@atmasphere who currently makes reel to reel tape? Just wondering.
What is the “World’s Best Cartridge”?
I believe that a cartridge and a speaker, by far, contribute the most to SQ.
The two transducers in a system.
I bit the bulllet and bought a Lyra Atlas SL for $13K for my Woodsong Garrard 301 with Triplanar SE arm. I use a full function Atma-Sphere MP-1 preamp. My $60K front end. It is certainly, by far, the best I have owned. I read so many comments exclaiming that Lyra as among the best. I had to wait 6 months to get it. But the improvement over my excellent $3K Mayijima Shilabi was spectacular-putting it mildly.
I recently heard a demo of much more pricy system using a $25K cartridge. Seemed to be the most expensive cartridge made. Don’t recall the name.
For sure, the amount of detail was something I never heard. To hear a timpani sound like the real thing was incredible. And so much more!
This got me thinking of what could be possible with a different kind of cartridge than a moving coil. That is, a moving iron.
I have heard so much about the late Decca London Reference. A MI and a very different take from a MC. Could it be better? The World’s Best? No longer made.
However Grado has been making MI cartridges for decades. Even though they hold the patent for the MC. Recently, Grado came out with their assault on “The World’s Best”. At least their best effort. At $12K the Epoch 3. I bought one and have been using it now for about two weeks replacing my Lyra. There is no question that the Atlas SL is a fabulous cartridge. But the Epoch is even better. Overall, it’s SQ is the closest to real I have heard. To begin, putting the stylus down on the run in grove there is dead silence. As well as the groves between cuts. This silence is indicative of the purity of the music content. Everything I have read about it is true. IME, the comment of one reviewer, “The World’s Best”, may be true.
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Dear @lewm : " was more interesting than this banter about digital vs analog. ", obviopusly that that is for you but everything were said/posted on the issue thread with no single doubt to add nothing about.
In the other side your " banter " subject is interesting for some other gentlemans but you when they posted about and that " banter " really started when ML posted on that complete " analog/LP " characteristic vs the incomplete digital version, that was what he stated here and latter on he posted something as " digital at any single step is a reference ". Along all those he posted in other thread that in his system streaming listened experience he touted the " completness " of digital and he named what he was enjoying that time. Controversial point of views and that’s why I asked to know what means his " complete " against " incomplete " mediums characteristics but he never gaves us an explanation that I think because he does not wanted to does. For me, everything is clear from 10 years now on that regards, good that for you is not interesting subject. Btw, normally when I talk of analog I’m reffering mainly to the LP alternative. Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS, R. |
@goofyfoot see https://www.atrtape.com/ ATR Magnetics makes cassettes as well as reel to reel tape.
I get accused of being crazy all the time 😉 I don't follow your word salad, the second question. Do you want a list of names or is that rhetorical? Again, if no-one cared or analog could not compete this would not be a conversation. We would be doing something else 😁 |
"To make comments lacking the experience to back them up is absurd" i used the word silly to express the same thought. listen to the gear, tell us what you hear. or know you will not be taken seriously. do the work. i acquired the cartridges, listened, and said what i heard about the original question. expressed my listening opinion. tell us about your opinion about the best cartridge. |
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