Dear Andre: I know that you are asking to Doug but after reading the thread answers it seems to me that if the arm board is exactly leveled ( flat ) and there is no internal tonearm antiskating problem then the problem is in the TP at different height ( Decca 200gr ) or the problem is that at this height is less sensible to that problem. Remember that the LPs are concave and at the begining is more thick than in the middle.
Now, you have to wait your new TP and " see " what happen . This is the first time that I heard that some one had a problem like this with a top cartridge/tonearm. It does not seems to me like a more noral tracking problem but more like a tonearm problem or unleveled one.
We can " think " many things about but the proof will be with your new TP.
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul. |
Dear Andre: In essence my answer is: yes, but in practice if that low compliance cartridge is matched with the right tonearm almost never will have any problem with trackin a record.
One of my lowest compliance cartridge is the Ikeda with 5 cu and other than the Telarc 1812 I never had any tracking problem with any of the 3-4 tonearms where I try it.
It is curios that both tonearms: Rega 900 and the TP had the same problem and not with the Audio Note. It could be that both tonearms are out of specs, who knows. We have to wait for the new one.
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul. |
Dear André : +++++ " still just some problems with bad records but ..."+++++
Something is still out of " target ". Which the problems with that 10% of bad records?
I insist on it because in any of my tonearm/cartridge combinations I have no problem at all.
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul. |
Dear André: +++++ " are pure silver ( audio note AN V).
Would it be better to have exactly the same wire ( discovery) everywhere? " +++++
The important issue here is not if it is cooper or silver or both, the important subject is which one is more: neutral/natural than the others. My experience with tonearm wires tell me that the silver ones ( at least what I try ) are better specially the Audio Note one, is a little expensive but it is really great, you can't go wrong with it.
Now, about what you are thinking on cartridges I think that with your TP you could choose with freedom any top cartridge.
I agree with Doug about the importance on your music bias because different manufacturer cartridges have different music presentation.
Btw, the Io is truly great and I don't know why the people in this forum never talk about. You can add to your cartridge list: Dynavector, Allaerts and Transfiguration.
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul. |
Dear Doug: +++++ " Probably the most Colibri-like " +++++
Do you mean that this one has " spark " over the others ?
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul. |
Dear André: Due to your music priorities I think that you should put on your cartridge list: Dynavector XV-1, Allaerts MC2 Finish and Transfiguration W/V. Well the Colibrí too but this cartridge is for a " patience " people. Btw, Allaerts give a 10,000 hours on their cartridges.
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul. |
Dear Doug: With al my respect to you and trying to help André and to you:
- The André audio system is in the 50K range price: Verdier, JP80, JA 200, Triplanar, Shelter, etc, etc.
-The André Jadis preamp was not designed for low output cartridges , it was designed for high output ones: this is a fact.
- You are one of the regular to this forum and I think that you want to help André given him your best advise and in my opinion you are not doing that.
- You are supporting a 600.00 dls solution ( the worst/wrong one. ) for a 50K audio system and this is not fair for André and the music.
- With that " worst/wrong " solution the André audio system quality sound reproduction will belongs to that un-named " worst/wrong " solution ??????? This is a big mistake. Of course, André can take it, is up to him.
- The JP80 was designed for MM or high output MC cartridges and out there there are several great high output ones that beats easily your supporting " worst/wrong " solution.
- MM from Ortofon, Music Maker, Rega, Goldring, Grado, Audio Technica, Sumiko, Clearaudio, Roksan, Reson, etc, etc. and high output MC from: Sumiko ( the Blackbird is a champ ), Clearaudio, Allaerts, etc, etc.
André, if you really like/love music ( and want to hear in all " glory " your Jadis electronics instead of one additional transformer: step-up transformer ) and take care about music my advise is that you could think for a moment in the MM/HO MC option that is not only the best quality sound reproduction solution but less expensive that Doug alternative. As I told you: is up to you and your music priorities.
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul. |
Dear André: +++++ " Are they all wrong ? " +++++
This is one of my posts about:
+++++ " Dear friends: I'm not against the SUT " per se ", I'm against what the SUT makes to the cartridge signal: heavy degradation.
I like many of you used the SUT for many years till I discovery that the best SUT is NO SUT. I already try severals SUT's and all of them do a severe degradation to the cartridge signal.
Maybe some of you can think that an Audio NOte Kondo or Expressive Technologies SUT's don't have any problem: wrong, all SUT's have the same problems and all of them degraded the cartridge signal.
We have to understand that the low output MC cartridges was not build " thinking " in a low gain phonopreamps ( tube or SS ). The low gain phonopreamps like yours is only for CD, high output MC and MM cartridges ( btw: Music Maker, Sumiko and Audio Technica have great cartridges too ).
Tha's why I can tell you that if you have a low gain phono stage with a low output MC cartridge: you choose the wrong cartridge to go. For any one can enjoy and discover ( really enjoy ) the " magic " quality sound reproduction of a low output MC cartridge any one needs a high-gain phono preamp, with out any PATCH ( external/internal SUT/Autoformer. With out any mis-match between cartridge impedance and SUT that equalized the cartridge signal, always. ) ) no question about.
When you are using a low output MC cartridge with a low gain phono preamp it is like if you want to scale the Everest in a Ferrari Testa Rosa or like you want to swim in the sea dressed with a Tuxedo instead of a swimwear. Sure you can to swim dressed on a Tuxedo but: Imagine that!!! That's what you have on your audio system, it does not matters if your audio systems cost 10K or 500K. " +++++
Are they all wrong?, no, simple: they choose the wrong cartridge to go or the wrong phonopreamp for that cartridge. That's all. Is simple as that.
André there are a misconception and no-know how about and this is the problem why the people take the wrong " road ".
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul. |
Dear André and Doug: Today, I think that we are talking on the same subject where we agree at all.
Doug the small differences between your opinion and mine is ( I think ) my first hand experiences on HO cartridges: I owned at least 12 differents ones, I own around 14 ones and I heard it ( out of my system ) several ones. Sometime, you have to try it.
André, is up to you. Good luck on your cartridge hunt.
Regards and enjoy the music.
raul. |
Dear André: Here are some recomendations for a HO cartridge:
Reson Aciore, Grado Reference, Music Maker III, Clearaudio Virtuoso, Sumiko Blackbird, Goldring 1042. Now, if you can find, second hand, an Audio Technica AT 170 or ( better yet ) 180 OCC ATML you will be on " music heaven ". This AT MM cartridge compete with the very top low output cartridges and outperforms many of them.
This is an extract of a review on the Grado one: " "Without question these are the best phono cartridges out there,REAL BASS,smooth non tipped up highs(like moving coils) the music has meat to it,sounds very real,as if you could step into the music.And despite what others have said it is fast and articulate,plus you don't need a step-up device,(less between you and the music)."
The MM cartridges are like the " lost link " in analog. No body cares about and I think that no body cares about because the no know-how on the MM subject and a comercial bias through the LO MC cartridges.
Almost all professional audio reviewers and cartridge manufacturers are on the " comercial business ", where they obtain more money: LO MC cartridges.
The bias for the LO MC cartridges has nothing to do with a " better quality sound reproduction ", it has to do only with " money " and the no know-how of us the customers. The MM alternative is not only a very good one but in many audio subjects superior to the LO MC one.
Any one that want to tell me that the LO MC cartridges are better than the HO/MM ones has to prove it ( I think it could not ) and I can tell you that I can prove that the HO/MM technology is up to the task and a lot, lot, lot less expensive. This price characteristics is one of the issues why the people don't buy MM cartridges: " is to cheap to be good ". NO KNOW-HOW.
I almost never speaks in this forum about MM cartridges because almost all the people in this forum is out of that game, but this fact does not means that the MM subject is a " low-Fi " option. No, certainly it is not.
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul. |
Dear friends: Here are some facts about why exist the SUTs for LO cartridges ( at least is my point of view ):
- In the fifthies appear the MC LO cartridges ( As a fact: Ortofon invented in 1948. ). In that time all the phonopreamps were designed for HO cartridges MM/MI/etc. No one was in the design of high gain PP because no body need it.
- Ortofon and latter other MC LO cartridges never ask to the PP designers/builders to manufacture a high gain PP for their MC LO cartridges. What I mean is that never exist a cooperation job between the MC LO builders and the PP manufacturers.
- What was the comercial attitude of almost all MC LO cartridges builders?: to put on sale their MC LO cartridges along with a SUTs ( designed for it self ) for those MC LO cartridges.
- I can remember from Ortofon when they design the MC10, MC 20, Mc 30, Mc 2000, Mc 3000 and MC 5000, cartridges at the same time they offer the respective SUT: T 10, T 20, T 30, T 5000.
- Like Ortofon everybody do the same: Denon, Audiocraft, Fidelity Research, Koetsu, Micro Seiki, Accuphase, Dynavector, Highphonic, Audio Technica, Entre, etc, etc.
- In the mid-time what does the PP designers ( SS or tube ) for the development of a high gain PP?: almost nothing, almost all take the easy " cheap road " ( wrong/worst one ): that the customers buy SUTs along with their PP if they want to handle a LO cartridge. Some of the PP designers/builders incorporate in their " high gain " PP internal SUTs, exactly like today ones.
- No body take the challenge to design a HG PP with out SUTs. There are some exceptions: Curl, Levinson, Pass, Klyne, Classé, D'angostino, etc, etc,
- So we all are suffering the " easy road/ wrong road " that almost all designers/builders take it more than 55 years ago.
- All those comercial attitude never take into account us: the audio customers and never take into account the QUALITY MUSIC/SOUND REPRODUCTION. They don't care about in those times and many of them don't care about today.
Fortunatelly, in the last few years, some PP builders finally take the challenge ( others like me designed our self ones ) and we have some very good HG PP, many of them at very high price.
This change of comercial attitude: Bravo!!!!!!, could tell us that the best about is coming because the developtment of HG PPs are really " starting ", it is not a mature industry.
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul. |
Dear Doug: Maybe I miss something.
+++++ " For me, this A/B/C comparison settled any argument about HO vs. LO MC's. " +++++
What do you mean with that statement? in reference to what?. Please explain about.
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul. |
