Hear my Cartridges....🎶

I think that noromance’s comments are excellent. Lots of ear candy on this most recent recording. Lovely singing, too.

Acknowledging the fact that the Signets have been heard with two different recordings, on two different arms, and this one with a new stylus 🤪, I almost would not have believed that the Signet heard previously is the same cartridge as this one. I agree that this Signet is more forward than the Decca as noromance points out and that it has more air. “Better” air? Maybe. I think the comments about brightness and questionable “accuracy” are interesting and valid. Accuracy to the recording, of course; because to me the Decca makes the music sound less electronic and with more of the lucidity that live sounds have. Obviously, if the brightness and forward quality are what is on the recording then the Signet is indeed more “accurate”.

The Signet seems to make a huge, extended and voluminous sound in halcro’s room and (on my Stax cans) sounds like the sound is on the cusp of overloading the room; borderline boomy. The sound is, as noromance says, very forward; almost uncomfortably so. The sound seems too full through the lower mids which makes the male vocals sound too chesty and thick. This was the reason I asked about subwoofers. The first time I listened it reminded me of the times I have the xover point on my subs set too high which adds too much thickness to male vocals. Of course, a lot of this is personal taste. I think the Signet sounds more dynamic partly because the volume level heard is slightly lower with the Decca. If I adjust the listening volume up slightly for the Decca, perceived dynamics improve.

I loved the Decca’s sound fhe first time and I love it now. Gorgeous female vocal
sound. I agree it doesn’t sound as exciting as the Signet at first; but, while the sound with the Signet seems to be thrown in my face, I find that my shoulders relax when I listen to the Decca. I hear an easy clarity, lucidity and absence of grain through the midrange. I miss a little of the Signet’s apparent bass power, but I definitely don’t miss the overblown upper bass/lower mids and overly thick male voice.  Clearly, both excellent cartridges; but, I love the Decca. 😍

Thank you Frogman for once again contributing a perspective and detailed analysis which is invaluable to me 😎

Regards
Henry

There were mainly two high-end cartridges that Sony were renowned for in the 80s and both were LOMCs.
The XL-55 is perhaps the best known although the XL-88 and XL-88D (with one-piece diamond-cantilever/stylus construction) is the better model IMO.
The XL-88D was the most expensive cartridge in the world when it was released and sold in Germany for 7500DM which was more expensive than Volkswagen in its days.
There are scant technical specs available on the XL-88 but I found these:-
Specs: 
Type: moving coil
Output Voltage: 0.4mV
Frequency Response: 10Hz - 50kHz
Tracking Force: 1.2-1.8g
Mass: 6.8g 
Channel Separation: > 33dB
The compliance is rather high for a MC at 20-6cm/Dyne and they both sport Hyper-Elliptical styli.
As the XL-55 and XL-88 appear to share much of their construction, I post it HERE as it's interesting 🤔

The Signet TK-7SU is essentially the same cartridge as the TK-7Ea and TK-7LCa except with a Shibata stylus instead of the Line Contact of the LCa.

SONY XL-88 LOMC CARTRIDGE
Mounted in vintage FR-64S (Silver-Wired) ToneArm on solid Bronze ArmPod surrounding vintage Victor TT-101 DD Turntable.

SIGNET TK-7SU MM CARTRIDGE
Mounted in DV-507/II ToneArm on solid Bronze ArmPod surrounding vintage Victor TT-101 DD Turntable.
Apologies for the loss of sound near the start...🤪 

Dammit... another Audiogon post error. Lost long post @Admin

Lost long post.
Long story short.
Sony just plays it, Signet tells the whole story. Better bass, drive, clarity, delineation, and purpose.