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MC suggestions

I have long been a Grado fan.  Currently running a Statement Reference v2.  I love it, but.  I auditioned the Ortofon Quintet Black and the Dyna 17d3 and the Benz Glider and while each were excellent in their way, the overall feeling, despite being faster and transparent left me wanting, I was happy enough with my Grado. Id like to take another crack at this now. What I am looking for at this point and I hope you guys can make some suggestions, is a cleaner, and more live sound. This combined with a nice sense of space and width to the soundstage.  Is this asking a lot in my price range which is 2.5k(ish)?  I am of the opinion after spending sometime trying to figure this out, that an el34 based tube amp combined with the Grado cart are just too similar in voicing(warm).  I had hope that running a ss phono stage combined with the low output statement would be just the synergy.  It definitely moved the needle in the right direction and I could live happily if I didn't think I could push it a little farther in the detail direction without losing what I love about the Grado sound.  That is primarily it is not brittle, its natural sounding, nice soundstage all around.  Perhaps if I had solid state amplification it would be a synergistic match made in heaven.  Some carts I have been thinking about are VAS, Miyajima, Dyna(I did really like the 10x5 I listened to at one point).  Not to rule out Lyra but would be worried about the thinness I've read about from some users.  Grado fans seem a little few and far between and I wonder if there are previous fans who have moved on.  Maybe I just need to have a couple carts around and their is no one right cart. I have hesitated pursuing a cart change because my system has been tuned to Grado's sound but if I can get close with another company making MC's that wouldn't call for recalibrating my rig that much would be great.  Thanks for reading and sorry to be so long winded.
128x128fourwnds

Showing 1 response by edgewear

edgewear
543 posts
 
@fourwnds 
I'm wondering how you loaded you Grado Statement Reference? The low output Statement series needs to be loaded at 47k, just like the high output Reference series. I hope I got that one right, as Grado surely has the most confusing nomenclature in all of audio.

I owned a Statement v1 (or should that be a Statement Statement?). This system had a gorgeous tonality which I liked quite alot. But my current MC phono amp has 1000 ohm as the highest load for MC. In this setting the Statement sounds somewhat dark and lifeless, just as you described. So you really need to load it at 47k to hear it as intended.

That said, if you want to try a new low output low impedance MC I suggest you try Phasemation. The PP-300 at ca. $1800 and the PP-500 at ca. $2500 are within your price range. This recommendation is based on my experience with the P-3G (predecessor of the PP-300), which can compete nicely with much more expensive systems.
It is both heavy and low compliance, so it prefers a heavy gun (i.e. a relatively high effective mass tonearm). Mounted on the FR-64fx it delivers a wonderfully rich tonality and refinement within a powerful and lively presentation. The very high mass FR-64S is an even better companion.

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