Three analog discoveries/affirmations during Covid19 time

1. The Grace f9 is an amazing cartridge. I am running one with two stylus re-tips. I am lucky in my job that I sometimes listen to cartridges in the $1500-$3000 range. The f9 gives those cartridges a run for the money. It just gets things right.

2. Tonearm makers are stubborn. Here Jelco closed their doors two months ago, and most seem to have no interest in filling the market with a reasonably priced arm with removable headshell and a DIN connector. I understand sticking to a design philosophy, but there is such a demand for those characteristics in a tonearm.

3. The Creek ob-h8 phono preamp continues to be a marvel. Again,I am lucky that I get to play with preamps in the over $1500 range,yet this simple preamp is another example of just getting things right. I wish I understood electronics design theory enough to understand why.

 

Maybe you could go into a side business with KAB and start supplying some of the decks with modified Technics arms.

The Creek OBH-8 is a nice simple little discrete no feedback design with passive RIAA eq, that's a big reason for the natural sound. The components aren't very good, but most no feedback designs do have a certain quality that is hard to get with high feedback designs. I think the new version has gone the latter route with an opamp design. BTW, since I mentioned KAB above, I think he's also a fan of the little Creek. See, you're almost a team already