$800 Cartridge Shootout and Upgrade Path

Hi to everyone,
It seems there are a few questions regarding the durability of the thread in my arms and then some regarding the perceived "fragility" in day to day use.
The thread is made out of an Aramid type material, comprised of several hundred individual fibres for a thread of 0.3mm diameter. It has a tensile strength of nearly 50pounds and is extremely resistant against abrasives and most chemicals. It doesn´t deteriorate when being subjected to normal levels of UV light. Should it break, I will replace it for free(it happened once during shipping and the only other incident involved a parrot...)
A finger lift can easily be added to the headshell mounting plate(they do vibrate, no matter what)
The arm has no armwand locking feature because it doesn´t need one normally. Once you move the armwand too far past the runout groove, it isn´t falling from the "edge of the world" ;-) ; aka the lift bank, since the counterweight will then touch the arm´s base(behind the bearing, right hand side), preventing it from moving or being moved any further. Properly adjusted, the bearing block(rotate it) will serve as a "stopper".
A locking mechanism could be added if that makes you feel safer(personally, I don`t like the looks of it...).

A great weekend to ya all,

Frank(manufacturer with no intention to solicit sales...)

Should it break, I will replace it for free(it happened once during shipping and the only other incident involved a parrot...)

I have no more problems with parrots. The two cats took of them!

Doug (Schroeder admirer with no liklihood of buying any time soon, unfortunately!)

Artar,

Glad to hear from you. I had an okay Thanksgiving. I listened to records all day long. Caught up on some magazine reading (no, not Stereophile, Artforum actually). Didn't check this thread or else I would of answered sooner.
I have been emailing with Thom Mackris from Galibier and he sent me this fascinating link concerning the value of the turntable in the whole equation of table/arm/cartridge:

link

The first half of the page has the most worthwhile info and after that it gets into much detail that may or may not be worth the extra reading. This validates one reason why I am interested in getting a new table. My Oracle is a Mk III (with the Brooks Berdan mod) and the motor in the newer ones is far superior and if you read some of the page I posted above, a superior table and speed delivery is half the game. So I do think that another table would provide me with better playback.

As for tonearms, I have decided against the Graham and am back thinking about the Schroeder again. Perhaps the Triplanar. I'll know more when I go to Colorado. Both Chris from Teres and Thom from Galibier have said that I can stop by and see and hear their tables. I'm excited and one of the things that I love about audio is how you can get such personal service from people. It's all about the love of the music. Or so it's said.

One of the things about perpetual upgrading is that it enables the audio guys to continue to design better equipment because there is that flow of capital into the market. Since we are a Capitalistic nation(and not a democratic one as we like to think) with wealth to burn to satisfy our desires, I figure that high-end audio is as valid a merry-go-round as anything else. My desire to get off now is due to the upcoming change in my economic priorities. But I do appreciate the flow that allows these guys a market for their wares.

As for the Grand Prix Audio Monaco stand, I made my choice because I needed an amp stand and I was looking at Zoethecus but saw the GPA amp stand at my local audio shop. I bought it based on research on the web. When I heard what a difference it made, I demo'ed the full rack. It didn't have quite as large an effect but my equipment did sound much better on it, more musical. Since it was already in my house and I really liked not just the sound but the looks, I impulsively bought it. I have a studio apartment and this rack has really opened up the room. Plus the length of the shelves makes cable routing much easier. The idea of having it torn back down, going back to my old rack and trying out other racks seemed too much to me. I know, trying out different things is the best methodology but other racks are rigid and I had a rigid rack and it wasn't working for me. Considering the various manufacturers that use GPA racks at shows, the word of mouth on the street and my own experience, it didn't seem a foolish decision. Though it was an expensive one since the full rack is four large. I do have to say that it is very pleasing to the eye but I would not have laid out that much money if I didn't feel that I was getting performance out of it. I'm happy and down the road I might try a competing manufacturers recently debuted dedicated turntable stand. After I make my turntable purchase of course.

Frank,

Thanks for weighing in on this thread. I appreciate your interest in making sure that we don't have any misconceptions about your product and the data you've provided has helped to keep us focused on the performance angle and not because of perceived design issues. I'm still very interested in purchasing one of your arms though I have to say that as the dollar plummets to the depths with the Euro delivering swift kicks all the way down, it might become a financial impossibility.

Chris

Chris,

I’m glad to hear of your restful Thanksgiving break. Listening to records and reading thought-provoking material is always a great pastime!

Thanks for the Rockport link. That’s some turntable! It's well above anything I will ever be able to afford, that's for sure.

Before spending the big bucks, you could always try a speed controller with your current turntable to see if it will make any difference.

I think you have your heart set on a Schroder, so you should simply get it. You most likely won’t be happy with anything else. I think it's clear that both Chris and Thom feel that the Schroder is the best match for their respective turntables. And now that we know the "string" holding up the Schroder armtube is very strong, there’s nothing to worry about, right? Just don’t leave any scissors lying around near your table when small children come to visit. Snip! Snip!

>>One of the things about perpetual upgrading is that it enables the audio guys to continue to design better equipment because there is that flow of capital into the market. <<

I will have to remember that one. Wow! My excuse for buying new gear is simply, “ I deserver it!” But who is this “I” am referring to and what is this state of deserving? That implies a really big rationalization: I am assuming that the universe does, indeed, have a moral design in which I am the perpetual recipient of good tidings, especially anything analog related. Then there’s plain ol’ “G’me! G”me! That usually works, for it reduces life to its biological-drive-state level. There’s nothing better than plain old id-cathexsis! In other words, if it feels good, do it!

With your new rack, I would anticipate blacker backgrounds, better focus, increased clarity, and better-defined transients with less sonic smearing due to equipment vibrations. Musical notes should stand out in greater relief, and there might even be better spatial relationships within the soundstage. But maybe I am going to far?

Did you say “four large” as in $4,000, or $400? It’s just an extra zero, I know, but what a zero!

And now for some news…

I bought a turntable, tonearm, cartridge, and phono stage since my last post. Any guess what I bought?

To be continued…