Glanz moving magnet cartridges

"Just when I think I'm out, they drag me back in".

Axel has revamped an Acutex 420 STR and sent it to me. When put on an Audio Technica MG-10 magnesium headshell on my AC3300 LB, it is simply a great cartridge. I recommend anyone who already owns this cartridge to consider sending it to Axel for changes.

A worthy contender

As always...

Dgob, how should we instruct Axel to change the Acutex 420?

Dear Dgob, Are you mad at MM thread? To my knowledge the
stylus and the cantilever by Acutex 420 are pretty good
so I assume that one or the other was broken? Or deed you
order by Axel the 'exotic' beryllium or boron cantilever and
Gyger 2 stylus? Otherwise I dont't understand what Axel could improve on.

Regards,

Hi Acman3,

Just ask him to make the adjustments that he made to my (Desmond Bailey) 420. I can see that this involves a new stylus and cantilever but am not certain what else it involves. I know that the last revamp had his most exotic and expensive stylus but I was not fully satisfied with this. Unlike that shibata tip this one is elliptical (I know this denies logic) and the performance is much warmer (more midrange detail) while maintaining the tracking and staging abilities of the original. I hope this helps and let me know if I can be of any assistance or how it goes for you.

As always...

Hi Nandric,

On my sanity, I'm not fully certain and see no way of answering that: a mad man rarely thinks he is thus (rather like turkeys being asked to vote for Thanksgiving).

But the changes do have a major impact on the cartridge. The main change is in the midrange and seeing as that was the only area in which I was unhappy with the original, it seems a major change to me. As I said, it has amazing staging and tracking abilities and this means that the resolution in large scale orchestral works (I cite Mahler's 8th - Solti, Decca as a litmus test here. Just compare its rendition of the colour and detail, say on Side 1, to renditions of the same by other top cartridges) is phenomenal.

I'd therefore still suggest that it's worth a try if you already own the 420 STR and, like myself and a few other present or former owners, are not fully satisfied with its performance.

As always...