Allaerts MC2 Finish

I've heard one several times for a couple of hours each time at GT Audio in the UK. I have a MC1B myself (on a Schroeder Model 2 and Platine Verdier). Certainly in the set up at GT Audio, the Finish sounded very musical - natural timbre, deep soundstage, good dynamics and tracks well. At GT Audio, it was on a Schroeder Reference, DPS TT, with Avantgarde Trio horns. The amps were GT Audio's own TRON tube brand. Graham Tricker has been making high end tube amps for years. His circuit are very quiet ie with his Meteor tube preamp, 300Bs and Trios - silence when the volume is turned to full on phono! By the way they sound great too - so much so that I will be buying one of his Meteor preamps.

Hi Topoxforddoc
Its great to hear from a fellow Schroeder Model 2 owner! Mine is on the Kuzma Stabi with a Dynavector Te Kaitora mounted on it. With the 0.2mv output, it does pose some problems for phono stages. I'm just wondering if the Herron with 66db is sufficient for it. The TK is 0.25mv and its very quiet.

One other question is compared to the MC1b, which I'm quite familar with, does the MC2F have better dynamics? While the MC1b has great detail retrieval, I felt it presented the instruments as a whole and not as individuals - very coherent, but somehow I longed for a little more in dynamics.

Lastly, is it worth to spring the extra $$$ for the MC2Finish in your opinion?

I also use the Allaerts MC2 Finish in a Schroeder arm, the Loricraft version of the Reference. It is mounted on my Garrard 501. I am impressed with its dynamics, wide sound stage, and tracking. I think it has the best channel separation of any cartridge.

The Decca, of course, is unrivaled by it dynamics and the Jubilee tracks pretty well.

Dear Cmk: One of my cartridges is this MC 2 finish gold. This is the most natural sound reproduction cartridge that I hear, it has an exellent tonal balance and the right timbre on the instruments, if you have the right phono stage then you can have a cartridge with an exellent dynamics reproduction and that do an exellent job from top to bottom.
You already have a tonearm that I think it will be a good mate for it ( but you have to ask to Jan Allaerts about it ). I use my MC 2 with and Audiocraft AC 4400 and this is a hard to beat combo.
For the phono stage you can go for the CTC,Pass or Rowland Cadence. I'm using a custom design ( my own ).
BTW, you have a nice cartridge on the Dynavector if you like it then you have to hear the XV-1 that is a truly exellent cartridge too, specially with classic music.
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Dear Cmk: If you decide to go for the MC2 you have to look a phono stage that not only can handle at natural output levels ( high gain ) with out noise, you have to look for an accurate RIAA equalization: that's it that the RIAA deviation ( 20 hz to 20 khz ) stay between +,- 0.5 db to 1.0 db, at least.
It is not admisible a bigger deviation ( yes, any one can hear minuscles deviations on the RIAA if we have the resolution on our audio system. Normally the RIAA deviations take place at both frecuency extremes where we usually want " more " not " less " ). when you are working with this kind of top high end products and when you want the best music reproduction, but if your standards are lower then you can have any phono stage.
BTW, the FM Acoustics is a good choice too.
Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.