@halcro I've just joined your nightmarish scenario. A cartridge with irreplacable cantilever, irreplacable stylus and irreplacable sound! I completely share your sentiments and I'm glad I followed your lead!
@jcarr & @dover,
I promised to be a good audiogon citizen and report on the Takai Lab Final MC, equipped with the Sony one piece diamond cantilever/stylus. So here goes:
It has been playing records these past two days in a way that is leaving an indelible impression on my ears and soul, while knowing that each record played moves it closer to its inevitable 'end of cycle'. So I'm going to use it sparingly on non casual listening sessions with the best sounding records I have in house.
This will be really hard to do, as EVERY record sounds special with this device. Its sonic character can be described as warm and wide open at the same time, that most difficult of ying/yang balancing acts. Also special is the way it handles dynamic crescendo's, which blow up like a balloon in all directions and always with the feeling that it can get bigger yet. Which sure enough it does when the music calls for it.
But the most extraordinary characteristic is the way it folows the musical argument and handles the inner voices, meaning all sorts of musical lines normally buried in the mix that are clear as day and easy to follow. One of my favorite pieces of music is Luciano Berio's Folk Songs, performed by Cathy Berberian and the Juilliard Ensemble conducted by the composer (on RCA UK pressing). The instruments jump up on you like 'African rabbits' (to quote Arthur Salvatore's phrase to describe scary real dynamic jumps of even the friendliest of instruments). It's these kinds of little epiphanies that glue you to the listening seat. Not using this cartridge constantly in an attempt to extend its lifespan will require restraint which will probably be good for character, but also a mild form of torture. But Halcro gave all the warning signals......
It's impossible to say if all of this can be attributed to the one piece diamond cantilever/stylus, but I know for a fact that none of my other cartridges can make this same kind of impression. Edge of the seat stuff indeed!
PS: my sincere apologies for this interruption. Now the other folks can continue to go on off topic again about MM, MI, SG and all manner of subjects that have nothing whatsoever to do with diamond cantilevers.😱
@jcarr & @dover,
I promised to be a good audiogon citizen and report on the Takai Lab Final MC, equipped with the Sony one piece diamond cantilever/stylus. So here goes:
It has been playing records these past two days in a way that is leaving an indelible impression on my ears and soul, while knowing that each record played moves it closer to its inevitable 'end of cycle'. So I'm going to use it sparingly on non casual listening sessions with the best sounding records I have in house.
This will be really hard to do, as EVERY record sounds special with this device. Its sonic character can be described as warm and wide open at the same time, that most difficult of ying/yang balancing acts. Also special is the way it handles dynamic crescendo's, which blow up like a balloon in all directions and always with the feeling that it can get bigger yet. Which sure enough it does when the music calls for it.
But the most extraordinary characteristic is the way it folows the musical argument and handles the inner voices, meaning all sorts of musical lines normally buried in the mix that are clear as day and easy to follow. One of my favorite pieces of music is Luciano Berio's Folk Songs, performed by Cathy Berberian and the Juilliard Ensemble conducted by the composer (on RCA UK pressing). The instruments jump up on you like 'African rabbits' (to quote Arthur Salvatore's phrase to describe scary real dynamic jumps of even the friendliest of instruments). It's these kinds of little epiphanies that glue you to the listening seat. Not using this cartridge constantly in an attempt to extend its lifespan will require restraint which will probably be good for character, but also a mild form of torture. But Halcro gave all the warning signals......
It's impossible to say if all of this can be attributed to the one piece diamond cantilever/stylus, but I know for a fact that none of my other cartridges can make this same kind of impression. Edge of the seat stuff indeed!
PS: my sincere apologies for this interruption. Now the other folks can continue to go on off topic again about MM, MI, SG and all manner of subjects that have nothing whatsoever to do with diamond cantilevers.😱