Removable headshells 101

Ecir38,
I have used other headshells in the MA-505s arm with great success.
At the moment the Yamamoto HS-1As is sounding particularly fine with the FR-5 MM cartridge mounted therein.
The only problems I can see with the Micro tonearm is for heavy cartridges and headshells whereby the counterweight ends up precariously close to the end of the arm-tube?
I've just purchased some additional weights from Holland to avoid this problem.

Interesting discussion. One thing for sure, do anything in an audio system and it will sound different - headshells are just another variable.

I have 3 types of Ortofon from their mid range, top of the range and wooden one as well as two cheap headshells from Belldream and Sumiko.

You put all 5 headshells onto one cartridge and the sound is different on every one. You can identify the ranking, however when you change cartridges the ranking may be completely different - why? the musical word is synergy.

I do listen to folks opinions here to see what their views are on combinations as we cannot listen to everything. If I have the same combo, it is always interesting to see if you hear the same things as they do.

An interesting comparison is between fixed and removable headshell tonearm with the same cartridge.

I own the Exclusive P3. This table comes with a straight arm wand with fixed headshell and a S arm wand with removable headshell. Without any doubt my Ortofon A90 sounds best with the straight arm,fixed headshell. Read into that as you like.

I am sure that folks ranking of cartridges and overall MM or MC preference may change if they changed amplification components in their system from SS to tubes or visa versa.

Anyway, sounds like I may need to look at an Orsonic hgeadshell again. Question - it looks as thou the only wiggle rooim on these headshells is at the front of the cartridge - Is their adjustability limited?

Dear Henry,
sure - the fixed mounting holes of the AT-LH18 aren't the smartest of ideas.
The firm circular grip of the actual headshell around the throat tube is however very good and extremely solid. And gives extremely versatile adaption to overhang.
Same solution I. Ikeda uses for his headshell and same I would use if I would fancy about designing a headshell.
It may not please you, but it does please the engineer even better than the solutions favored by Orsonic or Clearaudio - i.e. one screw tip.
So the only real drawback here is the fixed mounting hole indeed.
But the AT-LH18 is relatively inexpensive (around $55,-), comes with very good wires and tag clips and - dare I !! - one can widen the mounting holes of the cartridges body to adjust offset a bit.... ;-) .... just kidding ...
No - in fact, take the headshell - go to the next fine tooling workshop and have the fixed holes drilled open and modified to long slots - é voila !
The serious audiophile finds space for modifications in every component....;-) ....
Cheers,
D.

Dear Halcro: +++++ " The fact that we don't have the knowledge or patience to discover these is simply an admission of the depth of our lack of knowledge when it comes to audio. " +++++

yes we are ignorant ( at least I'm. ) on many audio subjects see it from the " scientific " point of view, fortunately my/our years of audio experiences help us some way or the other.
What in some audio subjects I/we don't have is for example ( Downunder's one. ): why the same cartridge in the same tonearm but with different headshells souns different. We can speculate about but I don't have a precise/real an proven answers coming from a scientific process that take in count every single parameter with influence in what we heard.

Yes, maybe is time to change this. Who say " I " ?

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.

Dear Henry, it's not just the headshells ..... the headshell wires and tag clips are - due to extreme variations in contact pressure and material - contributing or distracting a lot to/from the sonic performance.
Here the signal is the most tiny one - unamplified and unequalized yet. Contact pressure and contact material is paramount.
So - we aren't just comparing headshells - we are comparing different headshells and in most if not all cases different tag clips and different headshell wires....
Cheers,
D.