What is the “World’s Best Cartridge”?
I believe that a cartridge and a speaker, by far, contribute the most to SQ.
The two transducers in a system.
I bit the bulllet and bought a Lyra Atlas SL for $13K for my Woodsong Garrard 301 with Triplanar SE arm. I use a full function Atma-Sphere MP-1 preamp. My $60K front end. It is certainly, by far, the best I have owned. I read so many comments exclaiming that Lyra as among the best. I had to wait 6 months to get it. But the improvement over my excellent $3K Mayijima Shilabi was spectacular-putting it mildly.
I recently heard a demo of much more pricy system using a $25K cartridge. Seemed to be the most expensive cartridge made. Don’t recall the name.
For sure, the amount of detail was something I never heard. To hear a timpani sound like the real thing was incredible. And so much more!
This got me thinking of what could be possible with a different kind of cartridge than a moving coil. That is, a moving iron.
I have heard so much about the late Decca London Reference. A MI and a very different take from a MC. Could it be better? The World’s Best? No longer made.
However Grado has been making MI cartridges for decades. Even though they hold the patent for the MC. Recently, Grado came out with their assault on “The World’s Best”. At least their best effort. At $12K the Epoch 3. I bought one and have been using it now for about two weeks replacing my Lyra. There is no question that the Atlas SL is a fabulous cartridge. But the Epoch is even better. Overall, it’s SQ is the closest to real I have heard. To begin, putting the stylus down on the run in grove there is dead silence. As well as the groves between cuts. This silence is indicative of the purity of the music content. Everything I have read about it is true. IME, the comment of one reviewer, “The World’s Best”, may be true.
ScanTech seems to make the best carts I’ve heard, Lyra at the top of my list. I’m currently using a Lyra Skala and have nothing I want. It is not the weak point of my system. That's what I've heard and not to discount what others have observed in their systems. The weak point in my system, like for EVERY system, it the room. |
DS Audio are keen to see new designs for their Generators being produced. There is schematic information available through DS Audio to encourage third party Generators to be produced. I recently introduced a friend, who is a long time advocate of DS Audio Cart's to a Third Party Generator, and they jumped at the opportunity. The New Design Generator has made a very good impression and has superseded the OEM Model in use with a Grandmaster and DS003. |
Dear @mikelavigne : I respect your opinion but disagree with. Look, as you I have long analog experiences and specially regarding cartridges as a whole. All what surrounds the DaVa including your personal experienced opinion makes me to think for sure ( even that I did not listen to it. ) that that cartridge has to many " errors " around to take it really seriously and buy it.
Come on Mike, I can't find out any where the basic cartridge specs. Have you? could you share with all of us? In the other side and in your main forum where you normall post every one is " happy " as you are and from where is the foundation of that happiness with all those explained facts around that design and please don't tell us: " it's what we like it ". Nothing wrong with that but explain nothing serious about. You posted with some kind of irony there: "" if the tubed power supply is distorted, i love distortion like that.. "" Ironic or not it's very clear that you like that kind of distortions developed by the DaVa sample you own. My " shots " as you named are not diminish neither the designer or the cartridge, only trying to explain some facts that it stayss been facts till the manufacturer somewhere over the net gives his takes about.
I know @mijostyn and if he knew that the DaVa is something to own you can really be sure that him or even me already pull thr tiger to own it.
I already read what other owners posted in that other forum but down that forum are a lot of gentlemans that die for the 3012 tonearm no matters what and die for other audio products with no sense. Yes, several of them are really whealty but seems to me ( not you. ) that many of them only have $$$ and are followers of the in home sellers . I don't trust on the word of those gentlemans and you know that normally I trust in you and not because your $$$$ but your experience. R. |
Dear @mijostyn : " I’m sorry Mike but your Studers are a poor reference. " Well, it’s a reference till some levels depending what you want to test/compare and with what purpose. There are several problems with R2R units , one of the more significative is that in the past all audiophiles took as an audio reference the R2R to compare its quality level performance against other sources mainly analog but even digital too Yes, live MUSIC is the main reference and nothing can changes about but I can tell you that through my audio life other than live MUSIC I changed my comparison home system reference that I take as part of tests proccess. I followed @mikelavigne system and opinion for many years and he are really in focus because he almost always posted that the Studer A820.........exactly as in this thread he posted that twice. So he is sticking with that reference. Mike the following information is with all my respect to you as always and in NO single way I’m trying to dimish you or those beautiful Studer 820 but facts are just that facts.
For me and from some years now other than live MUSIC digital alternative is untouchable by any R2R tape or other analog source no matter what. I posted about at least time times in the last 10 years and the latest MoFi controversy only confirms it. That gentlemans as Mike still does not accepted that ( even that are extremely happy with the one step MoFi digital Lps and they know came from DSD master. ) is a " problem " for all them: we can’t live in the past. Everything is in movement and changing and I think we have at least try to learn about. Look, these are some specs of the Studer A820 that confirms in some ways what you posted and I said here:
- tape speed deviation: +,- 0.2% - tape slip: +,- 01% . Speed stability here is even more critical issue than in a TT because is the recorder and the information used to cut the LPs. W&F is +,- 0.03 % at 30" and 0.04% at 15" speeds. Frequency response +,- 2db ( that’s a swing of 4dbs ! ! ) at 30ips from 40hz to 22khz and at 15ips 30hz-20khz ( really limited frequency response. ) and obviously that at +,- 1db deviation FR is even worst.
All those are facts and those facts tell me that can’t be my reference against my today digital reference and I have to say that I’m an analog audiophile but mainly a MUSIC lover and I like to have almost always my foots in the ground. Audio " dreams " are not any more for me. No, I’m not against Mike ( or any one else. ) and he knows it. I appreciated him.
R. |
