|
Posts: 1408
Location: Eastern
Joined: October 4, 2006
|
...because the least noise is clearly available from the conicals. The average and nasty scratchy discs will benefit from a Sapphire stylus tip, also conical. You see, it is believed an elliptical can elicit more high freq. detail, because it can trace the squiggles of the high freq grooves better, allegedly. However, size of groove and size of elliptical tip is important for each type disc, as in 1 mil wide mono Lp/45 discs' grooves vs. .7 mil wide stereo era grooves. Of course, a .7 mil wide conical or elliptical can be used to playback stereo or mono discs. But, everyone should know the actual results vary with different cartridges' styli sizes.
So, a .2 x .7 mil elliptical tip cannot be the best for playing vintage mono era discs, as it will probably exaggerate the scratches during the hi freq passages, splashing thru those tight squiggly roads, I mean grooves. A .4 x .7 elliptical will be better. But, the 1 mil wide ellipticals, available for many carts, including the Grado ME, might be best, for your clean, pre-'60s mono discs. That is, best high frequency detail eliciting; not necessarily the best sounding overall for all condition mono discs. AKAIK, most 45 RPM mono grooves stayed 1 mil wide until after the real stereo disc(stereo Lps began in 1958). However, most rock and jazz and blues and country mono 45s stayed 1 mil wide thru the mid 1960s ! So, these should be best with a 1 mil wide tip.
I most often use a .7 mil wide conical diamond tip for playing my '60s 45s. When I use a GE RPX-050 VR cart on my auto record changers, I use a 1 mil wide conical, usually a sapphire tip, for least noise on noisy/scratchy discs. That cart is forgiving of high freq. noise, as is the Recoton Goldring mono cart. The Pickering mono carts that are bakelite/plastic, which track lightly, do not like noisy discs. A GE VRII, able to track at 4 grams and playback with wider bandwidth than the 6 gram tracker GE RPX, is not as sweet, nor forgiving. So, with just a few 50 year old, able to enjoy today, carts mentioned, the cart brand, model # and type definitely has as much influence on detail vs. noise as do styli shapes and sizes. It is no easy journey, this audio bliss search.
Classic stereo carts are just as important in choice, even used as mono playback devices. Shures clearly emphasize highs more than Pickerings, in many of our experiences. The Pickerings tend to be punchier in the bass, also, which can be a good thing to mask noise on older discs.
Check out the earliest stereo elliptical cartridge offerings, like late '60s thru early '70s. If you can be sure the actual manufactured stylus was from this era, some manufacturers offered .3 x .9 elliptical tips. These .9 mil wide ellipticals might be the ticket for your detail search, using period gear for period discs...
|
to get the best sound and least noise is tough together... - Interstage Tranny 16:25:15 11/07/09
(0)
Top of Page ]
[ Contact Us ]
[ Support/Wish List ]
[ Copyright © 2009, Audio Asylum, all rights reserved ]
[ Go Green ]
[ Take5 ]