What is the “World’s Best Cartridge”?

I remember that when I posted that a difference  in digital recording for the better was that bass range can be recorded stereo due that digital has no limitation as analog that always needs the bass range mono  and you posted that even that it could be that way normally digital comes in mono too due that the cost goes to high and in the other side engeeners are a little lazy to do it in the rigth way.

I missed this earlier.

@rauliruegas Emphasis added. This is a common myth. Tape is analog and does not need any mono bass. The reason it can show up on LP is to save time but you don't need to do that if you simply spend time with the project and look into ways to prevent out-of-phase bass from knocking the stylus out of the groove.

There's a number of ways to do that: rest set the groove depth to be deeper, perhaps cut the passage or project about 1dB lower- that doesn't sound like much but 3dB doubles the amount of modulation in the groove so 1dB less modulation can have an enormous effect!.

FWIW where this is really a problem if you are in a hurry to master the LP is below 80Hz- in most rooms its of no consequence. At that frequency the bass note is 14 feet long, and it takes several iterations of the bass note for the ear to know what the bass note is- by that time, the bass in most rooms is entirely ambient so mono bass is inaudible. Subwoofers take advantage of this fact all the time. At any rate the processor that does the mono bass is a passive device. Our processor (which we found we never used) would mono the bass only for a few milliseconds.

So when you are commenting about these things, its best to be informed- keep this in mind with future posts.

 

Forgive me for being late to the party but such a topic is too enticing to ignore!

It’s very interesting reading about new components & people’s experiences with them. Field coil pickups especially - so many ways down our rabbit hole.

I would just like to add that I’m a fan of velocity generators over displacement types as RIAA decoding is as important to my vinyl collection as anything else.

The Grail from Van den Hul is also a widely recognized transimpedance phono stage that should be mentioned. I’m a big fan of these types of phono stages when properly used.

The Koetsu Vermilion uses different coil internals compared to their other models. With roughly 1/2 the resistance/impedance there is more current available.

Not to question or doubt any other comments - Alnico magnet Dynavector pickups (DRT XV-1s) & transimpedance phono stages are why I treasure my records!

 

@atmasphere : Well I don’t remember exactly your words on the miono bass but I will look to my files and if I find out I will post. I think too that even has to be with the inverse RIAA eq.. Ican't remember

 

Anyway, the main issue is that LP comes with mono bass and today I can’t remember your exactly words on it but sooner or latter I will find out.

Normally I don’t post something/issue just at random . To much threads and posts many of us read day after day.

 

R.

Dear @mikelavigne : I was reading word by word of my posts referenced to you and in no one I posted nothing against or qquestioning you what you like it because it’s a personal opinion your opinion of what YOU like and no one can question it.

Even my first post was a " congratulations " for the two new cartridges for the OP and even that I questioned rhe DaVa cartridge and explained the why’s ( btw, a DaVa owner posted that the SS power supply is better and that opinion goes against your friend that said tubes ps is better. ) about I gave its welcome to our high end community. I’m still looking else where for its specs with no luck yet. It’s weird that even Agoners in this thread not cared about especially with a " new kid of the ... ".

I questioned the DS 45K eq. that seems a to high price added to the 15K very good cartridge design.

The controversy with the Studer is that a controversy where some are in favor and others not at all.

Then you posted:

 

" but ultimate performance does not involve digital.....in any step. "

 

That’s a radical opinion and obviously that exist other audiophiles as me that disagree with and this is a controversy too: some people in agreenment and some not at all.

 

Yes I know that you have not that kind of controversies in wbf but only " congraulations " and " thank’s " by your self. Well a different forum.

 

Even your radical statement, these are some statements posted by you all related to digital it self and in front to analog/LP:

 

""" there is an analog grainless liquidity, yet also a fine textural and timbral detail, that is ’un-digital-like’. it’s really quiet, yet the ambience in recordings that possess it is vinyl like. redbook files are really fine.

 

 

and has an overall top to bottom balance and completeness that i value highly.

 

 

Trio Arnold doing a 96/24 Beethoven TrIo (Op.9) on Quboz:

musically this really touches me and is alive, harmonically and timbrally rich, and so sonorous. it’s light on it’s feet, and yet powerful and propulsive, and just the right tension. it radiates energy. intimate and immersive.

 

 

i am stunned at how digital in my room sounds, how great redbook files i’ve heard for 30 years have now come alive.

 

 

Wadax Reference dac and Reference server my experience is ’like’ vinyl. i get no sense that i’m not listening to good vinyl. i can listen all day to the Wadax without any listening fatigue, and melt into the musical experience.

 

 

A/B directly with good pressings where there is a gap between the 2. the vinyl is still more compelling and complete. """

 

I never read any where better praise to the CD/red book that what you stated here and I have the last 10 years or more posting the same about ( with out premium equipment as yours but a truly humble one. ) and like in this thread telling why digital is today reference and loss-less signal information media that means " complete ". All analog sources are and lost signal information and this means are " incomplete ". Yes, objective point of view.

 

But even you already used the complete word for digital in one of your posted statements.

 

This kind of controversies are the ones that helps all of us to improve to learn for the better and the best way for each one of us growing up always. So, thank’s to you for that, it does not matters what.

 

R.

Btw, we can read: " like vinyl ", l" like vinyl ", " like...., etc, etc. and digital certainly it's not as vinyl but way different media that tells us that digital always and today is not " like vinyl " but it's " LIKE DIGITAL " and some of us like it. It can't be other way  !.

 

R.