Vinyl Asylum

Why would you compare things and expect them to sound the same? Usually one makes ....

24.21.190.213

viridian

In Reply to: RE: You can't compare cartridges with different type stylii... posted by EdAInWestOC on March 21, 2012 at 17:45:39

comparisons to identify differences. Then again, some of us are sharpeners and some are levelers.

Follow Ups:

I think you missed the point... - EdAInWestOC 04:07:57 03/22/12 (4)
Comparing a Ferrari to a Yugo is not a valid comparison if you want some useful information. In the same sense comparing a cartridge with a conical stylus and aluminum csntilever is not very useful unless you want to know that a better stylus and cantilever yields increased high frequency resolution.

I suppose that would be information to someone but its one of those moot points that can be extracted from paying attention to the performance of cartridges over a period of time.

Any cartridge can yield increased performance if the stylus and cantilever is upgraded. Unless the stylus and cantilever is chosen to hide a weakness in the cartridge at hand, the improvement can be readily heard.

Admittedly I was a bit scratchy yesterday (dealing with an insurance company) but the basic complaint holds. Why compare a basic cartridge with a cheap stylus and cantilever to a model with a better stylus and cantilever?

I'm certain that the first observation is that the cartridge with the better stylus and cantilever has improved resolution. Its an observation that has been made countless times before and the reason that an Ortofon 2m Black costs more than its lower priced members of the same line. The stylus on the Black is a more advanced profile and its ability to extract detail from a groove is greater than its lower priced cousins.

That was the reason I referenced people who have performed retipp jobs and replaced their stylii with the SAS alternative. Those selections improve the resolution of the cartridge at hand. Its the same cartridge with a styus and cantilever that is more capable of tracing the groove.

The sole interesting thing brought up by this comparison is that the DL-103 performs as well as it does with a humble stylus and cantilever. It speaks well for a design that has been talked about ad naseum. And I'm a big supporter of the 103 family.

Ed

We don't shush around here!
Life is analog...digital is just samples thereof
- I would respectfully disagree.................. - viridian 07:51:46 03/22/12 (3)
  You equate detail and information with performance, but although detail has importance, I would equate performance more with tone, and for that I prefer a conical stylus. Guess I just enjoy the view through the windsheild of that Yugo, LOL.
  
  Edits: 03/22/12
  - Not a damm thing wrong witha Yugo... - EdAInWestOC 18:08:40 03/22/12 (0)
    As long as you have that baby working as designed. Of course we would all like to have a Ferrari or Bugatti but real life is a bitch.
    
    Ed
    
    We don't shush around here!
    Life is analog...digital is just samples thereof
  - RE: I would respectfully disagree.................. - blake 13:21:12 03/22/12 (1)
    I've been running 103R's for about 4-5 years now in various iterations: stock, rebodied (ebony and clavellin) with the stock cantilever and stylus, and rebodied (ebony and aluminum) with Soundsmith retips.
    
    My experience is that the tone (or performance of the cartridge as it relates to tone) of the cartridge is not really altered but it's abilities to both retrieve more information and remain much more composed in really dense, complicated musical passages are both enhanced with the ruby cantilever and LC contact stylus (I have the midline $250 retip on mine) that Soundsmith installs.
    - I also own a DL-103R... - EdAInWestOC 18:07:16 03/22/12 (0)
      As a backup cartridge and its a fine performing cartridge. Its just that it can be considerably better if it also sports a LC tip.
      
      One of these days I have to send the 103R to Peter for a retip so I can have a backup that will serve a bit better. The real surprise is my DL-103M.
      
      That cartridge is a 103 but comes with a boron cantilever and special elliptical stylus. It also has VLOMC in the same range as the DL-S1.
      
      I have tried the 103M with a lot of stepups and headamps and it does have a sound that is pretty nice if you have the proper associated equipment.
      
      Ed
      
      We don't shush around here!
      Life is analog...digital is just samples thereof

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