Grado Reference Master Wood Body Phono Cartridge

ricmon · « **on:** 27 Jan 2010, 07:10 pm »

Ok guys I just pulled the trigger on a Grado Reference Master Wood Body Phono Cartridge.

I can't wait to get this installed. The reason I went looking for a new cart is because my trusty Sumiko Blackbird got damaged for the last time. I will never buy another nude body cart. I had to send it to Peter at The Soundsmith twice. Once when the cat came into contact with the side of a spinning record the other time when the stylus came into contact with a drunk finger

. This last time after moving I misplaced my stylus brush and used the one from my electric razor. This brush has longer bristles than my usual brush and the bristles got under the generator and pulled out the copper wiring around the generator

Anyways I can't wait to hear this cart. I have read many good things about it.

Ric

BobM · « **Reply #1 on:** 27 Jan 2010, 07:27 pm »

With your record I would make sure to replace the little stylus gard on the Grado whenever you're closing the system down for the night.

Good luck and enjoy.

woodsyi · « **Reply #2 on:** 27 Jan 2010, 07:40 pm »

Ric,

How many time did I tell you not to let those wild girls down stairs to come up and play with your needle?

Good luck with Grado.

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #3 on:** 27 Jan 2010, 07:47 pm »

Oh what irresistible fun for little kitties to see something move around and around...I have two, and now have my system behind closed doors.

It's a bit more of a bother changing sides now (I normally use an auto table, so at least I don't have to run to lift the needle from the record!)

Enjoy the Grado! The Longhorn mod likely improves even the higher end series doncha' know. Anything you can do to increase tracking prowesss of any Grado helps it wonderfully. What's left is clean, open and natural sound with a low end that makes most other cartridges sound sick

John

Quiet Earth · « **Reply #4 on:** 27 Jan 2010, 07:56 pm »

Looking forward to your impressions of the Grado. I have the Blackbird too, and I am pondering the idea of getting a new cart. I'd like to get one that tracks just as well as the Blackbird, but with a little more meat on the bone. More emphasis on music and less on detail, if that's possible.

Anyway, good luck with your new purchase.

ricmon · « **Reply #5 on:** 27 Jan 2010, 08:05 pm »

Quote from: TheChairGuy on 27 Jan 2010, 07:47 pm

Oh what irresistible fun for little kitties to see something move around and around...I have two, and now have my system behind closed doors.

It's a bit more of a bother changing sides now (I normally use an auto table, so at least I don't have to run to lift the needle from the record!)

Enjoy the Grado! The Longhorn mod likely improves even the higher end series doncha' know. Anything you can do to increase tracking prowesss of any Grado helps it wonderfully. What's left is clean, open and natural sound with a low end that makes most other cartridges sound sick

John

John the Longhorn mod has crossed my mind but I thought a cart at this price point wouldn't need it. Maybe after I have it for a while I'll consider it. Do think it can be done on wood body carts?

Ric

ricmon · « **Reply #6 on:** 27 Jan 2010, 08:08 pm »

Quote from: BobM on 27 Jan 2010, 07:27 pm

With your record I would make sure to replace the little stylus gard on the Grado whenever you're closing the system down for the night.

Good luck and enjoy.

My problem is during play back. Now if I can just figure out how to play records with the stylus guard on

DARTH AUDIO · « **Reply #7 on:** 27 Jan 2010, 08:42 pm »

Kill the cat, put the bong down(Electric razor brush??) and switch to digital when loaded!!

ricmon · « **Reply #8 on:** 27 Jan 2010, 09:15 pm »

Quote from: DARTH AUDIO on 27 Jan 2010, 08:42 pm

Kill the cat, put the bong down(Electric razor brush??) and switch to digital when loaded!!

Blame Wayner. He suggested the razor brush

orthobiz · « **Reply #9 on:** 28 Jan 2010, 01:02 am »

I have the Reference Series Sonata on my VPI and it has HUM. A bit less hum with the SDS at 72 volts. A bit less with an AQ PT-9 (my PT-6 has a bad ground somewhere). A bit less with the SAMA. But hum nonetheless. I may move it to my Linn Sondek which, with a Linn Adikt cartridge has NO hum).

Good luck! If it's a MC (mine is moving iron) you may not get the hum...

I couldn't tell which one your getting from looking at the Grado site. Looks like there's a Reference in the Reference series and in the Statement series. And a Master in each series. But maybe not a Reference Master??? Confusing!

Paul

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #10 on:** 28 Jan 2010, 01:58 am »

Quote from: ricmon on 27 Jan 2010, 08:05 pm

John the Longhorn mod has crossed my mind but I thought a cart at this price point wouldn't need it. Maybe after I have it for a while I'll consider it. Do think it can be done on wood body carts?

Ric

Yes, it would help. No Grado is a champion in tracking...anything down to improve this and you would derive quite the benefit. You need not adhere the crossbar permanently to the nice wood body, a little 'elephant snot' will do.

I use this speaker surround caulk (it's black and I bought it at Parts Expess long ago). It's quite sticky so the bar never falls off.

I'm not so certain that modelling clay would be sticky enough to keep the bar stuck to the wood body

Ciao, John

Quiet Earth · « **Reply #11 on:** 28 Jan 2010, 04:59 am »

Something's not right about that idea.

Wayner · « **Reply #12 on:** 28 Jan 2010, 12:29 pm »

Quote from: ricmon on 27 Jan 2010, 09:15 pm

Blame Wayner. He suggested the razor brush

I use mine on the stylus, not the coils.

ricmon · « **Reply #13 on:** 29 Jan 2010, 05:35 pm »

Quote from: orthobiz on 28 Jan 2010, 01:02 am

I have the Reference Series Sonata on my VPI and it has HUM. A bit less hum with the SDS at 72 volts. A bit less with an AQ PT-9 (my PT-6 has a bad ground somewhere). A bit less with the SAMA. But hum nonetheless. I may move it to my Linn Sondek which, with a Linn Adikt cartridge has NO hum).

Good luck! If it's a MC (mine is moving iron) you may not get the hum...

I couldn't tell which one your getting from looking at the Grado site. Looks like there's a Reference in the Reference series and in the Statement series. And a Master in each series. But maybe not a Reference Master??? Confusing!

Paul

The cart arrived yesterday and I got a chance to do a little listening through it last night. Fist off no hum (moving iron). At this point I'm not sure if I like this cart. I was warned that Grado's are a acquired taste. Comparing to my Blackbird it sounds laid back and very mellow. At high play back levels this laid back characteristic is still there. Also at this initial stage it does not have the sort of dynamism I like but all in all extremely musical. So tonight I'll make sure it's mounted accurately in the arm and spin spin spin.

Ric

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #14 on:** 29 Jan 2010, 06:38 pm »

It's a very different experience than a moving coil....any moving iron or moving magnet is.

I have only gotten 'chills' listening to music...that incredibly spooky, intimate feeling one gets only with moving coil cartridges. So, I totally get the adherents of MC's and what they like about them.

However, I am consistently and regularly let down by the lack of naturalness of any moving coil heard (albeit, I have not heard all). In the end it comes down to naturalness...and it's there that the Grado's tend to have above all other MC's MM and MI's I've heard.

If it doesn't sound like live music I've heard - than it isn't a good fascimile of it. It's an altogether different experience.

The eery/spooky/detailed sound of the MC may well be the lower noise of the system...some hundreds of times less internal inductance the likely culprit. While it's electrically superior, one must hand tune (ie, damp) a moving coil....that damping tends to destroy it's naturalness; it's musicality.

Grado's are run considerably underdamped and purposely unshielded. Joe Grado felt they sounded most natural that way - and that any hum problems to be the issue of the turntable maker, not Grado.

Keep listening...it may grow on you (or, it may not). The Longhorn will likely improve some facet of detail by allowing the stylus to stay planted better in the grooves...but, you'll never have the moving coil experience as mentioned above. Sadly, there really is no happy medium in the debate...you just choose what makes you smile most while playing

Ciao, John

Browntrout · « **Reply #15 on:** 29 Jan 2010, 07:11 pm »

I have had this cartridge for two years now and love it. It will improve over time from new so be patient. It is the top of the line bar the Reference Reference and is available in 5.0v and 0.5mv output though you can request a 2.5mv output version to special order which is what I shall do when I need to retip.
Once you listen to it for a while you will, I suspect, come to notice the cd like quality that moving coils have in comparison. SET and moving Iron makes the most realistic sound to my ears.
I hope you can enjoy it as much as I do.

BobM · « **Reply #16 on:** 29 Jan 2010, 08:25 pm »

Don't make any judgements until you've got at least 30 hours of vinyl spinning on it to loosen things up. The detail will come back as it breaks in. In the meantime, pur yourself a glass and sing along with the music.

ricmon · « **Reply #17 on:** 29 Jan 2010, 08:31 pm »

Thanks for the encouragement. I do have high hopes for this cart so I'll do as advised and give it some time (which is plan A) to settle in. To start the process I'm sure I'll be spinning vinyl all week end.

cheers

Ric

ohenry · « **Reply #18 on:** 29 Jan 2010, 10:18 pm »

Yep, it'll take a while to sound right. I have a Platinum (low-end of the woodies) and it took patience to sit back and let it develop.

That said, you may always prefer the Soundsmith's work, my favorite is an old Adcom cross coil that's been upfitted with his best stylus and cantilever (but your Grado has a much better stylus than mine).

ricmon · « **Reply #19 on:** 1 Feb 2010, 08:06 pm »

After a few days you guys are right. The cart is starting to sound really good. Getting this cart to sound right is taking more than patients. I had to play with the VTA, re balance the cart twice (no scale) and make incremental adjustments to the counter weight to get all of the frequencies to start to emerge from the cart. Now if can figure out how to recapture some of that holographic magic that exasperated when I got the upper mids to high frequencies to emerge. However what I heard last night I like. A lot.