Grado Cartridges and Stylus - Questions and Advice.

can i ask why grados aren't as respected in the hifi world... it seems everyones about moving coil and ortofon and audiotechnica but a lot of people getting on grado for how they track the grooves and their channel separation, it makes me feel like i made the wrong choice choosing a grado
 
Did anyone happen to see this review on Stereophile? Yes it’s a $6,000 Grado, but I think that “special something” spoken of on the review is a Grado family trait. I certainly find the Gold3 to be quite special, especially at its modest price point.

www.stereophile.com

Gramophone Dreams #37: JSikora Initial turntable & Grado Aeon3 phono cartridge

My most cherished intangibleslove, beauty, glimpses of higher realmsenter my awareness only after I prepare my psyche to receive them. Extended bathing, lighting candles, making tea, and preparing food are ritual work forms that prepare my senses to accept both pleasure and illumination. In like...
www.stereophile.com www.stereophile.com
 
duke86fan said:
can i ask why grados aren't as respected in the hifi world... it seems everyones about moving coil and ortofon and audiotechnica but a lot of people getting on grado for how they track the grooves and their channel separation, it makes me feel like i made the wrong choice choosing a grado
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HiFi Guy said:
Did anyone happen to see this review on Stereophile? Yes it’s a $6,000 Grado, but I think that “special something” spoken of on the review is a Grado family trait. I certainly find the Gold3 to be quite special, especially at its modest price point.

www.stereophile.com

Gramophone Dreams #37: JSikora Initial turntable & Grado Aeon3 phono cartridge

My most cherished intangibleslove, beauty, glimpses of higher realmsenter my awareness only after I prepare my psyche to receive them. Extended bathing, lighting candles, making tea, and preparing food are ritual work forms that prepare my senses to accept both pleasure and illumination. In like...
www.stereophile.com www.stereophile.com
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nevermind looks like grados do get hifi respect just that fremer hasn't updated his gruvies in years
 
HiFi Guy said:
It sounds like your PS Audio preamp and/or your Quad amps are fairly sensitive on the input side.

Your preamp actually isn’t amplifying at all. It’s actually cutting the voltage sent yo your power amps. If you are getting the same volume as before at a substantially lower volume setting, I’d try setting your phono stage at MM/100 pF/47k ohms/+ 6dB

As long as you have sufficient volume, you have a couple of advantages:

Less amplification from the phono stage= lower noise.

When you turn the volume control up, you have less resistance in the circuit. Less resistance equals a purer signal.
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On the subject of gain, is there any validity to the notion that you can/should push the gain a little above what it might calculate out at? Meaning, using the KAB Calculator, 1mv should be set to a 50db gain, which it is and sounds great, I'm just wondering if the 5db bump would give it a little extra "oomph" without causing any distortion, or is it best to leave it alone?

I guess, it really won't hurt to try, I was just wondering if there was any "slop" factor in those numbers or "tendencies"
 
AnthonyI said:
On the subject of gain, is there any validity to the notion that you can/should push the gain a little above what it might calculate out at? Meaning, using the KAB Calculator, 1mv should be set to a 50db gain, which it is and sounds great, I'm just wondering if the 5db bump would give it a little extra "oomph" without causing any distortion, or is it best to leave it alone?

I guess, it really won't hurt to try, I was just wondering if there was any "slop" factor in those numbers or "tendencies"
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There’s room to move. It all depends on the rest on the system- input sensitivity of the amp factors into play as well.

The phono stage used in the review above had 60 dB gain. More than needed, but it certainly still works.
 
Mike Fremer gave the Opus3 a mention. He liked it.

www.analogplanet.com

New Limited Edition Technics SL-1210GAE Looks and Sounds Great

In the blink of a vinyl resurgence Technics went from retiring in 2010 the venerable SL-1200 turntable to resurrecting it six years later with two all new “Grand Class” 1200s aimed not at the DJ market as was the original 1200, but at audiophiles. The limited to 1200 units SL-1200GAE quickly...
www.analogplanet.com www.analogplanet.com
 
apholden said:
It looks bomb, but can it hit those high notes?

I'll see myself out now.
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i'm pretty sure this is a amplification issue but just in case.. i am noticing a bit of sharpness in the higher ranges (specifically female vocals), when i turn it up to a volume thats comfortable for me... its either amplification or i need a new stylus.. both are kinda needed soon but im still figuring out if upgrading to a red3 from a black1 would make a difference or not buy a new cartridge at all and just do a 8mz stylus (and its sold out on lpgear)
 
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Checking in about a month later and the Grado Gold3 was an absolute upgrade over the Ortofon 2M Red, I am so happy with my purchase. Records sound warmer, much more musical and theres a richer soundstage.

Probably 25-30 hours in so far. But I dont regret a dime spent and the customer service from @RichGrado was top notch. I'm a Grado cart man for life now.

In a great holding pattern until I can update the turntable, amplifier and speakers.
 
kvetcha said:
It's just swapping out still-good tubes to adjust the characteristics of the system.
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I may or may not have meant this as a pun considering the topic!

I found myself remembering a Russian joke in which a sentence had nothing but swear words but still made perfect sense. I'm searching for a similar sentence, only where every word has both an audiophile and stoner meaning!
 
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