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MC-MM-MI CARTRIDGES . DO YOU KNOW WHICH HAS BETTER QUALITY PERFORMANCE? REALLY?
Dear friends:The main subject of this thread is start a dialogue to find out the way we almost all think or be sure about the thread question : " true " answer.
Many years ago I started the long Agon MM thread where several audiophiles/Agoners and from other audio net forums participated to confirm or to discover the MM/MI/IM/MF/HOMC world and many of us, me including, was and still are" surprised for what we found out in that " new " cartridge world that as today is dominated by the LOMC cartridges.
Through that long thread I posted several times the superiority of the MM/types of cartridges over the LOMC ones even that I owned top LOMC cartridge samples to compare with and I remember very clearly that I posted that the MM and the like cartridges had lower distortion levels and better frequency range quality performance than the LOMC cartridges.
In those times j.carr ( Lyra designer ) was very active in Agon and in that thread I remember that he was truly emphatic posting that my MM conclusion was not true due that things on distortion cartridge levels in reality is the other way around: LOMC has lower distortion levels.
Well, he is not only a LOMC cartridge designer but an expert audiophile/MUSIC lover with a long long and diverse first hand experiences listening cartridges in top TT, top tonearms and top phono stages and listening not only LOMC cartridges but almost any kind of cartridges in his and other top room/systems.
I never touched again that subject in that thread and years or months latter the MM thread I started again to listening LOMC cartridges where my room/system overall was up-graded/dated to way superior quality performance levels than in the past and I posted somewhere that j.carr was just rigth: LOMC design were and are superior to the other MM type cartridges been vintage or today models.
I'm a MUSIC lover and I'm not " married " with any kind of audio items or audio technologies I'm married just with MUSIC and what can gives me the maximum enjoyment of that ( every kind ) MUSIC, even I'm not married with any of my opinions/ideas/specific way of thinking. Yes, I try hard to stay " always " UNBIASED other than MUSIC.
So, till today I followed listening to almost every kind of cartridges ( including field coil design. ) with almost every kind of tonearms and TTs and in the last 2 years my room/system quality performance levels were and is improved by several " stages " that permits me better MUSIC audio items judgements and different enjoyment levels in my system and other audio systems. Yes, I still usemy test audio items full comparison proccess using almost the same LP tracks every time and as always my true sound reference is Live MUSIC not other sound system reproduction.
I know that the main thread subject is way complicated and complex to achieve an unanimous conclusions due that exist a lot of inherent differences/advantages/unadvantages in cartridges even coming from the same manufacturer.
We all know that when we talk of a cartridge we are in reality talking of its cantilever buil material, stylus shape, tonearm used/TT, compliance, phono stage and the like and my " desire " is that we could concentrate in the cartridges as an " isolated " audio item and that any of our opinions when be posible stay in the premise: " everything the same ".
My take here is to learn from all of you and that all of us try to learn in between each to other and not who is the winner but at the " end " every one of us will be a winner.
So, your posts are all truly appreciated and is a thread where any one can participates even if today is not any more his analog alternative or is a newcomer or heavily experienced gentleman. Be my guest and thank's in advance.
Regards and ENJOY THE MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.
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- 275 posts total
Dear @dogberry :Everything what I posted in this thread is not " one man best " and let me explain about. Historically when I post about electronics or cartridges that someone else brought to my place to listen his or their audio items normally the listening sessions are for the guests ( 2-3 of them , very rare that came only one ) and what this means?: I never gave/give to them my opinion on what I'm experimenting with those " new " items in my system. Conclusions do not come from mebut from them where sometimes coicide with my take and in other times not exactly as that.Aniway at the end of the sessions always discuss about and if necesary I repeat the listen experience where are to many doubts. My opinion NEVER is one man opinion ( at least in the late times. ) and I want to let clear.
In the other side and a bout current vs voltage mode @lewm posted: " Nor would Raul... " certainly I can't do it because I don't know each phono stage circuit boards design but as general voltage design is the way to go and I don't want to repeat what other very high knowledge technical gentlemans already posted in 2-3 other threads. but the inconsistency of current drive wasposted here by mijos when he posted that the Lyra works really good and the MC Diamond runs better in voltage mode and that's only an example. Now, the CH is toptop phono stage design and wasnot me but other two gentlemans whom said what I posted that I agree with.
R.
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@lewm The Transconductance Phon' , I am referring to is the Paradise. I have heard this in various build guises, from an individual's DIY attempt. DIY Built with a renowned UK EE who builds these as the mentor and also the Bespoke Four Box Version produced by the renowned UK EE. I have never heard this as a sole listener, and always heard it as an attendee to a group get together, where the Resident System is costing approx' £200K. I have heard this Phon' debated by Directors of Audio Production Companies, Individuals who have commission designed Phon's for Audio Businesses, as well as a Proprietors of Audio Retail Business, where Phon's are handled up to multi £0000's. Across the entirety of the attendees most will agree, for the cost to produce this Phon', and the level of performance that can be eked from it between Basic Build and Bespoke Build. Ownership of one is a no brainer, as as £10K - £20K more will be required to get close to a version of a presentation that competes. My Tonearm Designers own Design SS Phon', only made available to the Broader Audio Community about a year ago has been compared to the above Phon'. Interesting outcomes have followed, as a few owners of the above Phon' have superseded this with the new available Phon'. Even more interesting one customer has superseded their very expensive commercial Phon', with this new available Phon'. I am very familiar with my Tonearm Designers Phon' and it is the one that I believe will be the SS Phon' that I will have around me for when I stop using Valves. |
- 275 posts total