Can’t have too much Stravinsky. Fantastic composer with a VERY personal musical language.
A strong hint of the differences between the cartridges can be heard even before the music starts. The tonal character and apparent speed of the record’s surface noise is obviously different with each cartridge. With the Palladian it is sharper, more incisive and faster. With the Grace it sounds a little thicker; rounder and covered with less high frequency content and not as incisive. The differences are subtle, but they are there.
The effect on the music is the same. With the Grace there is less high frequency detail so the timbre of different instruments is homogenized. One hears less of each instrument’s distinctive timbre; less natural tonal color. Partly as a result of this the timbre of instruments seem to have more body with the Grace, but it is mostly the absence of high frequency detail that highlights the midrange and lows. Compared to the Palladian the Grace sounds a little too thick through the lower midrange and bass ranges.
With the Palladian not only does the flute in the openimg sound slightly more appropriately metallic, but the player’s phrasing sounds a little more energetic. When the cellos and basses enter with the repeated downbeats at 0:25, with the Grace those downbeats sound thicker and borderline muddy by comparison to the Palladian. Likewise, in the wonderful waltz at 2:08 the bass clarinet downbeats sound too warm and thick with less pitch definition than with the Palladian. Overall, with the Grace there is a subtle sense of the music being played just slightly slower and less energetically. There is also less sense of air and hf extension.
All very subtle differences, but the Palladian simply sounds closer to the sound of the real thing; particularly in the areas of timbre realism.
The Grace sounds great, but the Palladian is pretty special to my ears.
Thanks, Halcro.
A strong hint of the differences between the cartridges can be heard even before the music starts. The tonal character and apparent speed of the record’s surface noise is obviously different with each cartridge. With the Palladian it is sharper, more incisive and faster. With the Grace it sounds a little thicker; rounder and covered with less high frequency content and not as incisive. The differences are subtle, but they are there.
The effect on the music is the same. With the Grace there is less high frequency detail so the timbre of different instruments is homogenized. One hears less of each instrument’s distinctive timbre; less natural tonal color. Partly as a result of this the timbre of instruments seem to have more body with the Grace, but it is mostly the absence of high frequency detail that highlights the midrange and lows. Compared to the Palladian the Grace sounds a little too thick through the lower midrange and bass ranges.
With the Palladian not only does the flute in the openimg sound slightly more appropriately metallic, but the player’s phrasing sounds a little more energetic. When the cellos and basses enter with the repeated downbeats at 0:25, with the Grace those downbeats sound thicker and borderline muddy by comparison to the Palladian. Likewise, in the wonderful waltz at 2:08 the bass clarinet downbeats sound too warm and thick with less pitch definition than with the Palladian. Overall, with the Grace there is a subtle sense of the music being played just slightly slower and less energetically. There is also less sense of air and hf extension.
All very subtle differences, but the Palladian simply sounds closer to the sound of the real thing; particularly in the areas of timbre realism.
The Grace sounds great, but the Palladian is pretty special to my ears.
Thanks, Halcro.