Synergy

Dear @mulveling :  "  I think it’s a side effect of suboptimal setup or system balance. We don’t deserve to torture ourselves just because a new component "should" be better! "

Other than cartridge/tonearm rigth set up the system balance it coverts in something as synergy that as mijos said is only that one link is covering/hiden other system link " errors ".

My take by first hand experiences tells me that if I introduce a true better new system link in the system we have we should be perfectly aware on it. This " perfectly aware " could be have its precense in different ways: could be that the system quality level performance was improved through what we listen in our sessions but could happens too that some or several of our LPs suddenly started to sound not very good because the new system link can shows us that those LPs that we though were very good recordings are not really good recordings for different reasons ( recording mistakes, not good recording mastering and the like ) but at the same time the LPs that sounded very good now sound excellent.

Yes, the new link altered the system balance and now " unfortunatelly " we are aware aof those LPs not very good ( as in the past ) kind of sound. In the other side a true better system link can shows hiden system " errors " and this new link function as a tool to make a system check-up..

Like it or not ( your " torture " ) a new true better system link that we just changed  is for us a system " discovery "/recordings in many ways.

Each one of us try to have a system balance that goes with our MUSIC/sound priorities. Try to look for a live MUSIC performance could be a really good target even by you that are " oriented "/accustom to what you like. Today after all those 5 years with Koetsu you are looking to change that " but like all Koetsus it leans very heavily to warm and full-bodied side of the spectrum  "..

I owned several Koetsu cartridges and the first one that really made " honor " to MUSIC reproduction was when appeared the Platinum one and my KRSP performs way different to the other pre-Platinum cartridges where that " heavely to warm " goes way lower but as my system gone and goes improving that " warm " just almost disappeared and I have a long listening session at my place with the Blue Lace.

Comparing your experiences with my experiences tells me that not necessary that that " warm " came mainly by the Koetsu but inside and around your system.

Now, I love the Colibri and when runs good  runs in an exceptional way and yes a little better than Koetsu and with excellent midrange. Remember that the midrange mainly depends of how good the system handled the bass range, it's here where we can or not have an excellent mid-range. Now, Koetsu and the Colibri are different performers and no till today does not exist the perfect cartridge in an universal sense because the objectivity need it for always losted against each one of us taste/subjectivity. That's why I said that could be a good target that our room/system have an approach of the live MUSIC balance and cartridges by it self just can't do it. Maybe some of us have to change ( we normally just don't want it . Nothing wrong with that. ) our MUSIC " approach " and if we don't do it will be really dificult to live in totally satisfaction with our room/system enjoying it as never before.

Yes, it is really hard to make a " radical " changes about but we have to try if we feel we need it to improve our MUSIC reproduction enjoyment.

R.

@rvpiano  It is these experiences like the one being shared between ourselves, that creates advocates for certain methods to have a musical encounter.

Buy New - have the Manufacturer receive the Cart at a later date, or have a Third Party Service receive the Cart' at a later date, it is not such a big deal, but it is to some and not to others. We are both in the 'not to others camp'. 

It does seem there is not the same stipulation when it comes to having a Cart' cleaned or evaluated for a Styli replacement or a damage, it seems a Third Party Service is an acceptable method for this.

I only want the Cart' to be used as a  tool to replay Albums, and it has proven to work exceptionally well or this role. 

@lewm As I have made known on this forum in the past, I gave up being insular, "man locked away in room with HiFi System" many many years past.

It has been this change of participation, from a lone enthusiast to a enthusiast, that has been participant in Social Activities / Group Activities in relation to my long term interest in Audio that has been the game changer.

Learning through experiences had is the only way I could discover a complete new direction for setting up my Audio experiences in my home. Not a Sales Ad, Media Review, or Forum Chit Chat, is a substitute for a ’sat in front off’ experience.

Add to the experiences had, the ones that others involved in social gatherings are willing to introduce you to, and things move on tenfold.

Do keep in mind my reference to my rebuilt Cart’ and comparisons is not new and was a revisit over the course of a few years, in conjunction with assessing a progression of a design for a Tonearm.

I do have upcoming experiences to share about TA Designs being evaluated through comparisons and Cart’ rebuilds on donor models to be used by myself and as a result of being invited to be demo’d ones that some friends have donors on standby for rebuild designs that are in the pipeline. I am assisting with purchasing one such donor model for a friend at this moment in time.

Then again I could have been uncommunicative, stayed at home, and educated myself by reading a few reviews and analysing the math about the latest whatever and let such alternate experiences pass me by.

@mulveling The Hana Umami Blue is now on my radar to have a demo’ of along with the Verismo. I have been kindly offered a demi’ of the Verismo by a Gon Member in the UK, who also has an Ortofon Anna and A95. This is an invite I wish to revisit during 2024.

Ortofon through a subsidiary, are Market Leaders in Damper Technology, there is a huge resource for R&D into this area, as they are producing small parts for the medical industry. The Verismo has a Damper material that has been produced through this new market activity.

In my view, there might be a time when Ortofon become far advanced to their competitors when it comes to Damping Materials selection / options because this in house resource and ongoing R&D.

@mulveling 

I was looking at the Van den Hul. They have a very high compliance which I think may have been your problem. I have the Hyperion MR coming which is replacing the Platinum Signature which was very nice , but a bit too polite for me. I'm about to sell the Atlas, another long unfortunate story. So, I was looking at Van den Hul, the MSL Ultra Eminent EX, the Kuzma Car 50 and the EMT Novel Gold. I'm leaning towards the Ultra Eminent EX as it's 0.6 ohm impedance makes it a great match for my current mode phono stage and the build quality of MSL cartridges is excellent. The preamp I have coming has a high output phono stage in it designed by Dynavector. I will collect a few high output cartridges. The Soundsmith Voice will be one of them, the Nagaoka MP500 another and the third is open for argument. I am not sure about the Verismo for you. If it is anything like the MC Diamond it will be a great classical cartridge with loads of detail and a fine image but a bit shy in bass and slam. I'm keeping the Diamond because it does string quartets better than any cartridge I have ever owned. 

@pindac 

As I told Mulveling above the Verismo is likely to be a wonderful classical cartridge, but if you listen to rock and/or jazz you might not like it. Ortofon's build quality is second to none. The most powerful well balanced cartridge I have had in my system was the Soundsmith Voice. I am about to hear the new Soundsmith Hyperion MR and will certainly report back. I am not so sure about rebuilds other than Soundsmith that rebuilds it's own cartridges and others for a very decent price. 

@lewm 

Looks whose talking! Experimenting is how you learn. 

Ummm… that was sincerely meant as a compliment to Pindac, Mijo, assuming you’re referring to my most recent post.