My dialogue with Grado re: their mono carts

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by action pact, Sep 19, 2010.

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  1. action pact

    action pact Music Omnivore Thread Starter

    I'm not sure what to make of this conversation with Grado customer service:

    ME:
    GRADO:
    ME:
    GRADO:
    ME:
    GRADO:
     
  2. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    Someone sounds like they are clueless, on drugs, or trying to hoodwink you.
     
    2xUeL likes this.
  3. Puma Cat

    Puma Cat Forum Resident

    Location:
    East Bay, CA
    It's not difficult to decipher; it's a standard Grado moving iron generator bridged for mono using a elliptical sytus configuration optimized for mono grooves. There is vertical compliance so it will not damage your stereo records; this is consistent with the appearance of my Grado Sonata1 mono.
     
  4. Millstone

    Millstone New Member

    Location:
    Port Colborne, ON
    goo'd thin'g they use'd all thos'e apostrophe's
     
    hicks.dusty and 2xUeL like this.
  5. Casino

    Casino Senior Member

    Location:
    BossTown
    Yeah, if he was writing about more than one stylus, he's probably write something like "If you consider both stylus's..."
     
  6. action pact

    action pact Music Omnivore Thread Starter

    Too bad the vertical info output is not suppressed.
     
  7. action pact

    action pact Music Omnivore Thread Starter

    Probably the former. My guess is someone like Joe Grado's niece is answering these emails!
     
    2xUeL likes this.
  8. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    Right. but the way it was either described to him by the Grado rep, or how he worded it (that apostrophe...whew!) make is sound like a bunch of gobblygook.
     
  9. Puma Cat

    Puma Cat Forum Resident

    Location:
    East Bay, CA
    it's not a problem, really. My monos are really quiet.
     
  10. JBStephens

    JBStephens I don't "like", "share", "tweet", or CARE. In Memoriam

    Location:
    South Mountain, NC
    I just had to laugh at that one! :laugh::laugh::laugh:

    Basically the rep told you that no, the Grado is not a true mono cartridge but a strapped-coil stereo cartridge. With elliptical's. :D
     
  11. JBStephens

    JBStephens I don't "like", "share", "tweet", or CARE. In Memoriam

    Location:
    South Mountain, NC
    If the coils are strapped, it is.
     
  12. MikeyH

    MikeyH Stamper King

    Location:
    Berkeley, CA
    I was told that the specific Grado mono models are 'lateral response only' not 'channel common'. They can do this in manufacture because of the coil alignment. It's not the same as just summing left and right. as we've discussed here before. It's the difference between a mono cartridge and a compromise.
     
  13. action pact

    action pact Music Omnivore Thread Starter

    Who told you that, Mikey? Grado?
     
  14. All I've got to say is "hmmm" (but then, Grado cartridges do that quite well).
     
  15. MikeyH

    MikeyH Stamper King

    Location:
    Berkeley, CA
    Yes, but at the time the designs were being launched. Not just customer service.

    You might want to ask them to check with the technical department. Of course, Grado might consider it a secret. :shh:
     
  16. keoki82

    keoki82 Active Member

    Location:
    Edmonton
    I have the MC+ and I've found this to be true. They may track with vertical compliance for stereo compatibility, but my mono LPs have a much blacker background when played with this cart instead of the Bias on my Rega.

    Depressing the mono button doesn't do the same thing.
     
  17. Puma Cat

    Puma Cat Forum Resident

    Location:
    East Bay, CA
    No, that's not accurate; the coil configuration in the mono is different; I called Grado and asked if they could make a mono cartridge out of a stereo one, and they said no.
     
  18. Puma Cat

    Puma Cat Forum Resident

    Location:
    East Bay, CA
    That's correct.
     
  19. sberger

    sberger Dream Baby Dream

    Anybody in this thread know what the situation is with the Benz mono carts, specifically the Ace? True mono?
     
  20. Puma Cat

    Puma Cat Forum Resident

    Location:
    East Bay, CA
    My recommendation would be to write to Musical Surroundings and ask.

    Or, you could just get Grado mono...I doubt that the Benz will be any better, only more expensive..
     
  21. visprashyana

    visprashyana New Member

    Location:
    Chicago
    That's not a fair statement - the Grado and Benz are completely different in many ways, including sonic attributes. Please feel free to call Musical Surroundings and discuss the Swiss cartridge that tracks and sounds much better than the Grado.
     
  22. MikeyH

    MikeyH Stamper King

    Location:
    Berkeley, CA
    I thought I might be able to do this myself. You don't want to mess with those wires you can barely see. I didn't even start, once I saw inside. That stuff can't be soldered without the absolutely right tools.

    Grado's design lends itself to this well; Shure, ortofon, and A-T would have to actually tool a new body and stylus design to do mono on their MM ranges. They haven't bothered. Grado just re-arrange the order and phase of the coils.
     
  23. SuperFuzz

    SuperFuzz Forum Resident

    Location:
    NYC USA
    as simply as I understand it: There is vertical movement for compliance reasons, but it does not produce a signal.
    Much different than using a mono button or a Y cable.

    Soundsmith mono cartridges work the same way.
     
  24. JBStephens

    JBStephens I don't "like", "share", "tweet", or CARE. In Memoriam

    Location:
    South Mountain, NC
    Now that I think about it, you're right. The Grados have four coils in an X pattern, rather than the standard two at 45 degrees. It would be relatively easy to wire them for lateral. Or, for that matter, vertical, to play Diamond Discs, or cylinders. What I did with my standard stereo cartridge to play Diamond Discs is wire the coils in series. That cancels out the lateral, instead of wiring them in parallel which cancels the vertical.
     
  25. action pact

    action pact Music Omnivore Thread Starter

    I decided to push them a little bit, and continued the conversation:

    ME:
    GRADO:
    There ya go, right from the horse's mouth. A .7mil elliptical stylus with a true mono output.
     
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