Odd problem with my Dynavector cart...

Someone I know (who's plunked down a *lot* of $$$ for their system) has a Grado Reference Platinum cartridge. I've heard some LP -> CD-R dubs from it, and while they sound nice enough tonally, I've never liked some of the distortion that seems to come along for the ride. They usually have a "record'y sound", and I don't mean that in a good way.

Have you ever heard the AT331LP and/or Studio Reference 8008 (I believe they are the same or very similar)?

 

I suspect listening to an actual LP on an actual turntable may yield more pleasant sonic results than listening to CD-R dubs from same said - call me crazy..

~Michael~

 

Steve, thanks for the suggestion of the AT 440 ML. I actually using one until my Shure arrives and it's a very nice cart. I forgot how great it is with music (especially with rock)...

Todd

 

Mike Pranka sent me a kind e-mail explaining that he can't help with the Dynavector cart because it was purchased from a UK dealer. He suggested I contact Origin Live (which I haven't heard from yet) and Pear Audio (UK distributer). I sent Pear Audio an e-mail and I wrote Dynavector asking them to let them know they are aware of this problem...

Todd

 

Perhaps, but I've heard more than enough LP -> CD dubs to know these problems are with the LP playback itself, not anything to do with the CD-R.

 

I've always been perplexed by this. I have noted the same thing with all my Grado carts and I could never figure out why the sibilants could be distorted at the same time the midrange and bass is smooth and solid. If there is mistracking, shouldn't everything be mistracking? Or am I missing something?

I guess what I am trying to say is that there can be a close-mic'd hi-hat that is mistracking and breaking up/spitty, but everything underneath (midrange/bass) is clean warm and smooth.

 

I sometimes wonder if it's the fixed coil construction. While Grados have their drawbacks, some folks are hooked on that slightly bloomy bottom end. I like that sound myself, but I'm not so crazy about the prospect of the cartridge possibly bouncing across the surface of an LP when hitting sustained piano notes.

 

Shure and AT make "fixed coil" cartridges that track sibilance very well.

I've measured a lot of cartridges with the Shure TTR-103 (and other) test records. THat particular disk has trackability test tones for three different frequency ranges. Different cartridges perform differently in the various ranges.

There is a real-world correlation between how well a cartridge tracks the high frequency bands on that test record and how well it will do on sibilance. I once had a Grado that sounded absolutely jaw-droppingly awesome - but couldn't track its way out of a paper bag. I called the company and explained that this particular cartridge would not even track the first high freq. band on the test record, and the attitude I got was, "why are you listening to test records". Sigh. They did replace it, though. THe replacement was a typical Grado. Nice midrange, lovely but exaggerated bass, with no more than the usual tracking problems. The jaw-dropping magic was gone. Maybe there's some kind of correlation, I don't know. The only other cartridge I've ever heard that seemed to have that same kind of magic was an old Decca, and it too did not do particularly well with sibilance.

 

Thanks Steve. I wonder if the lack of damping in the suspension might 'excite' the stylus during tough sibilant passages?

I had a similar experience when I got my first Grado Platinum wood body cartridge in '97. I spoke with John about problems with high frequency tracking and he advised me to up the tracking force by 0.2 grams. It did not help, as you might imagine. He indicated that the Platinum might be showing up bad recordings and poor mic techniques, yet other carts had no problem on the same recordings.

 

Ya know, Grados are fussy little animals, had about four of them in my day. Pickup hum at the end of the record(from motor), lots of wiggleing on moferate warps that would track just fine on anything else. Bottom line, the only thing i miss is that wonderful midrange. Benz and Clearaudio do a much better job.

 

Same here, I seem to remember Tom Port saying pretty much the samething.
BC