2. analog
  3. 140043-486

Hear my Cartridges....šŸŽ¶

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 šŸ˜Ž
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.....šŸ¤Ŗ
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.....šŸ¤—
128x128halcro
halcro's avatar
halcro OP
2,664 posts
 
Interesting comments Frogman......
My apologies for leaving the glass doors open for the Azden so that the AC unit could be heard. I closed them for the Palladian šŸ™ƒ

Interesting comments on the record quality because I have some friends who insist on hearing this track every time they come over....šŸ¤”
This may be an ideal time to hear what the DLR can do with the same track......?
Princi has made his decision...šŸ¤—

LONDON DECCA REFERENCE MI CartridgeĀ 
noromance's avatar
noromance
9,709 posts
 
The vinyl does sound damaged especially on the right channel. Decca sounds the most live and immediate with good depth although it really picks up that surface noise. MC almost sounds like there's dirt on the stylus. Azden is in between.
frogman
7,409 posts
 
1:45 ā€œreachā€, ā€œbrokenā€
2:07 ā€œpriceā€
2:30 ā€œGrandeā€
2:47 ā€œflowsā€
2:49 ā€œlikeā€

All spots where there is obvious distortion (break up). Ā In between those spots it often sounds as if on the verge of break up. Ā From 2:50-3:42 it is worse with the very worst spot atĀ 3:42 on ā€œborder lineā€. Ā  Itā€™s not subtle at all and I must say that this level of distortion makes the differences between the cartridges pretty irrelevant for me.

Surprisingly, the highest level and frequency of distortion is heard with the Palladian. Ā I agree with noromanceā€™s descriptions of the sound of the cartridges and the differences between the Palladian and the Decca observed in their previous comparison apply. Ā Some of the qualities of the Palladian favor this type of studio recording giving it a more expansive and impressive soundstage. Ā But the distortion makes those qualities seem moot. Ā 

halcro's avatar
halcro OP
2,664 posts
 
I managed to acquire an unused FIDELITY RESEARCH FR-7fzĀ LOMC cartridge from 1984.
This NOS FR-7fzĀ is the 'Holy Grail' for those who appreciate the FR-7 Series of LOMCs designed by the legendary Ikeda-san.
As Art Dudley wrote...
Way back in 1967, Ikeda-san founded Fidelity Research, a celebrated Japanese firm that left its mark on the world of phonography with its FR-64 series of tonearms and FR-1 and MC-202 cartridges. (One could say that Isamu Ikeda has left another, more personal mark, inasmuch as many of Japan's well-known cartridge builders have served him as apprentices.)Ā 
After the earlier FR-7 and FR-7f, the final version FR-7fz came with an advanced nudeĀ LINE-CONTACTĀ diamond pressure-fitted to an aluminium cantileverĀ and cost an incredible 120,000 Yen in 1984.

The Acoustic Systems PALLADIAN LOMC cartridge was designed byĀ DietrichĀ Brakemeier as a 'tribute' toĀ the FR-7fz and it will be interesting to hear what progress has been made in MC cartridge design in the last 35 years....šŸ§

FIDELITY RESEARCH FR-7fz

AS PALLADIANĀ 

FIDELITY RESEARCH FR-7fz
(Sorry for overloading the mic in places)

AS PALLADIAN
(Sorry for overloading the mic in places)

dover
2,229 posts
 
After the earlier FR-7 and FR-7f, the final version FR-7fz came with an advanced nude LINE-CONTACT diamond pressure-fitted to an aluminium cantilever and cost an incredible 120,000 Yen in 1984.
The FR7fz was only 80,000 yen in 84. By comparison my Dynavector Karat Nova 13D was 150,000 yen in 83 as was the Sony XL88D, both of which have been auditioned on my TT. The Karat Nova 13D remains my reference. The most expensive FR7 was the "f/c" at 100,000 yen.
http://20cheaddatebase.web.fc2.com/needie/NDFR/FR-7fz.html

I think the Palladian is a mismatch with the SAEC WE8000 - it is at the top end on the recommended tracking weight and cartridge weight, too much energy for knife edge bearings. Would be interesting to hear the Palladian in the same arm as the FR7fz, ie on the Ā FR66. Ā There appears to be mistracking on the 1st album with the WE8000/Palladian combo.
More to discover