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....for example, 2 Cartridges I had owned in the past, Audio Technica OC7 had superb tuneful Bass. Dynavector 17D3 had superb coherence on voices, but that was about it, didn't like the rest of what they offered.
I very much like my Fidelity Research FR-1 mk3F, but it doesn't have the
qualities noted above, so what I'm asking is are they any cartridges that come close to having it all.
Regards,
Mike.
Follow Ups:
my current, Dynavector XX2 MkII, is the best combination of traits that I find important of all the carts I've owned. That said, no cart does it all, each has areas where they shine and others, well, not so much.
By denying scientific principles, one may maintain any paradox.
Galileo Galilei
AT ART9
Edits: 02/25/17
Since I entered my crazy period of owning and listening to 4 different turntables on two different systems, I have come to realize that there are a lot of "great" cartridges out there, but my listening goals remain the same no matter which turntable I am using at the time. Thus I am constantly and subconsciously selecting for cartridges that have the same good qualities, and I have found several that are "keepers". The only thing I've learned from this is that cost is not THE major factor in "goodness". Right now, I really love my Grace Ruby with SS re-tip (MM), my Acutex LPM320 (Induced Magnet), and a newly acquired ZYX UNIverse (MC; bought it used with low hours for low bucks). I've got an ART7 waiting in the wings, to compare to the UNI. My conclusion would be that there is a sound for each of us that has it all. That sound or a facsimile can be obtained from any of several different cartridges.
It does everything just fine for my purposes. I'm playing it in a Sota Millennia Vacuum Turntable with SME V tonearm and a Pass Labs XOno phono stage.
I'm delighted with the sound in my systems. Don't feel any need to move on.
Sim
Everyone is looking for the "goldilocks" cart.
Since it's subjective and as mentioned the synergy of components, here's my offering:
For the $1K price point, the Audio Technica ART9 presents enough of what the super carts offer.
This thread has some useful info and insight from users of pricier carts.
I agree that the ART Series is a good way to find it all for a reasonable price. If you can afford a Lyra Delos, to me, that cartridge has it all. It's the first cartridge I've owned that doesn't have me jealous of the super ridiculously expensive ones my friends can afford.... and I've done side by side comparisons.
The only cartridge I've ever had that seems to have it all is a Cello Chorale MC hand made by Takeda San in Japan.
After trying probably 10 other MM and MC's, I also use an AT130E because it also sounds good to me in my system.
Others do this and that right but that's not enough. I'd rather use a cartridge that has the best overall attributes rather than focusing on one one two things.
Yes it is. Of course, it comes down to the synergy with the rest of the equipment. An ideal cartridge has a uniform frequency response, low tip mass and high trackability which ensures that there is no emphasis to any part of the spectrum and the recovered signal is as clean and faithful as possible. Problems occur with the uniformity of the response as a result of compliance mismatch to the arm, SRA and VTA mismatches and colouration from the plinth, errors in the phono stage....
For me, a Denon DL304 comes pretty close to being as good as it gets in my system, but it's purely a matter of opinion. I specifically look for neutrality and that may not be everyone's cup of tea.
I also have an OC9 MLII. Many people on the forum hate it. I actually don't have any of the issues they experience in my system and am more than happy with the sound quality and technical performance.
What is the effective mass of your arm and what is your phono stage? Many phono stages deliberately sweeten the top end by dropping the output above 10kHz (whilst still retaining uniformity within the tolerance limits in the specification for RIAA accuracy).
Regards Anthony
"Beauty is Truth, Truth Beauty.." Keats
"What is the effective mass of your arm and what is your phono stage?
Hadcock GH242 Integra, mass is 11.5 grams, phono stage is Parks Audio Budgie Tube Phono Preamp with Budgie SUT, Cartridge Fidelity Research FR-1 mk3F.
The Dynavector 17D3 and the Audio Technica was used in an SME V.
Regards,
Mike.
Your arm mass is a very easy match for most medium compliance cartridges so I can't see any issues there. The DL304 will be usable, but the LF resonance will be at the lower end of the desirable range at ~8Hz.
The SUT (and the match to a particular cartridge) are where you are most likely to be getting the "hit and miss" performance. I don't use one for this reason and prefer a head amp instead. However, if you particularly like the SUT you have and don't want to change, then it is much harder to predict how a cartridge will behave in your system unless the person making the recommendation has used the same SUT.
Regards Anthony
"Beauty is Truth, Truth Beauty.." Keats
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