What's the frequency response of vinyl?

Eldartford, which phono stage are you using that is flat out to 100 kHz? Mine is Lloyd Walker's Reference Second Edition Plus. I've seen frequency response measurements of the Shure V-15VMR (most recently by John Elison at Vinyl Asylum). They measure very flat, but roll off prematurely starting around 16 kHz, due to the high coil inductance resulting in an aggressive low pass filter.

Typical moving coils show a rise above 15 kHz, with peaking around 30-40 kHz. Again, this behavior can be calculated based on the low pass filter due to coil inductance and R and C load parameters. [Hagermann has a website that allows you to see curves with plug in values.] Yes, this shows up as ringing on square waves. But MCs do not roll off highs before 20 kHz like the Shure.

Tafka_steve...I am not sure I completely understood the article, but I think that they cut 61KHz at half speed, which, if played back at full speed would represent 122KHz. That's a lot different from having an actual playback capability of 122 KHz.

Eldartford, the article does not refer to playback capability, only the encoding capability of the Ricker's cutting system and the master lacquer. As I mention in my post of 1/30, I do not know if that signal can be transferred through all the pressing steps to a vinyl record, and I don't know of many cartridges that are rated out to 100 kHz.

In case I did not make it clear, the Shure cartridges are NOT limited by their mechanical parameters. The line contact stylus, extremely low tip mass, and high compliance should permit outstanding high frequency MECHANICAL behavior. The problem is that you never see that at the phono stage, because the Shure cartridges are ELECTRICALLY LIMITED in high frequency response by their huge coil inductance. Duh, some design. It is no wonder that you measure a vinyl rolloff before 20 kHz.

Tafka_steve...Whatever you think about the sonic characteristics of Shure cartridges (and other stuff) Shure does an outstanding job of testing and specification. I believe Shure specs. For the V15mr They say "esentially flat from 10 to 25KHz". The graph shows a dip of about -0.2 dB near 16KHz, and then a rise to about +0.2 dB at 20KHz (where the graph ends). The low end is completely flat to 10 Hz.

However, the RIAA curve is only defined from 20 to 20KHz, so phono preamp frequency response can really be talked about only in this range. Outside that range, say up to 100 KHz, a phono preamp can use whatever equalization is necessary for flat response. I said that 100KHz is a walk in the park for electronics. If that were not the case there would be no radios, much less radar or GPS.

My phono preamp is ancient: a PS Audio II. However it is a very simple circuit built with some very good components, and I have never felt the need to replace it. There are but two gain stages with a passive RIAA equalization network in between them. Open loop bandwidth (-3dB) is 120KHz. From 30 to 20KHz it's spec'd at 0.1 dB. There is a rumble filter that brings the response down -0.25 dB at 20 Hz. A "small" amount of negative feedback is applied "for stability and lowered distortion". With feedback the bandwidth is 1.7 MHz, but there is an RFI filter which brings this down to 550 KHz.

I really think that there are more important things than extended frequency response in a phono cartridge and/or preamp. I did like the sound of the MC cartridges which I used, but they didn't track like the Shure, and the Stylus replacement issue was an ongoing headache.