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OL silver vs. Clearaudio Unify

Has anyone compared the sound of these arms on a Teres TT with a Shelter cart? (265 and 501mkII). I would appreciate any direct comparisons. . . I am leaning toward the Unify though I have heard many are happy with the OL Silver. . .

Thanks,
joeljoel
joeljoel
dougdeacon
3,338 posts
 
John,

Thanks for the kind references. I don't have your broad personal experience with arms and cartridges, but I certainly believe you that very few combos can track those silly cannons. I imagine even fewer can do so and also display a high degree of musicality on real music (of which that particular record contains exactly zero.)

My limited personal experience, however, has discovered at least one combo that can do both. My Shelter 901 on a Twl-modded OL Silver blasts through the cannons with no undue excitement or gymnastics, yet plays music that will break your heart. I'm only guessing that a 501mkII on the same arm might perform similarly, perhaps with slightly less bass response and top end detail.

I totally agree that the HFN record is of marginal utility for setting up good combos, but I think it's pretty good at showing up bad ones. If a combo does especially poorly on fairly simple test tracks, I'd worry about how it might handle the far more complex problems presented by real records.
dougdeacon
3,338 posts
 
Joel,
Nothing lame about aesthetics. We both fell for the Teres 265 and I'm certainly not ashamed of that! A Moerch DP6 or Basis Vector might answer all our concerns, but not at a price you or I could stomach.

I agree the OL arms look pretty humble, even humbler with Twl's goofy-lookin' HIFI Mod stickin' outta the sides. (Just kidding Tom, I post referrals every week.)

Here's how to get around the look: cue up a good record and watch your friends faces. Trust me, they won't care or even notice what anything looks like. The normal response is closer to that of the great Art Dudley, "Holy mother of crap!"
johnnantais
621 posts
 
Doug (?),

You certainly have a point with respect to exposing bad matches. I have, actually, a collection of test records which were issued over the years, including a couple of Shures. The music on most of these is quite good! But though I should know better, I usually just stick whatever new cartridge I have onto an arm and "suck it and see," as the Brits say. Call me curious George, an inveterate tinkerer.

I can see that there's a lot of experience with the Shelter/OL tonearm, and it seems like the best bet for Joel. But a liking for aesthetics enhances one's enjoyment of a particular piece, pride of ownership and all that, and I'd hate to see Joel give up on it without giving it a chance...is there a mismatch in terms of mass/compliance?

The Shelter cartridges actually sound quite interesting: I'm always attracted to controversy, which why I bought my first Rega arm in the '80s. It seems to me that controversy is a sure sign of something good. Which is why I own a Decca as well. Perhaps I should buy a Shelter for the collection. If I do, I can thank Joel for introducing the idea.

Good luck to everyone in their search for audio nirvana and good old-fashioned fun, let's not forget...
dougdeacon
3,338 posts
 
Johnnantais,

Totally agree on the value of aesthetics. If I had the funds I'd probably get a Basis Vector. That arm certainly satisfies in aesthetics/BQ and seems to have suitable engineering to handle a Shelter or most any cartridge.

Even if the mass/compliance of a Shelter/Unify is perfect, it will never have the higher lateral inertia of an OL Illustrious, Encounter or modded Silver. In my system, high lateral inertia in the arm is essential to attain the deep, controlled bass and extraordinary dynamics that a Shelter 901 is capable of. Silver users with the 501mkII report similar results. YMMV in the end of course.
johnnantais
621 posts
 
Doug,

Hmmmm...This Shelter sounds more and more like my Decca: I'll but a Shelter if you buy a Decca! Just kidding, anyway, as I wrote, whatever the rewards, the Decca is a bitch, but some would say that's half the fun!...no pain, no gain...I'll probably buy a Shelter anyway, though I have a list...Cheers.
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