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

I haven't compared carts, but I have had my AT33EV for over a year now. I would not describe it as bright at all. More neutral with just a hint of warmth, exceptionally clear top end and powerful bass. Lowest surface noise of any cart I've had. Tracks warps like they aren't there at all. Almost nothing can perturb it. I'm thinking that when the time comes I'll use the AT trade-in policy, which costs about $400 IIRC. I could be happy with this cart forever.

 

Agreed.

Today I stumbled upon the Audio-Technica Cartridge Catalogue for Europe which has some interesting stuff in it - it includes the PTG/II as well as the other cartridges. It gives price indications in Euros and one thing especially worth noting is that you can trade in your old MC cartridge against a new one for a very heavy discount, making it more price competitive with the MM. I knew you could do this in Japan but I didn't know you could do it in Europe - and presumably the US, too. It also hints that the EV might have a bit more bottom and than the PTG while the PTG might have the edge with high frequencies at the inner groove.

To download the brochure, click on this link, then scroll down, below the country flags, to the download panel at the bottom of the page:

http://eu.audio-technica.com/en/about/catalogues.asp

 

Yeah, I installed at AT33EV this year myself and I think it's a great cartridge. Not bright at all, if anything a tad warm (though I find it's a little brighter in a good way with the VTA set such that the headshell's ever so slightly nose-down, not bottom perfectly parallel with record surface). But my impressions are the same as yours -- great frequency balance, great tracking, astoundingly well damped, lowest record noise of any sort I've had with a cart in my system.

 

I think there are errors in that some cartridges say incl VAT and other ex VAT. I would assume that all should be ex VAT prices as VAT varies from one EU country to another. On that basis converting to pounds Sound Hi-Fi of Dartmouth's claims to discount the prices are dubious and some dealers are overcharging in the UK.

 

Used a 33ptg for a couple is years and loved it, now using the mk2 and loving it more.

But my fave cart at the moment is the Nagaoka MP-500.

Btw the PTG is about $375 if you order it through Amazon Japan, though you have to use a proxy service

(And the Nagaoka cart is about $200 cheaper from amazon.jp than from a US dealer.)

 

Just got this baby yesterday. It digs trough vinyl like it were butter

Really, put it down near the inner grooves on a busy song at the end of a side and it will track like magic. Never heard anything like this.

Triple thumbs up!

 

What a beauty!

 

What gain(db) and load(ohm) are you using for the AT33PTG/II?

 

Nice! Maybe it's just the angle but it looks like that screw is pretty low and could scrape during a warp?

Also I think the ATs recommend installing with the screw upside-down. At least that's the case for my AT OC9/II.

I'm pretty much never planning on leaving AT for vinyl. May not be romantic, but to me that's a plus; I just want the music to come through undistorted. They (440MLA,150MLX,OC9/II) certainly do that well and at a decent price.

 

Yeah, that's what I thought too when I saw that photo. I took the photo from the internet. I have mine set up with the screw upside-down.

 

Okay..tax return time so I'm going to get either the 33PTG/ii or the 33EV.

Has anyone done a comparison? I've heard the EV has less surface noise and might in fact be warmer. It's also about $50 cheaper from what I've seen.

 

I don't know if you can read this but I snipped it from AT's European catalogue:



Perhaps the biggest difference is that the EV has an elliptical stylus and the PTG has a MicroLinear. In theory I would expect this to give the PTG better tracking but maybe there are some other advantages with the EV.

The charts are interesting. The frequency response is presumably the top line. Notice the EV has an emphasised midrange which creates a slight dip towards the top. This would probably give it a slightly warmer feel than the PTG.

 

I've made no comparison between the two. I run an EV and it's a great cart. Just to note I think the stylus shape AND cantilever material -- aluminum for the EV, boron for the PTG -- are the big differences.

 

I love my EV, but I am very curious about the PTG. I still can't decide whether to replace my EV with another EV, or try the PTG, when my EV wears out. It should be noted that I'm getting up near 1000 hours on my EV with no degradation in sound or tracking ability. The stylus is a very clear natural stone, as opposed to the gray industrial diamonds used on less expensive carts. I've never gotten more than 5 or 6 hundred hours on a stylus before.

 

I have both, had the 33EV for a year or so, then in December a buddy for some reason bought two 33PTG/II's (long story) and he ended up offering me one for $200 (with less than 100 hours on it), so I could not pass it up.

I've done a few comparison rips, and they are really close (see below).



I have the PTGII mounted currently on my Sota Sapphire w/ ET2 tonearm. Both make it through the Hi-Fi News test record without a problem, excellent tracking.

I would be shocked if you could tell which was which in a blind test.
Bottom line, I'd be happy with either when the time comes to replace.

 

Thanks for this! This is the kind of comparison I've been looking for. I would still try the PTG/ii out of curiosity, but if they are really close, might stick with the EV because I've heard a fair number of people report suspension failures on the PTG right out of the box over the last year or so. Or maybe I'll save my pennies (lots of them!) until I can afford a Lyra Delos...that's another comparison I'd love to hear about.

 

Why not sent it to the SoundSmith for the LC stylus/ruby cantilever replacement.

The charts are too small, can't see a thing. How about some hi-rez needledrops from both cartridges? Might be more meaningful.

jeff

 

I've definitely thought about it.

 

Oh yes, completely agree, I should have said.

I'm guessing, with vinylsolution's charts, the EV is green and the PTG is blue, hence the EV has a bit more of a hump in the midrange. That's not a frequency response chart, obviously - it's a rip of a piece of music.

On quality control, I have this theory (and it's no more than that) that AT checks all the carts that come off the production line and grades them. The best ones go into its own retail operation and those of its accredited partners and the slightly worse ones that don't quite match up to the full spec go into the grey market where they're sold by non-accredited discount retailers. AT warns you not to buy from these discount retailers but clearly they're getting their stock from somewhere and I suspect they're factory "seconds" that AT can't afford to destroy.

 

Well okay then...

magnet:?xt=urn:btih:2A2AC407D15F494AB37B947D54EFABC378D6D3AF&dn=redunzl

Same track recorded a while back with my AT33EV, then twice this week with the PTGII loaded at 100 and 200 ohms.
24/96 flac files are clearly tagged/named.
The full size charts are there too.

My current setup is: Sota Sapphire w/ Eminent Technology Tonearm 2 (ET-2) and AT33PTG/II, @ 1.83 grams.
Approximately 125 hours on the cartridge.

 

They don't publicize it much, but AT USA has a cartridge trade-in program, where you give them your old one with worn-out stylus, and they give you a new one at a discount. I asked them about it last fall, and at that time it was about $425 to trade in the AT33EV. Since that is the same price as the cheapest new one, and you are assured of getting an AT-approved model, it seems like it's the way to go. I emailed their customer service to ask about this, and got a response within an hour. Same thing when I had another question about my cart -- almost immediate response.

 

I would find that (in bold) a bad move on their part - it is their name on the cart and the declared part number is supposed to meet the corresponding spec.- if not, it is their brand that gets the dirt, not the retailer, unless it is a bootleg (unauthorized copy) in which case they should take legal recourse

 

Thanks for the needledrops. Listening on my computer system, there is a very distinct difference between the EV and the PTGII. Compared to the PTGII, the EV sounds veiled, almost muffled, with a rolled off top end. This was with both my desktop speakers and headphones. My system just isn't good enough for me to pick out the two different loadings for the PTGII thou. Great Zappa track BTW.

I'm curious what you're using for step-up, you're profile only lists the Rogue Metis. Thx.

jeff

 

FWIW, I load my 33EV at 460 ohms. I had it loaded a 100 ohms and I thought it was way too soft and small sounding, not dark exactly. The recommended loading is greater than 100 ohms -- it's a 10 ohm output impedance so minimum 100 ohms load to minimize insertion loss, but I think it does much better with a significantly lighter load.

 

The 33EV rip is a few years old, I had a different ADC then, and different loom (cable) from cart to arm to preamp too (now I wire direct), so not a great apples to apples comparison... should have grabbed something more recent with the other changes intact I suppose.

No SUT, the Rogue Gear is not part of my ripping rig.

The whole chain is:
Sota Sapphire w/ Eminent Technology Tonearm 2 (ET-2)
Cardas 4×33 cryo-treated tonearm wire loom w/ rhodium 1877 phono clips and plugs
Tube Box SE II w/NOS Telefunken ECC83
TC Electronic Impact Twin ACD
Sound Studio [capture 24-bit/96kHZ]