Grado Pick-Up Cartridge

Okay, I admit it. I've been out of the "high end" audio business for about twenty years. The last phono cartridge I owned was a Grace F9-E, which I absolutely loved, but the stylus was shot and try as I might, I could not find a replacement. At any rate, I went cartridge shopping, and was talked into a Grado Platimum for my price range. (I had it professionally mounted, balanced, etc. at the stereo shop.) When I brought my turntable home, I hooked it up and frankly, compared to my old Grace F9-E, I was completely disappointed. I got on the Internet and did some researching--after the fact, I know--and everyone's raving about this Grado Platinum cartridge! So, I start thinking, "It must just be me." But I couldn't let go. I just didn't like the way this thing sounded compared to my old Grace F9-E. Then I got to looking at some of the specs on the Grado Platimum. For one thing, the Grado is called a "Moving Iron Cartridge". Huh? What the hell is "Moving Iron"? My Denon pre-amp only has positions for Moving Magnet or Moving Coil. What is this Moving Iron stuff all about? Do I have the wrong cartridge for the preamp I have? Is that the problem? I've tried playing the Grado Platinum/turntable in both the MM and MC positions, and the Grado/turntable sounds louder--but not necessarily better--when I have the Denon pre-amp set on MC. Do I need a pre-amp for this Grado Platinum "Moving Iron" cartridge, or what? Call me: clueless and aggrevated.

 

Both the Grace and the Grado have high gain and should not be played through the moving coil input. Typically moving magnet/moving iron cartridges like to be loaded at 47kOhm, but the Grado may not be as happy at that loading as your Grace was.

Is the loading adjustable on your preamp.

The Grace had a very good reputation, and was recommended left and right in the mid-80s. I thought there were better moving magent cartridges at the time - Garrott P77, Grado Signature 8MR - spring to mind (as they should because I own both of these and heard them against the Grace). I have no idea what the Platinum sounds like.

 

Is the loading adjustable on your preamp.

>>>>>
>>>>>Well, If I place the Grado cart using the MM mode, there's no volume--so to speak--at all! In other words, I have to crank the volume knob on the Denon pre-amp almost to the two o'clock position to hear the vinyl at what I'd call a "normal" listening level. Placing the Denon pre-amp in MC mode makes the vinyl sound louder, and I don't have to turn up the volume knob as far--say the twelve noon position instead of the two o'clock position--but in the MC position, the LPs just don't sound "right"...the highs, in particular, seem to sound shrill. So, you're saying I should run this Moving Iron Grado at MM and not MC? Then do I need pre-amp (for the Grado) going into the Denon pre-amp? No, my Denon does not have an adjustable cartridge pre-amp control. This is all so frustrating. Why couldn't I just find a replacement stylus for my Grace!!!!!!!

 

Grado makes two versions of the Platinum. The Reference which has an output of 4.0 mV and the Statement (which it sounds like you have) with an output of 0.5 mV. The Statement has fewer turns of much larger wire which may account for the low output. See if you can exchange that one for the higher output Reference. Might make a difference in the sound.

 

Try a Sure cart. If the sound of MC carts turn your crankshaft, some others could chime in.

 

What kind of table are you using? High-output Grados will sometimes hum on certain tables due to their lack of shielding, but the low-output versions won't, which is why they were introduced.

Grados have very little damping, also. This creates some resonance issues with certain types of musical passages (they hate sustained piano notes) as well as problems with flutter warps.

Why put up with all this crap? Because you'd be hard-pressed to find a better midrange than that of the Grado wood body series. The higher the model is in the range, the better the mids. Nice, bloomy midbass also if that's your thing. If you like a tight, precise and just-the-facts kinda sound, Grados won't be your cup of Joe (Grado...har, har).

Moving iron cartridges are just another way of varying the magnetic flux to generate a signal. Whatever the name says is the part that moves. No biggie. Grados have a piece of iron connected directly to the cantilever that moves with the groove modulations and alternates the flux in the gap between the magnets to create the signal.

If your system is already on the warm side, you might find the Grado to be too warm. Not a crisp and bright kinda cartridge.

 

Thanks for that info.

 

Cdice, I agree with Grant on trying a Shure cart. I briefly used a Grado Reference Platinum (whichever one is the $300 list-price entry-level wood-body model) and found that it did not track well. I've read that others have had similar experiences. I switched to a Shure V15Vxmr and everything sounded "right" again. Many people on this forum swear by the Shure for excellent tracking and flat response.

Paul

 

To my ears, the Shure carts of all flavors seem "turer". But, the two top Shur carts will tend to give you exactly what is on the record, no more, no less. The V15Vxmr and the M97xE are both honest. No tracking issues, very low resonence, no hum, and it's quite. The mids are correct. I can even tell the difference on my old JVC DD.

I did have a high-output Grado cart last year, and I hated it! Yeah, the midrange was seductive, but the response was inaccurate. It was too forward. The highs were zippy, the bass exaggerated, and it had a terrible hum from bad sheilding. It didn't track well.

The Audio Technica carts I used all sounded cold, and sounded almost ceramic!

I heard a Sumiko Blue Point MC cart, and it sounded like someone turned up the 10k fader on the equalizer.

 

cdice, Hate to make things more complicated, but we need more information. First, which version of the Platinum do you have. You have not filled out your profile, so we have no idea what TT and arm you have. Did you do a full arm alignment after you installed the new cartridge?

 

Excuse my skepticism.

 

Thanks to everyone for the advice. I do, sure enough, have the Grado Platinum Statement and not the Reference, which is what--it appears--I need to properly match my Denon PMA-1200 pre-amp. I called the stereo shop who installed and balanced the Grado, and they apologized profusely and are going to "switch-out" my "Statement" version for the "Reference" version, no charge. If this doesn't work, I'm going to try the Shure V15V. Thanks again for all your help! Now.....anyone recommend a decent pair of new home audio speakers in the $1400.-$1600. price range? The last pair of loudspeakers I bought was when I was still in college in the late seventies, and they're what I still own: a set of Design Acoustics from Stow, Ohio! (Rolling Stone magazine liked them at the time! :<P)

 

If you get the chance, go audition the Vandersteen 2Ce Signatures. I had the original 2Cs & upgraded to the Signatures after 10 years of wonderful music.

 

cdice, Get a copy of the April issue of Stereophile and go through the recommended speakers for your price point. Start with that list and go listen. You will find others as you go through your auditioning process.

 

If you have the space in your listening room I suggest you investigate Magnepan speakers. Their web site is www.magnepan.com. They have a couple of models in their line of planar speakers that are in your price range or just slightly above it.

I personally love the way planar speakers sound!

 

I picked up a pair of Vandersteen 2Ce's today. I was really impressed with the imaging. While I listened to them in the store, there were times when the speakers seemed to literally disappear, and the music was right there in front of me! I'd never experienced that in a speaker for under $2,000. a pair, so I went for it. I'm finding, at home, that speaker placement is a real issue. As a matter of fact, I'm convinced speaker placement is everything!

 

Yup. That pretty much sums up the first time I listened to the Vandys. You're right about speaker placement. It makes a big difference. I also have a Vandersteen subwoofer 2W hooked up & it was a substantial upgrade not just in the bass but the soundstaging & midrange.