2. analog
  3. 131591-371

So how many use MM cartridge and intend to keep it that way ?

Not in entry level set-up.
I currently have Goldring 1042, Nottingham Spacedeck/Spacearm, and might try The Cartridge Man or some vintage cartridge later.
inna
nandric's avatar
nandric
4,086 posts
 

My former comrade Don become my ''brother Don'' so since some

time now we consult each other about  new purchases. He bought

two display cases for each of us such that each cart in them has

its own headshell pre-adjusted according to the Mint tractor and

ready to be exchanged in 10 munutes time. We don't use the

expresion ''best cart'' but ''first row'' cart. My first row consits of:

Allaerts  MC 2, Magic Diamond, Benz LPmr, Urushi Blue Sky,

Ikeda 9 TT and Phoenix and the second row of the first display

case : FR-7 fz, Ikeda 9 Ciii, Miyabi standard, ZYX airy 3 and

Nakamichi 1000. (chakster my ZYX got a new cantilever/stylus

combo + new suspension by Axel for about 500 euro).

I don't know exactly how many MM carts I own but my ''darlings''

are ADC TRX 2 (beryllium) and JVC X-1, mk 2.

I own two TT's and 5 tonearms. On my Kuzma Stabi Reference

I use the Reed 3 P (12'') and Sumiko 800 (alias ''the arm'').

On my second ,Technics SL 1000 (aka SP 10,mk2 + Obsidan

plinth) I use two of my FR-64 s kinds (silver and cupper) and

Ikeda 345 .

bondmanp
1,820 posts
 
Sort of...  My phono pre is built in to my McIntosh C220 preamp, and it is MM only.  I have toyed with the idea of a Step-up Transformer, but the expense of a good one is daunting.  I run my modded Thorens TD-166MkII with 2 pickups, each on its own 'arm wand: A Denon  DL-160 (which is a High Output MC, so technically not a MM), and an Ortofon OM-30 Super.  I have an OM-40 stylus in waiting for when the OM-30 is finished.  Yes, there are differences between the Ortofon and the Denon, but they are mostly subtle.  I spin some vinyl, but I have to admit that I mostly digitize my vinyl for use on my server and in the car (an ongoing 10+ year process).  For this purpose, my vinyl rig is more than adequate.  I get many compliments on my needle drops from fellow audiophiles, so I guess I am doing something right, even with my not-so-high-end rig.
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
@nandric 

ZYX airy 3 and

Nakamichi 1000. (chakster my ZYX got a new cantilever/stylus

combo + new suspension by Axel for about 500 euro).

This is no more a ZYX, because the original ZYX cantilever/stylus combo is way different from anything else on the market if you saw them under microscope. At the same time i saw Axel's cantilever/stylus combo and compared them. I have contacted various retippers when my 4D was broken to see what they can offer. I think it's critical for ZYX cartridges and that's why they are what they are (unique in it's own class). 

chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
@inna 
Why do you not care about them?

I think i already explained in another thread not so long ago.
BTW the Cartridge Man is just reworked Grado ? I would advice to check Joseph Grado (signature model) XTZ before buyin' Cartridge Man. The XTZ was TOTL and the price in the 80s was $750. 

I am a tape man so naturally I want to come as close to the tape as possible.

Then you should check this TAS article (from the golden age of analog) if you haven't seen it before. Those guys comparing digital master tape, analogue master tape, direct-to-disc lacquer and the "live" mike feed; the report consists of a long conversation among J. Boyk, Keith Johnson, Doug Sax, and J. Tammblyn Henderson. 
 
"What cartridge, what exotic audiophile wonder of disc playback, was producing these marvels? What cartridge could have the "lowest distortion of all," "uncanny" resolution, better than master tapes? The answer is (I wish I could put a page turn here): The Stanton 881 Mk II.

The scene shifts. Kavi Alexander, auteur of the remarkable Water Lily Acoustics series of analogue vinyl discs, is monitoring disc production by comparing test pressings to the master tape. What cartridge is he using? Another moving magnet, this time the Technics EPC-100 mk4...

Audio-Technica AT-ML170 is very similar, and very close to the actual sound of the tape. In this comparison, he says, virtually no moving coil does so well; most have seriously apparent colorations."   

Personally, i prefer the AT-ML170 (i have a spare) and AT-ML180.   
 

nandric's avatar
nandric
4,086 posts
 

Dear chakster, the logic of identity relation is not easy to grasp

but the rule is that the same name refer to the same object. There

are however different names which refer to the same object but

we somehow have no problem with those. Say Vienna , Wenen,

Bec, etc. refer to the same city in Austria which Austrians name

Wien. The logical rule is then that whatever is true about Vienna

is also true about Wien, Wenen (Dutch name) and Bec (Serbian

name). So your statement ''ZYX is not ZYX'' is at least confusing.

I think that your meant ''the old ZYX is no more the new ZYX''.

The old Nandric is, alas, also no more the young one.

I ever started a thread about ''irreparable'' cartridge but nobody was

interested. My reason was my Sony XL 88 D as well the ZYX.

Their body is made from ''plastic'' which is glued together so

there is no entrance to the inside parts. The Sony was probably the

first cart which was  ''potted'' so nobody was willing to mess with

this cart. Axel try for two years and give up. But he fixed my ZYX

by cutting some parts from the body in order to get access to

the generator and suspension. If your new ZYX is even more

difficult to fix or rather impossible to fix then I am sorry for you

considering the old as well the new prices for both ZYX kinds.

Even if any of those ZYX is made and delivered from Eldorado

I would not even dream to buy one (grin).  

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