Don't ask for more, just pick-up before you lost it.
R. |
Dear @vinny55 : The PUA 237 ( I still own it, even I think with the original box ? ?. ) is not exactly " underrated " but it's more that audiophiles just do not know about its existebnce.
It's a great tonearm and performs very good with any cartridge ( remmember that it's a removable headshell design and this is a true advantage to match with almost any cartridge only changing for different headshell designs. ).
Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R. |
Dear Mikeba316: I agree with Lewm, the more important subject is the tonearm/cartridge combination. On which TT?, it almost does not matters at all always that the TT be a " decent " one as your MK3.
Why do you need a new cartridge when you own the Puritas?, is something wrong with or it is only that you are whealty enough to try a new expensive one even if maybe will be a different but not really better performer that what you own?
If you want to try a different cartridge sound maybe the Colibri is a good alternative before the ones you name it here and for a lot less money.
Oh yes, the Colibri is not the " new kid on the blok " but I can tell you that those new " kids " have a very high challenge to beat the Colibri and IMHO your Reed tonearm could be a very good match for it.
In the other side and if I was you my first move could be to change the phono stage for a better non-tube ( especially with LOMC cartridges. IMHO: Phono stage is the worst place for use tubes and even worst with the ones using step-up transformers. If you decide for one of this units then it does not matters which cartridge/tonearm combination you choosed because you never know how that cartridge really performs.! ) one and please don't take for sure the advise of audio items seller. Which seller can speaks bad of what he have on sale?
The Phonolinepreamp IMHO is almost important as the cartridge/tonearm match, even more important than the TT.
You have several alternatives to improve your audio system quality performance level.
Money is always important but more important is the knowledge level on what to do and why.
Your actions IMHO must be " induced " by your specific music/sound targets/priorities and not because this or that item is the latest expensive one to " impress " other people. First than all think on what you want, think how to meet/even your references.
Well, only an opinion.
regards and enjoy the music,
R. |
Dear Sarcher30: +++++ " There is more than one way to skin a cat.... "
agree with you but that's not my point because IMHO the use of tube/sut on phono stages is the wrong and worst way to " skin that cat ".
About the NFB I can tell you that several today SS designs do not use it any more but that NFB subject does not determine perse a phono stage quality performance level but its overall/whole design and design execution.
For you can understand my statements about maybe is important that you analize and understand which are the cartridge signal needs to when that signal passed through a phonolinepreamp process of degradation this degradation be the lower one, this is: to add the less and lose the less. IMHO there is no contest against a good SS design.
That many persons prefer tubes/suts does not means is right that only means that the AHEE made it very good job teaching we " ignorant " audiophiles that tubes/suts is the way to go when that same AHEE knows for sure are wrong!!!
Please return a little on the time and read what was the scenario/stage when appeared the LOMC cartridges and then you will understand what I'm posting here.
Now, in this regards as in many other audio regards my position almost always is not what is my preferences or other people preferences but what is wrong or what is " right " against very specific references/standars as: accuracy, neutrality, dynamics, the feeling of the music power as we have on live events and to hear and feel the natural agresiveness that live music has.
What you or me prefer has nothing to do with that because our normally self " ears colorations " are a by-product not of live music but a by-product of the time that we lived hearing music in the wrong way through our audio systems: many of us have ears and brain equalized in the wrong way. Time to change: don't you think?, just for fun!!!!
Regards and enjoy the music,
R. |
Dear Mikeba316: +++++ " but I see a lot of 12" arms on the Technics tts so I'm not sure about the length.... " +++++
IMHO the today " fascination " for 12" tonearms is only a today " fashion " more than a real advantage over a 10.5" tonearms.
In theory there is only one advantage and this is that the 12" has lower tracking error against shorter arms. I say in " theory " because that theory is not reflected in what we can detect and where we for sure can say: " hey, that was because the lower tonearm tracking error ". We are talking here of so small/tiny difference in traking error between the 12" and 10.5" that IMHO no one can be aware of this " lower tracking error ".
That some persons liked the 12" ones over shorter ones is not because that " tracking error " per se but because exist different kind of colorations/distortions in two same model tonearms that only differ by its length.
In the other side in a longer tonearm the cartridge signal has to travel for a longer tonearm wire and at this stage is critical for that cartridge signal to have the shorter paht we can give it: due to its very low output level that signal is extremely sensitive to degradation of many kind as longer path, emi/rfi and the like, as longer the signal path as bigger the signal contamination.
Other disadvanatage is that a longer tonearm respond not so fast as a shorter one to the cartridge stylus movements needs and this is an important subject.
A longer tonearm push more stress on the tonearm bearing developing higher distortions in the same way that the longer arm wand generate additional resonances/vibrations that degrade the cartridge signal. I can go on and on with other disadvantages on longer arms in favor of shorter ones.
For me longer arms is a misunderstood error a misunderstood of the LP/cartridge needs and obviously a marketing/comercial " hip " to take more money from us customers in change on no single ADVANTAGE OR REAL AND PRECISE IMPROVEMENTS OTHER THAN ADDED COLORATIONS.
In your " place " I will stay with that 10.5" Reed against any 12" tonearm. Do it a favor and left all those 12" owners to follow living in the " error ", I think you don't have to live with.
Of course that everything is up to you.
Regards and enjoy the music,
R. |
Btw, I own several 12" arms that I almost don't use any more other that for especial tests.
R. |
Gentlemans, please no offense to the 12" owners. I live in the " error " for years ( not only in this critical tonearm subject but in many other audio subejcts. ) following what the AHEE teached me till I take the " destiny " of my audio life by my self and trhough this movement/action I learned and still learn each day in a few years a lot more " interesting " discoveries in audio that in all those years under the AHEE tutorial. Every one of us pass through that kind of tortuous road.
The best thing that happened to me in audio was that AHEE's LIBERATION/LIBERATED.
Today the only audio compromise I have is with. M U S I C !
Regards and enjoy the music,
R. |
Dear Br3098: In general I agree with you. On the length of the wire what you or me could imagine could be only speculation what is a fact is what is happening down there at microscopic level where contamination/polulation happened and remember that almost always in audio less is more.
+++ " (presumably) " ++++, whom knows for sure?
Regards and enjoy the music,
R. |
Dear Peterayer: I speak on 10.5" against 12" not 9" that has additional problems.
Btw, could be that an specific cartridge could " performs " ( that you like it more. ) better in a 12" tonearm than in a 10.5" but IMHO mostly because the added 12" colorations and not because any 12" real advantages because IMHO there is not.
Of course if we already own a 12" tonearm we have to believe we are with a self induction that this is the " one " because is the one I have and I paid for it.
Normally when I'm talking on audio subjects I try hard to stay unbiased in anyway but in favor of music home reproduction. I'm not married with any single audio factor/characteristic/parameter and always open to learn and change if necesary.
I make comparisons/evaluations against very precise targets where certainly one of those targets is not " what I like ".
Regards and enjoy the music,
R. |
Dear Peterayer: Your comparison on the V-12 against the V is not exactly: apples against apples. The V12 internal wiring is different to the V as is the tonearm bearing and the arm wand to stay with an almost similar effective mass as the V: 12grs against 11grs.
IMHO the diferences you heard are coming from a different build design, even that looks similar externally, more than the 12" length per se against the 9".
In amedium like the analog LP the tonearm has to deal with the reality of non perfect LP: warps and off center LPs and this is the day by day tonearm works in each single LP through all the LP tracks.
Well, the 12" are in disadvantages against the shorter ones that has a faster response to warps and off center problems, the 12" has slower response for deal with those LP problems and that means higher distortions/colorations.
Maybe your 12" tonearm could be better than your 9" one but IMHO not because its length but because a better design and execution design.
Regards and enjoy the music,
R. |
Dear Peterayer: These are the SME numbers on tracking error:
for the V12 Maximum tracking error 0.009°/mm
for the V " " " " " 0.012 degrees x mm.
I took the values from the SME site.
Now, do you think that you or any one can hear for sure the difference on quality performance between the V12 and the V where the difference in tracking error in between is only:
0.003 deggrees per mm. ?!?!?!?!?!
IMHO no one can't and not only that: I think no one audio system has the resolution to do it.
In the other side: how do you know that any performance difference came from that: 0.003 mm????
In the other side, I can asure you that even on the tonearm/cartridge set up that 0.003° is higher than it, so why to argue on something that we can get even in the cartridge/tonearm set up?
Btw, do you want to try/test a 9" tonearm that outperform almost any 12" tonearm?, well buy the vintage Sony PUA-237 that you could find out on the net for less than 500.00. Test it and then share with us your experiences about.
12" tonearms and longer ( everything the same. ) makes more harm than good to the quality performance level in any audio system. There is no perfect tonearms, every one has its own trade-offs and IMHO the 12" ones trade-offs are " ofensive " in higher way to the music reproduction than the shorter ones.
Any one can do what any one want it. You can followed the wrong/commercial AHEE advise or follow what your brain and common sense dictate in favor of the music.
Regards and enjoy the music,
R. |
Please read the SME site and the V12 reviews.
First than all I posted " almost any 12" ". Never mind, try to find out the Sony-PUA237, test it against your V12 and if does not beats it then I buy your Sony.
Raul. |
