. I'll check out the dimensions of the 2M and take it from there. The Pete Riggle VTAF doesn't require boring a hole in the plinth...thankfully, as I would have to have someone do that. It basically only requires me to remove the arm and then set the VTAF into place. Here's the LINK. I could probably handle this myself. (I think).
Similar threads
 | Steve Williams Site Founder | Site Owner | Administrator |  | Ron Resnick Site Owner | Administrator |  | Julian (The Fixer) Website Build | Marketing Managersing |