Jan Allaerts Cartridge Experience?


I've heard some good things about the Jan Allerts MC1B and MC1B Mk II cartridges . These seem pretty rare and there seems to be limited fedback on them.

Do any of you have direct experience? If so how do they compare to other top cartridges, e.g., Zyx, Lyra, Dynavector, Koetsu, Clearaudio?

Thanks for the feedback.
aoliviero
I have some information to share with all of the folks interested in these cartridges.

I have been trying to assess the method that Jan allaerts uses to specify his output voltage. I contacted him and he told me that he uses the following convention:

5cm/S , 1 KHz

Hope this helps some.

Andrew
I do wish that someone with extensive knowledge of the top Allaerts models could/would add some "extensive" thoughts,and insight into,what appear to be some extraordinary designs.When I look at the Allaerts website,and see the amount of manufacturing detail that goes into these little gems I can only imagine how fascinating the top models must sound.

Surely,like the extensive "Koetsu Crowd",or the Van den Hul/Lyra/ZYX lovers,of which there seems to be a deserved army,there must be a group of loyal Allaerts followers!!
Don't make me buy one,and be responsible for what could be a "forced" review. -:)

Where are you guys???

Best! ------ But,only if I get some feedback! -:)
Huh, I think, at this kind of level there are a few really good cartridges out there. My listening experience is a few years ago, it was a System comparison from Record turntables with Cartridges, but after that TT's all was sent through the same Phono Stage and the Rest of the System. It was their most expensive cartridge at that time and I was not sure to buy a second Miyabi or to go for the Allaerts. To make a long story short, I did like it very much but I went to order a Miyabi and I have to say, this Allaerts was really good. But at that time the list of really top cartridges was not so numerous like today. And it was at that time really expensive. Today we have Zyx Airy, UNIverse, more Transfigurations, more Miyabi etc.
I think, here it is much more important what Arm you have and what Phonostage to get the details out.
Thomas,you seem to be contradicting yourself in some comments.First you claim there is not that many good cartridges today.Then you state that today,there are alot of good choices.I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt,and assuming you know that today there are more great choices of components,in virtually any component category than ever before.In lieu of the fact that this is 2006,the fact that there seems to be so many really fine cartridge designs,makes that,alone,all the more amazing!!Now that digital has become the norm!

Also,the phonostage and arm,like virtually every aspect of a good set-up,is clearly important,but that does not negate the fact that there has been a wealth of "cartridge developement" in the "here and now".Last year I,and a pal did an extensive(and expensive)"small signal tube" survey,for our own phonostages.Even that aspect of performance,with the wide variety of "NOS" tubes out there,could,and has,become a long winded subject.

It's at the very "beginning",in the "groove",where everything "starts"!It's then up to all of us to screw it up from there -:)

Best!------- I guess I'm not going to get any new Allaerts insight,as those owners are probably too busy listening to music.That could say it all!!