Trans Temp W, Magic Diamond cartridges - comments

I have to assume(a guess)that the only diff. between the V and the W are the number of coil windings.I and a friend,both,bought the V together.We chose it over the W due to our experience in low vs high output.Low,usually a bit more revealing.In any case,High Fi News and Record Review has chosen this as their top performer,in moving coils.I purchased long after this,BTW.Also,I have to emphasize,again,that best performance is obtained with the body tilted BACK.Viewed from the side(if you have good eyes)the stylus tip should be vertical to the record,in play.Obviously,listening and adjusting,on the fly,will give best results.I spent too much time not really believing this,and wasted alot of listening.

I will not go on,as many have, of their own purchases,about it's superiority over the competition,however, it is an incredible performer.VERY low level detail/dynamics/true timbre of instruments,etc.

As a matter of fact,as I have heard quite a few of the elite cartridges in friends' systems,there really is a fantastic quantity of ABSOLUTE TOP performers out there now.I'll just bet that if there ever was a real cartridge SHOOT OUT,like the old days(of TAS,long gone,sadly),there really would NOT be a clear winner.So many are really GREAT!!

As a point of interest,hopefully,to some of you fellow hobbyists,The latest issue of Hi FI Plus has a fantastic interview with Mr van den Hul.,as well as a review of his latest designs.This interview,in particular,BLEW me away.There is a service to all customers that allows one to indicate what arm,table and general equipment we use,as well as our musical tastes.He then designs each cartridge,through the use of differing materials(platinum/silver/gold/copper coils,as well as body materials and cantilever length)to hand match out with,both the hobbyist's taste as well as arm and table.WOW!!I love this guy.Also,he is the ONLY person that touches your cartridge.No other employees.You can then send the cartridge back,after 200 hrs,for a tune up.No additional charge(though they are not cheap)for any of this hand design.I'm not affiliated,here,and don't own one,but if I were buying new,I'd really seriously consider a COLIBRI/custom.I don't care how good my Tranny is!

He blew me away,by stating that if one owns a large collection of original DECCA's (I DO),he can actually voice the cartridge for these.MAN O MAN!!I have to declare him the Viceroy of Vinyl!!Good luck everyone,and have a great weekend.

Hi speedy,

I know all about vdH's customizing service, and I think it's great (he reconfigured my Frog Gold for my arm and phono preamp.) But I think that the Transfig Temper is simply a better design (and build) than the vdH's. Just the diamond on a Transfig is a thing to behold (compared to a vdH stylus)

I'm having trouble understanding why you would want to get the stylus vertical in the groove (when viewed from the side as you say) when all cutter heads are raked. (An average of 1-2 degrees from vertical.) To get the stylus to "lock" into the groove undulations, and thus extract the most information, wouldn't you want it raked at the same angle as the cutter head was? It seems to me, especially with these new micro-ridge styli, that one would want the stylus rake angle to approximate the rake angle of the cutter head as closely as possible, no?

Hi Nsgarch: +++++ " But I think that the Transfig Temper is simply a better design (and build) than the vdH's. " ++++

I wonder: who in the world can say that. Btw, why the Transfig is " simply a better design than the vdH's " ?

If the quality music/sound reproduction is a proof of the design, then you have to hear a Colibri ( low output ) with the right analog rig in your home system after the Colibri returns for the tune up. Before this I think that your risky statement about has no validity at all.

I think that when we are talking of these high performance level all the cartridge designs are great ones and the main differences are in the designer music/sound reproduction priorities, the voicing of the cartridge and the execution of the design.
I can tell you which cartridge is better than other, but ( till now ) I can't tell you which is a better design and why it is. Can you?

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Raul, do you know the design of the transfiguration generator and how it is different from the typical yoke generator?

Dear Nsgarch: I own two Transfiguration: Spirit and the W.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.