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Dyscoveries on Dyna, Denon, Supex, Technics,FR,Ik

Dear friends: Over the time and testing/trying different cartridges ( " old " and new ones ) with different tonearms to find the " best " performance on each cartridge I find some interesting subjects that I want to share with all of you:

Denon 103: this is one of my oldest cartridges that I own and I use it for a while many years ago. In the last three years every time that I mounted and hear it I can't heard it for more than half hour, that's why I always treat it like a " rubbish cartridge " in my posts about. I try it with almost every single tonearm that I own and the result was always the same.
Then, I take in count that in all the tonearms ( removable and fixed headshell ) I can't tighten to much the headshell screws because the 103 is " open " ( input to output ) all the way where the screw goes and if I try to really tighten then the screw goes out of the cartridge body ( it is dificult to me this explanation because my English problems, I hope you can understand ).
I don't like to tailored the cartridge sound through tight ( more or less pressure ) the headshell screws, I always tighten the screws at " its limits " where IMHO and experiences there are less resonances/vibrations on it with better overall performances.
So, what to do?, it happen that I have an Audio Technica AT-LH18/OCC headshell ( headshell weight: 18grs. ) that has screwed holes underneath the headshell ( these holes are 2mm in deep, don't cross/pass the headshell ) in this manner I can tight the screws at maximum with out any trouble, well this was a great solution ( along with the weight of the headshell ) because I mounted the 103 in the Dynavector 505 ( similar to 507 ) and the performance change for the better like night and day, now I can hear the 103 for more than half an hour: very good improvement, this not means that now the 103 is at the XV-1/Myabi/etc performance level: no, but now the 103 has a decent performance that for its price is very good.

Dynavector XV-1: this one is one of my favorite cartridges, I really like it. It is a cartridge that almost always perform very good in almost any tonearm. Well I never be satisfied with " very good " performance I always look for excellent/exemplary performance.
I read some posts where XV-1 owners posted that this cartridge is a very good match with the Dynavector 505/507 tonearms and this was not my own experience about, it sounds good but nothing more.
I decide to try a little hard on the subject with: VTA/VTF/load impedance/etc,/etc with out any " great " results.
Then I decide to try with different headshells ( other than the original 507/505 ones ) till I find that with a light weight headshell ( Denon 100% magnesium, 6gr. The Dyna headshells weight: around 14-15 grs. ) the performance was/is glorious for say the least: I never heard ( any where ) better XV-1 performance that in this set-up.

Fidelity Research MC 702: this is a very " old " MC cartridge design. It is an integral headshell design, bulky one ( " ugly " ? ) at 30-32 grs, low compliance 6-7 Cu, low output 0.2mv and likes VTF 2-3grs.

I own this cartridge for at least 20 years and I buy it second hand in almost new/pristine condition. After many years I set up ( last December ) in my Micro Seiki MAX 282 tonearm ( it likes tonearms like: Ikeda, Dynavector, Audiocraft, SAEC, etc, etc ) and for the very first musical note I knew that this cartridge was something very special.
After 20 hours the sound performance was/is formidable/marvelous, I don't have words to describe my " surprise ", the best I can tell is that the music flow easily through this cartridge like in almost any other ( any where ) cartridge I heard.
If you " see " it ( second hand ) and if you have the right tonearm and phonolinepreamp then buy it!!!!!

Supex SDX 2200R: Another " old " MC design with screw open body type design ( like the 103 you need the right headshell ), ruby cantilever and low output 0.2mv. Man

I make the set-up on the Lustre GST 801 tonearm and sound was terrible at the begin, I have to wait 30 hours for the suspension settle down.
This was/is a great cartridge too, IMHO it competes with cartridges like the Universe ( are very similar in quality performance ) or any other today ones. Many people look for the Supex 900 series ( that I owned ) well the Supex Ruby beats easily those ones.

Audio Technica ATML 180 OCC: One of the greatest MM cartridges ever made.
This model ( I understand ) never sale in USA, the one that was on sale was the ATML 170 and 160 ( still very good ).

Till you hear a MM cartridge with the right phonolinepreamp you can't understand how good/great are the MM cartridges. During my last trip I was in San Diego and Norm heard in his system ( I think for the first time ) a MM cartridge the Empire EDR.9: he was happily surprised, he really likes the quality sound performance of this 100.00 dls MM cartridge.

Some MM cartridges like this one not only compete with any top MC cartridge out there but in some ways beat them, yes ( IMHO ) is better that any single Koetsu I heard it, that any ZYX or Lyra.
It is incredible that a 500.00 MM cartridge could be better performer than a 6-8K MC one.
This cartridge I mated with the Technics EPA 100MK2.

Technics 205CMK4: A marvelous MM cartridge. As good the Audio Technica is this one is better!!!!
What can I say about?, almost nothing but: Magic Diamond, Allaerts, Dynavector, Transfiguration, you named: the Technics is at least at the same level in any single sound performance parameter and beat almost all those MC cartridges for neutrality/natural tone balance, like I already say: marvelous cartridge!!!!!, if you have the tonearm and right phonolinepreamp then buy it!!!!
Mine is matched with the Micro Seiki MAX 282.

Ikeda 9REX: This one is a today MC cartridge with a unique design characteristic for a MC cartridge: it does not use cantilever ( like the cutter lhate/heads on the recording ), the design is with out cantilever. It is a very low output 0.16mv, weighty: 17grs, low compliance: 6CU and like VTF 2.8grs.

It is obvious that this cartridge is not for everyone, not only need the right tonearm and the very best phonolinepreamp out there but a lot of patience to obtain the best performance.
When you achieve this " best performance " you knowed because you will be in heaven.
The sound performance of this cartridge is a " little " different for all we know: the inmediacy of the sound and transients are second to none, the pitch/texture/no overhang/tight/fast bass is second to none, the high frequencies extension and speed are second to none, etc, etc.
You can't be near the live music like with this Ikeda cartridge: this one really is truer to the recording audio device!!!
You have to be a experienced music lover who attend very often to live events to understand what you are hearing through the Ikeda cartridge, you can't compare its sound performance with the sound performance of any other cartridge: it is not only the subject if it is better or not but the subject is that is different/near the live event.
It is an infamous bad traker: it does not like any single dust in the LP or in the stylus, we have to have everything in pristine condition. It takes more than 200 hours to hear it at its best. Like I told you: we need patience and know how.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.
Ag insider logo xs@2xrauliruegas
glrickaby
19 posts
 
I followed most of the threads about the EDR9 and my experience does not quite agree. The French source
did not show up and after a month he gave me a refund.
( Two weeks later it showed up and I paid him) I
mounted it on an MMF5, Thorens 190, and other various turntables and while it sounded very good, did not blow
me away on the classical that is usually played. I have several 2000 series Empires and interestly enough the heart shaped shaft on the 2000 series fits the EDR9 exactly! I tried a red 2000 series stylus which I believe was a .2 x .7 elliptical and noticed little difference with the EDR9 stylus. (believe the Red and clear 2000 series are quite a few steps up from the basic 2000 black)
Contrary to one thread, the EDR stylus is actually a LC type sylus and not elliptical. We do not have high end phono preamps i.e. MMF phono pack and a Harmon Kardon 125 watt per channel receiver with a built in phono pre-amp but have been more impressed with other cartridges like the Goldring 1042, Sumiko BP Special, Shelter 201 (basically a Sumiko Black Pearl),Clearaudio Beta S (Basically an AT95 with a better stylus), a Stanton
881S and yes, an AT95 and various Ortofons including
the 5,10,30 etc.,Though these are all different price ranges and my hearing and set up skills are not bad, I ended up reselling the EDR9 on Audiogon or Ebay for the $80 or so that I paid for it. If one can find an Empire 2000S or 2000Z ,NOS, I believe the sound experience may
be similar to what some have experienced with EDR9,
though they are an older style. The newer Empire plastic bodies 150, 350 500 series do not compare well with the older metal body 2000 types or the EDR9,in my experience. Empires generally sound better on same generation turntables and that is why they were so popular at the time ,though not the detail and timbre of some of the current generation stuff. Yes,the EDR9 is a nice cartridge but was not impressed enough to keep it. Sorry to swim upsteam and no intention to denigrate other opinions about this unit. I'm currently running a REGA P3/2000 with a Goldring 1042 which is close to perfection for me. (Have the EasyRiser set at 2MM and not sure its right yet.) I prefer MM or high output MC though I have a lovely old NIKKO Beta 30 which will run just about any low output MC. I'm not into the high end stuff which started the original thread but certainly respect everything I've read here. .
travbrow
277 posts
 
My edr.9 didnt sound to good until I set the tracking force at 1.2 grams and spent some time adjusting the azimuth and anti-skate.It seemed more sensitive to these adjustments than some of the other cartridges I have owned.
Ag insider logo xs@2x
rauliruegas OP
13,100 posts
 
Dear Glrickaby: Like almost all cartridges its performance is system dependent specially on the tonearm. Other subject is the set-up that like Travbrow share with us the EDR.9 is very sensitive.

I never had the opportunity to hear/heard any 2000 model only the 4000 and some of the plastic bodies like: 600LAC, 750Limited and the 100GT, all of them IMHO are very good cartridges along the EDR.9.
Of course that are better cartridges or cartridges with different quality performance that match better our music sound reproduction priorities.

Other that in my own system I had the opportunity to heard the EDR.9 in other friend's system ( very good one ) mate it with VPI TT/tonearm and its performance for I what remember was very good.

Now, I agree with you about the Goldring 1042 that is very good cartridge, I owned for 4 months and I change it for the Reson Reca ( both are build for the same manufacturer ): look to have the opportunity to hear the Reson that as good the 1042 is the Reca is more refined and with better natural tonal balance, at least in my experience.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.
glrickaby
19 posts
 
As an Alternative to the EDR9, I just purchased ten (10)
NOS Empire A22ME's which will arrive in a few days. I'm
listing some for sale on Audiogon but want to compare the
differences between this unit and the EDR9. After breakin,
the A22ME has amazing detail and transparency, even at
low volumes. On a Schubert String Quartet, it even activated my subwoofer so the base is excellent. To my ears, it sounds as good or better than the EDR9, though
with some quality differences in the cartridge itself.
One is, the tapered stylus is a .2 x 7 Biradial where the EDR9 has a L.A.C. stylus. With the EDR9, it can be used for Quadrophonic whereas the A22ME cannot. The .2 x .7 stylus with Empire is always higher quality and used in the 2000Z and 2000T which were their best in the metal jacket type. The A22ME has slightly higer output at 5.0 MV and the stylus itself is the 2 prong later style that Empire used rather than the single prong with the heart shape on the EDR9. The tracking angle is 20 degrees which many manufacturers went to late in the cycle. The A22ME can track at 1.25 compared to 1.5 for the EDR9. Compliance is 20 x 10 cm/dyne, less than the EDR9 and not all that high, though I detect no tracking or inner groove problems at all. The frequency response is close on both units with the EDR9 being at 20-35,000 hz and the A22ME being at 7-33,000 hz, a slight difference.The A22E will probably work best on a light or medium tone arm such as a newer Thorens-Dual or any of the Regas. If you need a EDR9 replacement, at half the price or less, you will be pleasantly suprised by the A22ME's that are listed on Audiogon. I intend to keep a few in my vault (ha) for the future. This is not a typical Empire !
Ag insider logo xs@2x
rauliruegas OP
13,100 posts
 
Dear friends: I want to re-take one of the original thread subjects:
Supex SDX 2200R, for more than a year I don't work/play with this MC cartridge and between other things I just mounted on my Audio Technica AT-1010 with an AT MG10 headshell, well I knew is a very good cartridge but I really stay short about because it's a great one and thinking that a few months ago a gentleman from Europe ask me if I want to sale him and I was at " seconds " to say yes: fortunatelly I did not. If you see it my advise is that get it /buy it.

The other one that I want to comment again is the Fidelity Research 702, the performance of this MC cartridge is awesome/ fabulous for say the least even is hard for me to say which today cartridge could beat it, is that good. Btw, I offer it ( I own two ) to an audio friend that in that moment was buying a Koetsu Coral ( that I only heard very brief once ) and that own the right tonearm to the 702 and he friendly refuse, I know that some times is more important to go for a today cartridge than for a " old " design with out warranty, well IMHO the 702 surpass overall the Coral ( that's a good performer and that like other audio friend told me: " this is the best non Koetsu signature performer ". ) and maybe some of the ones you own/owned.
I put this example only because I want to tell you ( all of you ) that if we are looking for a better quality performance there are some very good options like these kind of second hand MC cartridges that it is interesting to try, mostly because are " inexpensive " against the today " running " cartridges, I know there is something the risk that the second hand cartridges come with a failure but over time I never found any trouble with my second hand cartridges I own, maybe I'm lucky enough.

Anyway, take the " adventure " and find one of those many old " jewels " out there that are claiming for you.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.
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