Ca audiofil, ajungi inevitabil la vinil ?

Analogic, digital, sisteme audio, casti, revelatii si review-uri
porto
Posts: 416
Joined: 08 Nov 2008, 04:47
Location: Montreal

Re: Ca audiofil, ajungi inevitabil la vinil ?

Post by porto »

De cand am facut modificarea " minune" , cu nimic, dar se vor ivi ocazii ca " are balta peste" adica mereu Cristi tipul la care am auzit cele doua Heatkit-uri cu Tannoy Red are mereu cate o tabla abia adusa. In curand pe ecrane numai ca e mai greutz sa transporti table nu mai ptr comparatii. El sta la 25 km de mine pe o directie cu un trafic nebun.
Stati sa vina vreme mai buna adica primavara si va fi mai usor de comparat.

User avatar
momolo
Moderator
Posts: 15650
Joined: 02 Oct 2008, 10:11
Location: Bucuresti

Re: Ca audiofil, ajungi inevitabil la vinil ?

Post by momolo »

Ai dreptate ca e greu sa te cari cu pickpul si de pe un raft pe altul daramite prin oras cu masina.

Ce am observat experimental (deoarece prefer asa, nu dau doua parale cu comentariile netului), fiecare pickup are soundul lui al naibii sa fie, orice doza si cabluri i-ai baga. Si cel mai important tot pickpul ramane din toata ecuatia. Pe vremuri credeam ("logic" precum trancotarii) ca doza si sarmele cu preul conteaza cel mai mult. Dar nu e asa, tabla conteaza a naibii. De aia cei care stiu cu ce se mananca spun, "Am ascultat pickupul X sau Y". Am ajuns la concluzia ca poti face comparatii A/B chiar si cu doze diferite si daca e unul considerabil mai bun te prinzi indata chiar daca are doza cea mai slaba.

E arta curata cu turntable astea. Ce-mi place mie e ca degeaba ai bani multi daca nu ai si ceva in tartacutza cand vine vorba de pickup. Si ceva-ul se castiga al naibii de greu in timp indelungat.....
Prostu' invata pe pielea lui, desteptu' pe-a altuia.

porto
Posts: 416
Joined: 08 Nov 2008, 04:47
Location: Montreal

Re: Ca audiofil, ajungi inevitabil la vinil ?

Post by porto »

O super oportunitate de a avea un cartus super bun( unul din cele mai bune cartuse MM) la pret de o fractiune fata de un MC la aceiasi calitate. Pe audiogon.com se discuta de acest cartus in draci de vreo cateva luni dupa ce a fost descoperit de cativa din userii cu greutate in domeniul cartuselor MM

http://www.audio-extasa.eu/signet-tk7e- ... p-957.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Aici puteti citi f multe de acest cartus

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl ... 635&4#3635" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

de fapt puteti citi de acest cartus mult mai in urma pe aceasta discutie si chiar aici

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl ... up&13&4#13" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; si mai jos

Si e bine ca inca se mai gasesc ace originale ptr acest cartus.

porto
Posts: 416
Joined: 08 Nov 2008, 04:47
Location: Montreal

Re: Ca audiofil, ajungi inevitabil la vinil ?

Post by porto »

Am marit greutatea la 78g si basul este mai profund si mult mai detaliat.
Nu cred ca vreau sa pun mai multa greutate deoarece se va creea un dezechilibru in forta de apasare a idlerului si va stresa platanul si implicit rulmentul tablei ceea ce nu doresc.
Ce am mai observat ca imi vine sa dau sunetul mai tare ca inainte adica chiar la volume mai mari nu ma supara la ureche chiar cu boxele B&W DM3 care dupa parerea mea sunt un tip de boxe mai tzipate dar in sensul rau si nu prea au bas.
cert ca basul e mai "taiat" daca ma pot exprima asa adica e mult mai precis.
Totusi cum va explicati senzatia de a da mai tare? Inclin sa cred ca e spre bine dar vreu si alte pareri daca se poate .
Multumesc !

Romi

User avatar
momolo
Moderator
Posts: 15650
Joined: 02 Oct 2008, 10:11
Location: Bucuresti

Re: Ca audiofil, ajungi inevitabil la vinil ?

Post by momolo »

De obicei cand te apuca cheful sa dai mai tare inseamna ca-ti place cum suna si daca dai mai tare (fara sa te deranjeze) inseamna ca se aude cu un nivel de distorsiuni mai mic.

Intradevar, la pickup orice mica modificare ii faci se aude in sunet. Interesanta ideea de a folosi forta gravitationala in loc de arc.

In cazul arcului o imbunatatire ar fi fost daca puteai intinde mai mult sau mai putin arcul cu un surub.
Prostu' invata pe pielea lui, desteptu' pe-a altuia.

porto
Posts: 416
Joined: 08 Nov 2008, 04:47
Location: Montreal

Re: Ca audiofil, ajungi inevitabil la vinil ?

Post by porto »

Partea mai nasoala e ca atunci cand am modificat greutatea la 78g si imi venea sa dau mai tare am avut impresia ca o parte din inalte s-au mai estompat si dupa aia am umblat la brat.
Mare prostieeee! :x
Am pierdut spotul cel bun !
Si acum iar si iar cu reglajele ma ocup. Acum ma lupt din nou sa gasesc spotul. Ptr ca vreau sa spun ca extrem de rapid la o tabla reglata se pierde echilibrul mai ales daca bratul pe care il ai are reglaje de tot neamu' dar nu sunt tocmai lesnicioase.
La mine inainte puteam sa reglez forta de apasare al idlerului deoarece inlocuisem arculetul cu elastice fine puse in 4 si cand vreiam sa maresc forta de apasare mai dadeam o tura sau mai mult elasticul dupa cuiul de la care plecau spre idler dar nu au avut niciodata rezultatul cu f gravitationala si asta cred deoarece arculetul sau elasicul nu facea un contact care sa nu aiba "joc" la nivel micro adica mereu cred era un fel de intarziere in am face contactul bun cu idlerul.
Acum datorita faptului ca ata aproape are elongatie inexistenta se tine contactul mult mai "aproape" adica orice mica mica abatere a axului motorului este preluata extrem de rapid de mecanismul facut aproape fara pierdere de trasmisie.
Dar eu acum am alte treburi....sa reglez prostia :roll: ce am facut.
Si totusi de ce parca disparusera o parte din inalte ?

User avatar
momolo
Moderator
Posts: 15650
Joined: 02 Oct 2008, 10:11
Location: Bucuresti

Re: Ca audiofil, ajungi inevitabil la vinil ?

Post by momolo »

porto wrote:Si totusi de ce parca disparusera o parte din inalte ?
poate fi similar nu cu pierderea inaltelor ci cu castigul joaselor, rezultanta fiind un alt echilibru tonal general.

Stiu pe cineva care regleaza bratul dupa ureche. Trage in toate partile de reglaje afland care e directia buna pana suna bine si reuseste foarte bine. Dar ia timp mult, zile. Eu reglez combinat, incep cu masuratorile si apoi trec la aceeasi metoda "urechistica". Intotdeauna mi se dovedeste ca reglajele facute cu scule dedicate nu sunt cele mai absolut perfect, adica la ureche mai mut/stramb ceva pana iese vrajeala din pickup.
Prostu' invata pe pielea lui, desteptu' pe-a altuia.

porto
Posts: 416
Joined: 08 Nov 2008, 04:47
Location: Montreal

Re: Ca audiofil, ajungi inevitabil la vinil ?

Post by porto »

E jale fratilor !, am nimerit-o iar "urecheste" :mrgreen:
URRRAAA!
Ai mare dreptate cu tonalitatea. Totul e acolo dar e intr-un mod altfel decat era inainte. Ma gandesc oare cum s-ar fi auzit cu "hotaratele' de boxe ce am avut...odata ... candva :cry:
Si detaliul basului e nimicitor.....nu am avut asa ceva niciodata pana aici la mine la "casutza".
Daca nu gasesti spotul poti sa ai cartusul lui muma lu' Stefan ce Mare ca spui ca ai luat din greseala alt cartus si dai vina pe el dar de fapt orice cartus are maximul lui pe care daca nu-l cauti si nu il gasesti degeaba l-ai luat si zic altii ca-i bun ca nu vei crede. Asa s-a intamplat cu cartusul ce il am acum Grace F9 Ruby inainte de a fi la mine a fost la un pretin care plangea ca l-a luat la insistentele mele. Si eu am crezut ca are ceva in neregula sau are diamantul dus sau ceva...dupa cum imi povestea el la telefon. Dar am avut totusi "sclipirea"-cred- sa ii spun ca il i-au eu cu exaqct aceiasi bani cu cat a dat pe el si mi l-a dat. Adevarul ca el nu e un ..." handymann" ca mine ( nu ca as fi eu jale, dar sunt un picutz mai priceput atat cat sa se merite). Si asa m-am facut cu unul din cele mai bune MM "da pa planeta" 8)
Deci nu e totul sa cumperi cartusul castigator ci trb sa stii sa-l exploatezi la maximum ce poate.

porto
Posts: 416
Joined: 08 Nov 2008, 04:47
Location: Montreal

Re: Ca audiofil, ajungi inevitabil la vinil ?

Post by porto »

Sa va povestesc cum reglez eu azimutul ( care in opinia mea este f important ptr soundstsge si imagine) "urecheste".
Deci iau un vinyl de reglaje si il pun pe partea in care da cand un canal cand altul ca sa puteti vedea daca un canal se aude mai tare decat celalalt.
Atunci cand ati gasit chestia asta pe discul de reglaj - de obicei e la inceputul reglajelor- va duceti si ascultati cu aceiasi ureche - ptr ca se poate ca cineva sa auda mai bine cu o ureche- ambele canale dar fff mare atentie aici opusul canalului care se aude cel mai tare adica daca pe disc zice "acum canalul din dreapta" voi ve-ti asculta canalul din stanga si vedeti cam care e nivelul sunetului iar cand e celalalt canal ascultati opusul lui si cu asta veti zice care din canale s-a auzit mai tare.
Daca azimutul nu e bine reglat ve-ti auzi unul din opuse mai tare decat celalat si sa presupunem ca e primul opus care l-ati ascultat si atunci va ve-ti duce repejor la tabla si reglati un pic azimutul intr-o parte sau in alta.
Apoi dati din nou drumul la discul de reglaj si puneti exact aceiasi treaba care a-ti ascultat-o mai inainte si normal ca incepeti la fel ca mai inainte iar daca de data asta se va auzi acelasi opus de canal mai incet inseamna ca ati dat azimutul in directia cea buna dar ascultati neaparat ci celalalt ca nu cumva acum celalalt opus sa se auda mai tare ca atunci nu e terminat reglajul. Trb. facute aceleasi miscari pana cand amandoua opusuri vor avea acelasi nivel de sunet sau cat mai apropiat cu putinta.
Azimutul repet e extrem de important ptr imagine si soundstage.

User avatar
momolo
Moderator
Posts: 15650
Joined: 02 Oct 2008, 10:11
Location: Bucuresti

Re: Ca audiofil, ajungi inevitabil la vinil ?

Post by momolo »

Un text lung ce merita citit pana la capat, experienta iesita din comun a unui pasionat de vinyl, informatii valoroase care ne pot aduce pe langa o mai mare multumire in acest hobby, dar chiar si economii banesti:
Dear friends: who really needs an MM type phono cartridge?, well I will try to share/explain with you what are my experiences about and I hope too that many of you could enrich the topic/subject with your own experiences.

For some years ( in this forum ) and time to time I posted that the MM type cartridge quality sound is better than we know or that we think and like four months ago I start a thread about: forum.audiogon#Rauliruegas where we analyse some MM type cartridges.

Well, in the last 10-12 months I buy something like 30+ different MM type phono cartridges ( you can read in my virtual system which ones. ) and I’m still doing it. The purpose of this fact ( “ buy it “ ) is for one way to confirm or not if really those MM type cartridges are good for us ( music lovers ) and at the same time learn about MM vs MC cartridges, as a fact I learn many things other than MM/MC cartridge subject.

If we take a look to the Agon analog members at least 90% of them use ( only ) MC phono cartridges, if we take a look to the “ professional reviewers “ ( TAS, Stereophile, Positive Feedback, Enjoy the Music, etc, etc, ) 95% ( at least ) of them use only MC cartridges ( well I know that for example: REG and NG of TAS and RJR of Stereophile use only MM type cartridges!!!!!!!! ) , if we take a look to the phono cartridge manufacturers more than 90% of them build/design for MC cartridges and if you speak with audio dealers almost all will tell you that the MC cartridges is the way to go.

So, who are wrong/right, the few ( like me ) that speak that the MM type is a very good alternative or the “ whole “ cartridge industry that think and support the MC cartridge only valid alternative?

IMHO I think that both groups are not totally wrong/right and that the subject is not who is wrong/right but that the subject is : KNOW-HOW or NON KNOW-HOW about.

Many years ago when I was introduced to the “ high end “ the cartridges were almost MM type ones: Shure, Stanton, Pickering, Empire, etc, etc. In those time I remember that one dealer told me that if I really want to be nearest to the music I have to buy the Empire 4000 D ( they say for 4-channel reproduction as well. ) and this was truly my first encounter with a “ high end cartridge “, I buy the 4000D I for 70.00 dls ( I can’t pay 150.00 for the D III. ), btw the specs of these Empire cartridges were impressive even today, look: frequency response: 5-50,000Hz, channel separation: 35db, tracking force range: 0.25grs to 1.25grs!!!!!!!!, just impressive, but there are some cartridges which frequency response goes to 100,000Hz!!!!!!!!!!

I start to learn about and I follow to buying other MM type cartridges ( in those times I never imagine nothing about MC cartridges: I don’t imagine of its existence!!!. ) like AKG, Micro Acoustics, ADC, B&O, Audio Technica, Sonus, etc, etc.

Years latter the same dealer told me about the MC marvelous cartridges and he introduce me to the Denon-103 following with the 103-D and the Fulton High performance, so I start to buy and hear MC cartridges. I start to read audio magazines about either cartridge type: MM and Mc ones.

I have to make changes in my audio system ( because of the low output of the MC cartridges and because I was learning how to improve the performance of my audio system ) and I follow what the reviewers/audio dealers “ speak “ about, I was un-experienced !!!!!!!, I was learning ( well I’m yet. ).

I can tell you many good/bad histories about but I don’t want that the thread was/is boring for you, so please let me tell you what I learn and where I’m standing today about:

over the years I invested thousands of dollars on several top “ high end “ MC cartridges, from the Sumiko Celebration passing for Lyras, Koetsu, Van denHul, to Allaerts ones ( just name it and I can tell that I own or owned. ), what I already invest on MC cartridges represent almost 70-80% price of my audio system.

Suddenly I stop buying MC cartridges and decide to start again with some of the MM type cartridges that I already own and what I heard motivate me to start the search for more of those “ hidden jewels “ that are ( here and now ) the MM phono cartridges and learn why are so good and how to obtain its best quality sound reproduction ( as a fact I learn many things other than MM cartridge about. ).

I don’t start this “ finding “ like a contest between MC and MM type cartridges.
The MC cartridges are as good as we already know and this is not the subject here, the subject is about MM type quality performance and how achieve the best with those cartridges.

First than all I try to identify and understand the most important characteristics ( and what they “ means “. ) of the MM type cartridges ( something that in part I already have it because our phonolinepreamp design needs. ) and its differences with the MC ones.

Well, first than all is that are high output cartridges, very high compliance ones ( 50cu is not rare. ), low or very low tracking force ones, likes 47kOhms and up, susceptible to some capacitance changes, user stylus replacement, sometimes we can use a different replacement stylus making an improvement with out the necessity to buy the next top model in the cartridge line , low and very low weight cartridges, almost all of them are build of plastic material with aluminum cantilever and with eliptical or “ old “ line contact stylus ( shibata ) ( here we don’t find: Jade/Coral/Titanium/etc, bodies or sophisticated build material cantilevers and sophisticated stylus shape. ), very very… what I say? Extremely low prices from 40.00 to 300.00 dls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, well one of my cartridges I buy it for 8.99 dls ( one month ago ): WOW!!!!!!, so any one of you can/could have/buy ten to twenty MM cartridges for the price of one of the MC cartridge you own today and the good notice is that is a chance that those 10-20 MM type cartridges even the quality performance of your MC cartridge or beat it.

Other characteristics is that the builders show how proud they were/are on its MM type cartridges design, almost all those cartridges comes with a first rate box, comes with charts/diagrams of its frequency response and cartridge channel separation ( where they tell us which test recording use it, with which VTF, at which temperature, etc, etc. ), comes with a very wide explanation of the why’s and how’s of its design and the usual explanation to mount the cartridge along with a very wide list of specifications ( that were the envy of any of today MC ones where sometimes we really don’t know nothing about. ), comes with a set of screws/nuts, comes with a stylus brush and even with stylus cleaning fluid!!!!!!!!!, my GOD. Well, there are cartridges like the Supex SM 100MK2 that comes with two different stylus!!!! One with spherical and one with elliptical/shibata shape and dear friends all those in the same low low price!!!!!!!!!!!

Almost all the cartridges I own you can find it through Ebay and Agon and through cartridge dealers and don’t worry if you loose/broke the stylus cartridge or you find the cartridge but with out stylus, you always can/could find the stylus replacement, no problem about there are some stylus and cartridge sources.

When I’m talking about MM type cartridges I’m refer to different types: moving magnet, moving iron, moving flux, electret, variable reluctance, induced magnet, etc, etc. ( here is not the place to explain the differences on all those MM type cartridges. Maybe on other future thread. ).

I made all my very long ( time consuming ) cartridge tests using four different TT’s: Acoustic Signature Analog One MK2, Micro Seiki RX-5000, Luxman PD 310 and Technics SP-10 MK2, I use only removable headshell S and J shape tonearms with 15mm on overhang, I use different material build/ shape design /weight headshells. I test each cartridge in at least three different tonearms and some times in 3-4 different headshells till I find the “ right “ match where the cartridge perform the best, no I’m not saying that I already finish or that I already find the “ perfect “ match: cartridge/headshell/tonearm but I think I’m near that ideal target.

Through my testing experience I learn/ confirm that trying to find the right tonearm/headshell for any cartridge is well worth the effort and more important that be changing the TT. When I switch from a TT to another different one the changes on the quality cartridge performance were/are minimal in comparison to a change in the tonearm/headshell, this fact was consistent with any of those cartridges including MC ones.

So after the Phonolinepreamplifier IMHO the tonearm/headshell match for any cartridge is the more important subject, it is so important and complex that in the same tonearm ( with the same headshell wires ) but with different headshell ( even when the headshell weight were the same ) shape or build material headshell the quality cartridge performance can/could be way different.

All those experiences told me that chances are that the cartridge that you own ( MC or MM ) is not performing at its best because chances are that the tonearm you own is not the best match for that cartridge!!!!!!, so imagine what do you can/could hear when your cartridge is or will be on the right tonearm???!!!!!!!!, IMHO there are ( till today ) no single ( any type at any price ) perfect universal tonearm. IMHO there is no “ the best tonearm “, what exist or could exist is a “ best tonearm match for “ that “ cartridge “, but that’s all. Of course that are “ lucky “ tonearms that are very good match for more than one cartridge but don’t for every single cartridge.

I posted several times that I’m not a tonearm collector, that I own all those tonearms to have alternatives for my cartridges and with removable headshells my 15 tonearms are really like 100+ tonearms : a very wide options/alternatives for almost any cartridge!!!!!!

You can find several of these MM type cartridges new brand or NOS like: Ortofon, Nagaoka, Audio Technica, Astatic, B&O, Rega, Empire, Sonus Reson,Goldring,Clearaudio, Grado, Shelter, Garrot, etc. and all of them second hand in very good operational condition. As a fact I buy two and even three cartridges of the same model in some of the cartridges ( so right now I have some samples that I think I don’t use any more. ) to prevent that one of them arrive in non operational condition but I’m glad to say that all them arrive in very fine conditions. I buy one or two of the cartridges with no stylus or with the stylus out of work but I don’t have any trouble because I could find the stylus replacement on different sources and in some case the original new replacement.

All these buy/find cartridges was very time consuming and we have to have a lot of patience and a little lucky to obtain what we are looking for but I can asure you that is worth of it.

Ok, I think it is time to share my performance cartridge findings:

first we have to have a Phonolinepreamplifier with a very good MM phono stage ( at least at the same level that the MC stage. ). I’m lucky because my Phonolinepreamplifier has two independent phono stages, one for the MM and one for MC: both were designed for the specifics needs of each cartridge type, MM or MC that have different needs.

we need a decent TT and decent tonearm.

we have to load the MM cartridges not at 47K but at 100K ( at least 75K not less. ).

I find that using 47K ( a standard manufacture recommendation ) prevent to obtain the best quality performance, 100K make the difference. I try this with all those MM type cartridges and in all of them I achieve the best performance with 100K load impedance.

I find too that using the manufacturer capacitance advise not always is for the better, till “ the end of the day “ I find that between 100-150pf ( total capacitance including cable capacitance. ) all the cartridges performs at its best.

I start to change the load impedance on MM cartridges like a synonymous that what many of us made with MC cartridges where we try with different load impedance values, latter I read on the Empire 4000 DIII that the precise load impedance must be 100kOhms and in a white paper of some Grace F9 tests the used impedance value was 100kOhms, the same that I read on other operational MM cartridge manual and my ears tell/told me that 100kOhms is “ the value “.

Before I go on I want to remember you that several of those MM type cartridges ( almost all ) were build more than 30+ years ago!!!!!!!! and today performs at the same top quality level than today MC/MM top quality cartridges!!!!!, any brand at any price and in some ways beat it.

I use 4-5 recordings that I know very well and that give me the right answers to know that any cartridge is performing at its best or near it. Many times what I heard through those recordings were fine: everything were on target however the music don’t come “ alive “ don’t “ tell me “ nothing, I was not feeling the emotion that the music can communicate. In those cartridge cases I have to try it in other tonearm and/or with a different headshell till the “ feelings comes “ and only when this was achieved I then was satisfied.

All the tests were made with a volume level ( SPL ) where the recording “ shines “ and comes alive like in a live event. Sometimes changing the volume level by 1-1.5 db fixed everything.

Of course that the people that in a regular manner attend to hear/heard live music it will be more easy to know when something is right or wrong.

Well, Raul go on!!: one characteristic on the MM cartridges set-up was that almost all them likes to ride with a positive ( little/small ) VTA only the Grace Ruby and F9E and Sonus Gold Blue likes a negative VTA , on the other hand with the Nagaoka MP 50 Super and the Ortofon’s I use a flat VTA.

Regarding the VTF I use the manufacturer advise and sometimes 0.1+grs.
Of course that I made fine tuning through moderate changes in the Azymuth and for anti-skate I use between half/third VTF value.

I use different material build headshells: aluminum, composite aluminum, magnesium, composite magnesium, ceramic, wood and non magnetic stainless steel, these cartridges comes from Audio Technica, Denon, SAEC, Technics, Fidelity Research, Belldream, Grace, Nagaoka, Koetsu, Dynavector and Audiocraft.
All of them but the wood made ( the wood does not likes to any cartridge. ) very good job . It is here where a cartridge could seems good or very good depending of the headshell where is mounted and the tonearm.
Example, I have hard time with some of those cartridge like the Audio Technica AT 20SS where its performance was on the bright sound that sometimes was harsh till I find that the ceramic headshell was/is the right match now this cartridge perform beautiful, something similar happen with the Nagaoka ( Jeweltone in Japan ), Shelter , Grace, Garrot , AKG and B&O but when were mounted in the right headshell/tonearm all them performs great.

Other things that you have to know: I use two different cooper headshell wires, both very neutral and with similar “ sound “ and I use three different phono cables, all three very neutral too with some differences on the sound performance but nothing that “ makes the difference “ on the quality sound of any of my cartridges, either MM or MC, btw I know extremely well those phono cables: Analysis Plus, Harmonic Technologies and Kimber Kable ( all three the silver models. ), finally and don’t less important is that those phono cables were wired in balanced way to take advantage of my Phonolinepreamp fully balanced design.

What do you note the first time you put your MM cartridge on the record?, well a total absence of noise/hum or the like that you have through your MC cartridges ( and that is not a cartridge problem but a Phonolinepreamp problem due to the low output of the MC cartridges. ), a dead silent black ( beautiful ) soundstage where appear the MUSIC performance, this experience alone is worth it.

The second and maybe the most important MM cartridge characteristic is that you hear/heard the MUSIC flow/run extremely “ easy “ with no distracting sound distortions/artifacts ( I can’t explain exactly this very important subject but it is wonderful ) even you can hear/heard “ sounds/notes “ that you never before heard it and you even don’t know exist on the recording: what a experience!!!!!!!!!!!

IMHO I think that the MUSIC run so easily through a MM cartridge due ( between other facts ) to its very high compliance characteristic on almost any MM cartridge.

This very high compliance permit ( between other things like be less sensitive to out-center hole records. ) to these cartridges stay always in contact with the groove and never loose that groove contact not even on the grooves that were recorded at very high velocity, something that a low/medium cartridge compliance can’t achieve, due to this low/medium compliance characteristic the MC cartridges loose ( time to time and depending of the recorded velocity ) groove contact ( minute extremely minute loose contact, but exist. ) and the quality sound performance suffer about and we can hear it, the same pass with the MC cartridges when are playing the inner grooves on a record instead the very high compliance MM cartridges because has better tracking drive perform better than the MC ones at inner record grooves and here too we can hear it.

Btw, some Agoners ask very worried ( on more than one Agon thread ) that its cartridge can’t track ( clean ) the cannons on the 1812 Telarc recording and usually the answers that different people posted were something like this: “””” don’t worry about other than that Telarc recording no other commercial recording comes recorded at that so high velocity, if you don’t have trouble with other of your LP’s then stay calm. “””””

Well, this standard answer have some “ sense “ but the people ( like me ) that already has/have the experience to hear/heard a MM or MC ( like the Ortofon MC 2000 or the Denon DS1, high compliance Mc cartridges. ) cartridge that pass easily the 1812 Telarc test can tell us that those cartridges make a huge difference in the quality sound reproduction of any “ normal “ recording, so it is more important that what we think to have a better cartridge tracking groove drive!!!!

There are many facts around the MM cartridge subject but till we try it in the right set-up it will be ( for some people ) difficult to understand “ those beauties “. Something that I admire on the MM cartridges is how ( almost all of them ) they handle the frequency extremes: the low bass with the right pitch/heft/tight/vivid with no colorations of the kind “ organic !!” that many non know-how people speak about, the highs neutral/open/transparent/airy believable like the live music, these frequency extremes handle make that the MUSIC flow in our minds to wake up our feelings/emotions that at “ the end of the day “ is all what a music lover is looking for.
These not means that these cartridges don’t shine on the midrange because they do too and they have very good soundstage but here is more system/room dependent.

Well we have a very good alternative on the ( very low price ) MM type cartridges to achieve that music target and I’m not saying that you change your MC cartridge for a MM one: NO, what I’m trying to tell you is that it is worth to have ( as many you can buy/find ) the MM type cartridges along your MC ones

I want to tell you that I can live happy with any of those MM cartridges and I’m not saying with this that all of them perform at the same quality level NO!! what I’m saying is that all of them are very good performers, all of them approach you nearest to the music.

If you ask me which one is the best I can tell you that this will be a very hard “ call “ an almost impossible to decide, I think that I can make a difference between the very good ones and the stellar ones where IMHO the next cartridges belongs to this group:

Audio Technica ATML 170 and 180 OCC, Grado The Amber Tribute, Grace Ruby, Garrot P77, Nagaoka MP-50 Super, B&O MMC2 and MMC20CL, AKG P8ES SuperNova, Reson Reca ,Astatic MF-100 and Stanton LZS 981.

There are other ones that are really near this group: ADC Astrion, Supex MF-100 MK2, Micro Acoustics MA630/830, Empire 750 LTD and 600LAC, Sonus Dimension 5, Astatic MF-200 and 300 and the Acutex 320III.

The other ones are very good too but less refined ones.
I try too ( owned or borrowed for a friend ) the Shure IV and VMR, Music maker 2-3 and Clearaudio Virtuoso/Maestro, from these I could recommended only the Clearaudios the Shure’s and Music Maker are almost mediocre ones performers.
I forgot I try to the B&O Soundsmith versions, well this cartridges are good but are different from the original B&O ( that I prefer. ) due that the Sounsmith ones use ruby cantilevers instead the original B&O sapphire ones that for what I tested sounds more natural and less hi-fi like the ruby ones.

What I learn other that the importance on the quality sound reproduction through MM type cartridges?, well that unfortunately the advance in the design looking for a better quality cartridge performers advance almost nothing either on MM and MC cartridges.

Yes, today we have different/advanced body cartridge materials, different cantilever build materials, different stylus shape/profile, different, different,,,,different, but the quality sound reproduction is almost the same with cartridges build 30+ years ago and this is a fact. The same occur with TT’s and tonearms. Is sad to speak in this way but it is what we have today. Please, I’m not saying that some cartridges designs don’t grow up because they did it, example: Koetsu they today Koetsu’s are better performers that the old ones but against other cartridges the Koetsu ones don’t advance and many old and today cartridges MM/MC beat them easily.

Where I think the audio industry grow-up for the better are in electronic audio items ( like the Phonolinepreamps ), speakers and room treatment, but this is only my HO.

I know that there are many things that I forgot and many other things that we have to think about but what you can read here is IMHO a good point to start.

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.
Rauliruegas

01-15-08


http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl ... when-we-ha" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

PS: multumesc lui porto pentru acest link !
Prostu' invata pe pielea lui, desteptu' pe-a altuia.

User avatar
momolo
Moderator
Posts: 15650
Joined: 02 Oct 2008, 10:11
Location: Bucuresti

Re: Ca audiofil, ajungi inevitabil la vinil ?

Post by momolo »

Review: Ortofon OM-5e Cartridge
Ortofon is a Denmark company that truly and firmly believes that the record...vinyl still is superior to the digital compact disc "by a comfortable margin." If you don't believe me...then checkout their website at http://www.ortofon.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;. And if you don't believe them...then you just gotta hear the OM Series of phono cartridges !

Founding fathers...Danish engineers...Axel Petersen and Arnold Poulsen have time and time again left their rather pronounced mark on the art of analog audio crafting. Their list of credentials is embarrassingly long. Their expertise in vinyl reproduction is unsurpassed in this reviewer's EPINION. And why wouldn't it be? Did you know that Ortofon's cutting heads were and still are used on virtually every major vinyl maker's mother mastering machine? But what really surprises me in the war of the virtues of Moving Coil vs. Moving Magnet phono cartridge design...the co. excels at both.

Now admittedly I have been a firm believer in magnetic phono cartridges. Yes...it is true that many moving coil designs sound wonderful and dreamy. I'm not opposing that argument at all. For sure {Shure?} these top-notch transducers are worth every penny of their costlier design but a magnetic pickup can bring most of this to a wider audience with limited pocket change and in some cases...surpass their moving coil counterparts.

But the guy with the big bucks is going to rationalize the MC's cost by telling you that the sound quality is worth every penny. I'm not that guy! I am a poor audiophile and must satisfy my "golden ears" with budget but quality audio gear. I've heard and experienced both worlds but Moving Magnet types for $50 are my limit...at least until further notice.

Ortofon, however...manufactures both types. And they do it exceedingly well! While some cartridge manufacturers excel only at one type...Ortofon is a master of both designs and with the product up for review here...the Ortofon OM5E...this fact becomes so demonstrably clear.

The cartridge is available from fine Ortofon dealers. $45 is the best legitimate street price. This means that your hard-earned cash will buy you this pickup for this amount of money without forfeiting the manufacturer's warranty.

The Ortofon OM Series stands for "optimum mass". This particular line of moving magnet phono cartridges accommodates more types of tonearms and turntables better than any other line of cartridges I know of...both past and present.

As with all "OM Series" cartridges...the OM5E is supplied in the classic Ortofon orange and white box with typically tiny but fairly well-written Owner's Manual and a little golden/bronze weight that is "built-in" to the very top of the pickup but can be removed when need be by gently prying it out with a tiny screwdriver {probably the one you're using to mount the cart with}. This gives the cartridge the ability to mate with just about any quality tonearm on the market either as a pre-assembled or separately purchased one.

With the weight removed...the cartridge weighs in at a mere 2.5 grams. This makes the cart ideal for ultra lower massed straight tonearms such as the Dual classic "ULM" or "CS" Series types. These tonearms are able to handle cartridges weighing from 2 to 8 grams on the average. Why does the Ortofon manual omit this all important fact? Why does Shure omit an explanation of their two-point overhang guage with their M97xE? This is what just burns me up about these two extremely important modern-day pickups!

With the weight left intact...the overall weight is now 5 grams which is ideal for low mass Dual "1000" & "1200" series turntables plus medium to higher massed arms such as the S-shaped tonearms that so many Japanese turntables of both past and present boast. These arms can handle a cartridge weight range usually from 4 to 12 grams.

I cannot emphasize the fact that proper tonearm/cartridge matching yields first-rate performance in analog reproduction. Ortofon has come up with quite a unique solution here to proper arm/cartridge matching. This enables the OM5E and other "OM Series" cartridges to trace high frequencies superbly in just about any well-made tonearm. Combined with just the right amount of lateral and vertical compliance...It simply provides proper "damping" for all types of tonearms.

Furthermore, each model # is interchangeable with the other. Outside of the Dee Jay units...Ortofon offers a total of five models...the Ortofon OM3E, OM5E, Super OM10, Super OM20 and Super OM30. A sixth replacement stylus # is also offered...the Super OM40 which upgrades any of the current OM cartridges to the formerly available one with its FG shape that so perfectly fits the record groove. The better the stylus shape...the more accurate will be high frequency tracing. This approach makes user upgrade rather easy and very economical without having to purchase a whole new cartridge.

It just does not pay to put a highly compliant expensive cartridge in a cheapy turntable. Believe me ...years ago when I was younger and fooling around with this stuff...I tried ! It just doesn't work ! Just try a Shure V-15 Type III in a Garrard SL-125B and you'll find out what I mean...no, don't try it ! The higher tonearm friction is just too much even for the cart here. A more appropriate stiffer compliance higher tracking force cheapy cartridge like the Stanton 500AL would be better here and yield surprisingly good results.

Mounting:

As for those of us with excellent tonearms...the Ortofon matches up perfectly ! Mounted in my Pioneer PL-518 Direct Drive S-shaped Tonearm Turntable and with the cart's Tracking Force and Anti-Skating set to the manufacturer's specified optimum setting of 1.75 grams the cart behaved infinitely famously! The PL-518's tonearm though higher in mass compared to straight designs nonetheless offers very low tonearm friction as evidenced when first "zero-balancing" the cartridge. The arm doesn't get hung up or stick in one spot along the vertical plane. The allowable range for the OM5E is actually anywhere between 1.5 to 2 grams.

The Ortofon "OM Series"...as the OM5E itself...has been around since the early 80's but the newer models offer some noteworthy improvements over its older brethren. The newer OM's have superior alignment between stylus and body with better inner guts.

Mounting is so much easier with the newer body design which features thicker 1/2 inch slots than its 1980's version {go ahead...check it out!} and better hardware itself! It was such a snap that I thought to myself...anybody who has experienced spending a half hour mounting a Grado Blue and twenty minutes mounting a Shure M97xE would definitely appreciate this! The OM5E mounted easily within about five minutes. This is definitely the easiest cartridge to install that I ever experienced. No fuss...no muss!

It is so important to properly "align" the cartridge after it is mounted so that Tracking Error is kept at its absolute minimum. This will also enable Inner Groove Distortion to be negligible at worst. Using a two-point Stylus Protractor made out of photo printer paper that I downloaded for free from http://www.enjoythemusic.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; by clicking on their "Free Stuff" link...alignment was simple and very easy to accomplish...partially because of the Ortofon's slim bullet design and well defined lines.

This design also enables easy groove cuing as the well-marked red-dotted stylus assembly is a champion at this! Even my tired old eyes have no problem setting the tonearm precisely over a given point on the record and the stylus protractor itself. Vertical Tracking Alignment {VTA} was "right on" without using shims in the satin OEM Pioneer headshell or for the need to adjust tonearm height...{which may not be possible with the PL-518 arm anyway}.

Listening Tests:

I have more than several LP's in my reportoir I like to use when evaluating a phono cartridge as I have no objective means for this purpose. These records were all purchased years ago but pretty much can surpass the best compact discs currently available. Although I am an Oldies/Pop/Rock freak, I enjoy all types of music. Most of my serious listening involves Classical music and even some C&W and Jazz. Most of my "test" records are of the Classical genre. They are as follows:

"Khachaturian-The Gayne Ballet" with Loris Tjeknavorian conducting The National Philharmonic Orchestra...RCA Red Seal # CRL2-2263 {Circa 1977}

"Vangelis-Heaven And Hell"...RCA # PL1-5110 {Circa 1975}

"Linda Ronstadt-What's New"...Elektra-Assylum/Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab Master Recording

"Frederick Fennell-The Cleveland Symphonic Winds-Holst/Handel/Bach"...Telarc # Stereo 5038 {Circa 1978}

"Professor Johnson's Astounding Sound Show"...Reference Recordings # RR-7 {Circa 1979}

"Witches Brew"-Alexander Gibson conducting The New Symphony Orchestra Of London...RCA # LSC-2225 {Circa 1958 Reprint Under License from Polygram Special Markets}

"Orff-Carmina Burana"-Robert Shaw conducting The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra And Chorus With The Atlanta Boy Choir-Soloists Judith Blegen, Hakan Hagegard and William Brown...Telarc # Stereo DG 10056/57 {Circa 1981}

"Mussorgsky-Ravel-Pictures At An Exhibition"-Herbert Von Karajan conducting The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra...Deutsche Grammophon # 139010 SLPM {Circa 1972}

"Mussorgsky- Pictures At An Exhibition"/"A Night On Bald Mountain"-Leonard Bernstein conducting The New York Philharmonic...CBS Great Performances # 36726 {Circa 1981-Previously released on CBS Masterworks # 6080, 6943, 7165,7014 & M31844}

"Rimsky-Korsakov-Cappriccio Espagnol"-Kiril Kondrashin conducting The RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra...RCA Red Seal # LSC-2323 {Circa 1959}

"Dukas-The Sorcerer's Apprentice"-Walter Weller conducting The London Philharmonic Orchestra...London FFrr # CS 6995 {Circa 1975}

"Sibelius-Symphony # 2"-Andre Previn conducting The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra...Angel # S-37444 {Circa 1977}

"Stokowski Spectacular"-Leopold Stokowski conducting The National Philharmonic Orchestra...Pye # 12132 {Circa 1976}

"Prokofiev-War And Peace"-Werner Janssen conducting The Vienna State Opera Orchestra & The Vienna Kammerchor with soloists of The National Opera Of Belgrade...Heliodor # HS-25039-3 {Circa 1967 originally released on MGM # 3-GC2}

"My Fair Lady"-Lerner/Lowe Original Cast Stereo w/Rex Harrison, Julie Andrews and Stanley Holloway...Columbia Masterworks # PS 2015 {Circa 1959}

"On Your Toes"-Rogers/Hart Original Cast w/Philip Arthur Ross, Natalia Makarova and Christine Andreas...Polydor 813667-1Y1 {Circa 1983}

"Classic Rock"-The London Symphony Orchestra {LSO} and The Royal Choral Society...RSO/K-Tel # NU 9580 {Circa 1979...Originally on London/Decca Records}

"Children Of The Future"-The Steve Miller Band...Capitol # SN-16262 {Circa 1968}

"Away We A Go-GO"-Smokey Robinson And The Miracles...Tamla/Motown # M5-136V1 {Circa 1966}.

Although a few of these albums are so called "audiophile pressings"...not all are. Some just represent excellent music recording with some real obstacles. The Ortofon OM5E excelled on them all! Although the cartridge specification sheet states the Frequency Response to be reasonably flat out to 25 KHz...one rarely finds a phono pickup at this price level with such actual extension. The Ortofon appears to be the exception!

Other than that...the Ortofon also struck me as an extremely quiet cartridge unlike its former more expensive but wonderful brother the OM40 Gold with its more ambitious stylus...the Van-Den-Hul that simply picks up every tick, pop and whatever other surface noise it can find. Don't get me wrong...the OM5E will pick up ticks and pops in full stereo but without the extraneous stuff that the better styli sometimes produce. The competing Shure M97xE is sometimes criticized for this.

Just DO NOT use undilluted alcohol for cleaning the stylus as it will strip the gem's polish and cause the OM5E to become groove noisy while losing its sonic charm. Yes...it DID happen to me and I had to replace the stylus! Use a nice dry camel-hair brush.

One of my favorite recordings of all time is Lerner & Lowe's "My Fair Lady" on CBS Masterworks...not the original MONO recording but the STEREO one made a few years later. The album sounds so-ooo-ooo sweet with this little Ortofon and songs like "With A Little Bit Of Luck" and "I'm Getting Married In The Morning" featuring the comical Stanley Holloway as Ms. Doolittle's down and out old dad...sound so clear with all of the marvelous British humour and human emotion allowed to spring free out of the confines of the record groove!

The castenets of "The Rain In Spain" along with the voices of Rex Harrison, Julie Andrews and Robert Coote are reproduced so faithfully that one starts to wonder if one is actually listening to a vinyl record or perhaps the master tapes themselves! This sonic characteristic did not lessen on the rest of the marvelous ole recording and songs like Andrews' "Show Me" and "The Ascot Gavotte" featuring the fine other singers/chorus & Orchestra sound glorious!

Even Julie Andrews' diction as the grammatically incorrect Ms. Eliza Doolittle sounds good e.g..."Wouldn't It Be Loverly". I'm telling you that even this big ole rocker fell in love with "Broadway" all over again while listening to this wonderful classic record with the Ortofon OM5E fully in place on my modest Pioneer turntable deck thru the terrific Polk R-30's.

The 3.3mv Phono Input Sensitivity of the TC-160LC phono pre-amplifier matched up quite to perfection with this MM Ortofon. Of course the preamp also sports an adjustable gain which will help prevent overloading. The recording itself also sports "true stereo"...not some cleverly disguised "mono-in-stereo's-clothing" dreamt up by a more modern engineer who doesn't believe that this makes for proper soundstaging.

Even more noteworthy and unbelievable was the fact that throughout the playing of this top notch 1959 album...I could hear all of the "nose" sounds like snorting and just plain ole human breathing from Ms. Andrews and Mr. Harrison with an uncanny detailed but nonetheless subtle clarity! This "clarity" I speak of did not lessen as the tonearm and cartridge journeyed toward the center spindle.

On operatic voices from "War And Peace" and "Carmina Burana" it sounds so darn natural lacking any shrill or shrieking. This little discovery led me to my next phase of the testing...Sibilance which can absolutely kill a cartridge for me if it doesn't turn in good performance here! On Smokey's "Come 'Round Here {I'm The One You Need}" and "Save Me" there are some over modulated S-SS-SSS-SSSS sounds that can absolutely splatter all over your system if not handled properly.

This area in phono reproduction is usually a sure downfall for inexpensive pickups...but not for this Ortofon! For the most part...it handled them with ease and naturalness except for the worst one where it only very slightly mistracked. This fact caused me to wonder if the more elaborate microline styli were worth it as they are known for handling this chore better than their cheaper less ambitious brethren such as the OM5E with its 8 x 18 micron Elliptical shape. The OM5E {at least to my humble ears}sounds even better than the great but too brilliant and chattery {at times} $100 A-T 440ML and its former close cousin...the Signet AM30.

Don't get me wrong...there were a few recordings that at first seemed a bit harsh with the OM5E but were "few" and this situation was resolved once I acquired the TCC TC-160LC phono preamp. There was a big difference going from the Pioneer SA-500's preamp to the TC-160LC and to a lesser degree going from the Yamaha R-500's. A good preamp will clean up the clutter found with lesser ones. I'm not joking and I'm dead serious!

Tracking Ability itself seemed far better than the 65 micron rating given by the manufacturer. Equally impressive was the cart's ability to handle those tympani bass gut punchers I so often talk about...ala "Carmina Burana" and "Fennell-Cleveland Winds".

The cart's Dynamic Range is stunning given its type and price! The great thing about that is that nothing gets masked or lost when going from soft to loud passages as sometimes the case with the M97xE. Yes...there are cartridges that can better the OM5E but they are few and far between....and mostly more expensive! Subtleties and nuances are most certainly present setting the Ortofon yet again apart not only from the "cheapies"...but also from many more expensive models.

Just listen to Christine Andreas singing the classic "Glad To Be Unhappy" from the 1983 production of Rogers & Hart's "On Your Toes".. Her voice is so crisp and clean while all of its dynamic emotion is reproduced without flaw! Then there's that piccolo that is not just a high pitch tonemaker that a lesser cartridge makes it seem to be but rather an airy woodwind after all.

Also noteworthy is the orchestra's performance that the Ortofon so faithfully reproduces with percussion sounding wonderful and with full punch! The cymbals actually sound like cymbals without being smeared all over the place even unto the end of the record.

Stereo Separation and Imaging are easily the best in the $50 category and far exceed my expectations for a phono cartridge in this price range! Three dimensional purity and pinpoint accuracy come to mind here and the OM5E produces a slightly deeper image than the the Shure M97xE or Grado Blue. Crosstalk is kept at an absolute minimum! It just seems to me that Ortofon's spec of 20 to 25 db is so conservative as compared to others that claim to have a 30 db or better rating. Once again, the OM5E is the undisputed champion here at fifty bucks.

On Side 1 of the "Professor Johnson" recording there are some pretty pronounced strikings of the bells that cause some carts to mistrack in the form of a distorted clanging-like sound...but not the Ortofon. Again it sounded so doggone natural and handled the transient sounds with ease !

Transient Response and Separation were really superb on Track 2 of Side 2 on Vangelis's "Heaven And Hell" album ! The Stereo Presentation far exceeded anything I expected from a $50 phono cartridge. The low mass stylus assembly seems to give this cartridge a unique ability to trace almost perfectly the tiny modulations of the record groove.

The cartridge excelled on all of my "test" recordings but really blew me away with its handling of the loud and dynamic whip cracking on "The Overture To Tam O'Shanter" from RCA's "Witches Brew" ! Low Frequency Reproduction is absolutely first-rate and with superior definition compared to other under $100 pickups.

The low mass design of the cartridge seems to enable handling record warps without a hitch! Only the Shure M97Xe can equal the Ortofon in this department. But the M97Xe requires its Dynamic Stabilizer/Dustbrush to be in place for such an achievement on most tables...some audiophiles believe that this approach adds too much damping and softens the pickup's performance characteristics too much. The OM5E does not have a stabilizer and thus...nothing to get in the way of the sound. Yet there is no wallowing on the medium mass Pio tonearm. I'm sure that Rega and Dual owners will experience even better performance in this respect.

The cartridge's Output of 4 millivolts is ideal for most magnetic phono preamps both modern and yesteryear in nature rated at 47,000 ohms with a sensitivity range of 1.8 mv to 3.5 mv. Remember what I stated earlier in the report when discussing Moving Coil types? Well...the same holds true for magnetic inputs as well. There is no substitute for proper matching. Make sure you have a good Magnetic Phono Input Stage like the NAD PP-2 or TC-160LC whether using a classic 70's receiver or a more modern one...which brings me to another point.

The cart's response appears to be very independent of Cable Capacitance but DO try to use at least basic "audiophile" grade OFC {shh-sh-sh!...you can get 'em from the darn dollar store!} interconnects as they will only serve to enhance the cartridge's great performance while rendering many quality years of sure-fire performance!

Please make sure your modern home theater receiver sports a Magnetic Phono Input! Many do not and more and more units have abandoned this little feature as their creators assume that you have foresakened Analog! The extremely economical but audiophile grade TC-160LC or NAD PP-2 would work wonders for this situation.

Some pickups are susceptible to hum and interference when mounted in turntables that have their motors mounted near the center spindle. The Grados are infamous for this characteristic on Dual 1200 series and Rega arms causing many owners to either shield the motor or trade in the cart itself.. When I turn the volume all the way up on my AudioSource AMP-100 amplifier...there was not a single solitary extraneous noise coming from the cart on my PE/Dual or Pio. Of course...that also speaks well for the associated equipment.

I would say that the Ortofon OM5E's Hum Rejection is superb and the best of any I ever experienced with the possible exception of the OM10 Super, OM40 and Shure M97xE! This applies to Rega P2/RB-250 Arm owners also. I know because I used to own one with glass platter upgrade.

The Ortofon's overall tonality is extremely neutral but not reticent. It is not overly bassy nor is it too brilliant. Yet it is not lacking at either end of the spectrum. It is exquisitely discrete.

The brilliance of either the OM5E or the slightly higher priced OM10 Super is mostly natural and deep bass is reproduced better than most others...when it is truly present. The sound is warm enough without being overly so. There is admittedly indeed a slight sense of upper midrange brilliance but still... an overall neutrality to boot. Just listen to the amazing "Dark Side Of The Moon" by Pink Floyd and tell me the cart is bass shy. That rattling of my porch screens ain't no accident baby! Come on!

This cartridge has the unique ability to reveal much of the emotion that vinyl discs can offer. On Mussorgsky's "Night On Bald Mountain" the brass section of Leonard Bernstein's New York Philharmonic sounded very real and detailed without being harsh or masking the other softer instruments. The strings sound sweet not stringent while the woodwinds were extremely open and airy!

And isn't it nice to know that the Ortofon OM5E is a great cure for those IGD {Inner Groove Distortion} Blues? This is simply one of those cartridges that handle this inherent problem as if there was no problem to begin with! Ahh...such stability throughout the record playing is admirable...is it not??!!

On high output audiophile recordings...this pickup handles almost everything thrown at it like nothin' man! Nothing seems to phase this newer updated Ortofon.

In Summation:

I have long felt that turntable, tonearm and cartridge manufacturers have made too much of a big deal out of achieving ultra low tracking forces under 1.5 grams. Certainly Shure, Stanton/Pickering, ADC and other ultra high compliance types may sound good at low forces but then these types also need to be matched to a proper arm in order to reap all the benefits. Even so...they cannot handle vinyl LP's and recycled synthetic 45's alike. The OM5E can in most cases.

Yes...Denmark should be proud and Ortofon...I salute you! If I were a dealer of phono cartridges...I would make darn sure to stock up plenty of this Ortofon!

I have always entertained the idea that Acoustic Research might have been a bit ridiculous in offering the economical but high-performing Shure M91ED with its earlier AR XA and XB turntables. Although these turntables were and still are superb units...the tonearms suffer from just a wee bit of vertical and horizontal bearing friction {unless I setup mine incorrectly years ago} plus the fact that the looped tonearm cable is exposed in the rear of the arm...renders the lower one gram optimum tracking force of the M91ED useless! The Ortofon OM5E would be perfect for this arm.

The 1.75 grams tracking force combined with medium stylus compliance represents the ideal force adequate for this tonearm and also for most records. The new improved Elliptical shape poses no threat to vinyl whatsoever and offers superiority over former types. Its ability to "hug" the record groove is exceptional to say the least ! Its mild shape of 8 x 18 micron {.3 x .7 mil} tracking at its rated force raises serious questions about competitors' so-called more advanced styli that demand higher expense for such high performance.

Make no mistake about it...this little MM Ortofon is a giant killer! It has the rare ability {nowadays at this price!} to make your old records come to life while reproducing higher output newer LP's to near perfection! To go back to any other under $100 phono cartridge would be a serious mistake and almost unthinkable.

Owners of the popular Music Hall and Rega turntables will find the newer breed OM Series Ortofons to be wonderful mates to these fine record players' low mass tonearms. One could simply purchase the OM5E as a backup or spare to the supplied Goldring Elans or Eroicas but I suspect when doing so...the situation will be reversed !

For Dual CS-515 and CS-530 turntable owners...these Ortofon OM's are a must! You just won't get better performance results with other more conventional higher mass cartridges...no matter what you pay for them and that includes the highly acclaimed former champion Shure V-15 Type V. The little arrow weight should be removed for these ultra low mass tonearms and I don't understand why Ortofon omitted this in the tiny Owner's Manual. They didn't used to!

The latest "buzz" word around here is that the growing popularity of Project Debut MK3 and Rega P1 belt-driven turntables that come equipped with the Ortofon OM5E Phono Pickup are raising more hairs off of more audiophiles' backs and making first-rate phono reproduction at truly affordable prices a reality! Although I have yet to experience these turntables...they are most assuredly making a name for themselves in the U.K.

I'm not going to sit here and lie to you by saying that there aren't any great Moving Coil Cartridges as I'll never forget the performance I experienced when my audiophile friend...John Bross played a master recording of the Moody Blues' "Days Of Future Passed" with a Benz-Micro "Ruby".. Everything sounded so clean clear and detailed with proper harmonic overtones and timbre! This is the mark of a perfect transcription cartridge. The Ortofon can come surprisingly close to this benchmark!

Please keep in mind that no two quality phono cartridges are alike and they all have their own sonic characteristics. I'm telling you this because the "Ruby" will invariably find a large fan base that will feel that "it" is the best. I would have an extremely tough time arguing the point for which I have no intention of doing so anyway. All I'm trying to tell you is that at a considerably lower price...the Ortofon compares very favorably to the far more expensive cartridge. But not the equal. please DO understand that there are better cartridges but you'd have to spend about $100 more to find 'em!

In the $40 to $60 price range there are two other high fidelity magnetic models available for your consideration...the Shure M97Xe and the Ortofon OM10 Super. These three models all are outstanding but one might consider the OM5E for its higher force of 1.75 grams as compared to the 1.25 and 1.5 gram of the aforementioned. Then again...some enthusiasts may see the higher TTF of the 5E as a drawback. I'm not one of them as the well designed elipse stylus hugs the record groove wonderfully!

The Grado Prestige Blue at $80 and the Shure M92E at $25 are also worth your consideration. Particularly disappointing was my Grado Prestige "Blue". Neither can touch the OM5E's performance level. Even the similarly-styled slightly higher-priced Pickering EP-HiFi cannot equal this rugged detailed Ortofon! The OM5E is one of two moving magnet phono cartridges that are bound to be popular sellers that are responsible for vinyl's return to this planet in the coming days. The other is undoubtedly the Shure M97xE. This phono pickup by Ortofon most assuredly is a standout Five Star Performer at the head of its class! *****...PJS II



Associated gear
TCC TC 160LC MM/MC phono preamp
AudioSource AMP-100 power amp
Pioneer PL-518 Direct Drive Turntable
Perpetuum Ebner PE 3048 Turntable
Polk R-30 Cherry speakers
Kimber KWIK-12 speaker cable
Pioneer TX 5500 II AM/FM Stereo analog tuner

Similar products
Benz Micro Ruby
Shure V-15 Type V
Shure V-15 Type RS
Shure ML-140He
Shure M97xE
Shure V-15 Type III
Shure M75ED Type II
A-T 440ML
Supex 909e
Signet AM30
Signet AM20
Ortofon OM40 Gold
Ortofon OM10 Super

by Petsound on 05-21-07
Prostu' invata pe pielea lui, desteptu' pe-a altuia.

Obelix
Posts: 1444
Joined: 19 Jan 2009, 13:01

Re: Ca audiofil, ajungi inevitabil la vinil ?

Post by Obelix »

http://mikesenese.com/DOIT/2010/07/how- ... yl-record/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

:mrgreen:

porto
Posts: 416
Joined: 08 Nov 2008, 04:47
Location: Montreal

Re: Ca audiofil, ajungi inevitabil la vinil ?

Post by porto »

Fratilor dupa lupte seculare care au durat cateva...luni mi-am dat seama ca matul de porc pe care-l pusesem peste matul original de la Lenco NU E BUN !
Momolo spusese el ca nu e buna treaba asta dar eu m-am incapatanat sa cred ca e bun si am continuat sa-l folosesc. Cum mi-am dat eu seama ca nu e bun ? ei bine dupa ce am schimbat dumping fluidul ce il aveam ptr bratul Hadcock GH228 SUPER ARM am vazut ce poate mai bine tabla si atunci am incercat sa vad ce se intample si daca iau si matul. Minune! Sunetul e cu totul altfel adica mult mai detaliat in tot spectrul sonic si mai corect.
E bine...cateodata ...sa asculti de sfatul "batranilor" :mrgreen:

User avatar
momolo
Moderator
Posts: 15650
Joined: 02 Oct 2008, 10:11
Location: Bucuresti

Re: Ca audiofil, ajungi inevitabil la vinil ?

Post by momolo »

Sistem audio de "un bulion" pentru cei interesati sau cei care stau sa iasa pe usa la cumparaturi - reteta, notati pe o hartie sa nu uitati pana la magazin :lol: :

http://www.sensusaudio.com/system1.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Prostu' invata pe pielea lui, desteptu' pe-a altuia.

User avatar
momolo
Moderator
Posts: 15650
Joined: 02 Oct 2008, 10:11
Location: Bucuresti

Re: Ca audiofil, ajungi inevitabil la vinil ?

Post by momolo »

Rapuns la titlu - Da, se ajunge inevitabil:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kR7227_n ... r_embedded" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Prostu' invata pe pielea lui, desteptu' pe-a altuia.

Post Reply