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Audio Technica MG-10 Magnesium Headshell

70.49.150.89
Posted on September 19, 2014 at 19:16:39
bjh
Audiophile

Posts: 18614
Location: Ontario
Joined: November 22, 2003
 I got this with Audio-Technica AT100E/G a popular combo that goes for $100 and less (and more??) on eBay; I went way less! In AT literature I believe they state it is the MG-10, so magnesium.
Overhand has three adjustments, three adjacent threaded holes so no continuous adjustment. Likely it limits usage to AT cartridges as well.

It is heavy ... the AT100E is playing now and I'm enjoying it ... it replaced a Dyna 20X so if it was a dog it would be abundantly obvious ... that's saying something for the AT100E ... likely getting a big boost from the slab of magnesium. Have to get my OC9 ML/II mounted!!


 

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RE: Audio Technica MG-10 Magnesium Headshell, posted on September 19, 2014 at 20:35:56
John Elison
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Posts: 23900
Location: Central Kentucky
Joined: December 20, 2000
Contributor
  Since: January 29, 2004
 It's a shame your headshell has only incremental mounting holes for overhang adjustment because just a fraction of millimeter will move the null-points significantly. I own the MS-8, which weighs 8-grams and has an adjustable stud that slides in and out for overhang and azimuth adjustment. You can use your headshell most effectively with Denon DL-301/II, DL-304, or DL-S1 cartridges, all of which have mounting slots for overhang adjustment.


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RE: Audio Technica MG-10 Magnesium Headshell, posted on September 19, 2014 at 22:44:52
bjh
Audiophile

Posts: 18614
Location: Ontario
Joined: November 22, 2003
 This one seems to sound great! Gotta handle it, it a slab, like a Space Odyssey monolith man. All ya need is longer bolts for the Denons, and don't sweat 1 mm on overhang.

Maybe it will be the little thing that sends the OC9 into the big leagues.

Thanks for asking :) Listening to the Stones - Undercover ... it has all the funk it should have, seems like a very decent cartridge.

-

Enjoying both my Dyna 20X and main cartridge a Benz M2, can't get enough of that one, really nice.




 

RE: Audio Technica MG-10 Magnesium Headshell, posted on September 19, 2014 at 23:22:45
John Elison
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Posts: 23900
Location: Central Kentucky
Joined: December 20, 2000
Contributor
  Since: January 29, 2004
 I think you have a misconception about the importance of overhang. If you take a 9-inch tonearm aligned for null-points of 66-mm and 121-mm, and you increase overhang by just one-millimeter while keeping linear offset and mounting distance the same, the new null points will change by 10-mm each. Furthermore, the null-points will now be 20-mm closer together yielding significant inner and outer groove distortion. This is from sliding the cartridge forward only 1-mm in the headshell with all other adjustments remaining the same.

The difference between Löfgren A and Löfgren B is only 0.5-mm overhang. That's right; both alignments have the same exact linear offset and mounting distance, but Löfgren B has 0.5-mm longer overhang and this moves the null-points from 66-mm and 120.9 mm to 70.3-mm and 116.6-mm. Overhang is very critical.

Good luck,
John Elison

 

John is right, posted on September 20, 2014 at 05:45:10
Halcroman
Audiophile

Posts: 312
Location: Sydney
Joined: February 12, 2007
 Probably the most ridiculous design for mounting cartridges that could ever be invented....
It could deliver correct overhang with only three of my 38 cartridges...😫
Sure.....having movable armpods would allow me to change the P to S mounting distances.....but then the moronic design of the headshell prevents the 'twisting' of the cartridge to allow for correcting the alignments at the two nulls...😱
And this from a company which produced many of the finest MM cartridges ever made..⁉️
I didn't even re-sell my MG-10 headshell......I merely put it out of its misery with my size 9 hobnailed workers boot...🔨🔫💣

 

That's too bad, posted on September 20, 2014 at 06:43:20
Dave Garretson
Audiophile

Posts: 2448
Joined: June 14, 2005



If you have access to a lathe it's a simple matter to mill slots into it. With this lite modification it is as good as an Ortofon LH 6000/8000/9000, and much cheaper.

 

But......., posted on September 20, 2014 at 07:06:44
Halcroman
Audiophile

Posts: 312
Location: Sydney
Joined: February 12, 2007
 My Ortofons LH-8000 are 'wood'......😘
Quite a different 'cartridge compatibility index' to metal headshells....⁉️

 

True, posted on September 20, 2014 at 07:16:42
Dave Garretson
Audiophile

Posts: 2448
Joined: June 14, 2005
 I got mixed up in mentioning the woody. I have one of those and several each of the magnesium and composite Orts.

 

RE: That's too bad, posted on September 20, 2014 at 07:59:51
bjh
Audiophile

Posts: 18614
Location: Ontario
Joined: November 22, 2003
 Nice job! I was considering doing just that! :)


 

Oh I see what you mean with those Denons!!, posted on September 20, 2014 at 08:37:30
bjh
Audiophile

Posts: 18614
Location: Ontario
Joined: November 22, 2003
 Sorry, little slow I guess. lol

Oh great, now I have an excuse to try one of those, thanks John! Arrrg ... the DL-301/ii since no one seems to have that one;)

Your's is Denon DL-S1? Have a pic in tonearm?



 

RE: Oh I see what you mean with those Denons!!, posted on September 20, 2014 at 09:48:39
John Elison
Audiophile

Posts: 23900
Location: Central Kentucky
Joined: December 20, 2000
Contributor
  Since: January 29, 2004
 The only close up picture I have is with my DL-S1 mounted in a Technics headshell. I'm using the rear slots on the cartridge in order to extend it forward far enough to achieve Löfgren's "A" alignment with null-points of 66-mm and 120.9-mm.

The more I think about it, those Denon cartridges might not be the best match for such a heavy headshell. They are somewhat high-compliance cartridges. I owned a DL-301/II and I measured its compliance at 24 x 10-6 cm/dyne. I believe my DL-S1 has slightly lower compliance at around 17 x 10-6 cm/dyne, but it is the most expensive. I'm not familiar with the DL-304.



.
.

Here is one with my Audio Technica MS-8 headshell



 

RE: Oh I see what you mean with those Denons!!, posted on September 20, 2014 at 10:42:05
bjh
Audiophile

Posts: 18614
Location: Ontario
Joined: November 22, 2003
 Yeah the AT cartridge is very light it seems.



 

Technically correct, of course, practically correct...?, posted on September 20, 2014 at 14:23:08
bjh
Audiophile

Posts: 18614
Location: Ontario
Joined: November 22, 2003
 If you align a cartridge according to Loefgren, Baerwald, and then Stevenson this will give you 3 different overhangs. Each is "correct", i.e. each is only an approximation for a pivoting arm.
That's what I'm getting at in saying that there is some play, or forgiveness when it comes to overhang in a practical sense.

In past I once had to mount a Benz Ref 3 in such a way that the overhang was too long. Could it have been better, I suspect, but it was very fine sounding all the same.

The alignment of the stylus to the groove is far far more important than getting overhang exactly correct.

"but then the moronic design of the headshell prevents the 'twisting' of the cartridge to allow for correcting the alignments at the two nulls."

Well if the cartridge itself is threaded, then yes, otherwise other than a badly off-kilter cantilever there should be no problem. How did you arrive at that assumption anyway??


 

If geometry is unimportant to you......, posted on September 20, 2014 at 17:31:43
Halcroman
Audiophile

Posts: 312
Location: Sydney
Joined: February 12, 2007
 Then we have no argument...😎
Many folk wish to KNOW which geometry they have set as there are different distortion levels for each one and they occur in different zones of the playing surface...👀
Stevenson has higher distortion levels than Loefgren A....but with your method of inaccuracy, you could have perhaps 10 times the max distortion level of Loefgren A without realising it..😱
And every tonearm manufacturer designs his off-set headshell angle to suit one or other specific alignment geometry in relation to the tonearm mounting distance.
If you select a different geometry from that one.....the zenith angle of the cartridge cantilever will NOT be correct as the null points have been moved...😵 So 'twisting the cartridge within the headshell to align the new zenith is necessary.
You will also find that a significant number of cartridges do not have their cantilevers exactly parallel to the cartridge body so that twisting the cartridge body in the headshell to align the cantilever (as viewed from the front of the cartridge) is required for correct playback...👍

 

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