MYSTERY MC - AudioQuest


Years ago I bought this cartridge while on a trip overseas. The seller, a retired high-end dealer, had many fine NOS cartridges left over from the dark day when digital wiped out analog. Very nice, very knowledgeable man -- Norman, as I recall. I bought several from him. Wish I'd taken the lot. He was charging only his original wholesale cost, quite low given the passage of time and inflation factor, plus the exchange rate was seriously in my favor.

One was an AUDIOQUEST 909. I just got around to mounting it, many years later. Sounds great, as Norman told me it would. Unfortunately, I lost the documentation. I can see, through my cheap 60x microscope, it has a hollow tube sapphire cantilever and a nicely polished line-contact type square shank nude mount stylus. The body color is lavender, with 'AQ 909' screen-printed on the side in gold, and its shape reminds me of a small version of the Accuphase AC-2, one of my favorites. All in all, it has a solid, serious, meticulously assembled feel, and a lovely sound.

There's no info on Vinyl Engine, it doesn't even exist, and nary a word anywhere on the web. Its sibling, the high output AQ 404, has many entries, and apparently was a TAS favorite. The 909 is low-put, I'm guessing as low as .02mv.

Does anyone recall this cartridge? I'm tracking at a generic MC VTF of 1.8g , but it makes me nervous not knowing for sure. Any specs or other comments would be very welcome.

Thanks in advance...
128x128bimasta

Showing 1 response by bimasta

Additional info from OP...

Apparently it was made by Scan-Tech, which (according to the internet) soon became Lyra.

So now, if the above is true, I know it has an impressive family tree. Still hoping someone can provide some sspecifics on the early 909...