Some fun and Cartridge/Arm comparisons

Posted by Thorsten on July 16, 2001 at 12:02:57

Hi all,

Prompted by the "Review of the ORTOFON SPU MONO cartridge" thread (see link below) I decided to listen (again) in direct comparison and to also run some pink noise spectrum analysis on all the Arm/Cartridge combo's I have on my TT.

I had at hand:

1) Goldring Elite Low Output MC in Origin Live Modified RB-250, with XLO Style DIY armcable.

2) Denon DL-103 Low Output MC in an SME 3009 NON IMPROVED (meaning stainless steel arm tube, metal knife edge bearings removable Headshell with Azimuth Adjustment), DIY Arm Cable.

3) Ortofon SPU-GTE, old version with Cartridge/steup trnsformers as one piece unit, metal headshell in Ortofon RS-212 Special Tonearm, DIY Armcable.

All Cartridge/Arm combos had resonances in the 8-12Hz region, very similar lateral and vertical.

Running a pink noise track from the HiFi news I tested all cartridges for frequency response. In the 100Hz - 8kHz range all cartridges tested identical within the tolerance of the setup. Above the Goldring had the flattest response, with the SPU showing a slight (but VERY slight) droop and the Denon showed a lift, reaching perhaps 2db at 16kHz.

Below 100Hz the SPU had the most extended response (heaviest effective mass?), with Goldring close behind. Both units showed essentially flat response (under consideration of the RIAA response of the preamp) down to 20Hz, with perhaps a little lift at extreme LF, obscured by the rolloff build into the preamp. The Denon reached flat down to around 50Hz, showing below a gentle rolloff. The Denon has seen little playtime, this may change with more playtime.

Subjective impressions:

Goldring - well balanced, unexciting, tending to harshness with some recordings, only really happy on the best audiophile recordings. HiFi at it's best and worst (depending upon viewpoint). Usefull to have around for perfect copies of audiophile Albums mastered (remastered) in the last 10 - 15 years.

Denon - slightly bright, subjectivley very fast bass and pace, beautiful on voices, more detail and life than the Goldring. Imaging beats the Goldring. This thing plays music very well. Should appeal to the Naim/Linn fraction more than to me. Good all around cartridge, forgiving and basically bread and butter. Even the tendency to brightness is not objectionable. Dirt cheap too. Cheap trills, true, but what trills. Scream if you want to go faster.

Ortofon - the second the needle hits the grove you know - this is it. The tonal balance is a little too sweet perhaps, but truthful. Detail, Imaging, the feeling of thereness - top marks. Stop listening to the system - start listening to the music. There is a certain majesty, a solid foundation non of the others mange. If I'm only allowed one cartridge this is it. If I can have more I'll remain polygamous though. This cartridge is really best on "period" recordings (much of my collection) but sounds oldfashioned on modern "Audiophile" recordings and remastered pressings.

So, in some ways some of the cartridges sound charateristics seem predicatble from the frequency response, most ain't. For example, when "wrong" the Goldring sounded much brighter and more objectionable than the Denon. Non of the cartridge/arm combos suffered any extreme (> 3db) deviations from "flat", though non was 20-20k +/-1 db flat in practical application.

Test Setup as follows:

Acoustic Solid "Solid One" Turntable on dedicated tubular 3-point stand, tubes sandfilled. Seperate tubular stand for motor. This whole lot on a DIY version of a symposium platform which rests on the floor via three Michell tenderfeet Aluminum cones. Chamois leather plattermat and heavy record weight (both also Acoustic Solid). Turntable fitted for three tonearms.

http://www.acoustic-solid.de/solid_one.html

Preamplifier - DIY copy of Shindo Laboratories "Claret" (original now discontinued), this unit has a "non accurate" RIAA equaliser, resulting in a lift in the lower midrange and upper bass, the LF is slightly curtailed, more so once the Volume control reaches beyond around 2 o'clock, due to the design of the linestage. Some people have claimed the original to be the "best preamp in the world", I kinda like the sound. Valves are ECC83 X 2 Phono, ECC81 X 2 Line, both with negative feedback, two MM level Phono Inputs are front selectable. Where needed a DIY MC Stepup using Audix Microphone stepup transformers (either 14db or 20db - set to 20db) where used.

http://www.fortunecity.com/rivendell/xentar/1179/projects/claret/Claret.html

Speakers where Tannoy Monitor Red 15", with added Fostex FT-17H Supertweeters (passive 1st order Crossover at 23kHz).

Amplifiers are slightly modified Opera Audio Consonance M500 Kit's, 300B single ended. Driver is 6SL7 SRPP (I use Ken Rad VT-229), Valve Rectification (I like GZ34 best, nominal it's 5Z3). Sound is excellent, cost is modest. Think of these Amp's as something a bit like a pair of Wavelength Cardinal, but a lot cheaper to buy (no I had no chance to compare directly against the Cardinals, so don't say I said these SOUND like Cardinals).

http://www.diyhifisupply.com/page/m500.htm

Disregarding the cables, the final piece in the puzzle is the Behringer Ultracurve Pro 8024 Digital Equaliser (modified). This is a Digital Equaliser, combining a 3-band stereo parametric EQ, a 31-Band Graphic EQ and a 3rd octave real time analyser. This is used to compensate for frequency response errors caused by speakers and speaker/room interaction, also for correcting recordings. It is inserted between Preamplifier output and Poweramplifier input. Think of it as an Accuphase DG-28 you can afford and with much better ergonomics.

http://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/0101/behringer8024.htm

Later T

Review of the ORTOFON SPU MONO cartridge

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Topic - Some fun and Cartridge/Arm comparisons - Thorsten 12:02:57 07/16/01 (18)

Re: Some fun and Cartridge/Arm comparisons - Bushman 04:21:42 07/18/01 (1)

Re: Some fun and Cartridge/Arm comparisons - Thorsten 08:05:51 07/18/01 (0)

Thanks Thorsten ... - Oakroot 19:35:04 07/17/01 (0)

Re: Some fun and Cartridge/Arm comparisons - Bushman 15:40:56 07/17/01 (1)

Re: Some fun and Cartridge/Arm comparisons - Thorsten 08:01:39 07/18/01 (0)

Ortofon SPU-G/T - J Harris 22:08:21 07/16/01 (5)

Re: Ortofon SPU-G/T - Thorsten 06:52:22 07/17/01 (4)

Thorsten, does yours look anything like this? - J Harris 11:04:27 07/17/01 (3)

Re: Thorsten, does yours look anything like this? - Thorsten 12:34:30 07/17/01 (2)

Re: Thorsten, does yours look anything like this? - J Harris 00:13:42 07/18/01 (1)

Yes, GT is G-Shell, Transformer and the missing E means conical stylus... No Idea on sound....(NT) - Thorsten 08:04:11 07/18/01 (0)

Re: Some fun and Cartridge/Arm comparisons - Joe II-V 18:00:36 07/16/01 (3)

Re: Some fun and Cartridge/Arm comparisons - Thorsten 06:47:42 07/17/01 (2)

Re: Some fun and Cartridge/Arm comparisons - Joe II-V 20:03:57 07/17/01 (1)

Re: Some fun and Cartridge/Arm comparisons - Thorsten 08:02:44 07/18/01 (0)

Re: Some fun and Cartridge/Arm comparisons - Mel 13:46:25 07/16/01 (2)

Re: Some fun and Cartridge/Arm comparisons - Busybusy 21:04:02 07/16/01 (0)

Re: Some fun and Cartridge/Arm comparisons - Thorsten 15:49:48 07/16/01 (0)

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