Finally had my Mk2 Straingauge dialled in correctly esp re azimuth, vta and vtf, for a while now.
It's really the best performing cart I've ever had in my system (which incl. Transfiguration Temper and Orpheus, Lyra Skala and Parnassus, Roksan Shiraz, and ESCCo modded Zu Denon 103).
Bass is warm and effusive, but totally textural, never one-note. Mids are clear and transparent. Highs are crystalline and almost unlimited in extension. Tone and precision in equal measure.
Tracking is like a bloodhound, and there is a total synergy with my direct rim drive tt/air bearing linear tracking arm. I'm really detecting no artifacts in analogue replay revealing the shortcomings of the lp medium that bugged me playing records in the last few years compared to playing cds on my really neutral Emm Labs CDSA cdp. This is the closest I've ever got to the Holy Grail of 15 ips reel-to-reel sound that I heard a year ago.
For the first time in 5 years, lp replay is streaking ahead of digital that was previously regularly outperforming it in my system.
Other than experimenting with supports/isolation/power, that's it for my upgrade journey to analogue audio nirvana over 17 years.
It's really the best performing cart I've ever had in my system (which incl. Transfiguration Temper and Orpheus, Lyra Skala and Parnassus, Roksan Shiraz, and ESCCo modded Zu Denon 103).
Bass is warm and effusive, but totally textural, never one-note. Mids are clear and transparent. Highs are crystalline and almost unlimited in extension. Tone and precision in equal measure.
Tracking is like a bloodhound, and there is a total synergy with my direct rim drive tt/air bearing linear tracking arm. I'm really detecting no artifacts in analogue replay revealing the shortcomings of the lp medium that bugged me playing records in the last few years compared to playing cds on my really neutral Emm Labs CDSA cdp. This is the closest I've ever got to the Holy Grail of 15 ips reel-to-reel sound that I heard a year ago.
For the first time in 5 years, lp replay is streaking ahead of digital that was previously regularly outperforming it in my system.
Other than experimenting with supports/isolation/power, that's it for my upgrade journey to analogue audio nirvana over 17 years.