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
Thank you Frogman, we really appreciate your input. Do you have your own samples of Palladian and DLR and what is your turntable ?
Hi Harold, no I do not have my own samples of either. My comments are strictly in reference to what I hear from the comparisons here. I am well aware of the limitations inherent in doing so this way, but interesting to me nonetheless. My turntable is a VPI TNT6 with Super Platter (string drive), double motor flywheel, SDS controller, ET2 (high pressure manifold) tonearm. Regards.
Your comparisons are interesting to us as well. That TT/TA combo is a great tool for evaluating these two super cartridges, I´d assume that you may try them some day soon... unless you have better already.
So yes I would be interested to hear what is the best cartridge that you have listened in your system so far ?
Best IN MY SYSTEM was probably a VDH Colibri loaned by a friend.  PITA to set up properly and, IMO, definitely tubes friendly.  I like VDH cartridges.  On my ET2, the best that I have owned is probably a tie between my Monster Sigma Genesis 2000 (ZYX) which is extremely synergistic with the ET2 and my Decca London Gold which I love but is VERY temperamental with noise issues.  
frogman
... the best that I have owned is probably a tie between my Monster Sigma Genesis 2000 ...
That's a fantastic cartridge and has long been one of my favorites. I had mine retipped at Soundsmith and they did a great job.