Soundsmith Strain Gage Cartridge system


Has anyone compared the Soundsmith Strain Gage Cartridge system to a top-of-the-line cartridge / phono stage combo in the same system (including the same arm and linestage)?
exlibris
It is special. Peter does himself a disservice showing it the way he does. His strength is the pre-amp/phono and cartridge... he should get out of the amp/speaker department. Not that his other products aren't good, but IMO they are not up to the level of the Strain Gauge combo!

If he were to show with a speaker and amp company like ___________ (fill in the blank with your favorite manufacturer) he would literally blow people away. His strengths are that good!!!

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Hi Citizens, just got back from three days of listening to the Strain Gauge on several different table/arm/plinth/stylus combinations. In case anyone is unaware, there are five different styli available and you can change them in seconds.
I have heard Peter's sound at three shows, David and Nate are quite right, the SG sounds promising at best in his demos. The first time I heard it at RMAF in 2006, I was sure there was something special in the mix but the rest of the rig and room were doing their best to mask it.
I can assure you there is something special happening when the Strain Gauge is played in a smartly assembled system. The SG is much like a top level race car. if not properly set up, it will only be able to run in the middle of the field. However, when you hit the sweet spot, there MAY be only a VERY few cartridges that can keep the SG within sight. The rest will be lapped several times before the race is over. Don't let me scare anyone away because they think they may not be able to do a proper setup. The standard line contact stylus will be within most people's setup ability and sounds wonderful. The conical stylus will be relatively forgiving and should be on anyone's want list if you listen to mid 60s and older LPs. The top option optimized line contact stylus will take, no demand, a more dedicated and involved listener. It will require VTA be adjusted with every change in record thickness. It is that demanding but WILL reward you with the most accurate measurements of what is chiseled into the vinyl, no question. Another way to tell that you have the setup nailed, the groove noise is, by far, the quietest I have ever heard. As someone sitting next to me said, "erie".

BOO!
Hi Steve Johnny and I installed the optimized line contact stylus in my system and it offered the same improvement as we heard in Maryland. We tried 200g to the thinnest vinyl out there. We tried old and new, clean and dirty. The VTA did not have to be readjusted for every thickness. In every case the groove noise was much quieter than the regular line contact stylus.

Overall, the optimized stylys is no more finicky then the standard one.
I posted this on the other strain gauge thread. I had strain gauge cartridges long ago, including the Win and the Panasonic. I saw them as quite good, but not reaching the realism of my Decca Londons. There are many benefits in the various grades of the Soundsmith phono/linestages, but it does take a commitment to this idea that I am not willing to make.

I heard nothing in the SoundSmith room that pushed me further toward a strain gauge. I might be more tempted were I to not have better electronics already.