[Wayner]

If some of you where interested in this product, it works much differently then conventional cartridges, and carries a rather large price tag to go with it. It's an interesting read, FWIW.

Wayner

[orthobiz]

Wayner, Did you see the new device at RMAF from SoundSmith? The one that tells you overhang, alignment, azimuth?

Paul

[Wayner]

No, I wasn't there last year.

Wayner

[TheChairGuy]

If some of you where interested in this product, it works much differently then conventional cartridges, and carries a rather large price tag to go with it. It's an interesting read, FWIW.

Wayner

Thx for the tip-off, Wayner

I heard it at RMAF 2010 and it was the finest sound I can recall from a turntable.  Seriously, it sets digital designers back to the drawing board with this one 

The least expensive SoundSmith Strain Gauge is $5500 (unless changed recently).  It's absolutely a hefty price tag - but, there are all too many 'conventional' moving coil cartridges that cost this these days.

The Strain Gauge is a system - 'cartridge' and demodulator...which plugs into a line level input.  Whereas most of the moving coils near this price are low output and often need a outboard step-up or an excellent MC section that matches it.

I'm not making too many excuses for the stupidly high price...only that there are even more stupid ways to spend $5500 on this hobby....and no cartridge I have ever heard sounds as good as this one. 

Despite the silly high cost, I was so smitten by it, I decided I will likely one day buy one.

Yup, it's that stonkin' good 

John

[vinyl_guy]

Thx for the tip-off, Wayner

I heard it at RMAF 2010 and it was the finest sound I can recall from a turntable.  Seriously, it sets digital designers back to the drawing board with this one 

The least expensive SoundSmith Strain Gauge is $5500 (unless changed recently).  It's absolutely a hefty price tag - but, there are all too many 'conventional' moving coil cartridges that cost this these days.

The Strain Gauge is a system - 'cartridge' and demodulator...which plugs into a line level input.  Whereas most of the moving coils near this price are low output and often need a outboard step-up or an excellent MC section that matches it.

I'm not making too many excuses for the stupidly high price...only that there are even more stupid ways to spend $5500 on this hobby....and no cartridge I have ever heard sounds as good as this one. 

Despite the silly high cost, I was so smitten by it, I decided I will likely one day buy one.

Yup, it's that stonkin' good 

John

I completely agree! I was there and was so smitten by the cartridge that I went back twice and had Peter play different cuts off of some LPs I had with me. I spent quite a bit of time talking to him about the cartridge. I have NEVER heard an analog system sound as good. He used it with both an expensive Teres and a less expensive VPI (I can't remember which model) and two different tone arms (can't remember those either ). The sound of this cartridge totally blew me away One day before too long, I will likely make the plunge too (once I recover from buying a Loricraft RCM).

Paul,

Peter had a demo of his new cartridge tool that will align azmith, set VTA, etc. The last time I checked his website the tool wasn't available for purchase yet. It looked pretty easy to use. Comes with a test record designed to work with the tool. I'm interested in picking one of these up too.

Looking forward to reading the Stereophile article

Laura

[Wayner]

Just to bring some folks up to speed on what makes this cartridge different, by design is the use of a material that creates a voltage when it is bent. The term "strain gauge" is kind of goofy, as that is another device that uses this material. I believe it works in the opposite way that piezoelectric stuff does in that piezo expands when hit with a voltage and this stuff creates voltage when it's altered in physical shape.

The system includes a new power supply/phono preamp, cause as I understand it, the cartridge requires voltage to power the strain gauge material. I'm still a little sketchy on how it is all set up and I need to read the whole article (later when I have time).

Wayner

[WGH]

I have NEVER heard an analog system sound as good. He used it with both an expensive Teres and a less expensive VPI (I can't remember which model) and two different tone arms (can't remember those either ).

I don't remember the sound of the SoundSmith room at RMAF but it was nice, next year I'll pay closer attention. I did take some pics of the Strain Gauge with it's blue headlights for people who have never seen one in action.

VPI


VPI


Teres


Wayne

[Russell Dawkins]

Just to bring some folks up to speed on what makes this cartridge different, by design is the use of a material that creates a voltage when it is bent. The term "strain gauge" is kind of goofy, as that is another device that uses this material. I believe it works in the opposite way that piezoelectric stuff does in that piezo expands when hit with a voltage and this stuff creates voltage when it's altered in physical shape.

The system includes a new power supply/phono preamp, cause as I understand it, the cartridge requires voltage to power the strain gauge material. I'm still a little sketchy on how it is all set up and I need to read the whole article (later when I have time).

Wayner

This brief explanation makes sense of the strain gauge principle:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phonograph#Strain-Gauge_cartridges
the sensing element varies resistance when deformed thus modulating the supply voltage and providing the signal.

piezo elements distort physically with the application of electrical energy and also generate electricity when distorted.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piezo-electric
Cheap cartridges - so-called "crystal" cartridges were piezo electric.
The inverse is demonstrated by piezo tweeters, the stock in trade of cheap P.A. and instrument speaker manufacturers for decades. Piezo tweeter can also be hideously expensive.

Butane cigarette lighters that ignite with a spark also generate their high voltage (thousands of volts) by smacking a piezo crystal with a little metal slug at high speed. This really surprised me when I learned it. It would seem the voltage generated is a function of the speed of deformation.

[dlaloum]

I think I heard the strain gauge principle described somewhere as a high end version of a ceramic....

Apparently there's a stack of now expired patents published on strain gauge - and soundsmith were (are) one of the few people in the world servicing the old Strain Gauge systems from the 60's and 70's....
Which is how they got into making their own (same as with the B&O MMC cartridges).

Would love to hear one "in the flesh"... (or rather in the Solid State)

bye for now

David

[Wind Chaser]

Actually the price is quite reasonable.  Back in 1982 I paid $4000 for an Electro Research EK-1 it would have been closer to $5000 had my buddy at Upper Sound not given me a deal.  At that time Winn Labs was the other company producing a strain gauge - no idea what it sold for.  The Electro Research was designed in America but manufactured in Singapore.  The designer John Iverson, said it would have cost more like $20,000 had they produced them in the USA. 

The EK-1 was built like a tank.  The chassis was constructed out of 1/4 inch stainless steel.  It was pretty heavy... and a heavenly music making machine.  If you're lucky enough to find one they can be had for real cheap due to the obscurity and high cost of a replacement cartridge and calibration.

[BobRex]

I used to sell the EK-1.  Well, at least we displayed it....  FWIR the cartridge was a Panasonic.  And yes, it did sound wonderful.

[Rocket_Ronny]

Yes, the EK1 was wonderful.

Windchaser was the first person in Canada to get one. It was something like $3500.00 U.S. but with the dollar and duty came out to $5000.00 at the time.

When he first got it I was running a Dynavector Ruby on a Oracle. I went over to his house and I told him it sounded thick and syrupy. "THICK AND SYRUPY" he shouted out. "YOU THINK THIS CARTRIDGE I JUST PAID 4 GRAND FOR IS THICK AND SYRUPY, I WILL SHOW YOU THICK AND SYRUPY"

So he peels off the brand new Rickie Lee Jones album off his Oracle. He just bought it and took it out of the plastic a few minutes before. Takes off upstairs for a few minutes, then returns. Slaps down the record, which is now covered in Maple Syrup, and cranks it down.

Then giving me a piercing stare he says "YOU WANT THICK AND SYRUPY, I'LL GIVE YOU THICK AND SYRUPY." And proceeds to drop the needle. Ha.

Turns out I was right as his Magnepan tone arm was set up too high which took away some highs and gave it that thick sound.

Later, when the arm was set up correctly I would come over often. John lived on the way to my girlfriend's house so I would slip in on the way. This got me into more trouble than I want to talk about as it was just so addicting. Just one more cut, etc.

Needless to say I was soon forking over 5 grand for my own EK1. I was the second person in Canada to get one. Big dollars for a kid just out of high school. I absolutely loved that EK1 and the Electron Kinetics Eagle 7 amp that went with it. 

Rocket_strain guage_Ronny