MC cartridges new vs. old

Unequivocal unqualified statements asserting that something is "always" true are "always" wrong. Including the preceding sentence, although not often :-)

Regards,
-- Al

I'm not so sure about new always being better. I have a Benz Glider that I've had Peter of Soundsmith retip with a ruby cantilever a few times and it sounds better than anything I've listen to in its price range today.

I also picked up an older Adcom XC/LT with a broken cantilever, "I owned one back in the 80's", and again had Peter do his magic. I'm saving it as a back up, or a second arm. Anyway, I have listen to two side of an album with it, and it also sounds fantastic. I don't think anything under $700 could beat it and maybe more. It has the same wonderful qualities as the Glider but with a bit more punch and midrange presence. The Glider sounds a little more refined.

Certainly there are great cartridges out there today and some real nice budget cartridges. One caveat is that I can not afford real expensive cartridges, so all bets are of for one that cost 1500 or more. Magnets have come a ways in this regards and have allow for lower coil wiring and higher signal.....but again they are very expensive and most likely worth it, too.

Hi Frogman,
I am interested in one question about the time you have the Spectral and the EAR 834P,... Do you remember the arm you have in the turntable?

I have the Wilson Benesch ACT 0.5, a 9 gr mass arm... and I am not sure about compliance of cartrige is right.

I am happy with you words about Spectral because I have, in fact interest in it, but I am not sure is right decisión to waste more money in an "special" used cartridge than in a new good cartridge.... it could be a nonsense but I have something similar a "good feeling" with these "old" cartridge...

Anyway,... is a pleasure read all of you.

Thank you again

Just reading this thread. Frogman, does an EAR 834P provide adequate gain for the Spectral MCR? I rather thought the EAR was an MM-only phono stage with which you would use a SUT, to boost gain of an LOMC cartridge. If so, of course SUT plays a big role in sonics. But maybe Spectral has sufficient output to avoid SUT.

Geropaa, the arm was an Eminent Technology ET2 air-bearing straight-line
tracking tonearm which, if anything, tends to exibit a character to the lush
side of neutral compared to the pivoting arms that I have used. I did not try
the Spectral with a pivoting arm during the time I had it and can't opine on
its compatibility with the Benesch arm.

Lewm, there are two versions of the 834P: with and without switchable MC
capability (built-in SUT's). One of the criticisms of the 834P has sometimes
been that it has too much gain (46db/MM, 70db/MC if memory serves, but I
am certain I am within 1 db or so) and one of the reasons that I am able to
get such great results using a passive pre with either MM's with + 3 mv or
MC's with + .5 mv output going into a pair of Manley tube mono's. With the
additional gain of an active preamp, in my setup, MC's with .2 mv output
have not been a problem. Given the fact that Geropaa has been using a
Delos, I assume he is talking about the MC switchable version of the 834P
and with an active pre.

BTW, imo, the EAR is inherently better sounding in MM mode and one of
the reasons that I have been using vintage MM's over the last few years.
Of course, one has to consider the potential superiority of any given MC for
possibly better overall results.