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Soundsmith and Grado?

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Posted on May 11, 2012 at 08:51:53
Bromo33333
Audiophile

Posts: 1938
Location: Western NY
Joined: May 4, 2004
Contributor
  Since: January 9, 2012
 Both are moving Iron ... has anyone compared the two in similar price brackets?



"Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad"

 

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RE: Soundsmith and Grado?, posted on May 11, 2012 at 09:30:29
Mick Wolfe
Audiophile

Posts: 761
Joined: October 10, 1999
Contributor
  Since: September 4, 2000
 Sonically it's a matter of taste, but my Soundsmith SMMC 2 tracks circles around any Grado I've ever owned. The caveat here, however, is that I never even got to the Sonata price wise, so I don't know if tracking improves further up the food chain.

 

RE: Soundsmith and Grado?, posted on May 11, 2012 at 12:42:31
jnr
Reviewer

Posts: 1749
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Joined: April 5, 2000
 The Soundsmith cartridges are more light up, more alive, more detailed, and incredible trackers. The Soundsmith is more in character with the B&O or the ADC XLM cartridges.

The Grados are warmer and more organic sounding, I track playing well, and are very musical. The choice is going to be in the sound you prefer and the tonearm and preamp you're using. The Soundsmith excels in a very Low mas arm though it works quite well with any low too medium mass arm.
Beatnik's stuff http://web.me.com/jnr1/Site/Beatniks_Pictures.html

 

Have you noticed that all the acrylic-body Soundsmith carts are history?, posted on May 11, 2012 at 14:16:15
hesson11
Audiophile

Posts: 1731
Location: Florida
Joined: December 8, 2005
 Looks like only the wood-body ones remain available. I wonder why.

-Bob

 

RE: Soundsmith and Grado?, posted on May 11, 2012 at 19:34:55
vinyl survivor
Audiophile

Posts: 836
Location: Southeastern US
Joined: November 28, 2007
 Just looked at you profile and see you have the new Well-Tempered Labs Amadeus table. I was under the impression the Dynavector cartridges were a perfect match for the new Amadeus table. Any reason you are not using a Dynavector cartridge?

 

RE: Soundsmith and Grado?, posted on May 12, 2012 at 08:49:09
Mick Wolfe
Audiophile

Posts: 761
Joined: October 10, 1999
Contributor
  Since: September 4, 2000
 Well, truth be told, money. I had a nice low mileage SMMC2 on my Spacearm and buying the Amadeus stretched the budget as is was. A Dynavector will enter the picture in good time. For the record, however, the SMMC2 sounds pretty good on the Amadeus.

 

The EMT also works great in the Well Tempered. NT, posted on May 12, 2012 at 09:32:59
jnr
Reviewer

Posts: 1749
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Joined: April 5, 2000
 l
Beatnik's stuff http://web.me.com/jnr1/Site/Beatniks_Pictures.html

 

RE: The EMT also works great in the Well Tempered. NT, posted on May 12, 2012 at 12:47:12
Mick Wolfe
Audiophile

Posts: 761
Joined: October 10, 1999
Contributor
  Since: September 4, 2000
 Seems a lot of cartridges work well with this arm. As simple(and puzzling for some) as it looks, it's a pretty marvelous piece of engineering. The proof is in the listening.

 

I understand! :), posted on May 12, 2012 at 19:59:33
vinyl survivor
Audiophile

Posts: 836
Location: Southeastern US
Joined: November 28, 2007
 I would love to hear the Amadeus, but none around my neck of the woods. Glad you are enjoying it.

 

RE: I understand! :), posted on May 13, 2012 at 11:37:50
Mick Wolfe
Audiophile

Posts: 761
Joined: October 10, 1999
Contributor
  Since: September 4, 2000
 Well, I'm in Tucson and that's pretty far off most all beaten paths, but you're still welcome to stop by.........Mick

 

RE: I understand! :), posted on May 13, 2012 at 11:49:52
vinyl survivor
Audiophile

Posts: 836
Location: Southeastern US
Joined: November 28, 2007
 Thanks for the invite! Doubt I will get that way anytime soon as I am on the east coast.
Scott

 

Sonically....., posted on May 14, 2012 at 04:27:40
AnalogJ
Audiophile

Posts: 3392
Location: North Shore of Boston
Joined: March 7, 2003
 Sonically, they're at almost two opposite ends of the spectrum. The Grado midrange is spectacular, and pretty much no other company touches its quality. There is a juiciness, a reach out and touch, tactile quality you have to hear to believe. Instrumentalists and vocalists seem like they're in your room. The problem with this is it comes at a cost. Grados are not the fastest nor the most detailed at the frequency extremes. As you go up the price ladder, you'll get better at the extremes. To my ears, the Master is where you really start to get everything, but there will be other cartridges that get a little better rhythmic grip on the music.

Soundsmith cartridges, to my ears, don't get the midrange right, lacking in depth and detail. What you do get is a more overall balanced cartridge whose best quality is rhythm and transient response. To me, though, they lack heart and humanity, something Grados, even the cheapies, have in spades.

 

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