Phono Cartridges - Your favorites and least favorites?

[Angsty]

I know one thing already- I’ll never buy anything again but a Grado. And I’ll most likely trade this for another when it’s worn.

When you hit the sweet spot between your table, the cartridge and your tastes, there is no reason to leave!

 

[HiFi Guy]

Lyle Lovett- Joshua Judges Ruth OMG

 

[OMC]

Leaps like you are making can be so rewarding and having an idea of what you are upgrading to and still being astounded at first listen is a treat. Allegiance to a single cartridge manufacturer makes life so much easier. I’m that way with Benz.
How about a pic of the cartridge in the groove from the side?

 

[HiFi Guy]

Leaps like you are making can be so rewarding and having an idea of what you are upgrading to and still being astounded at first listen is a treat. Allegiance to a single cartridge manufacturer makes life so much easier. I’m that way with Benz.
How about a pic of the cartridge in the groove from the side?

Another cartridge I see that people pretty much universally love is the A/T ART9. One thing that really piqued my interest in the Reference3 was a post by an ART9 owner that compared it with the Grado and sold the A/T.

 

[AnthonyI]

Damn, a $200 price hike on the Otello


$399 Sept of last year.

 

[OMC]

View attachment 170196

Another cartridge I see that people pretty much universally love is the A/T ART9. One thing that really piqued my interest in the Reference3 was a post by an ART9 owner that compared it with the Grado and sold the A/T.

Where the bidness takes place. What the stylus digs out of the groove and the rest of the system amplifies has always been magic to me since 1958 when I first started paying attention to Dad's stereo.

 

[Russ I]

Well, the Grado Reference3 arrived and is installed. I don’t have azimuth dialed in with the Fozgometer yet. That’ll wait until Tuesday. I checked it and it’s oh so close. Much closer than the Gold3 was.

It’s super early yet- my first spin. Right now- Jerry Garcia and David Grisman MoFi.

What I expected:

More/deeper bass- it’s the wrong LP to judge, that’ll have to wait.

More lush/more liquid sounding.

Nope.

I’m getting so much more-

Way better clarity across the board.

Better left/right separation. Like the SAE had. Might get even better once I dial it with the Fozgometer.

Better high frequencies.

More texture from stringed instruments.

Way better soundstage. Again, the Fozgometer might make it even better.

If a budget A/T or Ortofon sounds like playing records and a Grado Gold3 sounds more musical, this is that much of a difference again, maybe more. It sounds even closer to real music at home. You get a really good sense of the body of an acoustic guitar or mandolin, not just the sound the strings make. Jerry’s voice sounds real.

It’s still very much a Grado, both good and bad. It sounds like a Grado, but a much more mature and refined Grado. Grown up. It’ll still hum on tables that don’t like Grados. Because it wants to run “wide open” at 47k ohms but needs 50-55 dB gain, it isn’t compatible with all phono stages. In other words, it takes planning and research to run a Grado successfully. It’s worth it IMO.

I’ve seen people complain about aligning the Grado woodys. It’s actually easy. First you must align to Baerwald on a Technics- it’ll be almost all the way back in the headshell. Use a Geodisc and there’s a line that goes from the center of the circle to the edge of the disc. You’ll be able to easily see the stylus when it’s lined up when viewed from the side. The line will look like an extension of the diamond coming towards you when aligned.

Surface noise is non existent.

I know one thing already- I’ll never buy anything again but a Grado. And I’ll most likely trade this for another when it’s worn.

More to come in a week or so.

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Do you have the high- or low-output version? And what would be the reason(s) for choosing one over the other? (I'm assuming it has something to do with the phono pre it will be fed through, but I also figure there has to be more to it than that.)

 

[HiFi Guy]

Do you have the high- or low-output version? And what would be the reason(s) for choosing one over the other? (I'm assuming it has something to do with the phono pre it will be fed through, but I also figure there has to be more to it than that.)

I have the low.

Choose the high if you want universal compatibility with any phono stage, or if yours can’t be set for 50-55 dB gain and 47k loading.

With the high you have something like a mile (literally) of wire in the coils. With the low, you have 7 feet. Anytime you can reduce your signal path, it’s a good thing.

 

[Jbraswell]

I have the low.

Choose the high if you want universal compatibility with any phono stage, or if yours can’t be set for 50-55 dB gain and 47k loading.

With the high you have something like a mile (literally) of wire in the coils. With the low, you have 7 feet. Anytime you can reduce you signal path, it’s a good thing.

Since I started using LOMC 3 years ago, I have never looked back.
Amazing technology with that little device.

 

[Angsty]

The SL is still one of my all time favorite carts, I've never owned the ML and most that I know have owned one or the other, so my interest lies in your opinion of if the ML is "worth" the extra scratch. I know the ML is "Better", but I think you get my question

I’ll need to revisit this question with the Luxman turntable. It appears that the ML was pushing the limits of resolution on the Traveler. Putting a “cheaper” MP-300 on the Luxman floored me with what it could deliver. The ML on the Luxman might prove to wallop the SL on the Traveler. Maybe.

I have a matching headshell coming in for the Luxman next week to try out other cartridges. I’m curious to see how much more of a leap it might be from putting the same ML cartridge on both the PLX-1000 and the Traveler.

 

[HiFi Guy]

Since I started using LOMC 3 years ago, I have never looked back.
Amazing technology with that little device.

That makes sense on a MC- you have lower moving mass because the coils have fewer turns and less copper- they are lighter.

A MI is the lowest moving mass design (with the exception of optical designs) because the cantilever isn’t connected to anything inside the cartridge body- it moves in free air. How it moves between the coils creates the voltage.”

But even within the same technology, there are differences. A Grado is a very low inductance device, so cable capacitance doesn’t matter. A Soundsmith has inductance similar to a MM, so cable capacitance matters. And where my system works great with an A/T MM (the lower the capacitance the better) it doesn’t work great with a Soundmith MI that wants way more capacitance than I currently have.

 

[Jbraswell]

That makes sense on a MC- you have lower moving mass because the coils have fewer turns and less copper- they are lighter.

A MI is the lowest moving mass design (with the exception of optical designs) because the cantilever isn’t connected to anything inside the cartridge body- it moves in free air. How it moves between the coils creates the voltage.”

But even within the same technology, there are differences. A Grado is a very low inductance device, so cable capacitance doesn’t matter. A Soundsmith has inductance similar to a MM, so cable capacitance matters. And where my system works great with an A/T MM (the lower the capacitance the better) it doesn’t work great with a Soundmith MI that wants way more capacitance than I currently have.

How many ohms are you running with the Grado?

 

[HiFi Guy]

How many ohms are you running with the Grado?

47k ohms 52 dB gain.

 

[Jbraswell]

What's everyone using to clean the stylus?
I was using a small cosmetic looking brush that originally came with my Denon cart.

Stepped up to try this gel from AT. Gel probably isn't the right description because it doesn't appear to leave any residue on the tip.
Pretty slick contraption overall and not cheap either ($35). Can see some dirt left behind.
Just wash the gel surface off and let it dry when you want to clean before the next use.
Overall looks like a nice product by AT.

 

[Pergo]

I've always been an onzow zerodust user. It works well for me. I know there was some weird controversy about it a while back, but I've never had any issues.

 

[AnthonyI]

What's everyone using to clean the stylus?
I was using a small cosmetic looking brush that originally came with my Denon cart.

Stepped up to try this gel from AT. Gel probably isn't the right description because it doesn't appear to leave any residue on the tip.
Pretty slick contraption overall and not cheap either ($35). Can see some dirt left behind.
Just wash the gel surface off and let it dry when you want to clean before the next use.
Overall looks like a nice product by AT.
View attachment 170468View attachment 170469View attachment 170470

Blue Sticky Tac

 

[Angsty]

There have been reports that gels, like Zerodust, do leave a microscopic film on the stylus that can build up over time. I keep my records clean with a HummingGuru and use a dry stylus brush occasionally. If there is grime I can't remove with a dry brush, I wet the brush with distilled water which always seems to work. Some people are wary of any kind of solvent, including water.

The ZeroDust Saga Continues

WAM's J.R. Boisclair, who provided the microscopic images responds to some of the comments under the original story. "I appreciate the robust conversation around the "gel-type" cleaners. I certainly don't have a dog in this fight other than continuing our research into how to get the most from...

www.analogplanet.com

 

[Jbraswell]

There have been reports that gels, like Zerodust, do leave a microscopic film on the stylus that can build up over time. I keep my records clean with a HummingGuru and use a dry stylus brush occasionally. If there is grime I can't remove with a dry brush, I wet the brush with distilled water which always seems to work. Some people are wary of any kind of solvent, including water.

The ZeroDust Saga Continues

WAM's J.R. Boisclair, who provided the microscopic images responds to some of the comments under the original story. "I appreciate the robust conversation around the "gel-type" cleaners. I certainly don't have a dog in this fight other than continuing our research into how to get the most from...

www.analogplanet.com

I've been keeping my LPs clean with a US machine. Got some build up on the tip I couldn't remove with a dry brush. Really couldn't see it either; just started getting distortion during play.

Sent it off to AT and they took some pics, cleaned and returned to me at no charge.

Thus my reasoning to add in another step with the stylus dip.

 

[OMC]

I've been keeping my LPs clean with a US machine. Got some build up on the tip I couldn't remove with a dry brush. Really couldn't see it either; just started getting distortion during play.

Sent it off to AT and they took some pics, cleaned and returned to me at no charge.

Thus my reasoning to add in another step with the stylus dip.
View attachment 170496View attachment 170497

Amazing that it was tracking at all, isn’t it? Nice of A/T to fix you up. I use a dry mascara brush before every play and clean with Stylast stylus cleaner after about ten plays. I have some chemical compound that was recommended by a writer in The Absolute Sound years ago that dissolves vinyl build up as appears on your stylus. Can’t remember its name. It was touted to not affect stylus adhesives and I use it every six months or so.

 

[OMC]

Amazing that it was tracking at all, isn’t it? Nice of A/T to fix you up. I use a dry mascara brush before every play and clean with Stylast stylus cleaner after about ten plays. I have some chemical compound that was recommended by a writer in The Absolute Sound years ago that dissolves vinyl build up as appears on your stylus. Can’t remember its name. It was touted to not affect stylus adhesives and I use it every six months or so.

Octanol is the name of the product and was purchased through a scientific supply house. I’ve been applying it to Micro Benz styli without problem for over 20 years. I bought a 100ml bottle and it’s good for at least four lifetimes.