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My new Soundsmith Straingauge cartridge

Well, after a bit of dillying and dallying, I finally got 'round to trying a home trial of this cart. After a couple of hours dialling in vtf, and esp. azimuth, it basically sold itself, and I bought it an hour later!
It's without doubt the fastest cart I've ever experienced, surpassing the Decca London Reference, but with none of that cart's tipped up 'whiteness'. But this blazing speed is combined with the natural sweetness of the Lyra Parnassus. It has the neutrality of the Transfiguration Orpheus with the dynamics and involvement of the ESCCo-modded Zu Denon 103. So, fast AND sweet, and neutral AND involving, combinations often too challenging for other so-called SOTA carts. All the carts I've mentioned I've had in my system over the years. But I admit, I haven't heard current contenders to the crown (Lyra Titan/Atlas, Ortofon Anna, Clearaudio Goldfinger etc) to make comparisons.
It's tracking really is superlative, 3d soundstaging/dimensionality is beyond the room constraints, and I really believe it has the least artifact-laden sound of any cart I've heard, with NO aural evidence of a diamond carving thru wax. It's really complimenting what's already a neutral, fast and dynamic analog rig in my system (Trans Fi Salvation direct rim drive tt/Trans Fi Terminator air bearing linear tracking arm)
spiritofmusic
spiritofmusic OP
828 posts
 
Just a few thoughts, gentlemen. Watts, I'm not qualified to answer your qs, so will leave to others. Peter is not open to batt psu, or tube psu options for his SG. This is a shame, since my batt psu is pushing the cart to new heights of greatness esp re airy highs, and transparent mids.
Re tube options, the Straingauge tech has been around for a long time, and Dave Slagle of Emia fame has a bespoke tube psu for his NOS Panasonic Straingauges, and it may be compatible for Peter's current version. Beyond this I don't know too much, but the options are out there.
cfluxa's avatar
cfluxa
127 posts
 
Spirit - is the stock PSU that you replaced with the Red Wine now collecting dust? Is it not an option to buy the SG without a PSU?
spiritofmusic OP
828 posts
 
Cfluxa, the cart is powered by the SG200 unit, which has a twin 24V dc psu (two off the shelf wall warts, in effect one per channel). Yes, these in effect are gathering dust. Has been replaced by the single chassis (plus additional charger) batt psu.
The SG200 box has to be powered by something, so will come with the twin 24V dc psu as standard.
cfluxa's avatar
cfluxa
127 posts
 
Thanks, Spirit. So to be clear, the Red Wine unit can replace the standard PSU entirely, performing all of its functions?
spiritofmusic OP
828 posts
 
Cfluxa, better to explain it this way. The Soundsmith Straingauge comes in two parts; the cart and the "energizer" unit. This unit physically powers the cart, and some of the top models act as an all in one preamp --- I have the base model SG200 which just powers the cart, no preamp function.
It is the energizer unit that also has to be powered in the usual way, in this case via twin 24v dc wall warts. It is these wall warts that I've replaced with the batt psu, NOT the energizer unit.
As I said, Dave Slagle of Emia has a valve based energizer which would swap out the SG200 and assocd wall warts - just not sure if it's as compatible with Peter's SG as pre existing NOS Panasonic SG's.
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