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Hear my Cartridges....🎶

Many Forums have a 'Show your Turntables' Thread or 'Show your Cartridges' Thread but that's just 'eye-candy'.... These days, it's possible to see and HEAR your turntables/arms and cartridges via YouTube videos.
Peter Breuninger does it on his AV Showrooms Site and Michael Fremer does it with high-res digital files made from his analogue front ends.
Now Fremer claims that the 'sound' on his high-res digital files captures the complex, ephemeral nuances and differences that he hears directly from the analogue equipment in his room.
That may well be....when he plays it through the rest of his high-end setup 😎
But when I play his files through my humble iMac speakers or even worse.....my iPad speakers.....they sound no more convincing than the YouTube videos produced by Breuninger.
Of course YouTube videos struggle to capture 'soundstage' (side to side and front to back) and obviously can't reproduce the effects of the lowest octaves out of subwoofers.....but.....they can sometimes give a reasonably accurate IMPRESSION of the overall sound of a system.

With that in mind.....see if any of you can distinguish the differences between some of my vintage (and modern) cartridges.
VICTOR X1
This cartridge is the pinnacle of the Victor MM designs and has a Shibata stylus on a beryllium cantilever. Almost impossible to find these days with its original Victor stylus assembly but if you are lucky enough to do so.....be prepared to pay over US$1000.....🤪
VICTOR 4MD-X1
This cartridge is down the ladder from the X1 but still has a Shibata stylus (don't know if the cantilever is beryllium?)
This cartridge was designed for 4-Channel reproduction and so has a wide frequency response 10Hz-60KHz.
Easier to find than the X1 but a lot cheaper (I got this one for US$130).
AUDIO TECHNICA AT ML180 OCC
Top of the line MM cartridge from Audio Technica with Microline Stylus on Gold-Plated Boron Tube cantilever.
Expensive if you can find one....think US$1000.

I will be interested if people can hear any differences in these three vintage MM cartridges....
Then I might post some vintage MMs against vintage and MODERN LOMC cartridges.....🤗
128x128halcro
halcro's avatar
halcro OP
2,664 posts
 
I'm pleased you like the Gary Karr 'Kol Nidre' Fogman 😃
I thought you would.....although it gets only half the views on YouTube that 'The Wall' gets 😞
Also really glad you enjoyed hearing 'The Wall' for the first time....
It deserves a place in your collection as does their 'WISH YOU WERE HERE' album.

As usual, your comments re the PALLADIAN vs LDR 'Shootout' were brilliant....but I appreciate how you went the 'Extra Mile' in putting into words...in fine detail...what you hear to be the differences.
I cannot disagree with a single description or observation you have made 👍
You even pre-empted what would have been my only contribution, by anticipating...
I can definitely understand why some listeners might prefer the Palladian’s spatial boldness and bass power to the Decca’s more organized and “neater” approach to imaging and sound staging.
At first the greater bass power and sheer bigness of it is impressive,
Two great cartridges, I agree....and I'm particularly pleased that your 'Winner' is not a Moving Coil Cartridge 🤗

I now have the Palladian permanently ensconced on the Copperhead Tonearm whilst the LDR is sitting pretty on one of the FR-66S Tonearms.
That allows for my other FR-66S to continue to serve as my 'Test Bed' and 'Flavour Change' for all my other LOMCs.

I now hope you can help me settle....in the same way.....the MM Cartridges to be 'selected' for the arms around the Victor TT-101?

Many thanks again Frogman..and Dover, Noromance, Harold and others who have commented...😃

Regards 
halcro's avatar
halcro OP
2,664 posts
 
From the 'sublime' to the 'ridiculous' 🤪
It seems that with careful selection, one can get what one pays for with phono cartridges....
The best (in my case) being the $5,000 LONDON DECCA REFERENCE  and the $10,000 AS PALLADIAN 
But the majority of audiophiles are not in the market for that kind of expenditure on a cartridge.
What can one purchase for a more modest $450...?
For decades....thousands of audiophiles have used the DENON DL-103R as their 'budget' LOMC cartridge.
DENON'S involvement with moving coil cartridges dates back to the 1930s when they were engaged in a joint R&D effort with NHK to produce a high performance and high reliability cartridge for broadcast use. The legendary DL-103 moving coil phono cartridge was introduced in 1963, which became one of the longest running products in audio history. 
Denon collaborated with the Japan Broadcasting Corporation Technical Research Laboratories in 1963 to make this extremely reliable, high-performance low-output phono cartridge. As the first moving coil cartridge, the DL-103 will always be the standard of reliability in every aspect, even the price.
It can still be bought today, 'brand new' for $450...

Then there is the venerable SHURE V15/III which can be purchased 'used' for less.
But most audiophiles will not accept or buy a 'used' cartridge with unknown provenance and usage hours.
For $200, one can purchase a 'used' V15/III WITHOUT its original stylus 😀 
For $200 more....one can purchase directly from Jico....their famous SAS stylus on a Boron cantilever or for $250, the SAS stylus on a Sapphire cantilever.
This will give you, essentially a 'Brand New' Shure V15/III which is much improved over the original because of the radical profile of the SAS diamond and the more sophisticated cantilever.

Which one is better....? 🤔

DENON DL-103R
A 'Wall of Sound' that would make Phil Spector blanch...

SHURE V15/III/SAS 

SHURE V15/III/SAS

DENON DL-103R
Listen at the 0.49 second mark for the 'ice pop' in the Scotch 🥃 
noromance's avatar
noromance
10,026 posts
 
Heard the ice plop! What scotch are you drinking?
Wife said Shure sounds nicer playing on the phone, in bed.
frogman
7,488 posts
 
Macallan 25? The Palladian of single malt Scotch. Bold, a little rounded, slightly sweet with a very long finish (that pesky overhang) and $$$$$.  Would recognize that sound anywhere 😄😄😄😄😄.
halcro's avatar
halcro OP
2,664 posts
 
Hahaha....😀
Can't compete with rich musicians and their predilections for only 'The Best'.
I'm a 'Working Class' blended Scotch man....
In this case, Dimple is a fine drop 🤪🥃
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