Audio Hardware Deals: Speakers, Headphones, Turntables, Etc.

HayesWeighsIn said:
Are you talking about the price bump? Or is there something else?
Click to expand...
The price bump, was $400, raised to $600. Now, I was told that this was coming way back when. Soundsmith had intended for the Otello to be the "gateway" to move up the ladder, but that wasn't happening and they were losing money on these.

That said, I kind of sort of feel like you took the "gateway" and slammed the door shut and locked it on bringing in buyers willing to give it a try, because at $600-ish there are a boat load of quality, well regarded cartridges out there.
 
AnthonyI said:
The price bump, was $400, raised to $600. Now, I was told that this was coming way back when. Soundsmith had intended for the Otello to be the "gateway" to move up the ladder, but that wasn't happening and they were losing money on these.

That said, I kind of sort of feel like you took the "gateway" and slammed the door shut and locked it on bringing in buyers willing to give it a try, because at $600-ish there are a boat load of quality, well regarded cartridges out there.
Click to expand...
Totally. And this one has been on my list for a while. I'm game if and when one pops up closer to the OG cost.
 
AnthonyI said:
The price bump, was $400, raised to $600. Now, I was told that this was coming way back when. Soundsmith had intended for the Otello to be the "gateway" to move up the ladder, but that wasn't happening and they were losing money on these.

That said, I kind of sort of feel like you took the "gateway" and slammed the door shut and locked it on bringing in buyers willing to give it a try, because at $600-ish there are a boat load of quality, well regarded cartridges out there.
Click to expand...
Well, if you’re losing money on each sale, you can’t make it up in volume.

The Otello gig probably got explicitly expensive for Soundsmith with the re-tip price.
 
Angsty said:
Well, if you’re losing money on each sale, you can’t make it up in volume.

The Otello gig probably got explicitly expensive for Soundsmith with the re-tip price.
Click to expand...
depends on the volume, but I'm guessing unless you are an entry level AT or Ort (and even then, this is such a niche hobby), you ain't making enough to have that kind of supply buying power.
 
ngower said:
Any advantage to the Low version of the Opus3 vs the High? I’ve had my eye on the Opus for a while.
Click to expand...
I think generally low output means less mass on the cantilever means better trackability and detail retrieval, though with a moving iron cartridge the calculus may be different since I don’t think the size of the moving bit changes all that much, only the size of the coils that it is interacting with.
 
kvetcha said:
I think generally low output means less mass on the cantilever means better trackability and detail retrieval, though with a moving iron cartridge the calculus may be different since I don’t think the size of the moving bit changes all that much, only the size of the coils that it is interacting with.
Click to expand...

I read elsewhere the coils are fixed, take with a grain of salt as I don’t have any supporting evidence either way.

I’m tempted to bite at this price but I’ve already spent too much this holiday period
 
ngower said:
I read elsewhere the coils are fixed, take with a grain of salt as I don’t have any supporting evidence either way.

I’m tempted to bite at this price but I’ve already spent too much this holiday period
Click to expand...
yeah, from what I’m reading there’s no real advantage to going with a low-output variant of the moving iron/fixed coil designs unless maybe you’ve got a high-gain fixed phono stage.
 
kvetcha said:
yeah, from what I’m reading there’s no real advantage to going with a low-output variant of the moving iron/fixed coil designs unless maybe you’ve got a high-gain fixed phono stage.
Click to expand...

I’m trying to remember but I seem to recall the discussion when it came out but I think it was around the coils having a much shorter length of wire in the low and that it had some sort of beneficial improvement on the sound. Maybe around resistance but I’m not the most clued up on electrical engineering, just trying to remember an old discussion. But yes you need to have a phono stage with the option to give you somewhere around 48-52 dB to make it a workable option, it’s not one for the standard 40dB MM fixed gain stage. For the record I really liked my low one but equally haven’t heard the high to compare.
 
Joe Mac said:
I’m trying to remember but I seem to recall the discussion when it came out but I think it was around the coils having a much shorter length of wire in the low and that it had some sort of beneficial improvement on the sound. But yes you need to have a phono stage with the option to give you somewhere around 48-52 dB to make it a workable option, it’s not one for the standard 40dB MM fixed gain stage. For the record I really liked my low one but equally haven’t heard the high to compare.
Click to expand...
Yeah, that could affect inductance or something, but I imagine it’s a pretty subtle difference compared to a straight moving mass reduction like you’d see with an MC.
 
kvetcha said:
Yeah, that could affect inductance or something, but I imagine it’s a pretty subtle difference compared to a straight moving mass reduction like you’d see with an MC.
Click to expand...

Yes totally and it’s one that if you have a phono stage with a dB boost for the MM, like I have, that it’s worth getting the low output but by the same token it’s probably not worth getting a whole new stage just for it.
 
Joe Mac said:
Yes totally and it’s one that if you have a phono stage with a dB boost for the MM, like I have, that it’s worth getting the low output but by the same token it’s probably not worth getting a whole new stage just for it.
Click to expand...
I am quite happy to be proven wrong, I just did some quick Googling and anecdotally a lot of folks who have used both can’t really tell much difference. I think the high-output vs low-output question gets asked a lot re Grado.

An interesting theory someone had is that they mainly offer it because nerds like us associate low output with higher quality when given the choice.
 
kvetcha said:
I am quite happy to be proven wrong, I just did some quick Googling and anecdotally a lot of folks who have used both can’t really tell much difference. I think the high-output vs low-output question gets asked a lot re Grado.

An interesting theory someone had is that they mainly offer it because nerds like us associate low output with higher quality when given the choice.
Click to expand...

That’s totally conceivable. I also have a thing for liking to choose the most awkward least supported option just to show I can do it, or in this instance that my system can handle it…
 
I might snag the high output. I have the capacity for a low output but the $50 savings is enough to grab a few records. I too saw enough out there suggesting there's no or little difference between the two.
 
Joe Mac said:
Yes totally and it’s one that if you have a phono stage with a dB boost for the MM, like I have, that it’s worth getting the low output but by the same token it’s probably not worth getting a whole new stage just for it.
Click to expand...
@ngower I've got hours on both the low and hi Opus3. I actually recall running both at 46dB and just gave more signal to my tube amp with a Schiit Magni I use as a line driver. As others have stated in years past, 50dB seems to be the sweet spot for Grado low output carts. If I do another Timbre series cart (which I'm planning to!) I will most likely go with a high output for the flexibility with phono stages. Is there a sonic difference between the two? If you asked me during my honeymoon period with the low output, I would say yes! If you ask me now, I'd say it's small enough where I'd rather not need the extra gain.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top