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Highest detail cartridges

Which cartridges give the greatest amount of detail? Imaging, soundstage file detail. These are qualities to consider. I know Lyra cartridges are high on that list. What others equal or better Lyras. Is there anything below, say $1500, that is in that same category?  Detail with reasonably flat frequency response.
bpoletti
nandric's avatar
nandric
4,086 posts
 

Welcome back JCarr. Our fear was that you left us.

We need a kind of ''super authority'' in this conundrum about

the question ''why do carts sound different?''  Considering the

fact that technical issues are the same or similar the ''only''

other possibility is ''the art of the designer''. He must or should

voice or ''tune'' his own carts and this imply a.a. musicality.

So those names like Ikeda, Takeda, Lukatschek, Van den Hul,

Allaerts and J.Carr are not coincidental . However by ''explanation''

we are used to think in technical terms so  there are conjectures

about stylus shape, cantilever material, moving mass, etc., etc.

So we move from the conundrum to ''parts- wholes'' distinction

with as many ''explanations'' as are the participants in the

discussion.


ninetynine's avatar
ninetynine
135 posts
 
Less moving mass for me is a good argument. No cartridge from me plays fast transients so clean as the Soundsmith MIMC.
How it sounds? Clean and neutral. No more to say :-)
PS: Hi Nikola :-)
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
Mr.Carr is right, but the topic is about "Highest detail cartridges" and i think there is a strong relation between frequency range, stylus profile, cantilever materials (and the whole design). But no one, i believe, can call a rolled-off cartridge a "Highest detail cartridges", right?

It is not necessary that a person will like "Highest detail cartridges" more that some amazing cartridges like big and heavy low compliance the FR-7fz for example.

I have all of them and i can compare them, the MM cartridges i have mentioned are the "Highest detail cartridges" for sure ! I do not speak about cartridges that i have never tried @bpoletti The list of vintage MM cartridges is the list of the "Highest detail cartridges" for your topic.

@jcarr Denon DL-1000 has an effective tip mass 0.077 mg, but Technics top of the line MM cartridge (EPC 100c mk4) has an effective tip mass of about 0.056 mg (the world lowest tip mass?) and if it’s not the one of the "Highest detail cartridges" you can kill me.

I like the Victor MC-1 for another reason, it's just getting me closer to the music. I was very impressed by this Direct Couple desing, look at the pictures of its structure http://audio-heritage.jp/VICTOR/etc/mc-1.html The coil is just above the cantilever and very close to the stylus tip. This is unique design. That was the inspiration for designers of brand new Audio-Technica ART-1000 https://youtu.be/PaoA4ZuGlOw






downunder
1,329 posts
 
I have owned the Technics EPC-1000C mk4 for quite a few years.  Its very very good and ultra detailed with a ruler flat frequency response.  Easily the most detailed and best sounding MM I have ever heard.  

  the Lyra Atlas is top dog in detail retrieval imo coupled with dynamics, a clarity and purity that is unmatched imo.  expensive thou :-)

  The Denon DL-S1 is another very detailed cart as long as you have the phono stage gain to drive it.
nandric's avatar
nandric
4,086 posts
 

Hi downunder, I can confirm your opinion about Denon DL-S1.

This cart is designed for the earlier produced , excelent AU-S1

SUT. No need for an expensive phono-pre and, in my opinion,

as a combo an giant killer. Anyway ''unbeatable'' for the price.

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