AudiogoN Forums: Review: Soundsmith SG-410 Strain Gauge Cartridge Cartridge

Soundsmith SG-410 Strain Gauge Cartridge Cartridge

SG mounted on Triplanar Mk VII	SG cartridge assembly & 2 styli	SG 410 Front
SG 410 Rear

Review: Soundsmith SG-410 Strain Gauge Cartridge Cartridge

This is a review of the Soundsmith Strain Gauge cartridge and its dedicated SG-410 electronics. I ordered the cartridge with both the standard nude contact stylus (SGS-5) and an additional optimized contour contact stylus (SGS-6). The SG-410 electronics is the remote control version of the basic model with an alternate line input enabling it also to be used as a CD or other source input or even to accept the output from a separate preamplifier.

The workmanship of both the cartridge and the accompanying electronics is outstanding. The cartridge body is a precision-milled piece of aluminum, and the stylus is a delicate ruby cantilever mounted onto a milled piece of aluminum that can easily be attached to or detached from the cartridge body, which enables the stylus to be easily changed or replaced. The photos below show the cartridge mounted on my Triplanar Mk VII tonearm as well as the bottom of the cartridge body and each of the separate stylus assemblies; the SGS-5 is the black one; the SGS-6 is the orange one. This user-replaceable stylus feature is, I think, unique – it obviates the need for retipping cartridges, and makes it both easy and inexpensive to change the stylus.

The SG-410 is a relatively small, low-profile unit (15.5” wide x 15” deep x 3.5” high), which is built on a 0.25” thick aluminum chassis that is wrapped on the sides and front with a hardwood exterior. Soundsmith offers a number of options in terms of the wood that is used; I ordered the standard walnut, and had it finished with an ebony stain so that it appears black with some wood grain showing through the finish. There is a separate power supply in a small aluminum enclosure (6” wide x 8.75” deep x 3” high). I asked Soundsmith to install a DPDT (double-pole double-throw) switch on the power supply to accommodate my usage of 120 volt balanced power – 60 volts of potential between ground and each of the “hot” and “neutral” contacts.

Unlike traditional moving magnet (MM) or moving coil (MC) cartridges, the SG cartridge does not produce a voltage or current. Instead, it responds to mechanical movement in the grooves by changing resistance. As a result, it requires the use of a separate dedicated piece of electronics to generate a direct current against which the changes in resistance can then be converted into an analog signal. This is supposed to have several advantages. First, it should provide for a relatively flat frequency response over a wide range that exceeds the audible range. Second, the SG cartridge is a high compliance cartridge that has a much lower effective moving mass than MC cartridges (which generally have a lower effective moving mass than MM cartridges). The substantially lower effective moving mass should mean, at least theoretically, that there is a substantially lower level of stored energy which could be reflected back down the cantilever and stylus and give rise to mistracking and distortions. All of this should enable the SG cartridge to maintain a better contact with the groove walls and to extract more detail with greater accuracy than either MC or MM cartridges. These advantages were confirmed, as explained below.

One other advantage – which I noticed immediately – is that, even with the gain all the way open, the SG cartridge is dead quiet. I have never experienced any other cartridge that is this quiet. I believe this is due to two key facts. First, the signal flowing in the tonearm cable is derived from a non-inductive source. That is to say, unlike every MC or MM cartridge, there are no coils or other windings that are susceptible to picking up hum or RFI. And second, the SG 410 electronics are exceptionally quiet; this may be due, in part, to the fact there is a much smaller level of gain needed or to the fact that the design and execution are superb. The bottom line, for whatever reason, is that the SG cartridge is just dead quiet with no hum or background noise at all. Period.

I have used the SG for several months now along with the following equipment. The cartridge is mounted on a Triplanar Mk. VII tonearm on a TW Acustic Raven AC-1 turntable. This sits atop a Symposium Svelte Plus platform which lays on a 2” thick slab of Pennsylvania black slate. The slate rests on four Symposium Rollerblock Jrs., which are attached to the tops of 4 posts of a homemade turntable stand constructed out of 3.5” square Ipe wood and braced at two different levels through mortised and tenoned Ipe cross supports. The stand has four 2.5” aluminum cones that rest on a carpeted suspended wooden floor.

The associated electronics are a VAC Renaissance Signature Mk II preamplifier and a VAC Phi 300 amplifier, which drives Verity Audio Lohengrin speakers. Power is fed through a large 350 lb EI-style Topaz 10 kVA transformer that sits in my basement and is hard-wired to provide 60-0-60 volt balanced power with an isolated technical ground. This power is fed directly to the amplifier; all other components are fed this power through a Shunyata Hydra 6. Power cords are Stealth Dream, interconnects are Stealth Indra and M-21, and speaker cables are Stealth Ultimate Ribbon in a bi-wire configuration. All equipment, other than the turntable, the Hydra 6 and the SG-410 power supply, are mounted on Sistrum stands or racks. The SG-410 power supply is mounted on 2” thick Pennsylvania black slate that sits across the lower cross supports of the turntable stand. The dimensions of the room are 21.5 feet wide by 29 feet long; ceiling height is mostly 10 feet.

So, after all of this description, how does the SG cartridge sound? The SG cartridge performed exceptionally well right out of the box, and after about 25 to 30 hours of break-in, improved another 15% to 20% to its current level of outstanding performance. Let me just say that this cartridge far surpasses the best of cartridges I have heard in my system from Benz, Koetsu, Lyra, Miyabi and ZYX. It is the most revealing, three-dimensional and involving cartridge that I have ever heard anywhere. It is extraordinarily detailed, and yet, it marries exquisite detail with a wonderfully layered and lush sound. It provides the fastest transients I have ever heard – nothing else comes even remotely close in this area – and it has a delicacy and purity of decay, sustain and harmonic depth that I have heard only at a live performance in a setting with excellent acoustics. It effortlessly reproduces the lowest and highest frequencies (as well as everything in between) with a depth and clarity like no other cartridge I have ever heard. Precise imaging and a wide, deep and tall soundstage all add to the creation of an astounding and intimate three-dimensional image of an actual performance. To put it bluntly, the SG cartridge is in an entirely different league from every other cartridge I have ever heard.

I might add that you cannot appreciate what the SG cartridge is capable of doing if you have heard it only at audio shows. Quite aside from the usual limitations at shows, the SG cartridge, to my knowledge, has been demonstrated only with small monitor speakers. While very good as far as small monitors are concerned, they are no match for serious full-frequency reference-level speakers with an extended range on both the low end and the high end. Demonstrating the SG cartridge with those limitations is like driving a Ferrari F430 Scuderia on a small track built for go-karts.

The Verity Audio Lohengrin speakers are essentially flat from 15 Hz to 60 kHz, and they are very fast. I now realize that I had never heard the depth of bass and the clarity of higher frequencies that these speakers were really capable of producing until I used the SG cartridge. The SG extracts more bass detail, with lightning-fast speed and more natural decay, than any other any other front-end device I have ever heard. This was immediately apparent on Rimsky-Korsakoff’s Scheherazade, Op. 35, performed by the Chicago Symphony (Reiner), (Classic Reissue of RCA LSC-2446), which is a serious test of any system or component. It has extensive dynamics ranging from delicate ppp violin and harp solos to powerful fff full orchestral movements. The SG cartridge effortlessly handled those dynamic extremes with total ease. I heard details – from the vibrations of bows against bass, cello, viola and violin strings to delicate bells in the background – that I had never even known were there. This is one of my favorite classical pieces, and I know it like the back of my hand. So to hear many new details from the same LP that I have played many times over was just remarkable. But that was no less remarkable than the soundstage that this cartridge was able to produce – it is the most lifelike reproduction I have ever heard. This cartridge effortlessly reproduces the deepest rumbling and strikes of the timpani, the crash of cymbals and the most delicate notes from the violins simultaneously, just as you would expect in a live performance. The fourth movement is just an astounding experience.

Patricia Barber’s “Companion” (Premonition Records 1999) is one of my favorite Jazz LPs with its excellent material and high quality of recording and mastering. I never really appreciated how superb the bass was on “Use Me” until I played it with the SG cartridge: rich and detailed with lightning-fast transients and the most natural decay I have ever heard. At the same time, the cartridge’s ability to layer Barber’s voice with an intimacy, an honesty and realism against the deep and fast bass is just remarkable.

Hugh Masekela’s “Hope” (Analogue Productions APJ 82020) is my favorite LP purchase over the last 12 months. The SG cartridge reproduces “Stimela,” a particularly moving piece on side 4, with more detail, intimacy, dynamics and speed than I have ever heard. The brassiness of the flugelhorn is reproduced with a realism you won’t hear anywhere other than in a live performance. The combination of crisp cymbals with deep fast bass, crystal clear triangles, a lush and detailed midrange and the magnificently textured voice of Makela makes for a presentation of sheer beauty.

I much prefer the optimized line contact stylus (SGS-6) over the standard line contact stylus (SGS-5). The SGS-6 stylus extracts more detail than the SGS-5 stylus (which in turn extracts more detail than any other cartridge I have ever heard), but there are several caveats one must keep in mind in using that stylus. First, it must be aligned with painstaking accuracy, and VTF and VTA are highly critical in optimizing performance from this stylus. Second, the SGS-6 works extraordinarily well on high-quality recordings which are in pristine shape. In the case of a lower-quality recording or a high-quality recording which is not in excellent shape, the SGS-5 stylus will produce a better result because it will integrate out some of the noise or other adverse elements in such a recording that would otherwise be retrieved in all its inglorious detail by the SGS-6 stylus. The good news is that these styli are easily changed, and the SGS-5 is much less demanding from an alignment perspective than the SGS-6. So, in my experience, once you have optimized your setup for the SGS-6, changing to the SGS-5 for a particular recording does not require any other adjustments.

I was particularly interested in how the SG-410 would sound directly into my VAC Phi 300 amplifier as opposed to going in as a line-level input into my VAC Renaissance Signature Mk II preamplifier. After a great deal of comparison, I concluded that it sounds better going directly into the amplifier. There is marginally more detail, without any sacrifice of that legendary VAC holographic sound. This is admittedly a close call.

The excellence of the SG-410 electronics when listening to vinyl made me curious as to how it would sound as a preamplifier when using a non-vinyl source such as my digital front-end (Zanden 2000P transport and 5000S DAC) through the alternate line input. In this case, though, I preferred the sound of my Zanden separates being fed through the VAC Renaissance Signature Mk II preamp over being fed through the alternative line input on the SG-410. This preference, though, was only a marginal preference tilting slightly in favor of the VAC preamp just as the preference for the SG-410 over the VAC preamp was only marginal in the case of vinyl. Perhaps the difference is that, with vinyl, using the VAC preamp with the SG-410 means that there is an additional component placed in the signal path whereas with the CD input there is no additional component placed in the signal path. The bottom line is that the SG-410, even as a stand-alone preamp, is an exceedingly good performer that will give even the highest reference-level preamps a run for the money.

In summary, the SG cartridge is the most revealing, musical and realistic cartridge I have ever heard. Anywhere. It effortlessly extracts the full range of frequencies with superb detail and extraordinary speed, decay, neutral richness and three-dimensional realism that places it in a class by itself. When matched with a high quality amplifier and speakers, the SG cartridge and SG 410 will reproduce music in a manner that is just jaw-dropping staggeringly good.

Associated gear
TW Acustic Raven AC-1 turntable
Triplanar Mk VII tonearm
VAC Renaissance Signature Mk II preamplifier
VAC Phi 300 Amplifier
Verity Audio Lohengrin Speakers
Stealth Dream power cords
Stealth Indra and M-21 interconnects
Stealth Ultimate Ribbon speaker cables

Vac_man (Reviews | Threads | Answers | This Thread)

11-20-08

Responses (1-52 of 52)

Click title to read one, or click date to read all below it.

11-20-08 Nice report vac_man. i took a baby step and bought soundsmit ... Dcstep

11-20-08 Very nice setup and thanks for the pics ! also, super revie ... Jfrech

11-21-08 Nice write up al. very descriptive. my experience with the s ... Vetterone

11-22-08 Excellent, descriptive review. the soundsmith strain gauge ... Flyingred

11-22-08 Apologies for not mentioning the models of cartridges previo ... Vac_man

12-01-08 Dear vac man: very nice audio system you own and very nice r ... Rauliruegas

12-02-08 Dear friends: now i can understand, between other things, wh ... Rauliruegas

12-02-08 Sorry, here it is the link: http://www.sound-smith.com/cart ... Rauliruegas

12-02-08 I think he's saying it's under 1db raul. elsewhere in the ... Dcstep

12-02-08 Dear dave: according with what we can see in fig.4 the sg fr ... Rauliruegas

12-02-08 Dave: +++++ " ( with small deviations like other mc/mm ... Rauliruegas

12-02-08 Raul, i don't think that we can place much reliance on a rev ... Dcstep

12-03-08 It may be time for me to jump in here. while i apprecaite al ... Slowlearner

12-03-08 Thanks very much for your extremely fine review. i look for ... Naturephoto1

12-03-08 Dear dcstep: the response was not at the cartridge but at th ... Rauliruegas

12-03-08 Rich, that should be a fine sounding analog front end. pleas ... Dcstep

12-03-08 Dear peter: i don't want that you can/could think that my po ... Rauliruegas

12-04-08 Raul said: "maybe you don't want to give us ( or to me ... Dcstep

12-04-08 I will be glad to respond; please forgive the slowness of it ... Slowlearner

12-04-08 Dear slowlearner: +++++ " attacking products is not onl ... Rauliruegas

12-04-08 Any company reknowned for keeping classic old tandberg gear ... Mapman

12-05-08 With all of the technical talk about riaa, i think there is ... Vac_man

12-05-08 Vac, i suspect the system you describe may truly be the sta ... Mapman

12-06-08 Vac_man, thanks for the great review. you've given a great ... Jazdoc

12-07-08 Dear friends: there is something " curious " and v ... Rauliruegas

12-07-08 Vac_man, i'm with you baby! i have the first production sg ... Slk

12-07-08 Well if it costs as much as it does at least there is someth ... Mapman

12-07-08 I'd like to weigh in on what strikes me as truly being a gen ... Kirkus

12-07-08 Kirkus- thank you so much for shedding some light onto this ... Swampwalker

12-07-08 Dear kirkus: i'm absolutely in agree with you and i applaud ... Rauliruegas

12-07-08 Raul, why don't you make a killer pre-amp for the sg and pro ... Dcstep

12-08-08 kirkus, thanks for explaining this, seemingly complex, issu ... Darkmoebius

12-08-08 Dear darkmoebius: yes, i agree: overall/whole of course that ... Rauliruegas

12-08-08 Dear dcstep: i'm thinking seriously about not for say the sg ... Rauliruegas

12-08-08 12-08-08: rauliruegas said: "dear dcstep: i'm thinking ... Dcstep

12-08-08 Dear vac_man: if you really like the french " cousine & ... Rauliruegas

12-11-08 Kirkus, many thanks for your response that addresses the hi ... Vac_man

12-13-08 Dear vac_man: taking the flyingred posts o the sg subject im ... Rauliruegas

12-13-08 Dear vac_man: +++++ " it just seems really odd to me th ... Rauliruegas

12-14-08: Vac_man
Raul,

You sound like a broken record, not only on this thread but also on another current Strain Gauge thread initiated by SLOWHAND and entitled "Would Like To Hear From Strain Gauge Owners" where a number of respected Audiogoners have politely requested that you just stop.

The phono stage in the VAC Renaissance Signature Mk II preamplifier and other top flight phono stages I have heard in other systems are not "soft," but instead are highly revealing.

I agree with you that matching cartridge to tonearm and other factors are all important. I find it most bizarre that you make such a valid point and then proceed to disregard it when you assume that the one limited time you listened to the SG cartridge in a system with which you were unfamiliar that everything was matched and aligned and connected and set just perfectly.

No other cartridge in the world has as small an effective moving mass as the SG cartridge. That is a fact, not an opinion. As to its tracking ability, everyone I know who owns a SG cartridge -- and this includes people who are among the most knowledgeable and experienced in the world when it comes to analog -- agrees that no other cartridge comes even close in tracking (and also in other areas, such as speed, frequency response, detail and overall musicality). Of course, you don't own a SG cartridge, but you purport to be an expert because you listened to one for a short time in a system you had never heard before. You conveniently fail to disclose the fact that you are involved in the production of a preamplifier that would be rendered obsolete by the SG cartridge. That is dishonest and deceitful.

Why the moderators at Audiogon permit someone like you to continue posting when you: (1) don't disclose your conflict of interests, (2) make numerous posts slamming a product that you don't own and have experienced on a most limited basis, and (3) ignore repeated requests from outstanding and respectful Audiogoners to stop your behaviour is beyond my comprehension.

Your dislike of the SG cartridge, which is perfectly your right, is apparent from your first posting. You don't need to make 15 (15!!!) postings on this one thread and more than 25 (25!!!) postings on the other thread. I think everyone in the world now understands how you feel about it. So let's just leave it at that. There's absolutely no need for you to make any further postings.
Vac_man (Reviews | Threads | Answers | This Thread)

12-14-08: Mapman
One important question:

Who cares?

For the asking price, those who might afford it will listen (if they can) and decide if the sound of the novel approach warrants the asking price.

This tech talk about RIAA standards is interesting but in the end only those who like the way the thing sounds will fork out the money.

Or they will live with a lower price model in the same line that comes close perhaps.

If I could afford it, the only thing I would care about is what will it cost me to audition it and what happens if I buy it and decide it's not worth it? I would probably expect some sort of satidfaction guarantee or money back deal from the vendor, especially since they seem well equipped to keep their products in like new operating condition as needed.
Mapman (System | Reviews | Threads | Answers | This Thread)

12-14-08: Rauliruegas
Dear vac_man: I posted because I receive questions or references for what I post and have to answer.

+++++ " in the production of a preamplifier that would be rendered obsolete by the SG cartridge. " +++++

no one phono stage ( including yours ) can be obsolete till the RIAA association support the today RIAA standard curve, so that statement has no foundation and it is not the issue, the main subject is more " deep " and maybe I don't or can't explain in the right way and that's why so many posts about: because I read what the people posted and their answers are different from what I'm trying to explain, I'm talking on one subject and everyone ( including you ) talk on others topics but almost no one posted on the main subject: where is the misunderstood/non-understanding?

+++++ " No other cartridge in the world has as small an effective moving mass as the SG cartridge. That is a fact, not an opinion. As to its tracking ability, everyone I know who owns a SG cartridge -- and this includes people who are among the most knowledgeable and experienced in the world when it comes to analog -- agrees that no other cartridge comes even close in tracking " +++++

IMHO maybe some of that people does not hard enough cartridge samples ( specially MM ones ) that are top trackers.
Vac_man, in one of my reference LP I try the G device and I was surprised that can't resolve ( high frquencies) in a precise manner the sound of cymbal, this was in an almost perfectly SG set-up, even the owner made a VTA change to see if could be better, things improve a little but not at the right " level ", this could be a tracking issue or that the SG is not resolving/precise on that frequency range when other cartridges ( MM/MC ) in the same track are really good.

I'm sorry to disturb you with my posts but you can be sure that all of them are in good shape and not trying to slam any one: this is not the subject., why is so difficult to understand the main point and its critical whole importance?

Btw, IMHO I'm train to " understand " almost any audio system ( listening with one-two of the LPs that I use like reference. ) in no more than 20-30 minutes at 90-95%, specially a good audio system. Like anything in audio each one of us have different grade/position in the learning curve for different subjects.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.
Rauliruegas (System | Reviews | Threads | Answers | This Thread)

12-15-08: Rauliruegas
Dear Darkmoebious: ++++ " it might be impossible to accurately detect +/- 1-2dB RIAA deviations from room interactions in real world listening... " +++++

I agree with you when that frequency deviation is at one and only discrete frequency but you have to remember that the RIAA standard is a curve and when exist a frequency deviation at any point in the curve that frequency deviation it is not any more a discrete frequency but a deviation that affects other adjacent frequencies ( between two-three octaves and their harmonics. ) and this fact is the whole problem and certainly you can hear it.

If like you say you have a high resolution system/room, IMHO you can hear RIAA deviations as small like 0.2-0.1 db, you can hear the coloration due to that small frequency deviation. I know that many people does not cares about but I know too that are other people ( like me ) that cares about.

I think that each one of us have differences in what each one is looking for, you say: +++++ " Maybe it's not fair to compare MM/MC with SC when it comes to arguing strict adherence to standards or specifications, but it absolutely fair to compare them when consumers are simply interested in pure musical satisfaction. " +++++

well this is true and I agree for the people that accept that part of the statement: " pure musical satisfaction ", well the difference with me is that I'm looking too that " musical satisfaction " from what is in the recording with almost no alterations and that's why I always say that we have/must to preserve the cartridge signal adding the less and loosing the less.
Yes, I know that my targets are not only specials ( like each one of you ) but very strict when other people are more " easy " about, certainly I'm not " easy " and my quest for the " audio/music heaven " is a very hard one but I can tell you a very fun and learning one.

IMHO I think that trying to share my experiences on it is something that can help some audio people and I understand too that other people dislikes about and attack it, such is life.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.
Rauliruegas (System | Reviews | Threads | Answers | This Thread)

12-15-08: Mapman
"If like you say you have a high resolution system/room, IMHO you can hear RIAA deviations as small like 0.2-0.1 db, you can hear the coloration due to that small frequency deviation."

How is this measured? Is it really significant?

Even if measurable some may hear it and some not. Some of those who hear it will probably like it, some not.

Doesn't every piece have some small tonal coloration to some extent? If it were perfectly flat, does that alone determine the value? It seems insignificant to me.

If it is more musical, cleaner, faster, more dynamic, these are the things that together might add up enough to justify paying a premium for a particular piece.
Mapman (System | Reviews | Threads | Answers | This Thread)

12-16-08: Rauliruegas
Dear Mapman: +++++ " Some of those who hear it will probably like it, some not.

Doesn't every piece have some small tonal coloration to some extent? If it were perfectly flat, does that alone determine the value? It seems insignificant to me. " +++++

that's why you have what you have and deserve ( audio system quality performance ) and I have what I have and deserve.

Any one choose its own " road ": good, wrong, bad, regular, etc, etc.
Obviously your " road "/targets are different from mines and nothing wrong with that.

I think that overall you and me like many other people are looking for musical satisfaction through our each one home audio system but " musical satisfaction " have differences for you, me and other people.
Like I posted I'm looking for that " musical satisfaction " at near perfect performance and I try very hard about.

Mapman, do you think that we design/build the Phonolinepreamp that I use just for fun?, no we made/make it because we understand the critical job and importance in the analog quality performance of that audio item and what I already try it ( SS, Tube and hybrid. ) don't permit to grow-up and achieve one of my mains targets: to be truer to the recording.
Right now we are finishing our design/build tonearm, just for fun?: no but because I need a better tonearm to achieve my goals.

We start in the phono cartridge design and we have several options ( more than 50, including strain gauge one. ), just for fun? certainly not but because we want to grow-up and improve what we have right now.

In all these " item intents " we are right on focus: truer to the recording, and with this in mind we design trying to achieve that target loosing/adding the less on the whole audio chain.

The SG device on subject that I heard and that does not like me, maybe the " like " word is not the more precise, or sounds " different " give me the opportunity to made a little of research about to find why are people that like and why are people that does not like it and at the same time to know a little more on the strain gauge design that is one of our cartridge alternatives in our self cartridge design and what I find was so easy: its frequency response does not conforms with the RIAA standard curve.
Well, our cartridge design ( any ) will conform with the RIAA standard curve, no doubt about. I like to grow-up in the right way.

Btw, we already have a self TT mat design that we are testing and that works wonderful!.

Like the Vac_man example about food: there are people that likes lobster along Mersault and other people that likes along tap water.
I love mersault, do you?

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.
Rauliruegas (System | Reviews | Threads | Answers | This Thread)

12-16-08: Mapman
Raul,

Points well taken.

Mersault is a wine? I don't think I've ever tried it. Then again I would not consider myself to be a wine Connoisseur by any stretch, but I do tend to like variety as opposed to seeking perceived absolute perfections.

Same applies to audio, I like many systems I hear despite each sounding different.

The wine/audio analogy is a very useful one I think.
Mapman (System | Reviews | Threads | Answers | This Thread)

12-16-08: Rauliruegas
Dear Mapman: Yes, Mersault is a French white wine: something very special, " refined ", delicious and very expensive too.

You posted: +++ " It seems insignificant to me. " ++++

like in other life areas sometimes the " insignificant "/small things could makes the difference, specially in audio.

Take a look: one and only one " insignificant " distortion/deviation certainly could not makes almost any difference in our home audio system but our HAS is more complex than that and it exist at least 100 of " opportunities " ( all over the audio system chain ) where the signal have that " insignificant " distotion/deviations and if you add one " insignificant " here, one " insignificant " there, other " insignificant " over-there, one " insignificant "..., and one other more and more....!, then what do you have at the end?: a SIGNIFICANT ( audible for any one but a deaf one. ) distortions/deviations/colorations in your home audio system performance.

So my common sense say to me that I have to avoid ( try to leave at minimum. ) all those " insignificant " distortions/deviations everywhere/anywhere in the audio chain.

I know that it is a hard effort but I can tell you and can tell to everyone that the reward is always worth to do it.

IMHO this is a way to be better, this is a way to grow-up in the right direction and this is the way: to have fun to learn and to really enjoy the music recording performances in a way different manner.

You don't have to agree it will be better to try it.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.
Rauliruegas (System | Reviews | Threads | Answers | This Thread)

12-16-08: Mapman
Rauliruegas,

By insignficant, I merely meant it may be insignificant (ie not a big deal or determining factor) to some and not to others. Clearly it has been measured and clearly it is significant to you in listening. It might be to me also but I don't know...I'd have to hear it. Those specs alone though would not necessarily scare me off in advance though.

Same true with Mersault I am sure. Does everyone who drinks it like it best or consider it to be closest to perfection? I'm sure it is quite exquisite, but I have yet to find anything that floats everyone's boat similarly to the nth degree even if of the utmost quality.
Mapman (System | Reviews | Threads | Answers | This Thread)

12-16-08: Rauliruegas
Dear Mapman: +++++ " Same true with Mersault I am sure. Does everyone who drinks it like it best or consider it to be closest to perfection? I'm sure it is quite exquisite, but I have yet to find anything that floats everyone's boat similarly to the nth degree even if of the utmost quality. " +++++

like almost anything in life we have to " learn " how we can appreciate " things " ( like wine ), how we can taste it and what " to taste " and IMHO I can tell you that in the very first moment that you finally " appreciate" the Mersault quality then: there is NO RETURN and at that very first moment you will enjoy it and I'm sure that you will be looking to find/hunt something better ( not different but better. ) and if you try " hard " maybe you could " catch-up ".

We have <( all of us ) to learn to appreciate the different range performance quality levels in audio and like the Mersault when you " taste " it there is NO RETURN.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.
Rauliruegas (System | Reviews | Threads | Answers | This Thread)

12-16-08: Jazdoc
I really have tried to avoid posting on thread, but like the proverbial bloody wreck on the highway, I can't seem to turn my eyes away. So I guess I'll throw in my 2 cents.

Thanks Vac man for the thorough and informative review. I would love to listen to the great system you've put together.

I heard the SG at this year's RMAF.It certainly sounds DIFFERENT than the usual MM/MC designs. I'm not sure it sounds BETTER TO ME, but the sound was intriguing enough that I returned for multiple listening sessions. I remain interested enough that I'd like to audition in a system similar to mine before making a purchase decision.

I applaud the folks at Soundsmith for thinking outside of the box and coming up with a product that challenges the conventional assumptions of cartridge design. By all accounts, Soundsmith has a great reputation for product support and Peter is one of the good guys in our hobby. (I hope that he continues to post on this forum.) I also have a lot of faith in Ralph Bagge of Artisan Audio who has a great ear and is an enthusiastic supporter of the product.

Thank you Kirkus for your great post. I think everyone would concede the point that has been made regarding the importance of adherance to the RIAA standard. I think some of us find it difficult to believe that adherence to the RIAA standard is the ONLY parameter important to cartridge performance. I can't help but think that attention to phase and timing issues addressed by the SG system are also important. To paraphrase an old audio adage "If it sounds good and doesn't measure well, you're not measuring the right thing!"

Like others, I own many records that were made prior to and shortly after the acceptance of this standard. I attended Roy Gregory's analog demo, which in part covered the heterogenous implementation of the RIAA standard. (Apparently there was variable implementation of the RIAA standard due to the cost of replacing pre-existing, i.e. paid for, equipment. Of course, subsequent recordings conform to the RIAA standard.) The importance of being able to optimize the playback curve for many mono and early stereo recordings was easily apparent in this meticulously set-up demonstration.

It's a great hobby isn't it?

Regards,
Jazdoc (Reviews | Threads | Answers | This Thread)

12-16-08: Rauliruegas
Dear jazdoc: +++++ " difficult to believe that adherence to the RIAA standard is the ONLY parameter important to cartridge performance. " +++++

absolutely not but if that is what you understand through my posts then I fail to explain in a more precise manner ( sorry for that )or IMHO you simple do not understand nothing about or maybe you want to " hit " anywhere.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.
Rauliruegas (System | Reviews | Threads | Answers | This Thread)

06-28-09: Naturephoto1
For anyone that is interested in my Teres Audio Certus 450, Teres Audio Illius Tonearm, Soundsmith Strain Gauge Cartridge System, and Strain Gauge 410 Phono Preamp that I mentioned above, check the following thread:

forum.audiogon#Naturephoto1

Rich
Naturephoto1 (System | Threads | Answers | This Thread)