As is often proclaimed, assessment is best made with the Supreme in the environment I am most familiar. Dollars and....more dollars.
Thanks for the input. |
to add my 2 cents to Lew's perspective; i would put more stock in Albert's perspective on the degree of improvement with the Supreme than Valin's.
OTOH 8 years ago i purchased my Kharma Exquisite Reference 1D speakers sight unseen almost 100% due to Valin's review and never regretted it for one minute. |
Siddh, In regards to your question, I have yet to hear an Airtight cartridge at all, on any system let alone my own. As regards J Valin's review, all I can say is that he's done it again. He is a master of the superlative. Altho I am perfectly willing to believe that the Supreme is an improvement over the PC1, I would doubt that the differences are as dramatic as he states. based on reading his reviews over the years. |
Damn Rushton, I may have to start reading Valin's reviews. Those are very kind words about the Supreme and I must say I love mine too. Mike, regarding: Albert, last time i was at the Northlake 'that' blond was asking about you. My wife wondered just what you did to make such an impression. Dont worry; your secret is safe with me. I think she was reading my mind while looking at you and Steve Dobbins. |
Steve, in a nutshell, J.Valin liked the Supreme as a "greatly improved" cartridge over the over the original PC-1, which he'd liked very much. Quoting briefly from the review by JV: "The new cartridge goes lower with much better timing, focus, and resolution, goes higher with greater incisiveness, detail, and speed, plays big dynamic passages with greater power and control, and stages with even greather width and depth, and focus than the PC-1 (which, let me remind you, was and is no slouch in any of these regards). It is also much more neutral... As of this writing, the Air Tight PC-1 Supreme has less of a sonic signature than any other moving-coil I've tested, making it, possibly, the best cartridge I've tested."
He goes on to caution appropriately that "best" can only be in the context of a given cartridge/arm/table and one's listening priorities.
. |
Howdy y'all.
Rushton, much time has lapsed, as has my subscription, since last reading an audio mag. Might you recap Valin's findings?
Thanks, Steve |
Steve, have you had a chance to read Jonathan Valin's review of the Supreme in the February 2009 issue of TAS? He gives a nice overview of the differences he's hearing between the original PC-1 and the new Supreme.
. |
all he has is that Pizza under a bridge by his old school :^). .....and the blond waitress at the Pizza place..... Albert, last time i was at the Northlake 'that' blond was asking about you. my wife wondered just what you did to make such an impression. don't worry; your secret is safe with me. Metralla, i did take Steve and Albert to Snoqualmie Falls during the flood we were having in honor of their visit. The 'Twin Peaks' 'Lodge' is sitting above those falls. Nature put on quite the show. |
Albert, regarding what Mike has ... you forgot about "Twin Peaks". ;-)
Regards, |
I've auditioned three Air Tight PC-1 and owned two.
I currently own a PC-1 Supreme and a Koetsu Coralstone. None of these are what I would call high output but it's really more about your phono gain as to if these are suitable for your needs.
You ask if there was a drop in gain? Yes, a little.
The PC-1 was the highest and the Koetsu the lowest. All three of these cartridges are superb, but considering the huge price difference, the PC-1 is a bargain.
I'm helping a friend with his Einstein Turntable Choice, (solid state phono step up) and the Einstein Tube MK2 line stage. Both have been in my system for a couple of weeks.
The Turntable Choice is 68 DB gain versus 80 for the Aesthetix. Both are providing more than enough gain, so I'm thinking as low as 60 DB with a really quiet preamp?
Reading that first post from Mikelavigne, I should have bought that Honda Pilot from him, maybe then he wouldn't talk trash about Texas.
I'll bet he's just jealous Blue Bell, Fritos and Dr. Pepper call Texas home, all he has is that Pizza under a bridge by his old school :^). |
Hi, Lewm. Thanks for your thoughts. Have you had both carts with the opportunity to compare? Presently in my system, the PC-1 has adequate output; a Koetsu Urushi Tsugaru, purported to have the same 0.6 output requires higher volume setting; and high output ZYX UNIverse performs similarly to the PC-1.
The phono stage is a heavily modified Jadis JP-80 MC with the mc stage I believe at 84 db. The Jadis does not offer variable loading, an unsettling deficiency. I do listen loud. Experience shows over-extending the volume releases much intrinsic sonance.
The good fortune to obtain a Supreme, with all it's decorative praise has left me desirous. |
The drop in gain should be "noticeable" but unimportant if your phono preamp has sufficient headroom. If you are right on the edge with 0.6mV, you might not be happy with an 0.4mV output.
Albert loves the PC1, as Mike infers. |
rather than me relating hearsay to you.....i recommend you read Albert Porter's 'System' thread, his Technics SP-10 Mk3 thread, or e-mail him about this question. he has owned a couple of PC-1's and now owns the Supreme....he has had the PC-1's on at least 3 tt's.
he is also very helpful and knowledgable. i overlook the fact that he is from Texas....but i'm not sure everyone can.
:) |
