LONGHORN GOLD1 AND GREEN1 CARTRIDGES NOW AVAILABLE!

Wayner · « **Reply #120 on:** 8 Oct 2010, 03:46 pm »

That a boy, Toni! The Zerostat does work.

What table is that with the Grado? I'll add it to my list of compatible tables.

Wayner

trebejo · « **Reply #121 on:** 8 Oct 2010, 04:41 pm »

Hey, nice electron gun there, buddy.

When did they turn yella? They were red like a Ferrari back when vinyl ruled the day.

Mitsuman · « **Reply #122 on:** 8 Oct 2010, 04:50 pm »

Quote from: Wayner on 8 Oct 2010, 03:46 pm

That a boy, Toni! The Zerostat does work.

What table is that with the Grado? I'll add it to my list of compatible tables.

Wayner

I guess you don't mean mine.

Wayner · « **Reply #123 on:** 8 Oct 2010, 05:18 pm »

Mitsuman,

Grados hum on your table? Which one is it?

Wayner.

P.S., maybe I should go buy some Mu-metal and start farting around with a motor shield.

Toni Rambold · « **Reply #124 on:** 8 Oct 2010, 05:24 pm »

Quote from: Wayner

What table is that with the Grado?

The turntable is a Transrotor AC
it is belt driven with an encapsulated Papst DC motor with disc shaped rotor
and Hall generator for speed adjustment - no hum pickup (from the motor !)
possible.

Regards Toni

Mitsuman · « **Reply #125 on:** 8 Oct 2010, 05:36 pm »

Quote from: Wayner on 8 Oct 2010, 05:18 pm

Mitsuman,

Grados hum on your table? Which one is it?

Wayner.

P.S., maybe I should go buy some Mu-metal and start farting around with a motor shield.

Mitsubishi DP-EC2 (vintage 1978) is the picture I posted showing my longhorned Grado Gold1. Not a trace of hum at all.

TomBo · « **Reply #126 on:** 7 Jan 2011, 03:57 pm »

I am considering purchasing a new Longhorn Grado cartridge.
My question is with regard to the lifespan of my existing AVA Longhorn Grado I purchased in late 2005. Assuming the sylus is still OK, is there any "lifespan" of the cartridge itself? Everything still sounds great but, is that because any natural degredation has been so subtle I just can't hear a gradual decline? Again, my usage has been pretty low over the years.
Thanks

Wayner · « **Reply #127 on:** 7 Jan 2011, 09:09 pm »

Of course we'd love to sell you a new one, but there really isn't any thing to wear out other then the stylus. We can bring it back to "good as new" for you with a new stylus (treated) and do a cartridge check for you. Just call Frank and I'm sure we can take care of everything for you.

I actually install every cartridge and listen to it. I even have a dedicated TT for doing the final check, which is listening to it. I love making them.

Wayner

TomBo · « **Reply #128 on:** 7 Jan 2011, 11:13 pm »

Thank you Wayner,
I appreciate the genuine service you and the whole AVA team have provided over the decades. I will contact Frank.

BaMorin · « **Reply #129 on:** 15 Jan 2011, 08:56 pm »

Quote from: TomBo on 7 Jan 2011, 03:57 pm

I am considering purchasing a new Longhorn Grado cartridge.
My question is with regard to the lifespan of my existing AVA Longhorn Grado I purchased in late 2005. Assuming the sylus is still OK, is there any "lifespan" of the cartridge itself? Everything still sounds great but, is that because any natural degredation has been so subtle I just can't hear a gradual decline? Again, my usage has been pretty low over the years.
Thanks

I know Wayner has answered this, but I have several Grado bodies that have had numerous styli replacements...2 of my MCZ bodies date from 1986, and my 8MZ body dates from 1989. All three bodies perform as new. If your body is from 2005....I suspect you have a lifetime to look forward to.

Wayner · « **Reply #130 on:** 15 Jan 2011, 09:08 pm »

And you can put any stylus into any cartridge body, as they are all the same design (fit wise).

Wayner

Wayner · « **Reply #131 on:** 4 Feb 2011, 11:30 pm »

I have received a new batch of Grado Gold1 cartridges for our inventory. I'd like to thank the many customers that have made this a fun product for AVA. New units are available for immediate shipment!

Wayner

Waynefi · « **Reply #132 on:** 26 Feb 2011, 07:36 am »

Any info on the Thorens TD 125 MKII and motor and Grado hum ?

Thanks,

Wayne

Trover · « **Reply #133 on:** 29 Jun 2011, 02:30 pm »

I got a Longhorn gold from AVA. I always liked the Grado sound, the tonality is more like live music, especially on stuff like classical violin and cello, jazz saxophone. I have'nt directly compared Longhorn with a stock Grado yet, but I have a stock Grado Gold1 mounted in an indentical headshell, so I'll be able to get a handle on exactly what the difference is. So far I have noticed mainly on one channel I'm getting mistracking, like a break up distortion on piano notes for example, but other stuff too. Skate is set proper, tracking at 1.7g. I'm going to play some of the same records with my Ortofon cartridge and see if it was something with the records or recording. I'm using the Grados on a Technics SL1200 and it's ok as far as any bothersome hum, I was not really able to use Grados on a Rega (which has an unshielded AC motor), but I wanted to be able to get the Grado sound so the 1200 works better than the Rega for that, hum is low level and does not get any louder as the record plays.

avahifi · « **Reply #134 on:** 29 Jun 2011, 05:24 pm »

Please call me at 651-330-9871 regarding your tracking issue with the Longhorn Gold cartridge.

Every one is listened to by Wayner, our custom builder of these cartridges before shipping. I am pretty surprised to find any QC issues at all.

Actually it would be nice to know that you think you have an issue before making it public here. We can help you with set up issues, and of course will replace or repair any cartridge that was shipped with initial problems.

Regards,

Frank Van Alstine

Wayner · « **Reply #135 on:** 29 Jun 2011, 08:47 pm »

Tracking issues can almost all be traced back to the anti-skating device of your turntable. Owning many, many tables currently and thru the years, the calibration of them is almost never the same. If your distortion is on one channel, the skating is still too powerful for the cartridge to track. We have a calibration disc for just this purpose. The other factor is cartridge alignment, and we simply can't control that. Proper alignment is as important as any other settings. I have to ask what specific table you are using and what alignment curve is the cartridge set up for?

I can tell you that on my Technics SL1200 that the dial is at 2.3 to get the Grado Gold1 to behave without any kind of skating behavior (I track at 1.6 grams). My Sony PS-X7 is at 1.6. My Technics SL-Q2 is at 2.1.

So, as you can see, there are a whole bunch of different settings (from table to table) for the exact same cartridge. All Longhorns are tested in my Technics SL-Q2.

By the way, setting a higher VTF probably will not solve this problem either. I can actually get the Longhorns to track nicely at 1.5 grams on the Sony PS-X7.

PM me if you want to get this any farther.

Wayner

Trover · « **Reply #136 on:** 30 Jun 2011, 02:01 pm »

I am confident of your product quality and that you stand by all your stuff. I didnt feel I was at the point where I'd need to contact you, lot's of times I use the forums for stuff like this. It could be Grado's just don't track as well as I'm used to with my Ortofon's. I'm using the Technics alignment system, which I think is based on Stevenson theory and is optimized for end of record distortion, this seems to make sense especially since Grado stylus can have issues in that area. Besides the Technics headshell leaves some cartridges short of proper Baerwald (I use Geodisc for that alignment system). Yes I too have noticed the skate calibration varies with the table and cartridge and the setting rarely corresponds to the exact tracking force- I actually had to set it a gram over on my ortofon, with the Grado just a little over. Should I try a skate setting less than the tracking force? On Second Winter side 4 it drifts across the record from the edge and then slows and floats steady toward the center.

Wayner · « **Reply #137 on:** 30 Jun 2011, 03:25 pm »

It sounds like you should increase the anti-skating. With the AVA anti-skating calibration disc, you should be able to put the stylus on the disc at any location, and the arm should remain steady. It will track nicely when all the settings on your table make it happy. The Longhorn improves the tracking, but the set-up of a turntable is crucial to good performance, let's just say the Grados are a little less forgiving.

I have my Technics SL1200MK2 in a Lofgren B. The cartridge will be all the way out to the end, but the average overall distortion is way lower then the Stevenson. The Stevenson is less at lead-out, but it's lead in distortion is huge.

There is also lots of music compression going on in the few ending spirals of grooves. Just as much musical information in a lot less space. That is also why it was a good practice for master cutters to put the soft stuff as the last track.

Thanks for responding.

Wayner

rcag_ils · « **Reply #138 on:** 30 Jun 2011, 05:38 pm »

Use an alignment record that has a blank track (no groove) area for your anti skate setting, no tool is more accurate than this.

Minn Mark · « **Reply #139 on:** 30 Jun 2011, 05:44 pm »

Ah-HA !
I had been following this thread, and thank goodness, because I own a many years old Lonhorn (dare I say "original") which I keep in a headshell for my Technics SL-D3. I had been using my Shure V14-IV and recently changed back by a quick headshell swap, balance and VTF+antiskate and sure enough, I was getting distortion in the left channel. Now that I know better, I will go home tonight and adjust the alignment and antiskate and just betcha my issue will disappear. Thanks a bunch, wayner.

Mark