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In Reply to: RE: Vintage Record Player Question -- General Electric Trimline 500 posted by orthophonic on October 03, 2010 at 18:22:03
Even the best of the ceramic cartridges are still record chisels. As you point out, the tracking force is relatively low, but you still have to twist the ceramic element to get a sound. I wouldn't put any record on it that I did not consider trash. I know this is harsh, but I feel the original poster should know before he uses it.
Dave
Follow Ups:
Dave,I think the overwhelming bulk of piezoelectric carts. are record destroyers. However, a very small number of said carts. may be OK. Decca made a "HIFI" ceramic and check the link from Garage 'A Records out. Look at item D4. Notice the standard 1/2 inch mount and relatively low O/P of 200 mV., which suggests small elements which don't scrub the HF info. out of the groove.
FWIW, I've had the desire for quite some time to try such a cart., in a suitable arm. I would JFET buffer the "beast" at the arm base with a VERY "tall" Caddock gate to ground resistor. My seat of the pants feeling is that some capacitive roll off would be needed to prevent excessive brightness, as in not so self equalizing. ;> )
Eli D.
Edits: 10/04/10
The Decca was completly off of my radar. You idea is intriguing! If you do it please post your results. Maybe you could start a new movement in audio! I had thought that the electret, Microacoustic cartrige was in some way related to a piezo, and those cerainly were not record destroyers.
-Notice the standard 1/2 inch mount and relatively low O/P of 200 mV., which suggests small elements which don't scrub the HF info. out of the groove.
Point taken. I also noticed the one that had a tracking force of one ounce!
Dave
The majority were pretty bad but they were not all record chisels. I have records played countless
times with a 1968 Zenith Micro Touch and they still sound near mint today played with a Moving Coil. I also have some Lps that were my cousins played on an Identical GE the poster has and they don't display any damage, and she played her records alot!
There were a few other good ceramics, a Euphonics and an E/V model come to mind and of course
the Weathers and the Grado ceramic.
All of these were low output for a ceramic, under 200MV, so that is probably the secret.
The ones that I have seen to cause excess wear were all 500MV and up.
So low output is the key. I still would be reluctant to put anything valuable on the GE. I would want to hear a direct A/B with an identical fresh record before I would trust even my own ears on that. A lot of the older records I buy appear to be damaged by piezo cartridges.
Dave
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