What is the “World’s Best Cartridge”?

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.

@bpoletti  : Sorry.

R.

@rauliruegas , thank you for saying that first. If I have to use a standard to AB against it will be a 24/192 digital file. Nothing at this date is more accurate than a 24/192 file in a home system. Why not DSD? None of the modern four channel digital processors I know of operate in DSD, always PCM. The digital program I use to play files converts DSD to PCM for playback and storage.

No analog tape machine can compete for accuracy with a 24/192 file. This says nothing about perceived sound quality. I intentionally juggle the frequency response curve to suit my own taste, intentionally inaccurate. 

What Mike's Studers are, are very cool machines, mechanical artwork. They are antiques and have no place in a modern system. They are now much more cost effective better performing ways to have the highest quality sources.  

Today I had the experience of using the Platinum Signature played through a current mode phono stage without RIAA correction, digitized, pops removed and RIAA correction applied digitally. I would call the results majestic.  With this cartridge the current mode is noticeably better than the voltage mode. I can switch back and forth. The current mode is slightly cleaner with sharper transients which increase detail. Higher volumes are even more comfortable. The two places the improvement is most noticeable is with pianos and bass definition. Very happy with the results. Now I have to learn how to "render" files. The system records them flat like raw photography files. If you want to play the files from and store them in a normal library they have to be "rendered" by adding RIAA correction, adjusting gain and using other added features like pop and tic removal. 

@mijostyn can you list some current mode phono stages?