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#1
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Thorens 125!
"Max Metral" wrote in message
So I think I bought this Thorens 125: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...ategory=32 83 After the 33/45 switching problems of my 160 and the lack of built in strobe I thought it would be good to get a 125 instead for my transcription work. Anybody have any recommendations for what I should change on this 125? Looks like it could use a new cartridge. Previously folks have recommended the Grado DJ-100 and the Audio-Technica AT-440. Same recommendations for this arm (which I don't yet know what it is)? My TD-125 (may it r.i.p) had a SME 3009II and a Sure V-15II & IV. I think I'd still prefer that combination over the Sony arm and any cartridge you've mentioned so far. |
#2
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Thorens 125!
My TD-125 (may it r.i.p) had a SME 3009II and a Sure V-15II & IV. I think
I'd still prefer that combination over the Sony arm and any cartridge you've mentioned so far. I'd suggest the V-15VxMR. For serious transcription work, though, use it with the brush/stabilizer retracted, as the brush tends to play the record and add noise to the background. You need to adjust the tracking force if you do this, of course, and you lose the damping of the low-frequency resonance, but you also lose a lot of muddle, audible during quiet passages and between cuts. For an arm, since you probably won't be changing cartridges much, go for something with a non-detachable headshell. More rigid. Peace, Paul |
#3
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Thorens 125!
"Max Metral" wrote:
So I think I bought this Thorens 125: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...ategory=32 83 After the 33/45 switching problems of my 160 and the lack of built in strobe I thought it would be good to get a 125 instead for my transcription work. Anybody have any recommendations for what I should change on this 125? Looks like it could use a new cartridge. Previously folks have recommended the Grado DJ-100 and the Audio-Technica AT-440. Same recommendations for this arm (which I don't yet know what it is)? Thanks all, and especially Scott D who always responds. --Max I thought the Stanton 681 EEE sounded pretty good on mine. |
#4
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Thorens 125!
"Max Metral" wrote in message ...
So I think I bought this Thorens 125: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...ategory=32 83 After the 33/45 switching problems of my 160 and the lack of built in strobe I thought it would be good to get a 125 instead for my transcription work. Anybody have any recommendations for what I should change on this 125? Looks like it could use a new cartridge. Previously folks have recommended the Grado DJ-100 and the Audio-Technica AT-440. Same recommendations for this arm (which I don't yet know what it is)? Thanks all, and especially Scott D who always responds. --Max Are you sure you have this ?It sez "reseve not met". Steve Lane |
#5
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Thorens 125!
i love the grado sound, and once you get into the wood body ones, the highs,
while "relaxed" compared to some cartridges, are certainly there and pleasant. It's a sound though, very much like a cartdige I hate ; The Blue Point Special is a sound. If i were doing transcription work for 33's I'd also probably reccomend the shure because it's such a good tracker and fairly neutral. The AT is good too. I have never found the stanton to be as good as either the AT or the shure to my ears. P h i l i p ______________________________ "I'm too ****ing busy and vice-versa" - Dorothy Parker |
#6
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Thorens 125!
Fill X wrote:
i love the grado sound, and once you get into the wood body ones, the highs, while "relaxed" compared to some cartridges, are certainly there and pleasant. A lot of people who don't like the "Grado sound" don't like it because all they have heard are Grados that are close tooscillating out of control. The Grados on the wrong arm will sound just godawful. The DJ-100 is a bit less touchy than most but still very touchy. It's a sound though, very much like a cartdige I hate ; The Blue Point Special is a sound. The Blue Point is very, very dry and very etched on the top end. When it was a $99 cartridge that could easily be modified for a cleaner top end, it was a great deal and I'd recommend it for a lot of work. Now that it costs a bloody fortune and the body has been altered to make 'nuding' it more difficult, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. If i were doing transcription work for 33's I'd also probably reccomend the shure because it's such a good tracker and fairly neutral. The AT is good too. The V-15VMR is a great cartridge, but because it's a fineline stylus it needs to be on an arm with adjustable VTA. It tracks amazingly well, though. The AT 440 tracks as well as the V-15, with a little harsher top end, for a lot less money. It's a great deal for a cartridge that does very well on old worn records. It also is a fineline, so it also needs an arm with adjustable VTA. I have never found the stanton to be as good as either the AT or the shure to my ears. The Stantons have very poor top end response and really lousy separation. They don't track worn records very well. However, they have a huge variety of weird styli available for them, and so they are a great choice for working with 78s where the separation is a non-issue. --scott -- "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." |
#7
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Thorens 125!
On Thu, 31 Jul 2003 08:59:12 -0700, James Boyk
wrote: I don't know the arm in the picture--is it an Audio-Technica?--but it looks quite high-mass. You may find that only a moving-coil cartridge has low enough compliance to put the resonant freq. in the right range. Sony PUA-237. Comparable to its contemporary SME 3009. Medium to medium-low mass. I can look it up tonight. Kal |
#8
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Thorens 125!
hey, scott and I agree. I must be learning something!
Fill X wrote: i love the grado sound, and once you get into the wood body ones, the highs, while "relaxed" compared to some cartridges, are certainly there and pleasant. A lot of people who don't like the "Grado sound" don't like it because all they have heard are Grados that are close tooscillating out of control. The Grados on the wrong arm will sound just godawful. The DJ-100 is a bit less touchy than most but still very touchy. It's a sound though, very much like a cartdige I hate ; The Blue Point Special is a sound. The Blue Point is very, very dry and very etched on the top end. When it was a $99 cartridge that could easily be modified for a cleaner top end, it was a great deal and I'd recommend it for a lot of work. Now that it costs a bloody fortune and the body has been altered to make 'nuding' it more difficult, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. If i were doing transcription work for 33's I'd also probably reccomend the shure because it's such a good tracker and fairly neutral. The AT is good too. The V-15VMR is a great cartridge, but because it's a fineline stylus it needs to be on an arm with adjustable VTA. It tracks amazingly well, though. The AT 440 tracks as well as the V-15, with a little harsher top end, for a lot less money. It's a great deal for a cartridge that does very well on old worn records. It also is a fineline, so it also needs an arm with adjustable VTA. I have never found the stanton to be as good as either the AT or the shure to my ears. The Stantons have very poor top end response and really lousy separation. They don't track worn records very well. However, they have a huge variety of weird styli available for them, and so they are a great choice for working with 78s where the separation is a non-issue. --scott P h i l i p ______________________________ "I'm too ****ing busy and vice-versa" - Dorothy Parker |
#9
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Thorens 125!
The Hi fi news review test record has a number of good anti-skating and arm
resonance tests, as well as tones in and out of phase etc. It's the best of the currently available ones, I think. P h i l i p ______________________________ "I'm too ****ing busy and vice-versa" - Dorothy Parker |
#10
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Thorens 125!
On Thu, 31 Jul 2003 18:13:44 GMT, Techmeister
wrote: UGH! NEVER use the Stanton on any critical disk. I have mastered for years, back to learning at Bob Ludwig's side in NY. The Stanton is a DJ cartridge, way too stiff. If it cannot track a passage, it literally REGROOVES it! Are you kidding? Perhaps other Stanton's are DJ cartidges but the 681EEE is decidedly not! It is a high quality, high compliance pickup. I trashed a number of test pressing with one before I realized how bad it was. Again, another model or defective. Kal |
#11
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Thorens 125!
While the Stanton 681EEE is not nearly as brutal on a record as the 680EL &
etc., it's still a dreadful sounding cartridge, to my ears, at least. Top end is not even remotely close to as smooth & detailed as the Shure, and overall very unmusical. I'll take a well used V15-II over the Stanton. And I have heard the best & worst Grados on very properly setup & appropiate arms, and I still think they suck. -- Stephen Sank, Owner & Ribbon Mic Restorer Talking Dog Transducer Company http://stephensank.com 5517 Carmelita Drive N.E. Albuquerque, New Mexico [87111] 505-332-0336 Auth. Nakamichi & McIntosh servicer Payments preferred through Paypal.com "Kalman Rubinson" wrote in message ... On Thu, 31 Jul 2003 18:13:44 GMT, Techmeister wrote: UGH! NEVER use the Stanton on any critical disk. I have mastered for years, back to learning at Bob Ludwig's side in NY. The Stanton is a DJ cartridge, way too stiff. If it cannot track a passage, it literally REGROOVES it! Are you kidding? Perhaps other Stanton's are DJ cartidges but the 681EEE is decidedly not! It is a high quality, high compliance pickup. I trashed a number of test pressing with one before I realized how bad it was. Again, another model or defective. Kal |
#12
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Thorens 125!
Yeah, it is spec'd as a regular cartridge but they don't track worth a damn. the
spec may say high compliance, but i have heard them shred grooves more than once. Trust me, I have only been doing this since 1969. You will not find ANY MAstering Engineer that has used these for decades. Listen to a Grado or an AKG or similar cartridge, you will NEVER use a Stanton again. In article , Kalman Rubinson wrote: On Thu, 31 Jul 2003 18:13:44 GMT, Techmeister wrote: UGH! NEVER use the Stanton on any critical disk. I have mastered for years, back to learning at Bob Ludwig's side in NY. The Stanton is a DJ cartridge, way too stiff. If it cannot track a passage, it literally REGROOVES it! Are you kidding? Perhaps other Stanton's are DJ cartidges but the 681EEE is decidedly not! It is a high quality, high compliance pickup. I trashed a number of test pressing with one before I realized how bad it was. Again, another model or defective. Kal -- David 'db' Butler, Consultant Acoustics by db "...all the rest are just brokers" now on the web at http://www.db-engineering.com Boston, Mass Phone 617 969-0585 Fax 617 964-1590 |
#13
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Thorens 125!
Well, we agree on the Stantons. I am surprised to see you have such a bad impression
of the Grado, given that you like the Shure. have you ever heard any of the AKG cartridges ? David In article , "Stephen Sank" wrote: While the Stanton 681EEE is not nearly as brutal on a record as the 680EL & etc., it's still a dreadful sounding cartridge, to my ears, at least. Top end is not even remotely close to as smooth & detailed as the Shure, and overall very unmusical. I'll take a well used V15-II over the Stanton. And I have heard the best & worst Grados on very properly setup & appropiate arms, and I still think they suck. -- Stephen Sank, Owner & Ribbon Mic Restorer Talking Dog Transducer Company http://stephensank.com 5517 Carmelita Drive N.E. Albuquerque, New Mexico [87111] 505-332-0336 Auth. Nakamichi & McIntosh servicer Payments preferred through Paypal.com "Kalman Rubinson" wrote in message ... On Thu, 31 Jul 2003 18:13:44 GMT, Techmeister wrote: UGH! NEVER use the Stanton on any critical disk. I have mastered for years, back to learning at Bob Ludwig's side in NY. The Stanton is a DJ cartridge, way too stiff. If it cannot track a passage, it literally REGROOVES it! Are you kidding? Perhaps other Stanton's are DJ cartidges but the 681EEE is decidedly not! It is a high quality, high compliance pickup. I trashed a number of test pressing with one before I realized how bad it was. Again, another model or defective. Kal -- David 'db' Butler, Consultant Acoustics by db "...all the rest are just brokers" now on the web at http://www.db-engineering.com Boston, Mass Phone 617 969-0585 Fax 617 964-1590 |
#14
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Thorens 125!
Looked up the manual for the Sony PUA-237. Unfortunately, Sony only
quotes vertical and lateral resonances (9, 11Hz, respectively) with their own VC-8E cartridge and I do not know mass/compliance for that one. Kal |
#15
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Thorens 125!
No, I've never listened to an AKG cart. I think I have an old one around
here, maybe a model 520, or that's the number that comes to mind. -- Stephen Sank, Owner & Ribbon Mic Restorer Talking Dog Transducer Company http://stephensank.com 5517 Carmelita Drive N.E. Albuquerque, New Mexico [87111] 505-332-0336 Auth. Nakamichi & McIntosh servicer Payments preferred through Paypal.com "Techmeister" wrote in message ... Well, we agree on the Stantons. I am surprised to see you have such a bad impression of the Grado, given that you like the Shure. have you ever heard any of the AKG cartridges ? David In article , "Stephen Sank" wrote: While the Stanton 681EEE is not nearly as brutal on a record as the 680EL & etc., it's still a dreadful sounding cartridge, to my ears, at least. Top end is not even remotely close to as smooth & detailed as the Shure, and overall very unmusical. I'll take a well used V15-II over the Stanton. And I have heard the best & worst Grados on very properly setup & appropiate arms, and I still think they suck. -- Stephen Sank, Owner & Ribbon Mic Restorer Talking Dog Transducer Company http://stephensank.com 5517 Carmelita Drive N.E. Albuquerque, New Mexico [87111] 505-332-0336 Auth. Nakamichi & McIntosh servicer Payments preferred through Paypal.com "Kalman Rubinson" wrote in message ... On Thu, 31 Jul 2003 18:13:44 GMT, Techmeister wrote: UGH! NEVER use the Stanton on any critical disk. I have mastered for years, back to learning at Bob Ludwig's side in NY. The Stanton is a DJ cartridge, way too stiff. If it cannot track a passage, it literally REGROOVES it! Are you kidding? Perhaps other Stanton's are DJ cartidges but the 681EEE is decidedly not! It is a high quality, high compliance pickup. I trashed a number of test pressing with one before I realized how bad it was. Again, another model or defective. Kal -- David 'db' Butler, Consultant Acoustics by db "...all the rest are just brokers" now on the web at http://www.db-engineering.com Boston, Mass Phone 617 969-0585 Fax 617 964-1590 |
#16
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Thorens 125!
Techmeister wrote:
Trust me, I have only been doing this since 1969. You will not find ANY MAstering Engineer that has used these for decades. Actually, I have one rigged on the arm on my lathe, because I consider it a good way to judge trackability. If it'll play on a 681, it'll play on typical consumer gear. I know other folks who use M44s for the same thing, and one guy who had some horrible ceramic jukebox thing. Listen to a Grado or an AKG or similar cartridge, you will NEVER use a Stanton again. Unfortunately there are very limited 78 styli for these. When you want a 3.8 mil, or a ball stylus, or you need to play a stamper, the 681EEE is sometimes the only thing you can get a stylus for. --scott -- "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." |
#17
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Thorens 125!
Techmeister wrote: ...You will not find ANY MAstering Engineer that has
used these for decades. I've known cutting engineers use them as a reference for tracking ability; meaning, not that they have the best ability, but that their ability is what one can expect to find in the hands of consumers. If the test pressing can't be tracked by a 681EEE, they recut. (One has to have *some* reference. We can't assume everyone has a V15-V/MR. But if they did, wouldn't it be nice: you could up the cutting level by several dB! The cutting engineer's estimate of the tracking ability of the customer's cartridge defines, as I understand it, the upper end of the dynamic level. By the way, at least *some* records can't be tracked because they're mis-cut. I remember a detailed paper put out by Ortofon showing grooves that went backwards in a famous audiophile Lp. Yes, I know this is "impossible"; but it happened. Listen to a Grado or an AKG or similar cartridge, you will NEVER use a Stanton again. Any Stanton? No one mentions the 881S, which is a superb cartridge. I've heard one playing back a "blown" lacquer in a direct-disk session moments after I heard the live feed. We were goggle-eyed at how close the reproduction was to the mike feed! James Boyk |
#18
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Thorens 125!
James Boyk wrote:
By the way, at least *some* records can't be tracked because they're mis-cut. I remember a detailed paper put out by Ortofon showing grooves that went backwards in a famous audiophile Lp. Yes, I know this is "impossible"; but it happened. It's possible and it's caused by the stylus moving in some plane other than the one along the radius of the disc. This can be because the azimuth of the cutting head isn't correct, or if the cutting head has some parasitic forward-back movement due to being badly worn out. Any Stanton? No one mentions the 881S, which is a superb cartridge. I've heard one playing back a "blown" lacquer in a direct-disk session moments after I heard the live feed. We were goggle-eyed at how close the reproduction was to the mike feed! You know, I have never used the 881. But for that price, you can get an entry-level moving coil. --scott -- "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." |
#19
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Thorens 125!
Scott Dorsey wrote:...I have never used the 881. But for that price,
you can get an entry-level moving coil. Well, in theory there can't be any inherent superiority of moving-coils; for that would violate Special Relativity. Presumably the idea about their being better was due to two things: lower effective tip mass and greater integrity of the geometrical relationship between coil and magnet, due to the stylus assembly being integral to the cartridge. But modern moving-magnet types can have very low tip masses--whether as low as the lowest moving coils, I don't know--and at least some m-c units have replaceable styli. But, I confess, I've never been a big customer of the moving-coil hype. Historically, so few of them have been tonally neutral; whereas when you have a really fine m-m unit and have terminated it carefully, you can get extreme neutrality. I'm sure that m-c's exist that are superlative; and it wouldn't surprise me if the world's best cartridge were a moving-coil----but I haven't heard it. Of course, as "everybody" "knows," the Lp was such a faulty medium that one should pay no attention to it. The mere fact that it's the finest medium yet devised for capturing and archiving musical sound MUST not sway our judgment! James Boyk |
#21
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Thorens 125!
Chris Hornbeck wrote:
the Denon DL-160.... Perceived surface noise is lower than any Shure or Stanton. This has to do w/ stylus profile, or what? (I hope it's not from rolloff of frequency response!) James Boyk |
#22
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Thorens 125!
Techmeister wrote:
Trust me Why? -- hank alrich * secret mountain audio recording * music production * sound reinforcement "If laughter is the best medicine let's take a double dose" |
#23
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Thorens 125!
But, I confess, I've never been a big customer of the moving-coil hype.
Historically, so few of them have been tonally neutral; whereas when you have a really fine m-m unit and have terminated it carefully, you can get extreme neutrality. well, once you get into the high end MC's you can get a lot of detail, maybe it's hyped maybe it's not. Something like a Koetsu tends a certain kind of romantic sound on purpose. I find it appealing but I don;t know if I'd call it neutral. My Lyra Helikon SL, on the other hand, is pretty strong in my system in all respects. It doesnt track as well as a new v15 but it has a lot more detail without sounding overly puffed up in any one frequency range. Turntables are all about syncronicity between table, arm cartridge and phono stage so I think a lot of our experiences don't translate. P h i l i p ______________________________ "I'm too ****ing busy and vice-versa" - Dorothy Parker |
#24
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Thorens 125!
"Max Metral" wrote in message ...
So I think I bought this Thorens 125: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...ategory=32 83 After the 33/45 switching problems of my 160 and the lack of built in strobe I thought it would be good to get a 125 instead for my transcription work. Anybody have any recommendations for what I should change on this 125? Looks like it could use a new cartridge. Previously folks have recommended the Grado DJ-100 and the Audio-Technica AT-440. Same recommendations for this arm (which I don't yet know what it is)? Thanks all, and especially Scott D who always responds. --Max The stock arm on the 125 is best suited to high compliance carts, so the Grados are not the best choice. I'd be inclined to try some of the 'best buy' MM carts in your Thorens. A Nagoka MP-55, Rega Elys or if you can find one, a Shure Ultra 400. The Grados need a ton of tonearm so work right, so unless you have a super table with a Fidelity Research arm on it and like cheap carts, there are better things than the Grado out there. And I agree with the other posters - what is up with the Blue Point? It used to be a good cheap cart. Now over $200? That puts it in range of a Signet OC9. -Skunkie |
#25
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Thorens 125!
Sorry; I can't understand what you're saying. What reason are you
putting forward for the lower subjective surface noise? Or are you simply presenting it as an observation? The tip-mass resonance of the Stanton 881S, if I remember correctly, is above 20kHz, by the way. Remember Special Relativity, folks: if there's a difference between m-c and m-m -- and there may be -- it's *not* inherent! James Boyk |
#26
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Thorens 125!
On Thu, 31 Jul 2003 22:16:24 -0700, James Boyk
wrote: Sorry; I can't understand what you're saying. What reason are you putting forward for the lower subjective surface noise? Or are you simply presenting it as an observation? Yes. I'd have to know a lot more about the subject than I do to make any causal connection. That way lies madness. Remember Special Relativity, folks: if there's a difference between m-c and m-m -- and there may be -- it's *not* inherent! Sure it is. So-called "moving magnet" generators aren't. They're variable reluctance, which is only very approximately linear. Wonder why you never see any other transducers made that way, that's why. They're also a large inductive source impedance; not a fatal flaw, but not ideal. Flat frequency response must be approximated by balancing the rolloff from the inductive source with the low-Q resonance of the source L and load C and R. In contrast, dynamic ("moving coil") generators have a low flat-ish source impedance that doesn't interact with loading or add another resonance. BTW, this second difference can be removed by loading the higher Z cartridge with a suitably low resistive load. Usually a value on the coupla-K ohm range will provide the RIAA 75uS pole. Removes a *lot* of the generic differences, but not all. Chris Hornbeck, guyville{at}aristotle{dot}net question Authority |
#27
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Thorens 125!
James Boyk wrote: Sorry; I can't understand what you're saying. What
reason are you putting forward for the lower subjective surface noise? Or are you simply presenting it as an observation? Chris Hornbeck wrote: Yes. I'd have to know a lot more about the subject than I do to make any causal connection. That way lies madness. Gosh, you seemed to put it forth as an absolute truth; now it's down-rated to... what? An observation about one particular m-c cartridge? Remember Special Relativity, folks: if there's a difference between m-c and m-m -- and there may be -- it's *not* inherent! Sure it is. An inherent difference between "coil stationary and magnet moving" and "magnet stationary and coil moving" would violate Special Relativity. Are you really asserting that all m-m units are variable reluctance? James Boyk |
#28
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Thorens 125!
"Chris Hornbeck" wrote in message
On Thu, 31 Jul 2003 22:16:24 -0700, James Boyk wrote: Sorry; I can't understand what you're saying. What reason are you putting forward for the lower subjective surface noise? Or are you simply presenting it as an observation? Yes. I'd have to know a lot more about the subject than I do to make any causal connection. Lower LP surface noise absent some kind of high frequency dip or rolloff generally comes from smooth, balanced response (ideally both, since smooth but tipped-up is a possiblity and not good) and a stylus that stays out of the dirty and damaged parts of the groove, and/or does a better job of averaging the groove wall vertically, and/or does a better job of effectively smoothing out the groove wall. The benefits of smoothing and averaging the walls of the groove were demonstrated by the ELP laser pickup. It did neither, and is often recommended without digital noise reduction following it. |
#29
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Thorens 125!
Chris Hornbeck wrote:
One working theory is that the lower the effective tip mass, the higher the frequency of the tip mass/ vinyl compliance resonance. A good nude-mounted diamond and low-mass cantilever, even with the effective vinyl compliance associated with an elliptical stylus, can have a resonant frequency above 20KHz. Cantilever resonances can occur as low as the audible range, but not in any cartridges we're discussing. So frequency response is pretty flat. Can't hurt. Line contact styli push the e.t.m./v.c. resonant frequency up as much as an octave, which should be even better. What gives? Linearity, maybe. Lower distortion may allow the listener to mentally separate noise and signal. Line contact styli are a huge win for me for transcription work, because they track worn records much better than styli with more contact area. So measured distortion on a square wave test may be higher, but the actual distortion on a typical pressing is lower because of the reduced tracking error. An interesting topic, but I hesitate to extrapolate too far from personal experience. Probably best just to try one; they're common and cheap enough. I have not tried any of the current Denons at all. I probably should. --scott -- "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." |
#30
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Thorens 125!
On Fri, 1 Aug 2003 09:28:22 -0400, "Arny Krueger"
wrote: The benefits of smoothing and averaging the walls of the groove were demonstrated by the ELP laser pickup. It did neither, and is often recommended without digital noise reduction following it. I've also heard that the most difficult part of bringing one to market was the noise reduction *built into* the player. Cleanliness at this level is really, really close to Godliness. For discussion: the walls of the groove may not actually contain the right information. Cutting and conventional playing both involve large plastic deformations, implying that information is stored in a more distributed way deeper into the media. Sounds fuzzy, I know, but it ties into ideas of long-term memory in the media, easily observable, and the bumblebee impossibility of the whole enterprise. Chris Hornbeck, guyville{at}aristotle{dot}net question Authority |
#31
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Thorens 125!
Chris Hornbeck wrote:
On Fri, 1 Aug 2003 09:28:22 -0400, "Arny Krueger" wrote: The benefits of smoothing and averaging the walls of the groove were demonstrated by the ELP laser pickup. It did neither, and is often recommended without digital noise reduction following it. I've also heard that the most difficult part of bringing one to market was the noise reduction *built into* the player. Cleanliness at this level is really, really close to Godliness. For discussion: the walls of the groove may not actually contain the right information. Cutting and conventional playing both involve large plastic deformations, implying that information is stored in a more distributed way deeper into the media. That's both the good thing and the bad thing about the Finial. With the laser, even if the groove is totally hacked to hell, if you can find even a small section that is intact you can get a good clean playback out of it. On the other hand, it does not track the groove in the same way that a stylus does, so in some ways the distortion due to tracking errors is higher and difficult to model. Sounds fuzzy, I know, but it ties into ideas of long-term memory in the media, easily observable, and the bumblebee impossibility of the whole enterprise. It's basically a matter of whether you want an object to measure the whole groove or a part of the groove, or just a few parts of the groove. The Finial is a nice machine to have in the arsenal, just as it's nice to have both elliptical and fineline cartridges. --scott -- "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." |
#32
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Thorens 125!
"Chris Hornbeck" wrote in message
On Fri, 1 Aug 2003 09:28:22 -0400, "Arny Krueger" wrote: The benefits of smoothing and averaging the walls of the groove were demonstrated by the ELP laser pickup. It did neither, and is often recommended without digital noise reduction following it. I've also heard that the most difficult part of bringing one to market was the noise reduction *built into* the player. I don't believe there was any NR built into the player. At one point they sold it packaged with well-known NR software, which one has slipped my mind. http://www.elpj.com currently seems to say nothing. Perhaps including the software was too much of a frank admission. At other times it was sold with a well-known record cleaning machine. Cleanliness at this level is really, really close to Godliness. I don't think man can get LPs that clean! ;-) For discussion: the walls of the groove may not actually contain the right information. Cutting and conventional playing both involve large plastic deformations, implying that information is stored in a more distributed way deeper into the media. I think that this is accepted as fact. Sounds fuzzy, I know, but it ties into ideas of long-term memory in the media, easily observable, and the bumblebee impossibility of the whole enterprise. Vinyl is a legacy format, pure and simple. We have something much better now for the purpose. There is still unique music that is trapped in vinyl, available no other way until transcribed. |
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Thorens 125!
WHERE do you come up with this ridiculous statement?
Special Relativity is irrelevant to this discussion. Did you actually PASS Physics 101 ?? This is NEWTONIAN physics here, DUH! Special Relativity my BUTT! The mechanics are drastically different between the two systems, hence there are certain "inherent" differences. in theory, each COULD be overcome. It just happens no-one ever has. the AKG was a good example of a MM that sounds much like a MC but lacks some of the resonance flaws. i refer to the P8e and later models. Not sure if they even make them any more... db An inherent difference between "coil stationary and magnet moving" and "magnet stationary and coil moving" would violate Special Relativity. Are you really asserting that all m-m units are variable reluctance? James Boyk -- David 'db' Butler, Consultant Acoustics by db "...all the rest are just brokers" now on the web at http://www.db-engineering.com Boston, Mass Phone 617 969-0585 Fax 617 964-1590 |
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Thorens 125!
Always found Denon ANYTHING kind of irritating and harsh on the top, FWIW
An interesting topic, but I hesitate to extrapolate too far from personal experience. Probably best just to try one; they're common and cheap enough. I have not tried any of the current Denons at all. I probably should. --scott -- David 'db' Butler, Consultant Acoustics by db "...all the rest are just brokers" now on the web at http://www.db-engineering.com Boston, Mass Phone 617 969-0585 Fax 617 964-1590 |
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Thorens 125!
No, I mean the high end P8-* series, VERY high-res, sound like moving coils but
aren't and don't ring. How about Ortofon ?? David No, I've never listened to an AKG cart. I think I have an old one around here, maybe a model 520, or that's the number that comes to mind. -- Stephen Sank, Owner & Ribbon Mic Restorer Talking Dog Transducer Company http://stephensank.com 5517 Carmelita Drive N.E. Albuquerque, New Mexico [87111] 505-332-0336 Auth. Nakamichi & McIntosh servicer Payments preferred through Paypal.com "Techmeister" wrote in message ... Well, we agree on the Stantons. I am surprised to see you have such a bad impression of the Grado, given that you like the Shure. have you ever heard any of the AKG cartridges ? David In article , "Stephen Sank" wrote: While the Stanton 681EEE is not nearly as brutal on a record as the 680EL & etc., it's still a dreadful sounding cartridge, to my ears, at least. Top end is not even remotely close to as smooth & detailed as the Shure, and overall very unmusical. I'll take a well used V15-II over the Stanton. And I have heard the best & worst Grados on very properly setup & appropiate arms, and I still think they suck. -- Stephen Sank, Owner & Ribbon Mic Restorer Talking Dog Transducer Company http://stephensank.com -- David 'db' Butler, Consultant Acoustics by db "...all the rest are just brokers" now on the web at http://www.db-engineering.com Boston, Mass Phone 617 969-0585 Fax 617 964-1590 |
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Thorens 125!
Techmeister wrote: Always found Denon ANYTHING kind of irritating and harsh on the top, FWIW Well I disagree. I have a Denon cassette deck which sounds great for recording and playback. I have had good luck with Denon cassettes (though I don't know who actually made them). And I have used the Denon high output moving coil cartridges and was please with the tonal balance. -Rob An interesting topic, but I hesitate to extrapolate too far from personal experience. Probably best just to try one; they're common and cheap enough. I have not tried any of the current Denons at all. I probably should. --scott |
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Thorens 125!
Techmeister wrote:
what lathe and cutter? I'm running an ancient Scully with a Westrex head. RCA amps, with the 7027 output tubes replaced with Sovtek 5881WXGTs for a bit more headroom. You never told me you were a vinyl junky ? So, send the ten bucks and get the RAP LP, which was cut in my back bedroom. A 681, shades of 1975, dude! Sadly, a lot of the DJs out there are using things far worse than the 681, and if you're cutting for that market (and most vinyl IS being cut for that market), you need to make sure they can play the stuff. The RAP LP has one cut that cannot be played on a 681 without breakup. --scott -- "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." |
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Thorens 125!
Line contact styli are a huge win for me for transcription work, because
they track worn records much better than styli with more contact area. So measured distortion on a square wave test may be higher, but the actual distortion on a typical pressing is lower because of the reduced tracking error. this is why I like the lyra cartridges. I have not tried any of the current Denons at all. I probably should. --scott They are pretty nice and the 103 is a bargain. P h i l i p ______________________________ "I'm too ****ing busy and vice-versa" - Dorothy Parker |
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Thorens 125!
Chris Hornbeck wrote:
An inherent difference between "coil stationary and magnet moving" and "magnet stationary and coil moving" would violate Special Relativity. I'm guessing you really mean Maxwell here, but I get your point. No, I mean what I said. Special Relativity says that there's no fixed frame of reference, which is what would be required for m-c to differ from m-m. I just don't agree that it's applicable. Do you remember the Lirpa cartridge that was a little car riding around on a fixed record? Works the same, but not the best engineering choice. Right. That's what I'm saying. It's a matter of engineering details, not of fundamental principle. In terms of fundamentals, there can be no difference between the two types. Are you really asserting that all m-m units are variable reluctance? Yes. And will be until magnets can be made lighter than coils. I'd love to see a citation on this. James Boyk |
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Thorens 125!
Techmeister wrote:
Special Relativity is irrelevant to this discussion. Did you actually PASS Physics 101 ?? Special Relativity says, among other things, that there's no absolute frame of reference, and therefore in this very specific case, there's no inherent difference between m-c and m-m. In both case, the coil and magnetic field move relative to each other. In neither case is either of them Absolutely Stationary. By the way, for what it's worth, when I first realized this simple truth, I did check it with a Caltech colleague who's a physics professor in the field of theoretical particle physics, and he confirmed my view of the matter. Admittedly, it's a little unusual to invoke Special Relativity in what appears to be an everyday situation; but in fact it's necessary. James Boyk |
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