Hear my Cartridges....đ¶
Following Dover's suggestion, I moved the Palladian to the Copperhead Tonearm but not before recording its performance in the SAEC WE-8000/ST. PALLADIAN ON SAEC WE-8000/ST TONEARM PALLADIAN ON CONTINUUM AUDIO LABS COPPERHEAD TONEARM |
@halcro Wow - that was quick. You wouldnât know these were the same cartridge if you hadnât labelled them. This is why I have 4 decent tonearms. Iâm very interested in what you think yourself as well as @frogman . For me on this particular piece of music the SAEC/Palladian initial impression is quick and fluid, very light/tight on overall orchestral balance. With the Copperhead/Palladian initially the sound was so different - gutsy, big - it sounded a little messy. But once I adjusted to the balance for me the Copperhead/Palladian ( on my earbuds ) was just as quick but has a lot more resolution. The leading edge of the notes, decay and space around each instrument is far more resolved on the Continuum combo. I notice that bass notes on the Continuum combo have tremendous impact and start and stop on a dime, laying bare the acoustical space. On the SAEC there is speed in the upper end of the lower register, but it misses the leading edge and doesnât really stop, just fades away. doesnât seem to go as deep as on the Continuum. There is a "grey wash" across the spectrum with the SAEC, this is not there with the Copperhead. Initially I thought the SAEC was more coherent overall, but I think this is partially an illusion from the lightweight balance. Again as I adjusted to the vastly different presentation of the Copperhead this impression disappeared, the Copperhead was quick, fast and coherent. For me the Palladian would stay on the Copperhead. Itâs an easy decision. Thanks so much Halcro for going the extra mile it really demonstrated the importance of tonearm/cartridge matching. Copernicus returns ! |
What a great sounding lp! One of my favorites. Wonderful performances. Excellent comments by Dover. I agree completely with his assessments and descriptions; and, frankly, donât have much to add except perhaps to describe some of what is heard somewhat differently. The Copperhead is a better arm for the Palladian and it is obvious. The SAEC/Palladian combo has too much high frequency energy putting the tonal center of gravity too high in the overall spectrum. This results in what I think is what Dover describes as âlightnessâ. The âgrey washâ is not so much the presence or addition of something, but the absence of something...realistic tonal color as with the Copperhead. Interestingly, and consistently, I described that very effect as âbleachedâ tonal colors in the previous Palladian/SPU/FR shootout. Instrumental timbres, particularly with upper strings and woodwinds, are more natural and realistic with the Copperhead. **** The leading edge of the notes, decay and space around each instrument is far more resolved on the Continuum combo. I notice that bass notes on the Continuum combo have tremendous impact and start and stop on a dime, laying bare the acoustical space. On the SAEC there is speed in the upper end of the lower register, but it misses the leading edge and doesnât really stop, just fades away. **** Great comments. They go to what are, for me, the most important trait of this combo; itâs musical transparency. The Copperhead/Palladian combo makes clear the musical phrasing of the musicians while the SAEC glosses them over by comparison. The wonderful rallentandos (slowing of tempo) donât seem to have as much musical meaning with the SAEC. Very interesting comparison. Thanks. |
