Decca Jubilee / Dynavector XV-1s / ZYX / Allaerts

My Transfiguration Temper W seems to combine the qualities you mention for the MK III and the XX-2.

Dear Balazs: I preffer de Ikeda cartridges ( sans cantilever design ) to the Decca ones.

Now, for the only one, this is what I post about on other thread:

+++++ " The Allaerts MC2 Finish is several steps a head not only over the MC1B but a head any other cartridges that I know/heard in my own system ( all the ones you named here ) or in a friend/dealer system.
When this cartridge is right set up your audio system disappears and you have nothing but the MUSIC it self. When you put the stylus on the record and you hear the very first musical notes you know everything is settled and like Neville said: you don't need to change nothing and you don't want to change nothing, you only want to enjoy what you are hearing.
It is a great natural balance cartridge from top to bootom: do you want the best low bass?: you have it, do you want to have the best midrange?: you have it, do you want the best soundstage?: you have it, do you want the best natural musical agressive high frequencies?: you have it. All what you want: you have it. When you are hearing to the MC2 Finish you forgot about it, you forgot about your electronics or anything else: you will be deep inmerse on the full/whole music: MUSIC and nothing but the MUSIC!!!!!!!

Is there any down side with the MC2 Finish?, yes: it is a very low output cartridge and needs a lot of clean gain and an accurate RIAA eq, nothing less. You have to mate it only with the best or almost the best audio devices ( no SUTs here or bad tube designs ): if not " she " will tell you that your system ( some links ) is not up to the musical reproduction task. Here there are no " greys ": only black or white. This is a cartridge for the music experienced people and for the experienced audiophile that loves the music and take care about it and take care about the quality sound reproduction. Yes, this cartridge is in another " league ": I loved it!!!!!!!!! Who don't?

From the objective point of view this cartridge had some incredible specs:

- tracking capacity: 400 umm
- frequency range: from 3 to 100 Khz
- channel separation: 70 db at 20 Khz!!!!
- Total THD%: 0.1%!!!!!!

These cartridges were build 100% by hand by Jan Allaerts it self ( his company is " one man company " ) and it comes with a life warranty and he told me that the stylus is for at least 10,000 hours.
Allaerts is the first cartridge company, that I know, that gives exactly the load impedance that needs their cartridges ( he don't left these parameters to our ears ) and the exactly VTF too: no VTF/load impedance ranges here, this is a serious and profesional people : Jan.

If you want one MC2 Finish you can buy it and have to wait betwenn 4 to 6 months to have at home.

Highly recomended!!!!!!! " +++++

Of course there are several other very good top cartridge options: Clearaudio Titanium, Dynavector XV-1, Van denHul Colibri, Transfiguration W/V, Ikeda Rex ( works very good with the MECHANIC ), lYRA tITAN i, Miyabi 47, Sumiko Celebration, Shelter 90X, Ortofon 7500, Koetsu Rosewood Signature Platinum, Benz micro LP, etc, etc, etc

Obviously that you have to have the right tonearm to match the cartridge and most important: the right Phonopreamp not only for the gain/noise issue but more important for the RIAA eq deviation where you have to lok for accuracy.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Breezer,Very interesting.Thanks for this thread.