Best cartridge you've never heard of: the Audio-Technica AT33PTG/II

Let me know how things go, I’m going back and forth between just paying for the OC9XML in the States or importing the 33PTG and buying more records or the fluid damper with the savings

 

I'm trying to reach out AT Japan directly for the warranty, I wonder what they will answer

PS: I talked to a guy here in Ukraine who used to be a reseller for AT. He told me that he once received an AT-OC9XML cart with the tip fallen off out of the box
He suggested trying to reach out the AT Japan for the case.

 

Just a heads up, as I'd been tracking the 33 PTG on CDJapan for a little while, they show it as "sold out" which usually indicates the item isn't coming back in stock. You can still buy via "proxy search" (they just look for someone local who has one and send it to you) but looks like only the 33EV and 33Sa remain as AT offerings from CDJ.

 

finally marked as shipped today.

 

any of you guys ever try this cart at less than recommended tracking forces? i bought a shure sek-2 and have been nerding out checking all my carts and styli. ive logged the hours on my ptg since i got it and under the scope, it seemed like there was more wear than i expected for the 60 hours ive got on it. i figure its the 2 grams since my shure's and mlx styli run at 1 and 1.5 grams. ive been running it at 2grams the whole time. out of curiosity i broke out the test records and threw on the hifi news 300hz tests and the shure era v tracking tests. first both tests at 2 grams and then backing off to 1.6 grams. i didnt notice any degradation of performance at 1.6. just to make sure my ears werent blown or something odd, i backed off to 1g and it was distorting badly. think im going to leave it at 1.6 for a bit.

 

As usual, following manufacturers recommendations is best way to begin then only your (my) ears are the limits.
With 33PTG/II, I began using 2.0g then shortly 1.8g not hearing any improvment or shortage, I returned to 2.0g.
Liking the cart more than I expected, now I use two in two TT happily (VTF at 2.0g ).

 

Can those with the PGT/2 on a SL1200 share their optimum VTA and Azimuth numbers that they have discovered? If you could list the head shell that would be helpful as well.

Thanks.

Gary

 

spoke too soon. listened back to recordings of the shure trackability tests and there is a bit of distortion present on level 6 at 1.6 grams compared to 2g. looks like im moving it back up!

 

2.0g is sweet spot, enjoy this nice (neutral )= cart that respect the best the records.

 

Anyone looking for one? My spare came in from CDJapan but there’s something else that caught my eye that I’d like to pick up. Paid 425 shipped and could do the same within the us. If this post is inappropriate, I apologize!

 

You will need several mats on the sl1200 to align the VTA with at33* properly. Or spacers.

 

I concur, took about 4 lps to have a standard Technics shell holding the AT33PTG/II ( crazy Japanese nomenclature) plus the old 8 mm thick original Technics rubber mat to align height/VTA/SRA-wise. the cantilever should be 20 degrees.
Why? I don't know, I am even now ready to believe at this stage of my life that the great systems were engineered to be ****ed up as is out-of-the-box, and some "club knowledge" had to be injected in order to have the system work as intended. I am that much of a conspirologist now, bear with me.

 

1210GR table with 33PTG/2 mounted on a LP Gear Zupreme 10Gram headshell. Using 3 mats - stock mat on platter with a Hudson Hi-Fi acrylic mat in the middle and a Hudson Hi-Fi rubber mat on top. VTA set at 1mm. Works well for me but YMMV.

 

I have an Oyaide and cork mat total 8 mm.
Gets me to 26-28 deg with 2 on the dial. Spec is 23.
I saw measuements somewhere where the 33 EV had lower distortion in that range. Head shell is parallel.

 

My sandwich, stock + noname 3mm + noname 2,5mm. 1200GR, AT headshell, VTA set to position 2.

 

AT says the VTA is 23 degrees on these, so some may be setting these too low if shooting for 20. AT33PTG/2 - Dual Moving Coil Cartridge | Audio-Technica

 

I think he was referring to puting the cantilever at 20 deg which would make the SRA few deg steeper, not a bad idea since aligning/seeing the cantilever would be easier.

 

Is that not what that spec means? The cantilever’s angle? The OC9 series is the more typical 20 degrees.
AT-OC9XMLDual moving coil stereo cartridge with Microlinear stylus

 

afaik it is stylus tip to pivot
From the AT catalog
I scaled a typical AT drawing and the difference SRA to VTA is ~ +3 deg



The 23 deg for the AT33 is the VTA

 

Ok, I think we’re on the same page! So, that would mean the AT33 can be set with the arm at a similar height to the OC9 and still have the correct VTA? Because it’s a bit shorter cartridge than the OC9 series that would make some sense…

 

The OC9 measured 22º in the Hi-Fi News review, so pretty close to spec, sometimes they are way off ... of course, a different sample may be way off, but still good to know
----------------------------------------------
Mechanical compliance has been slightly relaxed to 23cu/30cu (vertical/lateral) – higher than A-T's rated 16cu – so the 'OC9XSH is better suited to low/medium effective mass arms. VTA has also been fettled back to an ideal 22º. Downforce is unchanged at 2g and the boron cantilever retained, but even with the one-down-from-top Shibata-equipped model we have here, its tracking performance has improved from 'excellent' to 'outstanding'. On test it sailed through the top 80µm band and suffered distortion of just 0.2% and 0.3% at 315Hz with the +15dB and +18dB test tracks, respectively (re. 5cm/sec). It's an MC boasting top class MM tracking performance! PM

 

The OC9XML tracked better than the AT33PTG/2 in my anecdotal experience, likely because of its higher compliance…maybe the longer cantilever also has some effect. At least it looks longer on the OC9.

EDIT - AT’s specs say 20 degrees for VTA. Would more VTF or lowering the arm more get it to 20 rather than the 22 they measured?

 

Did they test the PTG?
Or do know of any?
You are the source

searched, nada
Found the oc9, Miller Research
I have their test for the 33EV

 

I think the 33PTG/II was introduced in 2010 to take over for the original PTG introduced in 1996, but as you can tell from the title of this thread, there wasn't much in the way of Western distribution at that time (all grey market) so it wasn't well known over here until a few years after. I didn't get my first one until 2017, and this thread was most of the reason why I did order one from Japan via Amazon. I was using Benz Micro carts at the time, the Wood SL being my favorite, but had a nice condition Micro Seiki DD-10 on order for my second system and needed a cartridge for it, and didn't want to spend a lot of money so the 33PTG/II seemed ideal. As it turned out, the DD-10 arrived damaged and I didn't get to use the cartridge for awhile, but did wind up installing it on a different Micro Seiki table, the DD-40 below. I did eventually get my money back for the DD-10 and they let me keep the table, just some cosmetic damage that I still need to fix, nice table.

But anyway, there isn't much in the way of reviews with lab tests out there that I've seen, so can't really help you there.

 

What's interesting (and purely an anecdotal observation) is my AT33PTGii seems to perform its best with tail slightly up, I've learned when mounting to get the tonearm level to the platter, then jack it up another 1/32nd of an inch or so. Note this is multiple TT's, not just one.

I'm probably compensating for my particular cartridge being a little off from spec as you noted? Interesting that I get the same findings on my AT33EV though. While at the same time, the three OC9 variations I've run I get the tonearm level to the platter and it feels right.