Would Like To Hear From Strain Gauge Owners


I would like to hear from owners of Strain Gauge cartridges (particularly Soundsmith owners)as to how you like the strain gauge system compared to previous cartridges you have owned. Is there any drawbacks to the Soundsmith Strain Gauge system?

I am located in the Cincinnati, Ohio area. Is there any Soundsmith Strain Gauge owners in the Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana area?

I read the review of the Strain Gauge system on Audiogon by Vac man. It was a very good review and answered many questions for me. I would like to hear from others who also own strain gauge cartridges.

Thanks in advance for any info that you can give me.
slowhand
Slowhand, if you haven't seen the Positive Feedback report of Rocky Mountain Audio Fest, you may wish to check it out:Positive Feedback - the exhibitors are listed in alphabetical order, so the entry is about half way down the page.

Also, at Audio Fest, Michael Fremer in his seminars was recommending visitors hear the Soundsmith room. I know he's a controversial reviewer, but personally I have always found his observations on equipment useful.
Raul's first defense is to try make himself the victim.

Raul's second defense is denial.

That's why I have to repeat and repeat: I'm not a competitor, the SG can't compete with MC/MM cartridges: can you understand it after " repetitive " 15 posts?.


I think anyone reading this thread can see how truly self-serving and arrogant many of Raul's actions on Audiogon are. And he doesn't even have the courage to identify himself properly. He CANNOT get away with that on any other audio forum but here on Audiogon because the moderators of those forums would force him to register and identify himself as a manufacturer or leave.

Raul, stick to the threads where people love the kool aid you are serving.
Vetterone,
Please let us know where we can read what really happened in your listening room. I, for one, am now quite interested. Having kept up with this post over the last few days, my thoughts about the SG have gone back and forth. I've never heard one, but now, I would really like to. I see validity to both Raul and Peter's points. The debate about how much the SG is off the RIAA curve seems to be in dispute and the range of the measurement (20-20khz or 50-12khz)is not consistent. Perhaps it really should be settled by listening to the device.
Peterayer, No, I don't think the debate is about the RIAA curve. It's an old, tired argument that Raul brings up at every opportunity. Raul has seems to have an obsession with flat frequency response. Anything that does not have ruler flat response is fatally flawed in his mind. While flat response is certainly a good thing, it is only one of many characteristics that make for good sound. Focusing exclusively one measure is misleading and is sure to result in poor sound. Peter made this point very well, "Amplitude flatness can easily be done at the sacrifice of other MORE IMPORTANT parameters". Raul consistently ignores this concept and just launches into the flat response argument again and again...

Back to the topic of this thread, I have heard the SG on a number of occasions and have been able to compare it to a variety of other high end carts. The SG is one of the finest cartridges I have heard.
Dear vetterone: +++++ " Your ignorance on the subject is so played " +++++

that's why I want to learn about and that's why I made an still do a research on the subject and share my findings and opinion, What's wrong with that? why are so angry? it is because you buy the SG with out knowing about?.
I think that I have the right to do it in the same manner that you have the right to post any thing you want.

Steve I can don't agree with you on some subject but I respect your right to say it, could you make the same for me?

Vetterone, read again what Sounsmith states in their web-site: +++++ " The Strain Gauge is a "displacement" device......which automatically compansates for the RIAA EQ, " ++++++

I don't know you but IMHO this is not true ( far from there ) and this has a name: deceit.
Every time that I go in deep in the research on the subject I find more things that are " wrong ": why do you push me to follow an in deep research on the SG?

Here what an open mnd person like Peterayer posted:

+++++ " . I see validity to both Raul and Peter's points. The debate about how much the SG is off the RIAA curve seems to be in dispute and the range of the measurement (20-20khz or 50-12khz)is not consistent. " +++++, this is all about, simple.

Steve, not only blame me, please let me know why and where I'm wrong: do you think that the SG device conforms in a precise way according to the RIAA standard eq? if you did/do please let us know how is that and why?

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.