Grado MCZ

marcmorin

RIP 1953-2020
I just received a new MCZ stylus from a customer to be mounted on a table I'm doing.
As always I put all styli under scope before it ever touches vinyl.
Saw something that didn't sit well with me, and contacted Grado Labs.

the new generation MCZ stylus is not the same as the original. The original stone can bee seen on DaveyW's website. That stone, and the stone on my Sonata-1 (approx. 5 years old) are identical.

The new stone is a bushed bi-radial. I have no idea if there is a performance difference.

Caveat Emptor
 
Wow. Let us know what they have to say.

I bought my MCZ before the price hike. I sure love it.
 
Marc: Did Grado say anything about their stylus shapes on their new wood bodied cartridges?
 
Wow. Let us know what they have to say.

I bought my MCZ before the price hike. I sure love it.

Well, they said the diamond has changed. I waited for their answer before posting that info here.

The new diamond and its setting may perform to the same specs as the original. I don't know, I haven't mounted this yet.
 
Marc: Did Grado say anything about their stylus shapes on their new wood bodied cartridges?
I didn't inquire about anything other than this particular stylus. My first thought upon seeing the stone and its setting was somebody pulled the old "switcheroo" as I've inspected styli for other folks and have found what they bought on auction sites or from other folks to be something different than advertised by either something etched, or color coded. I just wanted to verify what I was seeing was correct.

having said that, I have my personal suspicions being that the original Sonata, Sonata-1 was the same stone found on the original MCZ, although in a 5mv generating system.
 
I didn't inquire about anything other than this particular stylus. My first thought upon seeing the stone and its setting was somebody pulled the old "switcheroo" as I've inspected styli for other folks and have found what they bought on auction sites or from other folks to be something different than advertised by either something etched, or color coded. I just wanted to verify what I was seeing was correct.

having said that, I have my personal suspicions being that the original Sonata, Sonata-1 was the same stone found on the original MCZ, although in a 5mv generating system.

Yep, makes me wonder if the change in stylus shape is an across-the-board one when they introduced their new models. I'm curious if your trained ear detects any difference between old and new.
 
I'm running an original Sonata (1.5mV) on my 1219 and am now wondering if it has an MCZ diamond.
 
I'm running an original Sonata (1.5mV) on my 1219 and am now wondering if it has an MCZ diamond.
The diamond shape, cut, on the original Sonata and original Sonata-1 were the same. The difference would be at the back of the cantilever in the generating ring between low output, and high output (statement/reference) the cut and shape of the original diamond was the same as the MCZ diamond. Again, for photos of this, DaveyW's web site.
 
The diamond shape, cut, on the original Sonata and original Sonata-1 were the same. The difference would be at the back of the cantilever in the generating ring between low output, and high output (statement/reference) the cut and shape of the original diamond was the same as the MCZ diamond. Again, for photos of this, DaveyW's web site.

Thanks for clearing my confusion.
 
Yep, makes me wonder if the change in stylus shape is an across-the-board one when they introduced their new models. I'm curious if your trained ear detects any difference between old and new.


I have not played this stylus, the table is in a state of disassembly that it will be mounted on. However, I believe the customer will be returning this.

I own an original 8MZ-v, and the reissue 8MZ. The original was "twin-tip" nude mount. The reissue is bonded. I detect no difference in fidelity.

The original paperwork on the 8mz, mcz, tlz, were all listed as "twin-tip" The original mcz is quite a different cut. I have a TLZ here belonging to another customer, which is a different cut than the original MCZ. The TLZ, the tracing faces can be seen extending further up the cut, than the MCZ.
And I have a 10MR here that is another animal altogether, being a "true-ellipsoid" but shaped different than the "true-ellipsoid" found on my rather rare versions of the Z-2

I'm not dogging the new MCZ, just putting out notification that it does not come with a nude mount diamond of "exotic" cut. Under scope, it appears
to be a .7 X .2 diamond.
 
I'm not dogging the new MCZ, just putting out notification that it does not come with a nude mount diamond of "exotic" cut. Under scope, it appears
to be a .7 X .2 diamond.

Marc, bases on this description, would the MCZ offer any benefit over the 8MZ?
 
Marc, bases on this description, would the MCZ offer any benefit over the 8MZ?

The MCZ, run in a high output body needs loading down vs the 8MZ. I did not play the new version of the stylus and compare it to my original version. I do not know if all the original parameters in performance are met. My MCZ loaded properly in a high out body, outperforms my 8MZ in same body. My MCZ played in it's original low out body, and into standard 47K, out performs the MCZ in hi-out/loaded down body. My preamp will read a low output cart without adding gain noise, or volume pot noise, which ever it is, to get to the same volume level in my room.
My reissue 8MZ performs the same as my original issue 8MZ. If the original parameters of performance are kept, the MCZ is the better stylus assembly once tuned to your system. How critical it is for someone to pay that kind of money for a bonded basic elliptical stone is up to them.
 
I wonder if the option of putting the old style MCZ stylus in a less expensive body was cutting into sales of their mid line wood bodies so they downgraded the MCZ.
 
I wonder if the option of putting the old style MCZ stylus in a less expensive body was cutting into sales of their mid line wood bodies so they downgraded the MCZ.

wonder if Joe dying a year ago this week had something to do with it. As the price didn't change from 1988, until a month after his passing.
 
you have and older one, and a newer one. don't remember exactly when you bought the newer one if the change over had happened yet.
can you look at your two stones?

I bought the newer one literally the week before the price hike right after Joe's passing. Is this something I can identify with the naked eye?
 
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