Trans Temp W, Magic Diamond cartridges - comments

Hi speedy,

I know all about vdH's customizing service, and I think it's great (he reconfigured my Frog Gold for my arm and phono preamp.) But I think that the Transfig Temper is simply a better design (and build) than the vdH's. Just the diamond on a Transfig is a thing to behold (compared to a vdH stylus)

I'm having trouble understanding why you would want to get the stylus vertical in the groove (when viewed from the side as you say) when all cutter heads are raked. (An average of 1-2 degrees from vertical.) To get the stylus to "lock" into the groove undulations, and thus extract the most information, wouldn't you want it raked at the same angle as the cutter head was? It seems to me, especially with these new micro-ridge styli, that one would want the stylus rake angle to approximate the rake angle of the cutter head as closely as possible, no?

Hi Nsgarch: +++++ " But I think that the Transfig Temper is simply a better design (and build) than the vdH's. " ++++

I wonder: who in the world can say that. Btw, why the Transfig is " simply a better design than the vdH's " ?

If the quality music/sound reproduction is a proof of the design, then you have to hear a Colibri ( low output ) with the right analog rig in your home system after the Colibri returns for the tune up. Before this I think that your risky statement about has no validity at all.

I think that when we are talking of these high performance level all the cartridge designs are great ones and the main differences are in the designer music/sound reproduction priorities, the voicing of the cartridge and the execution of the design.
I can tell you which cartridge is better than other, but ( till now ) I can't tell you which is a better design and why it is. Can you?

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Raul, do you know the design of the transfiguration generator and how it is different from the typical yoke generator?

Dear Nsgarch: I own two Transfiguration: Spirit and the W.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Raul, I will take your response as a "no." You can find descriptions of the Transfiguration generating system online. It is new and innovative. Based upon my understanding of electromechanical physics, it represents a more efficient way of producing a current in a moving coil cartridge. I suggest you do some research and then perhaps you will understand the reason for my comment.

I could have got a new Colibri XCP for the same price as the Temper W. In fact, the Temper W is my first non-vdH cartridge in some time. I could only afford to buy one cartridge of course, but I'm very happy with my decision to leave the conventional van den Hul design for something new that I consider more intelligent.