Vinyl Asylum: REVIEW: Grado Prestige Series Silver Phono Cartridge by mark111

Model:	Prestige Series Silver
Category:	Phono Cartridge
Suggested Retail Price:	$130 CDN
Description:	Phono cartridge
Manufacturer URL:	Grado
Manufacturer URL:	Grado

Review by mark111 ( A ) on June 22, 2002 at 14:49:50
IP Address: 216.195.131.179

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for the Prestige Series Silver

I bought this cartridge to replace my old stand-by PickeringXSV5000.It took a while to decide on the best replacement.The sound is actually quite similar to the Pickering(is this the "NewYork state of mind"?).
Set up with this cartridge is more finicky than with any I have used before,but it is worth the time spent.
This is a very robust and musical sounding cartridge.It has lots of bottom-end;clear,natural sounding midrange;and crisp but not bright highs with just a touch of silibance.(I know my speakers are a source of some of the silibance,so I wouldn't blame too much of that on the Grado).
I listen to a fairly wide variety of music and the Grado does justice to all of it.
It doesn't track warps as well as my old cartridge,but I haven't had any trouble with this end-of the-record problem that I've heard others mention with their Grados. Also,concerning hum.I had a little hum with the volume turned all the way up(way past sane levels),but after gently moving the cartridge wires around,even that went away.

Product Weakness: finicky set-up
Product Strengths: Powerfull,musical sound

Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier:	yamaha AX570 100wpc
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	n/a
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Thorens TD126mk111
Speakers:	cerwin-vega AT12 3way,ported
Cables/Interconnects:	monster cable
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	mixed
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner

Product Weakness:	finicky set-up
Product Strengths:	Powerfull,musical sound