Opinions: Oracle/SME IV/ Monster Alpha2

Doug...Just getting back to normal after Le Mans. Yeah, I did the whole 24 hours on Speedvision. Then, the movie afterwards. Crashed real good after that.

I'm following you at every turn. Hope you're taking a good line ;- First my Shankelized GTWee6 project. Now an Oracle. Scary, man. "Il Mostro" is kicking much "coolo" as a modified 2.5, can't wait to get to 3.0 164S specs for the street later this year (my Christmas present?) and maybe Columbo Corsa cams in between smog checks.

Back to audio...I'm on the cheap for a cartridge. Any thoughts? Thought about a Grado Reference Sonata -- but my buddy with an Alexandria had hum up the you-know-what. I'd like to stay at $500-$700 "retail". My table has a Monster Alpha Genisis 2 which needs to be re-tipped. Everyone I've spoken to says it's not worth it. My budget standby, Blue Point Special, seems like it doesn't live up to my upgrade in tables. What to do?

Thanks, Jim.

hi jim,

ain't life a bitch, havin' more than one obsession? ;~) i yust recently installed the full-stebro exhaust w/euro down pipe, & an sz hedder - *really* opens tings up... :>)

re: cartridges, believe it or not, the ortofon mc25-fl, at retail $450, but always on sale at $225, is a great cartridge. only 0.35mv output (a mfr - was it wavelength audio? - i forget, sez it's really only 0.2mv), but if yer fono-stage has the gain, i tink it's really nice for the money. i've also heard good tings (but no 1st-hand experience) about the audoi-technica oc-9 (?!?), retails for $400, usually awailable for <$200. i was gonna try a dynavector karat d17, but i sheared off the canteliver the wery 1st time i went to mount it - my cartridge horror story. ;~) at least i got it used, cheap. of course, if yure gonna ackshully *spend* $500-$700, wait 'til the right used cartridge comes along. i got my re-tipped lyra clavis from klaus @ odyssey audio, for $490...

good luck, doug s.

Doug, thanks for the cartridge advice. I need to stick a medium to high output right now. I'll eventually get the phono stage modified, but I just don't want to send my pre-amp back to Audible Illusions since they are notoriously slow. By the way, where did you find SZ headers? Did you order from Europe or find a source here? I have the Euro downpipes and will go with Stebro once the current exhaust gives up the ghost. Really fine stuff.

Kubla, although I'm hot to trot with the new table, I'm thinking about taking it to Brooks for whatever mods I can afford right now. From my understanding, MkIII's with serial numbers after 8135 can be fully upgraded to MkV specs. I think the mod you're referring to includes the Delrin pillars, counterweight and hard acrylic mat. This is probably my limit for now as I've been getting one system upgrade after another lately and need to slow things down. I think the total upgrade to MkV specs is around $1300 -- actually a bargain with a used table. Thanks for the info.

hi jim,

not much experience w/recent hi-output coils - an old sumiko blue-point was used prior to my ortofon. if ya awreddy have that bps, i'd use it 'til a nice lo-hrs hi-end cartridge comes awailable on the used market. (there's a transfiguration here on a-gon, dunno its output). also, ortofon has nice hi-output mc's - dunno the specific model #'s/prices, but yule find some at the needle dr. i tink ortofon cartridges are really nice, even their m/m's...

re: sz hedders, i got in on a bulk order w/giovanni rizzo last year, mite wanna contact him for details. stebro *is* nice, i was so glad when the prewious exhaust finally went away... :>)

re: oracle mods, mine was an original (mk-l?), bought used from a dealer in quebec. i had all the mk-v mods done, except for the motor, as described above. my total cost, which included the 'table, a gnu box for shipping to maryland, a grace tonearm, & shipping, was $1250. perhaps i got a better deal cuz the dealer was across-town from the mfr. if yer upgrade cost includes the motor/power-supply as well, that seems pretty reasonable, but as a cheapskate, i have to recommend the o-l motor/power-supply! :>) good luck, doug s.

Thanks, Doug. I think I'll live with the bps until I can find something much, much better used.

Small world... Giovanni is the only other guy I know with SZ headers. He hangs at the same shop I do, Omega Motorsports. He just did a nice job on his Milano Verde; all-out 3litre, full Evo body trim, etc. His car is supposed to be featured in European Car pretty soon along with a stock Verde and a local 164Q. Keep an eye out.
Best, Jim.