Who Is An Expert On Acutex Cartridges?

Regards maxson:

Compliance for the LPM 320STR is given at 42 x 10-6 cm./dyne at 100 Hz. Suggested tracking from 0.8 to (IIRC) 1.7 VTF. You might take the lower figure with "a grain of salt", maybe several. Considering the eff. mass of your tonearms, you might want to experiment with downforce. 

Hidden somewhere on the TTNeedles site is a complete brochure describing the LPM 3xx carts. There is a 25 page Acutex thread at Lenco Heaven, the Infinity Black Widow (4gm eff. mass for the original Al. arm tube, 3gm for the later carbon fiber arm) is frequently mentioned as complimenting these cartridges. Using a Technics EPA 250 wand (12gm eff. mass) mistracking with the LPM 320 is controlled at 1.5gm VTF.

More information is offered at Adelcom.net, links to both:

https://www.adelcom.net/AcutexCart1.htm

https://www.lencoheaven.net/forum/index.php?topic=6675.0

Peace,

FWIW, I used 1.6g for my LPM320 mounted in the headshell adapter, in my DV505. I didn’t experiment much with VTF because it sounded so good at 1.6. Some other setting might even be better. I’m also using 1.6 with the LPM mounted in the Saturn V.

After reading some of the Lenco Heaven thread, I was thinking about the lightest tonearm I have. So I installed the LPM320 in the RS Labs arm on JVC TT-81 in custom plinth with VTF at 1.6g. Now that it's burned in, it presents a wide soundstage and engaging level of nuance and detail. I have noticed some emphasis on string/plectrum contact, that seems to be a signature of MMs/MIs vs. MCs. Maybe I just have a MC bias that it doesn't belong there.

I own an RS labs RSA1 tonearm, but I have never used it with such a high compliance cartridge. I have no idea of its effective mass. Just from the looks of the construction I would imagine the effective mass is fairly high or certainly medium or higher. Do you have any data? And of course if the combination sounds good, it is good. That is my philosophy. As to the bit about string detail, I don’t know how you would define too much detail. I am not afraid to admit that I prefer a well set up LPM 320 or a B &OMMC1 to most of my low output moving coil cartridges, with the possible exception of the Ortofon MC 2000.

I have no specs on the effective mass of the RS Labs arm. but the arm tube seems less massive than the SME3012R, for instance, at 12g (plus headshell, of course).

As for the emphasis on plectrum strokes, it's just something I notice more on MMs or MIs than on MCs. More a matter of preference than too much or too little.