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Ortofon A90 review.... wrong choice of gear

Hi all

Just had a QUICK read of the new Feb issue of HiFi World which was sent to me by a good friend. Why I ask myself?
I was interested in what they thought about the new Ortofon A90 MC. I own one like many other folk. It's a great cartridge and without being totally biased probably the best I have heard but then it is expensive. I also own a PW Windfeld which is the next model down and fortunately the reviewer compared the 2 cartridges... should make for a great and riveting read.

I read through the review and saw that he did not feel the differences between the 2 cartridges we large. I was really surprised because in my system the differences are MASSIVE! I continued to read on..... then he says that if you are using an Icon Audio phonostage it's not bad but it sounds better with a Graham Slee.

Question.

Who on earth would spend $4000 on a cartridge and use a basic $900 phono stage? Most of the folks I know that own cartridges above $2000 use phono stages that can get the most of their cartridge. It's no wonder the reviewer could not tell the difference between the 2 cartridges. If he had used a better phono stage and system he would have had half a chance of actually hearing the qualities of the cartridges. A hifi dealer would have told the guy... ' I wouldn't recommend you use a $4000 with such mediocre gear'....

Anyways, that is the state of play in this magazine, I can't imagine the manufacturer and distributor were that happy about it.
robm1
gregm
3,413 posts
 
If he had used a better phono stage and system
I would add: "And had loaded the cartridges correctly".
I happen to agree about the phono, BTW. Not disputing the many qualities of the stage used -- but so many phonos seem to hover between mediocrity and boredom...
robm1 OP
28 posts
 
I only mentioned the phono stage because the reviewer pointed out the A90 sounded 'warmer' through the Slee.

Myles...

All I am saying is that to hear how good the A90 is, is it not worth putting it with the 'type' of equipment it will be used with? I don't know about you but I heard that the Cambridge audio 640p was a good phono stage...I heard one in my system and it sounded CRAP! Compared to what I was using at the time, the Cambridge sounded.... well crap!
Some folks think the 640p is as good as if not better than the Slee units. I have found that after the TT/ Arm/cartridge combination the phono stage is a definite next big stage. I like many here have found that they can either 'hide' the cartridges capabilities or bring them out.
Things like RIAA accuracy which the mags 'bang on about' is irrelevent, because most stages are pretty much the same when it comes to RIAA specs. Like any amplifier, it's how the cartridge signal is 'processed' that makes the difference.

I think it was wrong to play the A90 though a cheap phono stage and 'hope' to really hear what it is like. The Slee like many other cheap units don't image that well, have a very limited sound stage and don't sound as 'real' as the higher-end products. So, playing an A90 through that will give you the wrong idea.
myles_b_astor's avatar
myles_b_astor
134 posts
 
Rob-Reread my post. That is exactly what I said :)
robm1 OP
28 posts
 
Oh yeh....I need my tooth extracted and it's getting in the way of my brain!
rauliruegas
13,125 posts
 
Dear friends: I agree ( one way or the other ) with almost all your posts so I don't want to be redundant about but touch a little different approach.

As are different reviewers levels as are different audio magazines levels.

On the England audio magazines HIFi Choice and especially HIFI+ are IMHO at the top level and HiFi World at the lowest one and border line " mediocrity " ( could be that even that the magazine is a medicre medium one of its reviewer/contributor can has a top level as happen with top level magazines that some of its reviewers/contributors are mediocre ones. ).
Why any one want to read an audio magazine that is deep on mediocrity? just for fun? or it is that the ones that read it are at that level? or because there is no other one to read?

It is clear to me that no one of you are HiFi World readers your audio level is way up to hat magazine. No one of you can take seriously a kind of review like that on the A90.

The problem IMHO is not people like you but the un-experienced ones that read that they can mate the A90 with a " poor " quality performance analog rig.
A function/target of an audio magazine is to be a " stage to learn ", an audio newbie can learn through those kind of reviews?: IMHO they can't, the ones that can learn are all of us because we can learn or confirm how don't do " things ".

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.
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