Not only are they system-dependent but also the fact that there are different goals. I listen for fun and don't care much for an analytical delivery of the music but some love a clinical/cerebral approach. If we all liked the same thing, it'd be one boring world but I definitely can't say there's anything about that way of listening to music that is appealing to me in any way.
@avanti1960 - if you want to borrow my Flying Fish "VTA setup" record, just let me know and I'd be happy to shoot it over if you want to give it a shot.
Could you do some of us a favor and give specifics on that record? I tried to find a copy on eBay and though there were a few with that title, none had the track Steve recommended to test a cart on. Thank you!
It's gotten ridiculously expensive the past couple years.... Norman Blake (2) / Tut Taylor / Sam Bush / Butch Robins / Vassar Clements / David Holland* / Jethro Burns - Norman Blake / Tut Taylor / Sam Bush / Butch Robins / Vassar Clements / David Holland / Jethro Burns
That's the one. I picked mine up very recently for $20 in NM condition (and it actually is as advertised). Are there other pressings maybe?
thanks todd but i have run every possible VTA position on every cart- level +/- 2 -degrees in 0.5mm steps. too high and the treble gets prominent and noisy, too low and you lose the treble. my positions seem optimized- ~ 1/2mm tail up for the ART9.
I like it it's just that my table makes it (and other cartridges) sound too rich. i bet it would sound incredible on a new technics table.
I take it you have already experimented with VTF and capacitance? How about adding/subtracting headshell/cartridge mass?
Avanti, my very thoughts, a Rega RP6/8 or the Technics, might be what you are looking for? Personally given your penchant for valves and British kit, I'd look for a 301, you'd have a classic combo there. The bass on the Garrard 301 is visceral and a good octave maybe 2 deeper in terms of its' "slam", than your current setup.
I use it on a 12" 750L and it's resonant frequency is about 7 Hz. Works great but when I looked at your other post last night I didn't see any stats for effective mass on the 850 arm.
I know nothing about that - reason why I am asking the question here for people that do. Here the specs. Mine is the 850 S https://shopcdn.textalk.se/shop/1785/art96/154996696-ea23af-Jelco-TK-series-Tonearm.pdf Thanks
Everything I'm reading says the arm is designed to support a wide array of cartridge masses but unfortunately I have to stop at "my slightly older jelco arm works really well with the Art9" as I am not familiar with the math needed to verify whether compliance works out for the pair. I also don't see effective mass in the PDF you linked and I believe that's part of the equation.
Folks, you can end chasing your tail on all this. Is the weather in Baghdad conducive to playing records on a Thursday when there's a Y in the month? Jelco arms are by the price of much audio kit, a bargain and part of that is relative to "economies of scale". In the scheme of things, Jelco make a lot of arms compared to the more esoteric brands in the same way, Audio Technica make a lot of cartridges compared to most makers and can therefore drop their prices at the various quality points compared to other brands. Most decent arms and the Jelcos are more than decent, will play most mainstream cartridges. There's a tendency in the audio world to extrapolate out the exceptions as a rule? I suspect this comes from singular pieces of kit, which are particularly fussy about their partnering ancillaries, which are seen as some sort of paragon of audio capabilities? You know the sort of spiel you see in the Hifi press? "I found the Grunther MPK23 cartridge worked brilliantly well when the moon was in the fourth quarter and I had it sideways mounted on an arm constructed from unicorn horn, my go to when using the Gerald 4930 deck I found in skip and rebuilt using slate from the castle roof at Warwick. The synergy between the Grunther and my Oswald Boelck pre, the only one ever made it, senses your mood and alters the EQ internally to suit, was magical. Allied to the Passepartout mono-blocks , the cases and power supplies are hand made by the descendants of Amazon warriors and my Brecht speakers, which only actually work on the days of the waning moon and this 50 dollar cartridge really comes to life. Of course, in your system, it sounds bang average however, that would ruin the review". The ART-9 is damned fine cartridge and about as benign a load and as average in terms of its' demands as they come. If you have a decent turntable and arm then, there's no reason why the ART-9 should present you with any hassles.
Just cause two pieces of gear are nice and well made, I wouldn't assume they'd play together perfectly. I'm not seeing the effective mass anywhere either, but if I was going to drop $1,000 on a cartridge I'd want to make sure it's at least a good fit.
I will say those 8xx and 9xx series Jelco arms that he's referring to look very nice. Knife-edge bearing, built-in digital VTA gauge on the upper end models, and if I'm seeing correctly, on-the-fly VTA adjustment?
A big thumbs up from me. Sorry if any of my posts casted doubt on that issue. I really like mine and it's got under ten hours on it. I can't imagaine what it will sound like at 100 hours.
I wouldn't consider buying a backup if I thought I could find anything remotely as good (for my tastes) in the same ballpark.
Lordy Lordy Lordy !!!!!! Just spent an hour setting my new Art-9 in my Source / Odyssey table and it is incredible. Arm dead level, 1.8gm tracking, bias by ear. Tons of detail, music flows and pinpoint imaging. I’m one happy Art-9 owner
I meant to add that my local go-to guy, Scott Nangle (snvinyl.co.uk), supplied the cartridge and even loaned me the use of an Acoustical Systems protractor which made finding the ideal alignment easy. No point buying a great cartridge and not taking the time and effort to align it perfectly.
