Hear my Cartridges....🎶


Many Forums have a 'Show your Turntables' Thread or 'Show your Cartridges' Thread but that's just 'eye-candy'.... These days, it's possible to see and HEAR your turntables/arms and cartridges via YouTube videos.
Peter Breuninger does it on his AV Showrooms Site and Michael Fremer does it with high-res digital files made from his analogue front ends.
Now Fremer claims that the 'sound' on his high-res digital files captures the complex, ephemeral nuances and differences that he hears directly from the analogue equipment in his room.
That may well be....when he plays it through the rest of his high-end setup 😎
But when I play his files through my humble iMac speakers or even worse.....my iPad speakers.....they sound no more convincing than the YouTube videos produced by Breuninger.
Of course YouTube videos struggle to capture 'soundstage' (side to side and front to back) and obviously can't reproduce the effects of the lowest octaves out of subwoofers.....but.....they can sometimes give a reasonably accurate IMPRESSION of the overall sound of a system.

With that in mind.....see if any of you can distinguish the differences between some of my vintage (and modern) cartridges.
VICTOR X1
This cartridge is the pinnacle of the Victor MM designs and has a Shibata stylus on a beryllium cantilever. Almost impossible to find these days with its original Victor stylus assembly but if you are lucky enough to do so.....be prepared to pay over US$1000.....🤪
VICTOR 4MD-X1
This cartridge is down the ladder from the X1 but still has a Shibata stylus (don't know if the cantilever is beryllium?)
This cartridge was designed for 4-Channel reproduction and so has a wide frequency response 10Hz-60KHz.
Easier to find than the X1 but a lot cheaper (I got this one for US$130).
AUDIO TECHNICA AT ML180 OCC
Top of the line MM cartridge from Audio Technica with Microline Stylus on Gold-Plated Boron Tube cantilever.
Expensive if you can find one....think US$1000.

I will be interested if people can hear any differences in these three vintage MM cartridges....
Then I might post some vintage MMs against vintage and MODERN LOMC cartridges.....🤗
128x128halcro
I just noticed that the two cartridges are each playing in different arms.  Obviously doesn’t change what I heard, but.......
Fascinating Frogman........
You're obviously a musician and your insights are eye-openers for me 👁
I really appreciate your time in giving me this kind of 'feedback' 👍

I'm looking forward to your thoughts on the other cartridges yet to come....

Yes...there are sometimes reasons I have to use different arms.
And then again....you'll hear my other (belt-drive) turntable with altogether different arms entirely....😛

Regards
Henry
I just listened again Frogman.......
And I heard all the things you pointed out...🎶
I must admit that I don't really listen normally, from such an analytical perspective....but it's so obvious when you are 'briefed'....
Your descriptions are so much more insightful than the Reviewers' favourites:-
  • Attack
  • Sustain
  • Micro Dynamics
  • Macro Dynamics
Which frankly are totally meaningless to me....🧐

Thanks again...

Thank you for the very interesting thread, Henry.  Obviously, it’s not necessary, nor desirable, to always wear one’s “analytical” hat and instead just enjoy the musical ride.  Regards.  
Time to hear the belt-drive Raven AC-2.....
A classic vintage Ortofon SPU AE Gold with elliptical stylus (sorry Chakster) against the current SPU Silver Meister compared to a vintage Signet TK-7LCa MM cartridge with nude square shank Line Contact Stylus on Beryllium cantilever.

ORTOFON SPU AE GOLD
A taste of the delicious, renowned SPU legendary sound.

ORTOFON SPU SILVER MEISTER
Current production model among the many SPUs available today.

SIGNET TK-7LCa
35 year-old TOTL MM from Signet, a USA specialty off-shoot from Audio Technica.