Clearaudio MM -- AT-95E and beyond

dlaloum · « **Reply #660 on:** 14 Jul 2014, 02:40 pm »

Yes indeed!

neobop · « **Reply #661 on:** 14 Jul 2014, 04:47 pm »

Quote from: dimkasta on 14 Jul 2014, 02:09 pm

Perhaps that was why Raul liked loading his MMs so high? So that they have that nice bump on the highs ?

You might have nailed it. Look at Sonus Blue loaded at 100K:
http://www-f9.ijs.si/~margan/Audio/Sonus_Blue_Label_Audio_Apr_1977.pdf

All measurements were done at 100K, 100pF for 4-ch reproduction. The amplitude rise extends to 28K. Maybe that's why it wasn't one of the preferred carts. With a resonant frequency like the Ortofon MC200, loaded at 100K it would sound like an undamped MC200. Capacitance was added to taste, but cart inductance is probably too low (100mH) to lower the resonant frequency sufficiently. Most MMs have more inductance so the resonant frequency is easier to manipulate.

Which brings us to another issue. There isn't much you can do with the response of a MC. Frequency response is pretty much unaffected by loading. MC loading affects soundstage vs focus and amplitude response stays the same. A MM is tune-able to some extent, you just have to figure out how.
neo

dimkasta · « **Reply #662 on:** 14 Jul 2014, 05:37 pm »

Quote from: neobop on 13 Jul 2014, 07:43 pm

With all of these it's important to have < 200pF shunt capacitance, 150pF seems ideal. That's arm wire + cables + preamp.
neo

I measured the capacitance from the tags and got ~107pF at 1KHz

You think it is worth trying to add 40pF ? I think I have some nice ceramics

dimkasta · « **Reply #663 on:** 14 Jul 2014, 05:40 pm »

By the way, I got that same "trembly" sensation from the VdH Colibri too...

At some points at a friend's place I kept feeling that there was a huge riding cymbal in the middle of the room and someone was banging it hard with a huge drum stick...
Smooth and crystal clear, but still huge

dimkasta · « **Reply #664 on:** 14 Jul 2014, 07:21 pm »

I had some time to kill so I thought I might play a bit with the AT95...

I guess one of its problems is resonances, so first thought was to damp it with some veneer

It kind of can be done, but it requires a lot of work to look pretty... more than I m willing to spare at that point anyway...

So instead I decided to get it out of its metal housing which is probably the source of the resonances, and get her some new nice copper clothing...

Unfortunately I do not want to have to resetup the Virtuozo from scratch, so I cannot test it, but I cannot think of why it should not work

BTW I installed the 39pF caps in my phono... very nice improvement

dimkasta · « **Reply #665 on:** 15 Jul 2014, 08:45 am »

By the way, as neo said, the microline 3472 sounds really interesting for the Virtuoso...

And I loooooove the lower VTF...

Although 100 bucks steeper than the vivid line...

http://www.lpgear.com/product/ATN3472ML.html

You guys think it is worth it?

neobop · « **Reply #666 on:** 15 Jul 2014, 12:31 pm »

Hey Dimkasta,
You fit right in around here. Where have you been hiding?

I've been looking at the 3472ML for years now. It's tempting cause it's trim, plug-n-play, but it's not a very good value considering the price of an ATN440MLa is $25 less. The 440 is tapered and has a nude sq shank. The P-mount is bonded on a straight cantilever.

A poster here, Don Griff tried most of these and says the VL is the best value, but a transplanted 440 is the best to his ears. I think I would prefer a transplanted 150 which should be the same as a Maestro, but with a wood top only instead of a full wood jacket. Seems like it's hard to go wrong with the CA and replacement styli.
I have a couple of low mass arms and I had a 92E (same motor as a 95) sitting around cause it was $20 and I have an old Technics P-mount table I thought I might fix. Anyhoo, the CA/92E sounds nice on a low mass arm. It tracks at 1.5g and has that .3 x .7 combo of resolution with forgiveness.

I read a post on Karma by Luckydog. He said something to the affect of considering how much it costs to play per record. That's pretty much what this thread was originally about. How does one get good performance without spending a million dollars. An ATN7V sounds good on a med/high mass arm. It's a nude .2 x .7 on a tapered cantilever. BTW, those P-mount styli have similar compliance to the 100 series styli, about 10cu @ 100Hz.
neo

dimkasta · « **Reply #667 on:** 15 Jul 2014, 01:50 pm »

Yeah i remember the thread. He was claiming something at around 100usd per week just for his MC usage.

Anyway, I would love to try the transplants, but prices get a little steep for the risks...

neobop · « **Reply #668 on:** 18 Jul 2014, 11:55 pm »

Goldmine!!

Click on the link below each group:
http://www.classic-audio.info/tonabnehmer/tonabnehmertestaussagen.php

neo

dlaloum · « **Reply #669 on:** 19 Jul 2014, 02:37 am »

Goldmine indeed..... wish my German was better though!

neobop · « **Reply #670 on:** 19 Jul 2014, 12:09 pm »

I've only had a chance to glance at these graphs and the square waves looks mighty interesting. I must say though, the frequency response looks a little too good to be true.

Maybe the small scale makes them look that way. I'll have to look further. Seems like it's enough to keep busy for awhile.
neo

J-Pak · « **Reply #671 on:** 20 Jul 2014, 03:10 pm »

I bought a Panasonic 451 with the matching phono box. I noticed it was distorting on loud peaks on some reissues cut quite hot, for example Kenny Burrell/John Coltrane Analogue Productions 45 rpm reissue. I've had other moving coils struggle with some of these reissues. Putting it on the HFN test record it passed the first tracking test on side 2, but caused some minor buzzing on the second and failed the third. I haven't tried it on the side 1 bias tests yet. My current Soundsmith passes all the tracking tests on side 2.

Perhaps all it needs is a replacement stylus? Though the owner I bought it from at our local hifi group said he was the first owner and didn't use it much. I could understand that as it doesn't sound phenomenal.

neobop · « **Reply #672 on:** 20 Jul 2014, 11:05 pm »

If it's been sitting for years you might have to break-in the suspension. Sometimes a little extra VTF helps.

If you need a new needle I think Turntable Needles might have them.
neo

dlaloum · « **Reply #673 on:** 21 Jul 2014, 07:54 am »

It is a strain gauge cartridge.... not a standard cantilever/suspension setup - I would suspect the phono stage....

Those are very nice sounding cartridges - but the original phono stages are so-so, and the caps probably need replacing...

neobop · « **Reply #674 on:** 21 Jul 2014, 10:58 am »

A strain gauge tracks a record groove like a regular cart doesn't it? Would the preamp cause poor tracking performance?

It buzzes at high velocity (only?). How doe it do on more normal records?

This device could be 35 years old and seldom used. I wonder why. If the caps aren't leaking I'd first look at mechanical performance. If you can't track the record the thing is useless. If it's still set up you might want to leave the preamp powered up 24/7. Old power supply electrolytic caps take awhile to reform. Maybe the preamp needs some TLC too, but .....

Is there something I'm missing here?
neo

dlaloum · « **Reply #675 on:** 21 Jul 2014, 12:26 pm »

The old panasonic SG's do have a rep for taking a little while to loosen up after being out of use for years.... so it may be the cartridge too...

But it is definitely worth persevering...

For years SoundSmith were one of the few places that serviced these SG's, then they released their own Strain Gauge design - worth looking up reviews of strain gauge cartridges...

The Panasonics were apparently based on Sao Win's designs - another famous cartridge making legend.

I strongly suggest persevering with this one....

J-Pak · « **Reply #676 on:** 21 Jul 2014, 04:34 pm »

I'll crack open the box when I have some free time and have a look and I'll continue to break it in on a record I don't listen to.

The distortion I'm hearing is most definitely a tracking error. It sounds like the "post-echo" crackling after a really loud transient of say a trumpet. Surprisingly many people do not notice this, aren't bothered by it or think it's normal with vinyl.

neobop · « **Reply #677 on:** 22 Jul 2014, 09:51 am »

Apparently VTF should be 2.5g:

http://www.lencoheaven.net/forum/index.php?topic=4113.0

neo

neobop · « **Reply #678 on:** 24 Jul 2014, 01:42 am »

Test Report - Stanton 881S

This is 12/77 Popular Electronics. The entire magazine. Test report is about 1/3 of the way down. Don't stop at frequency response graph. Go through a couple of ads for square waves.
http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Poptronics/70s/1977/Poptronics-1977-12.pdf

neo

dlaloum · « **Reply #679 on:** 24 Jul 2014, 06:56 am »

There is currently an original NOS DTL4-S stereohedron stylus on ebay - to fit 680 series and the equivalent p-mounts - I picked one up, then he increased the price 50% on the other (!)... still an original NOS Stantering stereohedron is not to be sniffed at....

(Should be only a marginal step down from the 881...)