i liked it but don’t think it is similar to Opus. It was my first time hearing Sumile too. Both arm cart combinations were enjoyable but on some LPs the atlas lambda seemed more resolving. Ideally we would need to swap back and forth to understand the cartridge
Zero distortion: linear trackers
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i liked it but don’t think it is similar to Opus. It was my first time hearing Sumile too. Both arm cart combinations were enjoyable but on some LPs the atlas lambda seemed more resolving. Ideally we would need to swap back and forth to understand the cartridge
I did try to identify patterns if one was favouring midrange or bass or authority or violin or piano or large orchestra but couldn’t. My only impression is that the lambda is more resolving and where added resolution leads to more musicality it works. I can’t confirm this without a switch though. On some LPs both seemed fine.
yes Ertugrul and I agreed on which LPs of the one we heard yesterday, which combination sounded better. He has not voiced for one to favour the other. He himself listens to a lot of classical and jazz and says it is 50:50 which sounds better on which LP
thank you Bonzo. Given that this is a thread about linear tracking tonearms, I thought you would focus on the difference between the arms not the cartridges in your response. I understand if you couldn’t do any switching around with the cartridges on the two arms it is hard to draw conclusions.
at the moment i cannot easily switch from one arm/cartridge combo to the other (must unplug and power down), so my preferences are very provisional, but switching from the CS Port Linear Tracker with the special Etsuro Gold, to the Primary Control FCL with the special Etsuro Gold, and then to the Durand Tosca with the DaVa, are three different musical views and certainly synergize with different music and recordings differently.
it's not that any of those misses anything, or cannot execute any musical aspect competently. it's more what stands out as a magical trait that rises above the excellent to the sublime. where it just takes things beyond.
the linear tracker excels in delicacy and ease, very spacious and ultra liquid and open. it has lots of energy and micro-dynamics, but is never overt about it.
the FCL uni-pivot has a precision and soundstage rightness that is ultra spooky compared to anything else. it unravels threads of textures without any stress or non musical artifact that i never knew were there to be heard. also space, space space. and can execute big bold music with such ease.
the Gimbaled Tosca and DaVa does super tone and textures along with musical focus and drive. there is a timbral energy that glows.
it's not that any of those misses anything, or cannot execute any musical aspect competently. it's more what stands out as a magical trait that rises above the excellent to the sublime. where it just takes things beyond.
the linear tracker excels in delicacy and ease, very spacious and ultra liquid and open. it has lots of energy and micro-dynamics, but is never overt about it.
the FCL uni-pivot has a precision and soundstage rightness that is ultra spooky compared to anything else. it unravels threads of textures without any stress or non musical artifact that i never knew were there to be heard. also space, space space. and can execute big bold music with such ease.
the Gimbaled Tosca and DaVa does super tone and textures along with musical focus and drive. there is a timbral energy that glows.
Soundstage, air, layering, stillness at warp 9 are detrimental to your musical truth. If someone steer you more into a corner and ask which of the three, gun on your head, you have to pick as "most realistic", I would guess it is one of the first two.
One would have to be a smart gear slut to be able to describe the core values well like you Mike.
really goes according to the music and mood. maybe a Beethoven string quartet likes the delicacy of the string drive/linear tracker, but the Bartok maybe the precision and space of the dd/FCL. but the Bach Cello Suites prefer the tonally rich growl and focus of the idler/Tosca/DaVa.
i could switch them around and hear them maybe each piece slightly differently.
all real in their own complimentary way......but i'm sure alternate cases can be made by more learned folks than myself. as i'm a classical lover but mostly ignorant. i just like how it sounds and how it makes me feel.
i resemble that. the gear slut part at least. but one that listens a lot.One would have to be a smart gear slut to be able to describe the core values well like you Mike.
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Same for me when talk different classical type and mood, I often pick one cart/arm to play accordingly to suit my mood. But when talking realistic, I always know which combo has more attributes to resembling real sound to conclude as most realistic of the bunch regardless of type of classical music. I am sure you have experienced a listening session when you say "THAT sounds incredible. But THIS sounds more real."
Nice catch with those fish btw sir.
i think there is more than one 'real' version. or, at least, my recent efforts at fine tuning my vinyl were intended to result in having more than one tt/arm/cart choice that can ring the bell of suspension of disbelief. it seems i will end up in that place. hopefully.
but i get that sometimes artifacts of musical delight might not be as real as we can achieve. we can beat that subject to death. lots of different views about it.
thank you Master Tang. had fresh caught salmon dinners the last three nights.
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I’m very familiar with CSPort’s table and their linear tonearm, eventually leading me to owning both.
Both table and arm are engineering marvels.
Setting up the tonearm requires high precision and knowledge of all the important details, which Toshi, the designer, provides answers to every aspect.
There are very precise steps to setup the arm, and if you follow them, you reach an almost perfect outcome (setup-wise).
I can say that very few (if any) tonearms have such a precise step by step setup.
I have spent hours setting up various pivoted tonearms, with all the latest tools (Acoustical Systems, Analog Magik) and there were always compromises.
I also have a Thales Simplicity as a 2nd arm on my CSPort. Which is the closest sounding to the CSPort linear, but still not quite there.
Sound-wise the CSPort arm is nothing like I have heard before from an analog setup.
Very direct sound, sound is flowing freely without any sense of various mistracking or distortion effects (due to geometry limitations) that are known with pivoted arms. Very natural sounding and dynamic, with a great sense of stage depth and width.
I mostly listen to classical music and as an example listening to piano recordings sounds so precise and has the right pitch. Piano has a high tendency to sound distorted on analog. It is an extremely difficult instrument to playback on an analog setup.
Of course there are cons. Record has to be centered otherwise the arm will have a difficulty in tracking. Warped records are almost unplayable. Records have to be perfectly clean.
Due to the above I have a 2nd arm which is more conventional (although also from the “linear” family).
Both table and arm are engineering marvels.
Setting up the tonearm requires high precision and knowledge of all the important details, which Toshi, the designer, provides answers to every aspect.
There are very precise steps to setup the arm, and if you follow them, you reach an almost perfect outcome (setup-wise).
I can say that very few (if any) tonearms have such a precise step by step setup.
I have spent hours setting up various pivoted tonearms, with all the latest tools (Acoustical Systems, Analog Magik) and there were always compromises.
I also have a Thales Simplicity as a 2nd arm on my CSPort. Which is the closest sounding to the CSPort linear, but still not quite there.
Sound-wise the CSPort arm is nothing like I have heard before from an analog setup.
Very direct sound, sound is flowing freely without any sense of various mistracking or distortion effects (due to geometry limitations) that are known with pivoted arms. Very natural sounding and dynamic, with a great sense of stage depth and width.
I mostly listen to classical music and as an example listening to piano recordings sounds so precise and has the right pitch. Piano has a high tendency to sound distorted on analog. It is an extremely difficult instrument to playback on an analog setup.
Of course there are cons. Record has to be centered otherwise the arm will have a difficulty in tracking. Warped records are almost unplayable. Records have to be perfectly clean.
Due to the above I have a 2nd arm which is more conventional (although also from the “linear” family).
You have progressed to a great turntable you should be happy.
I didn't like the Thales Simplicity in direct compare with Ikeda using Zyx Universe 1 on both, and recently at TZBC we found the Miyajima Kansui to have magic with the Thales Statement, though the MSL did not do well on it. Ertugrul also owned the Thales Statement before.
If you have warped records, have you looked at getting a record flattener as you do not have a vacuum.
What cartridge is on your pivoted arm and what is on Thales?
I’ve owned the Ikeda and was never able to reach a proper setup with it. So I sold it.
Right now the Miyajima Infinity is on my Thales, for mono records.
I do have a few cartridges that I play with (see my signature).
Recently I’ve added the Etsuro Gold and it is now playing on the CSPort arm.
I’m considering purchasing a record flattener.
Hi iaxel.
I would be most interested in your considerations regarding the relative merits of your Bordeaux and your newly acquired Gold, I have read the “More of everything” elsewhere however a little more meat on the bone would be educational.
Yes, it does work well, using the 3ohm input. However, I prefer using the P1’s current MC input.
I have very few hours on the Gold. So far they have a very similar house sound. The Gold is more refined and neutral, less midbass bumpy. Ping me in a few weeks’ time and I’ll make another comparison.
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@jazdoc has both the Bordeaux and the Gold together. you could ask him.
Great and good to hear that you also have the CS Port you have arrived good choice
Can you please tell me what cartridge you had on the CS Port arm before Etsuro Gold and how did you experience Etsuro Gold and the LT arm?
It was a great listening session whit Bonzo, he has good taste and knowledge of classical music, 80% of the classical lps he broth whit him i do own also
It was a pleasure to compare on almost every record we played the Cs Port Linear Tracking whit Sumile cart to the Tosca whit the Atlas Lambda and sure it was almost neck and neck performance on 50% the Atlas was clearly (was very obvious choice on that particular record) the most musical satisfying choice and on other 50% the Sumile cartridge. There where in my opinion also a few records that both where differently but equal enjoyable.
I believe the art of listening to analog records on "master class" level when you have several arm cart combinations is that you start to understand which record you play on which arm/cart...!
When you start understanding this you start understanding your record collection in my opinion.
I had the Kondo IO-M, which I find the best of the lot. I still have only a few hours on the Etsuro Gold, so I’m still holding my breath.
The Kondo has more tone and texture, it is less hi-fi (stage width and depth are less prominent), but it just sucks you into the music like no other cartridge I had.
The Bordeaux came before the Kondo, I found it a bit colored in the mid bass region.
I also have the MSL Gold, which I really like and is my backup cartridge. It’s a great allrounder.
I also tried the Miyajima Infinity on the linear arm, and it worked great!
But due to my stereo vs mono records ratio, I’d rather have a main stereo cartridge on my linear arm.
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