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
@bydlo Most likely. Although their effective mass is listed as the same on Jelco's site. I posted the issue as a separate post on Analog.
@bydlo Congrats on the LDR. It should sound magnificent in your 930/FR64. If it doesn't, send it back for adjustment. I don't believe you can buy direct from JW but perhaps you could specify a sonic signature from the distributor per @halcro posts above.
Congratulations on the LDR Bydlo.....
A fabulous present for the New Decade 🎉
it was not a warranty repair after only a few weeks of use?
Unfortunately it was not a product fault.....I had damaged the cartridge holder by dipping the stylus in Zerodust (after dipping it in Magic Eraser) as I do with all my cartridges...🤗
The LDR does not have a cantilever like normal cartridges and is 'held' in a 'holder' and tied in place.
The Zerodust actually 'clamps' the stylus and pulls it away as you remove it. I can see how that can damage the 'holder' and dislodge the stylus....😱
So I now only use Magic Eraser with the LDR......NO ZERODUST!!!!!

And I've been thinking about Noromance's comments on what the effect would be if the material of the 'holder' were to be varied...?
We all know what different cantilever materials can do to the sound....
Do you think that John Wright has tried different materials and listened to the results...?
Interesting 🤔

Please let us know when you receive the LDR Bydlo and have had a chance to become acquainted with it.....
I think I'm almost as excited as you....🤪
Hi guys, thanks for the encouragement :) I’ve ordered through via the only possible way - through Presence Audio and Brian Smith. I’ll specify that I want more lively rather than darker signature. I think the headshell can do something here too. I’ll start with Orsonic 101 which is the heaviest I have. BTW after reading @Halcro comments I tried bending it with my fingers. No freaking way I could deform it.
As the New Year looms....I think it's time to try our final Shootout 🤼‍♂️
I began this Thread mainly to demonstrate that MM cartridges are not necessarily inferior to MCs......
The fact that LOMCs (and MI) have taken the top spots should not condemn the hypothesis...🧐
The price differential between current LOMC cartridges and MMs is indefensible.
No cartridge is worth $10,000-$20,000 based on the sonic benefits delivered in reality.

The second aim of this Thread was to demonstrate that little progress in cartridge design technology, has occurred in the last 30 years.
This applies emphatically in MM cartridge design....but also in LOMC designs.
The vintage cartridges of both types that have been presented here, generally exceed the sonic qualities of current 'modern' designs.

Without further ado.....let's hear how close a 35 year-old MM cartridge, can come to a $10,000 current-production 'uber' LOMC...😝

VINTAGE VICTOR X-1 MM CARTRIDGE

AS PALLADIAN LOMC CARTRIDGE

VINTAGE VICTOR X-1 MM CARTRIDGE

AS PALLADIAN LOMC CARTRIDGE

Spoiler Alert: The Palladian has been training for this contest and is 'On Fire'.....🔥