Fremer's review of the Anna cartridge

Dear Actusreaus: Last June I received this comment from a very good friend:

+++++ " With respect to the MC Anna, Ortofon experienced problems with the adhesive that they used to secure the damper and will only ship when the problem is resolved. " +++++

seems to me that today they not fixed at all.

I own, owned and heard almost all Ortofon top cartridges and I can say that the Ortofon QC normally was second to none.

Agree that at the Ana asking price the cartridge build quality must be first rate/excellent and no excuse about.

Now, on the Fremer suggestion about the USB microscope well this is a suggestion that has nothing to do with this cartridge or any other one other than to have an additional toy.

That SRA of 92 degrees he is self promoting is only a Fremer number because 90 0r 89 could be good numbers to start. As J.Carr pointed out there is no single standard about and certainly 92 degrees is not that standard but only a number to start with as could be other number, so don't get crazy about that 92 degrees. At the ned trust in your music knowledge level through your own ears and not on that " 92 degrees " that means almost nothing.

Regards and enjoy the music,
R.

Dear Lewm: ++++" However, at present I have done a "one-eighty"; I would happily use Sound Smith in the US or any number of others to rebuild my cartridges. Not only is the cost markedly lower but also the repaired product might be as good or better than the original, " +++++

with out of production cartridges I could agree with you but on current top and pricey LOMC cartridges my advise is to go with the manufacturer that's the only one that knows exactly how to fix it wit out changing its quality performance and in the other side normally the cartridge designers makes small improvements on the original design that they don't give publicity but that they affix in your cartridge when the re-tipped works ends. The re-tippers can't do it because they don't know nothing about those cartridge up dates.

Other important thing is that with some cartridge parts only the original manufacturer has access to them and the re-tipper can't do nothing about but to fix your cartridge with " lesser " parts or even with out change the parts but left it inside even if needs to be changed.

No, I don't think that if I was an Atlas, Ana or a Goldfinger owner I will send to Alex, SS or the one re-tipper you name it to fix it.

Well, that's me.

Regards and enjoy the music,
R.

Dear Sarcher30: First than all I would like to speak about VTA and not SRA and this because is more " practical ".

Now, for me is very " easy " an almost in " automatic " because when you are testing or trying different cartridges you learn where that start VTA/SRA is.

I have a process to make the cartridge set up that I use always. Inside that process I use always the same LPs recording tracks, this help me a lot because I know those tracks better than my " hands " ( I know even how should be listen to the clicks and pops in any of those trracks. ).
Btw, in the past I bought additional samples of those recordings but for my surprise the music information/presentation in the new ones ( that came from a different batch. ) was a little different so I been sticky with the old ones.

Now, with MM/MI cartridges normally I start with positive VTA ( tail up ) 2-3mm and from there things goes up/down depending on what I'm hearing. On the cartridge set up process first than all I want to fix both frequency extremes through my selected tracks: this is my main target on the starting set up and these is what I'm looking for from the start VTA. I don't go on till I'm satisfied with and if I can't fix both extremes I look to fix ( at least ) the bas frequency range and from here started again with VTA changes till with out loosing the bass extreme achieve better performance at the other frequency extreme.

With LOMC normally I start with even VTA followed by the same MM/MI process.

In both cases after that first frequency extremes set up I start the fine tunning process where azymuth set up is critical as is cartridge loading.

My cartridge set up process is a simple long one that through the day by day " excersice " converted in an easy tool for me, even there are some times that I jumped two-three steps on that process because the experiences I have.

In some ways each one of us have its own set up process some process more elaborated than other but I think we all have it. Mine works and worked for me with today 98% efficiency thank's to continuous process up dates.

The whole process involves not only the VTA/SRA but VTF, overhang, azymuth, tracking habilities, AS, etc, etc.

My reference is live music and in my home system I have 2-3 cartridges that functioning as references that are the cartridges that after " severe " fine tunning showed the higher overall quality performance level.

Anyway, I think you have the idea about.

Regards and enjoy the music,
R.

Dear Onhwy61: I think that could exist a potential problem with all the Anna cartridge samples ( especially the early ones. ):

for the cartridge customers that buy every new pricey cartridge every " new kid on the block ) could be not a problem because with the next new cartridge they bought the Anna goes to the closets or to other second hand buyer but the ones that normally put over 3-4K hours in a cartridge could be that the problem showed on the MF review can repeat over the time over several hours of playback. No one knows if this could or not happen and if I were an Anna owner then as you say I will ask to Ortofon for an inspection or and extended warranty time in case that rpoblem comes again.

I love Ortofon cartridges and own or owned/heard almost all top different cartridge series to A90. In the past as I posted at begin of this thread Ortofon marketed an overall new cartridge design that was the great MC 2000 that came with problems in suspension and the stylus glue on the cantilever: suddenly the stylus unglued with out reason. This happened sometimes at the first playback hours and sometimes after several playback hours and that's why I said that could exist a potential trouble down there for the Anna owners.

Pity that this happened with a so old and well regarded everywhere cartridge builders as Ortofon. Like all of you posted all is Ortofon own culprit and IMHO there is no excuse for what happened.

Regards and enjoy the music,
R.

Dear Lewm: Yes that can happen like with Ortofon or AN and with other top cartridges. It happened to me more than once.

I agree: ++++ " It takes grande cojones to be a high-end consumer " +++++

The situation with the Anna is nothing new on the high-end audio items market. How many of us laready experienced several troubles with new products as: TT/tonearms, electronics or speakers?, I think that every one of us already experienced some way or other.

I'm not saying to justify that bad QC but we know that that bad QC in some items is the " bread " of every day and IMHO is a SHAME it still happen today. Why pay we so high prices for that kind of bad QC items?

Regards and enjoy the music,
R.

Dear M. Lavigne: I would like that you come back again not to tell us what already posted but to tell us if you have any tiny concern/worry on what we are discussing here. I hope you can share your personal opinion on the whole subject.

Regards and enjoy the music,
R.

Dear Mikelavigne: Thank's for your post. I did not have any doubt on the Anna top quality performance but on its QC that for me was something weird due to first hand several experiences with Ortofon cartridges.

I posted here:

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?eanlg&1365811842&openflup&25&4#25

and I said " don't fixed at all today " because I did not know what you posted, now is more clear the whole QC subject.

Thank's again.

Regards and enjoy the music,
R.