Hear my Cartridges....๐ถ
So as to not derail Halcroโs great thread too much, please forgive a bit of self-promotion (?) in pointing out this thread started several ๐ฑ years ago. A little ๐ hyperbolic on my part, but some may find something of interest: https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/best-single-malt-scotch?highlight=Best%2Bsingle%2Bmalt%2Bscot... |
Whilst I haven't given up hope that Frogman will find the time to write his verdict on the Denon vs Shure 'Shootout'.....here are two videos which don't need any comparisons ๐คฉ Before I started this Thread.....I never did direct cartridge comparisons nor 'Shootouts' ๐ Out of the 80+ cartridges I have directly heard in my system.....it has been relatively easy for me to hear (almost) instantly which ones 'did it๐ and which 'didn't'๐ Which ones had the 'Magic'๐ and which didn't ๐ฃ That's why I'm amazed (and sometimes bewildered) by Frogman's exacting analyses and insights. Nevertheless.....I can still happily listen to any one of my 40+ 'selected' cartridges without consciously bewailing its deficiencies or comparing it to my others. And that's the main point I'm trying to make with this Thread...... There are soooo many cartridges out there that can truly perform 'Magic' (in a GOOD arm) that I don't believe anyone needs to spend the outrageous sums currently being asked for the 'Uber' High-End cartridges. I don't care if it's MM, MI, or MC.....there are hundreds of 'vintage' ones available every day for less than $1,000 that I've proven, can sound better than many current models selling for up to ten times more. And I've heard for myself....that with MM cartridges in particular, no modern ones can match the quality and 'Magic' created by the engineers working in 'The Golden Age' of analogue (70s-80s). Just pick a vintage cartridge of any type, and listen to it on various musical genres. If you really like it.....relax and enjoy. How many 'degrees' of 'goodness' does one need. As an example....here is a vintage Sony XL-88 LOMC cartridge from my collection, which is NOT amongst my top 10 favourites. However, that doesn't prevent me from enjoying it immensely ๐ค SONY XL-88 LOMC Cartridge SONY XL-88 LOMC Cartridgeย |
I love reading this thread, because you guys are so nice to each other, and the tone is so genteel.ย Keep it up. While you were talking about single malt scotch, I was reminded of my dear friend who is also an Aussie.ย Three of us, my friend Ian from Melbourne and another friend who is also a retired scientist from my area here in Washington, DC, did a road trip through the American south last fall and had a great time.ย During that trip, we sampled (ex-Australia) "Sullivans Cove", the one that was voted world's best on one or two occasions.ย Have you tasted that one, Henry? I thought it was very good but not hands down better than, say, 25-year old Macallam's. I might note here that the Copernican Theory as expounded by Henry was never about whether the tonearm was more or less important than the turntable; it was about outboard arm pods vs mounting the arm rigidly to the turntable.ย In the end, I thought we all agreed that a massive pod sitting on the same shelf with the turntable (a la Henry's set up) works about as well as a rigid link.ย Over the course of time and bluster, Henry and I moved off our original intransigent and opposing positions and found some middle ground. |
I didn't know you were a 'Lurker' Lew...?๐ It would be nice to hear your thoughts on some of the comparisons? It would also be great to hear from Dover on a more regular basis...? He seems to have as refined a 'hearing' as Frogman ๐ง Funny you should mention 'Sullivans Cove' single malt whiskey.... At the 2017 Munich HES....Dietrich Brakemeier (Dertonarm) of ACOUSTICAL SYSTEMSย kindly provided me with a Press Pass which allowed me free entry every day, but more importantly....access the day before the Show was opened to the public ๐ To thank him for this, before I left Sydney, I asked him if I could bring him anything from 'Down Under' and he requested a bottle of 'Sullivans Cove'. Never having heard of it myself, I chased around all the bottle shops, even the speciality 'Whiskey Only' stores....and not one of them had a bottle. So I Emailed the makers in Tasmania who informed me that 99% of all their production was exported and if I wanted a bottle, it would take two weeks and cost $650.....๐ฑ I took Dietrich a nice bottle of Aussie red wine instead ๐ค So the answer to your question Lew...is 'no'....I haven't tasted 'Sullivans Cove' and don't expect to.....๐คฏ |
