1. Home
  2. analog
  3. 196519-196045

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
audphile1's avatar
audphile1
7,944 posts
 

By the way you can see the Kimber Carbon tonearm cables and XLRs. 

richardbrand's avatar
richardbrand OP
1,389 posts
 

@audphile1 

I know the feeling!

My SoulNote went walkabout yesterday and I don't know why!  Skidded sideways a bit.  It is in a SolidSteel S3 rack and the shelves are slippery melamine finish on thick MDF, which combined with the un-spiked pillars could have created a skating rink.  So I'll make an anti-skating device.

Actually, I will shortly make up a sub shelf like the more expensive SolidSteel shelves have.

Done it.  Used acacia block-wood from a kitchen top.  Acacia mistaken identity.

Spikes now replace pillars.  And I think I trod on some of that 2-m of spare XLR cable which created the walkabout!

audphile1's avatar
audphile1
7,944 posts
 

I used to own S4 for many years. Those spiked cones supposedly drained vibration but there were a few times where my components almost fell off. 
I did like that rack though.I went with SoldiSteel amp stands where my components sit now and sold the rack. I will eventually need a rack for the table and phono stage. 
 

So I located the nob springs and situated them under the phono stage and placed a large Darko style door stop on top of it. Will need more time but initial impressions slightly faster more airy sound. 

richardbrand's avatar
richardbrand OP
1,389 posts
 

My expectation bias was that adding spikes and a sub-shelf with constrained layer damping would make no difference.

But the bass on that jazz track has gone from stupendous to even more.  Even felt it in my suspended concrete slab floor.

By the way, is it politically correct to have a Darko door stop?

I have no real explanation for what I think I hear, unless ... I am starting to turn into a real audiophile, so help me

audphile1's avatar
audphile1
7,944 posts
 

Holbo air bearing table, soulnote phono stage, ds audio cart on the way…nah you’re not turning into a real audiophile…until you get better cables!

More to discover