[TheChairGuy]

I'm nearing 44 now...have been dinking with TT's for over 25 years now [ah, hell, I'm getting sad just adding up the numbers now ]  I was late to CD having purchased my first player in 1992....actually, it was given to me by my (then girlfriend) wife.  It was a lovely Rotel RCD-965BX.  It never sounded much like music, but it was great background for hours of playing in the background.

From late-'94 to early 2000 I had all my audio gear packed away as I knew this addiction would draw my attention away from my new marriage and new business during those years.  I listened to a boombox for 6 years and attended many concerts in Washington DC during those years.  I'm not sure I was any the worse off for having done so.....but, I did miss the bonding of fine music in my home and me in my comfy chair; not sure I missed the overcritical analysis of music that often comes with audiophool-dom.  I guess we all here at AC have that in common - if not much more than that.  A good bond, nonetheless, eh 

Right after I broke the audio pieces out again in 2000 I somehow decided I was going phonograph free.  For over 4 years I had no vinyl an assortment of CD players and DAC's passed thru.  Never have I loathed music more than during that time - the boombox was more enjoyable as I expected nothing from it.  Only about 2 years ago I bought another (cheapie) turntable from ebay and, shorning it with a way-too-bright AT440ML/OCC I still knew this was music.  It was clearly far from perfect - but was mostly to my liking so I continued ever onward. Thank goodness I didn't give away my 400 album collection in the proceeding years 

Shit - it's late now but I felt poetic tonite so I began to write despite the time - suffice to say I really like this cartridge, the Pickering XLZ-7500-S mk. II.  Despite it's rediculously long name, it sings more beautifully than the other cartridges I own or have auditioned to date.

Tomorrow, with a good nite of rest under me, I'll try to explain why I like it so.

Here's where I got it and a bit more about it in the meantime: http://www.pickeringuk.com/

[TheChairGuy]

I probably logged another 5 hours on the cartridge today - it might have 12 total on it so it may well be nowhere near run-in yet.

It has only 3 ohms of impedance/resistance....only a handful of cartridges costing far more have that or near it.  The Grado 0.5mv series are exceptions as well for $300+....which I kept thinking of getting, but something about spending $500 or $800 and still getting an elliptical stylus was bothering me.  This $260 gem from Pickering has almost identical specs to the Woodie Statement Grados....but offered a Stereohedron (nee, shibata or CD-4 type) stylus for less.  Normally, it costs 2x that, but Pickering UK was having a half-price sale on ebay so I decided to try it.

Low, low impendance means you get more signal.  Less coil turns leads to less voltage output (still respectable 0.33mv), but vastly less impedance.  It's as close to no resistance at all, so you get every bit of what was cut into the grooves. Coupled with great tracking (equal to the best out there at any price) and Stereohedron tip...you simply can't get more signal passing thru.  At high volumes, this is the only cartridge I've ever owned that equals (at least in my room) the dynamic punch/snap of (some) CD's - it's really thrilling for me   

As has been said of the similar Woody Statement Grado's, it's a tad 'veiled' next to low output moving coils (the only one I have to compare is Woodsyi's MC-3 on loan...but it's representative of the breed).  It has respectable inductance figure of 1mh....but that is still some 20x MORE than moving coils of this output voltage have. Lower inductance = more extended treble...ie., less 'veiling'  So, you don't quite get that insanely intimate 'imaging' connection with the music that one can get with moving coils (even high output/ 2.0mv+ MC's have better inductance figures than 1mh).

The trade-off for me is worthwhile....as I keep hearing falseness to moving coil treble.  I do understand the 'magic' part of it's design...but I suppose I side with Joe Grado who thought of moving coils as flawed mechanically no matter.  Tho when one spends $1000+ for a MC tweeked by a master builder, much of the 'false' have been tweeked out so you're just left with magic.  For the type of money paid for this Pickering, I'm not sure one could do better with a moving coil.  AT0C9, mid-line Benz and Denon fans may disagree, I know, and that might be my next step is to hear those designs before passing final judgement on MC's.  Thus far I hear a falseness to the treble registers that renders them hard to listen long to.

I really am forming an judgement that ones opinion of a cartridge is perhaps 65% electrical, 30% mechanical and 5% subjective based on your individualized hearing, memories of past or interaction with your other components.

A moving coil is absolutely superior in inductance so it is less veiled. Lower inductance = less coil noise, so less is amplified at 60db+ gain...further adding to the reality of superior transparency. A low output MI/MM can be designed with class-leading impedance figures....so it will sound full and robust.  Further, it need not have as much damping applied to it due to it's less 'flawed' mechanicals (all of vinyl is flawed, it's just relative to other flawed parts of it)...so it sounds even fuller as less damping is required of it in design.  This particular Pickering is also fully shielded with an annealed metal cartridge body...so it's stone dead, quiet...adding to the fullness and slam. But, it will always lack that last degree of delicacy that moving coils have of even similar cost.

It's a tradeoff, as are most things, but one I currently happily make as I still can't handle moving coil treble for long (even loaded correctly).  fyi - I'm pretty sure it's the amazingly insightful Linaeum tweeter exposing it...those using lesser capable tweeters may not hear what I hear.  I'm not saying my speaker is world-beating...only that the tweeters might likely be. My hearing is otherwise average, so I suspect that MUST be the case.

One thing I have banished, common with low impedance moving coils designs too, is a 'compression' I was hearing on demanding orchestral and piano passages.  No higher output cartridge banished it.  It turns out it seems to be that the lower impedance let these demanding passages pass, while higher impedance designs choke it off.  That alone is reason enough for all to consider a low output cartridge - it's worth the expense of step-ups, etc, just to banish that from your listening pleasure.

The Benz MC-3 almost banished it...but at somewhere around 50 ohms of impedance, it still wasn't quite up tot the task of pulling thru the demanding signals thru the pipeline. Low impedance = punch and slam, for sure 


So, this is the finest cartridge I own to date...because to is electrically superior to the rest in my burgeoning collection, and is less flawed mechanically than most of them. That makes it numero uno  in my book - and a cartridge I rate highly and recommend.

[TheChairGuy]

Well, ha, I see this review has been met with a small chorus of neglect...only 46 views to date 

Okay, I mostly get the hint 

Well, one now has a definite choice is excellent low output cartridges other than moving coils in Grado and this Pickering model. Listening to either the Grado or Pickering won't likely give you the tingly goosebumps that an inherently low(er) inductance moving coil will and does.....but (to me) gives a more honest portrayal of the tone and timber of the music.

Dynamics are to die for.....the Pickering is the equal, with a bit more control, of the (high output) Grado's in this regard.  That alone, is saying much.

The sound is fatigue free and quite clear on it's own...it's only in comparison to a good moving coil does it sound slightly veiled and lacking the image specificity.  But, the trade-off in exceptional tone and timber of voices and instruments is a worthy one 

None of this means I'm likely to stop here....merely that I now realize that the next increment of performance from any cartridge is likely to be something of a give and take...rather than a real leap forward in all areas of performance.

The Pickering playing Horowitz's rendition of Domenico Scarlatti below -  the best it's ever been rendered in my system (zero notable compression of the music and notes flying!)

[TheChairGuy]

I'll soldier on with my soliloquy in the hopes that this may one day be helpful to someone......

One of my chief albums I use to evaluate cartridges is 'The Koln Concert' by Keith Jarrett.  It's just a classic with so much dexterity to Keith's hands, so much presence and commitment to the music - it's just thrilling each time I listen to it.  But, for every cartridge tested, it's more or less thrilling 

Thus far, every high output cartridge has blurred the performance...to greater or lesser degrees.  The moving coils (Ortofon X5-MC & Denon DL-160vdH) performed without as much notable blurring(read as distortion or inability to follow the music) as all the moving magnets/coils did.  So, based on that I was pretty sure it wasn't purely a tracking issue.  I suspected it was coil saturation - too much signal across teeny wires with high DC resistance/impedance - and that seems to be the case.

You can't really tell with all music/instruments.  It seems to be noticeable with un-amplified instruments - the more dynamic the more noticeable.  Piano, saxophones of all types, most of the (tenor) brass instruments, a bit with classical/acoustic guitar, and violins and violas.  Much harder to hear it with rock and roll (which has amplified instruments and mixing board engineers fully committed to added distortion at the start, anyhow  ), vocal, small jazz ensembles, etc.  You need instruments carefully miked with dynamic range to hear it...it's not a stretch at all to hear the phenomenon once you do.

It drove me nuts hearing it for months.  It doesn't happen with CD...but a piano, violin/viola, and certain other instuments don't ever seem real anyhow on that medium...so it's largely a moot point for me.

As taste in music evolves to classical (as mine has over time) it becomes all the more irritating - this 'crowding out' effect.  Phono cartridges with high internal impedance are the worst offenders - it invariably gets easier to deal with if you listen to moving coils (low or high output) as they have lower resistance levels.

The Pickering XLZ-7500-s mk. II changes that equation, tho (as I would think the Grado Woodie Statements do, too).  Offering resistance levels of 3 ohms per channel....there is but a very small handful of moving coils that come close to this figure. Generally, low output moving coils have 12ohms resistance per channel...4x as much as the Pickering.  Denon's, the low output Benz's and most every other MC cartridge up to $5000 in the US, have higher impedance numbers.  No matter how good the tracking performance, no matter how little the effective stylus moving mass is....low impedance designs will carry more signal without the obvious crowding out effect   

In my ever-growing selection, the cartridge with the lowest impedance was the best performer...followed in lockstep with others in exact proportion to their stated DC resistance/impedance. Pickering, followed by woodsyi's Benz MC-3, the Ortofon and Denon next, then the (two) Grado's, the (two ADC's) and the Grace F-9 and AT440ML/OCC pulling up the rear (no surprise - the last had the highest impedance figures).

In less dynamic passages, or subjective or objective observations about noise, rhythm and pace or the like are not a part of this equation...but, one thing is for sure, LOW IMPEDANCE IS A GREAT THING TO HAVE IN A CARTRIDGE.

The Pickering stands out in it's ability to not come unglued during busy passages....certainly a testament to it's good tracking ability, but moreover, a nod to it's superior internal impedance over nearly all others.

Note: I have perhaps 25 hours on the Pickering now and it seems to be getting better sounding with each passing day

[TheChairGuy]

I want to further add....

Once you go the route of low output cartridge (say, under 0.7mv) - you've automatically received the benefits of lower impedance (and inductance).  You receive those benefits at even higher output levels with moving coils.....they have vastly better impedance and inductance. If you hear nothing particularly wrong with moving coils of any output voltage (so far, I haven't heard one that is as musically natural as even a $60 Grado Green - but that's merely my very subjective opinion)...the higher output MC's would seem to offer your best value as it needs no additional ampification/gain but that which your moving magnet input already provides

For most, a HOMC is your best deal to get in on what the fuss over vinyl is all about. The startling gains in clarity, transparency, apparent quickness, sharp/tight dynamics start there.  Again, I think the $60 Grado Green is more musically natural in all, and I see past the small deficiencies relative to HOMC's electrical superiority, but I know I'm the minority vinyl-phile (not alone, 'cause I have WEEZ and others agreeing with me, but minority nonetheless). 

At some point around US$250-300 (less if you fall in love with the sound of the HO Denon's DL-160 for $179.00), where you are already gaining the benefits of lower inductance and impedance...I think you're probably splitting hairs on further benefits.  From there, giant sized sonic benefits are probably nil...you're just pecking away at the edges of vinyl performance. The lower output devices require you to spend another $100+ for additional 20db of amplification - so they're less of a good value, overall 

Past that, you're probably better off  spending your next few hundred dollars available to you somewhere else in the audio chain 

This is all subjective opinion of an oft-fiscally conservative audiophool, but good advice for many of you faced with a similar road to further vinyl bliss. If you spend $300 or so on a cartridge - be prepared to face the reality of less overall bang for your buck.  Everyone's tolerance for what nirvana is worth will differ - but it's at least a pretty good guide for many of you. That last few % of elusive vinyl performance is costly indeed.

I have nothing to sell any of you, so please know that my opinion is somewhat more objective than most dealers will plow you with...but they are nonetheless opinions, not absolute fact.  They are good enough for me, however 

[Psychicanimal]

None of this means I'm likely to stop here....merely that I now realize that the next increment of performance from any cartridge is likely to be something of a give and take...rather than a real leap forward in all areas of performance.

Well, you should--unless you want to waste money.  Your next step would be one of them expensive wood body Grado's and money can be spent more wisely on a high end full function preamp, like a used Klyne SK-6 series.

http://www.klyne.com/pages/system6.html

You've arrived, not-so-young Padwan.

In the meantime, better headshell leads, silver paste and an original Sumiko headshell (w/o azimuth adjustment) are your ticket.  Yes, I know about the grounding issue, but you can place the cartridge on top of a strip of 3M high voltage electrical tape and use an X-acto knife to trim the contours.

Right now, you're in dire need of continual VTA adjustment in order to get the most out of any cartridge.  KAB Technics w/ Cardas tonearm rewire, perhaps?

***

[lcrim]

John:
I just found this thread.  You called me hard-headed but you still are driven to find a reason why LOMC's are not the best alternative.  You've even heard and refer to the striking differences in clarity. Maybe you should take Francisco's advice and get a TT that's easy to live with.
Whatever happened to the "constrained layer damping" pad you were cutting out from an inexpensive art supply place?  I got another "Isoplatmat" for my Dual CS5000/Goldring Eroica LX unit and while not as dramatic as w/ the Technics, it improved playback at least $100 worth.

[TheChairGuy]

PA - I'm an independent sort - I'm reaching conclusions that many have likely found before me.  But, it's all the more real when I find them out.  That's just how I work 

Larry/lcrim - Actually, there are no striking differences in clarity between any of my moving coils (or woodsyi's MC-3) and the Pickering. None at all noted.

It's because they are all low impedance and inductance designs. But, the HOMC's don't need a step-up - which makes them a bit of a better buy.  For myself, I just can't shake the unnatural sound they exhibit....but I'm sure the vast majority of folks don't hear it the same as me. Our hearing is all indexed very differently.

I never bought the constrained layer materials from Michael Percy...I need one less thing to do around here   Besides, for $100, I think the pre-made Isoplatmat is probably the better value once you factor in one's labor time to make one DIY.  I have the Audioquest sorbothane mat in between the platter, which is in itself festooned with Herbie's dots, and the Herbies top mat (and my inner platter has been sprayed with Dupli-Color Sound Barrier Undercoat and a thin layer of Plast-i-Clay).  My platter doesn't ring no matter how hard I pluck at it - so I'm not sure I'd enjoy any benefit from the Isoplatmat as you are.

I luv your hard head, btw 

ps - I traded one of my beach chairs for a barely used Stanton Collectors Edition CS-100 cartridge recently from a buddy...and I bought a BIC 940 turntable yesterday from e-flambay to see how a cheapie belt drive with a low mass/friction good arm performs next to the JVC DD.  These decks were and have been underrated for some time - with a little love and attention, they can be turned into good decks for cheap (and they look so purdy)

A cheap JVC JL-A20 from 20+ years ago, filled with 15 lbs of mortite, seemingly had better bass than I'm able to coax from the JVC DD QL-F6 I have now.

We'll see....

[WEEZ]

I finally made it thru this thread. Whew. Almost more information than my tiny brain can absorb.

[TheChairGuy]

I'm getting good at typing of late (new keyboard without 6+ year old sticky keys) 

[Psychicanimal]

PA - I'm an independent sort - I'm reaching conclusions that many have likely fondn before me.  But, it's all the more real when I find them out.  That's just how I work 

Well, that's what I did with noise control gear. Bought (and spent money and time) several types of filters: parallel, inductor based, isolation transformers (toroids, c-cores), EMI modules, combinations of, even a medical grade regenerator, etc.  Point is we can't listen to everything and have to rely on trusted people who've listened to stuff we haven't to move forward.  Your tenaciousness has served me; otherwise I wouldn't have pushed the envelope in my analog rig like I have.  But a time comes when one should just listen to music.  In my system boogie factor is paramount and you will find that while there are analytical alternatives, them Stanton/Pickering cartridges sing.  To get classical music right it will take in excess of 25K for guys like you and me who know how to shop and find the goodies.  Right now on-the-fly VTA and an electronic VTF gauge are THE immediate tools that will let you optimize what you already have and there's no beating the bush around it.  I've discovered that after getting the VTF high enough to stop mistracking, 0.05 g over that will collapse the soundstage, akin to overdamping a component.  Shit happens.

I've bought Kevin's last two remaining NOS Super Stereohedron stylus.  One is for the modded Trackmaster I and am keeping the other in the hope of finding a used CS-100.  If you feel that's not a keeper I'd like for it to have a new home in the Caribbean...


***

[TheChairGuy]

Francisco,

I'll have the Stanton CS-100 in hand within this week...looking forward to the audition.

As far as boogie factor goes....the ADC and Grado(s) I own all do that better, I think.  The Pickering pips them only due to superior internal electrical parameters of impedance/resistance (more signal = denser soundstage), impedance (clarity, treble extension) and the better, signal-retrieving shape of the Pickering Stereohedron over the Plain Jane ellipticals of the others

The low-output Pickering has been run into my Mitsubishi DA-C20's MC input (upon further listening to this rig, it is a bit grainer than I thought in the beginning.  We're it not for my tube amps glossing over the transistor-itis, I probably would have realized it earlier) or an EAR 834P (graciously loaned to me by woodsyi).  There's a certain purity to running into the (otherwise grainy) Mitsui over the EAR.....I keep coming back to the fact that rca joints just ruin the audio transmission line. Using the EAR adds two additional rca junctions where audio purity is lost.

The ADC and Grado(s) can be run right into lower gain, one rca junction of my APT-Holman preamp's MM input - preserving their virtues best.

Wayne of Bolder Cables is re-sending me his K & K transformer again to listen to.  The left/white channel was out previously. Of course that adds rca junctions again - dang it!   Bless his heart - another amazingly gracious AC'er there

Less amplification needed and less rca junctions (and wire length and attendant added capacitance it brings) almost trump over the superior electrics of the Pickering.  But, as far as boogie factor goes - the Grado(s) and ADC are better at it to me 

Where did you buy the electronic VTF gauge?  aa

[Psychicanimal]

John,

I got the Canrong in e-Bay for $68.50 incl shipping.  I think the cheapest nowadays is $89 in Audiogon.  It's super handy.

Robert Schult of Ridge Street Audio has told me that the problem with RCAs in the phono chain is impedance mistmatch that causes backwaves, if I best recall.  Therefore, the TT should have DIN connectors and Eichmann RCA's.  Although I share Robert's view of Teflon not being the best for silver, I see that ZuCables' new low capacitance Xaus phono interconnect is a no brainer for the money ( $150 in eBay ).  My take would be to have it cryo treated and then properly cooked for 30 days to make the process permanent.  They really did their homework:

http://www.zucable.com/xaus.asp#

At this point I use Phoenix Gold IC's cooked for 30 days. The cable is veiled and colored in the mids plus high in capacitance. The AT25 has such good and clear midrange that lets me know the problem more so than my other cartridges.  My take is that your cabling is coloring things and you've got to a choke point in the system.  Putting back the Rvelation Labs cabling should steer you in the right direction.  Like Ridge Street cabling, Revelation uses medical grade silver.  It does make a big difference in clarity, resolution and does not have 'silver' sound.

***

[TheChairGuy]

http://cgi.ebay.com/PP-B10-Audiophile-Tracking-Scale-outperforms-Canrong_W0QQitemZ150095908366QQihZ005QQcategoryZ48648QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem

Same specs or different from your Canrong? Somethin' tells me it's the same and Phonopreamps is just stuck with the same scale as Canrong for $5 more  Fair price for something that Clearaudio charges (as is typical of Clearaudio) $200 for 

You might be right on cabling...I was using an errant piece of OFC cable (long ago a freebie with my Rotel CD player).  It's not shielded...that alone may make a difference.

[Psychicanimal]

I would not buy that scale cause it goes to 10 g and the calibration weight is 10g.  The Canrong goes up to 5 g and the calibration weight is 5 g.  It should have less error cause we're dealing with a one point calibration procedure and 10g is farther than 5g.  Therefore, deviations from true value will increase, the machine throwing a straight line from zero to 10.000 g.  The guy's just bragging about the product w/ no proof whatsoever.  Anyway, it's still a Canrong. 

Man, I'm still up @ 3:13 AM AST. Doing agricultural searches in Google: 77 pages!  Found some pretty spooky stuff!

http://www.permaculture.com/drupal/node/141

***

[TheChairGuy]

Some additional notes on the Pickering XLZ-7500-s Mk. II as I continue listening to it...

Bear-in seems to have occurred fairly quickly.  At 20 hours I could discern no additional benefit from run-in.  I have about 30 hours on it now. Some makers specify 25-50 hours, but this was my finding on it.

Dialing in the right tracking force really counts...as is usually the case.  Pickering optimistically indicated a range of 0.75 - 1.5 g of force.  As most have found when there are ranges indicated - the highest number is usually about right. It tracks best here at about 1.45g.....I tried lower and it wasn't coping well.  I haven't tried higher just yet - it sounds right to my ear (about the only way you can dial this setting in correctly).

Don't know why makers specify a wide range like that when it all boils down to their highest selling + or - maybe 5%.

Quality control, at least for one parameter, is suspect.  Channel balance is off by a bit more than 1db....corrected by tweeking balance knob. 1 db difference messes with stereo imaging pretty severely until corrected with a twiddling of the dial.  My ADC XLM is off 2db - far worse - but that cartridge costs a lot less then and now.   

Note for PA - the Stanton CS-100 arrived today.  It's got the prettiest, and stubbiest wee cantilever I've ever seen.  It's sapphire coated and tracks lower than any Stanton/Pickering ever specified that I know of (0.75 - 1.25g).  It's frequency plotted by hand and is QC stamped.  Nice wood case, too. 

[Psychicanimal]

Note for PA - the Stanton CS-100 arrived today.  It's got the prettiest, and stubbiest wee cantilever I've ever seen.  It's sapphire coated and tracks lower than any Stanton/Pickering ever specified that I know of (0.75 - 1.25g).  It's frequency plotted by hand and is QC stamped.  Nice wood case, too. 

You can keep the pretty box... aa

[TheChairGuy]

I had the rare opportunity to sit and listen last night, rather than day, to my system as I got several new albums the other day.  After vacuum washing Sunday early evening, I was ready to play 'em Sunday night 

Usually, my system is played while I work - so to me, tone and a certain rightness to the tunes (without shrillness) is most important during daytime.  At night, computer off and nasty halogen lights turned off, too (beverage in hand), you get listen for other aspects.

It's in this light (or, lack thereof  aa) where moving coils really do shine.  Their inherently lower inductance gives them the advantage of 'goosebump' extended treble, and better, musician-in-room, imaging properties.  I still can't get my stable of moving coils here to sound as lifelike as the Pickering (or the Grado's or ADC XLM), but with the lights on low they just provide more goosebumps than anything else.

The Pickering, having only 1mh of inductance is still beaten in that area by even high output moving coils.....which typically have 0.2mh of inductance with 2volts output.  That's 5x less inductance - and correspondingly less coil noise and more extended treble.  Low Output moving coils have 10-20x less inductance - widening that gap further.

On music that didn't have dynamic passages that needed great tracking...I though the Ortofon X5-MC provided the best imaging and resolution, with the closest approximation of lifelike-ness, of the three MC cartridges played.  A feather in it's cap for a fine performance....it's worst shortcoming was the most tepid (weak) bass of any which made listening for long a bore, despite the short-term goosebump factor. .

It could be that I've not listened to expensive enough moving coils to get them to sound more lifelike...in the mega $$$ hundred and thousand, where you're paying some master cartridge maker to damp and measure each unit obsessively, it may be at that point where you can get the goosebumps along with the lifelike accuracy. Don't know if I'm gonna' invest that to find out, tho 

It's been a wonderful learning experience for me the past few weeks and months listening to all these cartridges (including woodsyi's Benz MC-3).  I'm pretty sure it comes down to less of that overused term 'synergy' and more to budget, taste, and electrical reality of each type of cartridge. 

As with every other facet of audio, there is no one perfect choice - and often, not even one perfect choice for each listener; but a trade-off of talents to choose from among cartridges. Many thanks for all your help, words of encouragement and voice of experience out there in this journey.  The cartridge thing vexed me for a while - now I think I have the right perspective on it 

Another friend of mine has a busted (internals) ADC XLM.  He's giving me his new Line stylus for it that he got applied by Expert Stylus a few years ago.  It's got very little play on it as he owns dozens of cartridges...so it will be an interesting further experiment to see how much better the ADC XLM mk. III will sound with this new stylus.  Never a dull day with vinyl and good friends....   

[TheChairGuy]

Well - the Pickering took a rather large leap in performance the past couple days.  Nope, it did not need more run-in time....it needed an owner that read the (simple) instructions for VTF (vertical tracking force).

The brush that many Pickering and Stanton cartridges have need to be accounted for in the VTF setting....once you level your arm and apply 1-1.5grams of downforce...you need to add another 1 gram for the brush.  There is still only 1 - 1.5grams of downforce at the point....but you need the extra 1 gram to account for the brush.

Soooo, all this time I was tracking at about 0.5 gram    Still, it worked, I was not thrilled with teh tracking, however, but it sounded pretty good.

Seat that Stereohedron needle down into the grooves right and you have a superb cartridge.  There is so much in those grooves to enjoy now...the Pickering really digs well at at. The whole musical palette is now fuller, each instrument is bold and full....the difference between CD and Vinyl is now minute in those areas where vinyl was previously a bit thin. 

Yet, my vinyl now has all that fullness, very little intrusive surface noise and emits a tight band of music north-south-east-west in my room.  Truly, thrilling, thrilling stuff - I am pretty sure it is the best vinyl I have ever experienced in my listening area 

I really recommend anyone with 60db+ of clean phono amplification available to them and $250.00 to spend on a cartridge to try this Pickering XLZ-7500s Mk. II.....it is truly a wonderful device.

30 years setting up turntables and I ass-u-me-d again I knew it all....frustrating this aspect of audio is, but so rewarding when you get it right 

[Toka]

Sounds like you found a winner! Sorry if I missed it, but what setting are you using for the resistive load? Wanna play with the spreadsheet.