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What innovative, unconventional cartridge designs can you recommend?

Most cartridges have a stylus and cantilever where the transducer (magnet, iron or coil) sits on the far end of the cantilever.  What other designs are there?

I am mindful of two designs which put the business end right on top of the stylus.  The first is the moving coil (MC) Audio Technica AT-ART1000 which places two tiny coils, each 0.9-mm diameter, with eight turns of wire directly above the stylus.  Australian price is about AUD-7000 and there apparently is a newer model, slightly less exxe. the ART1000X.  This has square coils for a bit more output, and threaded mounting holes.

A downside is that stylus replacement involves a factory maintenance program and the Australian website page describing this service does not exist.

Another design is optical, exemplified by DS Audio's range.  While these still need a stylus to trace the groove, the signal is produced by reading the intensity of light produced by a Light Emitting Diode (LED) hitting two sensors.  Between the LED and the sensors are two 'shades' mounted above the stylus which change the amount of light as the stylus vibrates.  These cartridges need a special "photo-stage" to replace the conventional phono-stage which is an additional expense.

Australian prices including photo-stages range from AUD-2,150 for the DS-E1 to the DS Master 3 at approximately AUD-40,800, which is a bit outside my price range!  Where is the sweet spot?

What other way-out designs are there?

richardbrand
dogberry
965 posts
 

@reimarc That's fascinating! Turns out a cartridge being microphonic can be a good thing.

lewm
14,698 posts
 

RB, in your calculation of current, I think current out is equivalent to V out divided by internal impedance, rather than by load R. Load Z determines what becomes of the output.

richardbrand's avatar
richardbrand OP
1,408 posts
 

@lewm 

RB, in your calculation of current, I think current out is equivalent to V out divided by internal impedance, rather than by load R. Load Z determines what becomes of the output.

It really is a question of how the manufacturer defines the cartridges' output voltage V.  Is it into a load, or into an open circuit?  It will be a higher number if measured into an open circuit.

In a real circuit, the current should be V divided by the total circuit impedance.  There is only one voltage source and it has to drive current through the entire circuit.

I am just discovering that the Japanese sometimes have their own ways of defining quantities!

richardbrand's avatar
richardbrand OP
1,408 posts
 

@audphile1 

I’m assuming the unit voltage is correct and you just need a proper power cable. Not sure why soulnote says you can’t use any power cord that’s in working order

I have had a good look at the power cord SoulNote supplied, and without dissecting it, it does look like a standard, earthed, three connection power cord.  The distributor, you and common sense, all say any power cord will do.  The distributor also says all his customers use expensive audiophile-grade power cords!

So why does SoulNote explicitly state that only the supplied power cord should be used?  Possibly it has magic properties, internal shielding, anti-static impregnation, hidden ferrite rings.  I don’t know. 

Or possibly, they don’t want their customers to waste money on expensive aftermarket cords!  I prefer that explanation.

In another thread, we are discussing XLR cables.  SoulNote produces XLR cables which are unshielded, but specifies shielded in the user manual for my SoulNote E.1 Ver 2 Equalizer.  They are not shy of charging big money.  Their RCC-1 Clock Cable is about A$16,000 for 1.2-m.  Fortunately you only need one per clock

 

richardbrand's avatar
richardbrand OP
1,408 posts
 

oops.  I've just re-read my SoulNote User Guide and I cannot find any text that specifies shielded cables for balanced operation.  My mistake ;-(

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