Is going from a Ortofon Candenza Black to a Ortofon Winfield a lateral move?
Well, I am a bit confused now, about the original Peer Windfeld's stylus... to say the least. I'm going back with this purchase well past 10 years, and unfortunately have not bothered to keep a documented spec. Looking at the presently posted specs by Ortofon I notice the item is now called 'MC Windfeld' (not 'Peer Windfeld') - to distinguish it from the 'Windfeld Ti', no doubt. And sure, to behold, it quotes (now?) a replicant 100 stylus, no question! For all I can recall, a 'Replicant' stylus was not even known back in ~ 2008! I'm open to be corrected. Also, I recall some lengthy heavy critiques being posted about the PW then, in short - boring presentation at a very high price - (and there was no Ti for a long while to come). It all had resonated with my own listening experience. So many times during my ownership and minor system changes, i went back and re-tried this cartridge and never obtained a different result. EVER! I finally had it send back to be tested by the dealer and found 'working ok' on his different set-up, using a Lynn LP12 etc. Maybe the stylus/spec WAS changed during some time back?!? 🤔 As I said, only to my knowing, this replicant 100 stylus came about only with the event of the A95 cartridge, and well after the creation of the early/original and brand new, the only top Ortofon cartridge, PW. The packaging alone something really way out, over the top - off the wall. I say. I'm open to corretion as I said - am I really getting that old?!? 🤔 Baffled. Michélle 🇿🇦 |
Hi, the Replicant 100 stylus has a longer history than you think. I'm not sure, but I believe it was introduced with the MC 3000 mk2, back in the early 90's. It's a rather complex profile not unlike the Gyger FG1 (and vdHul S1) and usually reserved for their top models, like A90, A95, MC Anna and yes, both Windfeld models. The Cadenza has a Shibata profile stylus on boron cantilever (the Cadenza Bronze has a Replicant 100 on an aluminum cantilever), which will certainly give a different presentation. The Windfeld has Aururum coils (gold plated 8N copper), while the Cadenza Black coil material is not specified (the Bronze does have Aucurum, but based on 6N copper). Within the Cadenza series the main specs (output voltage and internal impedance) of the Black are closest to the Windfeld. So where does that leave you? Some folks seem to believe that the color scheme used with standard production series like Cadenza give some clues to the voicing within the basic design parameters. The colour Bronze suggests a voicing tailored towards a somewhat darker, warmer sound. Black seems to aim at a more neutral presentation. I haven't heard either, so I cannot comment if that's correct. But based on my experience with other Ortofon models, the best sound is reserved for the 'heritage' models, to which the Windfeld belongs. So I would be surprised if it doesn't represent a clear step up compared to the Cadenza. |
Dear friends : As I stated and other gentlemans did it ( @billstevenson @edgewear ) the Windfeld came from 2008 with the Replicant 100 stylus shape: https://www.ortofon.com/mc-windfeld-p-486-n-4873 and yes as edgewear posted the MC3000MK2 ( that I own. ) was the first cartridge with the Replicant 100. Other advantage of the Windfeld over other Ortofon cartridges is that has a way high tracking abilities that permits it to pick-up more and with better quality recorded information in a good set up. Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTION, R. |
Wow, ok - now im beat, in more than one way. BTW, in Raul’s cartridge ratings I’d have given this one a kindly 60—61. He never rated that one either. Why? 🤔 I’m still baffled why my Cadenza Black sounds ’more normal’ than this super duper original Peer Windfeld ever did?!? I’d rate the CB at 63+. Some MMs I'd rate this high too, with a slight edge for timbre presentation. So did I trade in a diamond (PW), for a more middling gem-stone (CB) ? And what about similar findings like my own, posted on the web at the time? Lastly why was it needed to upgrade this PW to a PW Ti, having A90, A95, Anna, etc. ?!? 🤔 This, if it is such a top performer? It is hard to discard some year old long ongoing frustrations with such an item, I admit, as just a weird prejudice? The original PW is close to CB in weight (a little heavier I recall), same body construction, same tracking force (VTF), 'same' (±) output voltage - and as for tracking ability... I even had some issues with sibilants, some more than I've now with my CB...😏 Finally I've had listened to some better presentations of MCs in my system than my now Quintet S and Cadenza Black (Transfiguration Orpheus, and some better Lyras come to mind), yet the PW just was reticent to all tweaking and adjustments. And didn’t I try! As I had a hard time to accept this to be the case, it remained sort of ’flat’ / somehow harmonically restricted. So it’s good to know others had more luck than I had. Water under the bridge, eh. 😝 Michélle 🇿🇦 |
