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Fremer's review of the Anna cartridge

Fremer reviews the $8499 cartridge very positively, but it takes three different samples of the cartridge for him to get there. The first sample exhibited "an incompatibility between the adhesives used and the elastomer of which the cartridge's damper is made." Fremer notes "[e]vidently, however, this problem didn't affect every Anna that left the factory." Wow, what a relief. In the second sample, apparently "some the glue that secures the stylus in the cantilever had dripped." The third sample, after 100 hrs of break-in finally delivered. Fremer suggests buying and using an USB microscope as part of the cartridge buying process.

Does anyone else think this is absolutely nuts? It seems to me, at this price level, every single cartridge should be absolutely perfect. Haven't Ortofon heard of quality control? This also applies to Lyra whose $9500 Atlas cartridge had the stylus affixed to the cantilever at an angle that made it virtually impossible to get the SRA of 92 degrees.
actusreus
tomcy6's avatar
tomcy6
2,587 posts
 
If I were sending a cartridge to Michael Fremer for review I would have it triple checked by the guy who designed it, the guy who makes it, and the head quality control guy.

I would make sure it was burned in and listened to by the best ears in the company until everyone was sure it sounded as good as it possibly could. I would then have it hand delivered to Michael and I would check with him regularly to see if he was having any problems or had any questions. I guess that's why I'm not rich.

If it takes them 3 tries to get it right for Michael Fremer, you can guess how much care they take in making the one they sell you.

Digital keeps sounding better all the time.
sarcher30
596 posts
 
Thanks for the info Jonathan.

It is disturbing that a reviewer has to go through 3 samples to get a good one.

There may be no official standard for SRA but somewhere around 92 degrees has worked best for the carts and records that I own. Using ones ears is obviously required to dial it in after that. It is important to pay attention to SRA and not just expect that the SRA is in the ball park when the arm is level IME.
lewm
13,011 posts
 
Thanks, Actus.
I saw the review by Fremer and just cut to the chase by reading his concluding remarks. Therefore, I missed his description of the issues you have raised. It is very surprising to me that Ortofon would be guilty of such sins of omission (quality control, mainly). Over the years, I have come to think very highly of their capacity to produce beautifully made products, whether one likes their sound, or not. I own an MC7500, arguably the father of their subsequent TOTL cartridges, down to and including the Anna. It is beautifully made. All Ortofons I have owned fit that description, and I never saw or heard of one with such glaring defects right out of the box. So, I don't really know what to do with Fremer's report. However, for me it is moot, since I am not a customer for cartridges in that price category, just as a matter of personal choice.
syntax's avatar
syntax
2,193 posts
 
Despite the impression which you may now have, there is no industry standard for SRA. None. There is more of a standard for VTA (originally decided as 15 degrees, which is the origin of Shure's "V-15" name, and later gradually revised upwards until it reached 20 degrees) than there is for SRA.

Yes. But now we have a "Standard": Fremer
That replaces everything.

If it takes them 3 tries to get it right for Michael Fremer, you can guess how much care they take in making the one they sell you.

The customer gets the most respect, the maximum care, the ultra quality control, don't worry.
buconero117
2,311 posts
 
Yes, nuts anyone would be buying such high priced junk. That Fremer did just not return the original cartridge and be done with it, suggests it was the price point that seduced him. Fremer fell into the hi end trap of 'the higher the price, the greater the product'. What all this tell us is that 'value' is never part of Fremer's mind set.
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