LPGear Vessel A3SE Cartridge Review

patient_ot

Super Member
Update:

At this point I have been using the Vessel A3SE exclusively for over two weeks. The cart is fully broken in at this point. Here is a summary of my final thoughts:

Cartridge Pedigree:

From some internet digging the OEM for this cart appears to be Excel Sound Corporation, and the cart appears to be based on the Excel ES-70 model, but built to LPGear's specifications. Other carts in production that are based on the ES-70 include the Sumiko Pearl, the Shelter 201, and some Garrott Brothers' models. In the past there have been a variety of carts sold based on the same ES-70 platform, such as the A&R P77 and some models sold under the Coral name.

Sound Profile:

I would say the sound is slightly to the warm side of neutral. The sound is clear and not boring to listen to. There is a little bit of top-end roll-off, but nothing I found off-putting. Bass is good enough to reproduce bass-heavy music with no problems. Some people may find this to be a positive, as the cartridge is quieter in the groove than some other elliptical and advanced stylus profile cartridges I've heard or tried in my system. Pretty much any genre of music sounds very nice with this cartridge. The soundstage seems to be average for an MM cart, not noticeably wide or too narrow.

Mounting and Set-Up:

The cartridge comes with two sets of screws and nuts, both of which I found too short for my headshell. I'd recommend having some extra hardware on hand to mount the cartridge in case you run into this problem. While mounting the cart, I found the safest route was to remove the stylus until I was ready to align the cartridge. The included plastic stylus guard is hollow in the center and doesn't offer the best protection.

Alignment was not difficult but the stylus tip is set back a bit from the plastic stylus housing, which means it can be a bit more challenging than cartridges where the stylus is more exposed. Not a huge issue. Good alignment is important with this cartridge to get the best sound.

In terms of compliance, the cartridge is probably best matched with medium mass tonearms. My tonearm is on the heavier side of low mass at 11g and posed no problems I can detect, and checks out with the Vinyl Engine Cartridge Resonance Evaluator. It is probably not a great match for ultra light tonearms like those on some Pro-Ject turntables.

Output is 3MV, which is a bit low compared to many MM carts on the market. I would estimate the sweet spot for preamp gain to be between 43db-46db.

Break-In Time:

I found break-in time on this cartridge to be greater than other cartridges I've used. Out of the box, the cantilever is quite stiff, leading to a closed-in sound. As the cartridge breaks in, it seems to track better and the sound opens up more, revealing more detail in the music. I would give this cartridge a minimum of 30 hours of break in time before finalizing judgment on the sound. If you lack the patience to get past the break-in period, this cartridge may not be for you.

Tracking:

I found the cartridge tracked well at the recommended 2.0g VTF on just about any record I tried with it, including some with mild warps. Inner groove tracking is very decent considering the .2 x .8 elliptical stylus, but IGD is present on the more aggressively cut records in my collection. Records with very narrow deadwax will give this cartridge more trouble than conservatively cut records with wider deadwax, the same as any elliptical cartridge. If you are not overly sensitive to IGD, I wouldn't worry about this very much. I will say that I think this stylus performs better than the more common .3 x .7 and .4 x .7 elliptical styli typically included with other carts in this price range.


Overall Value:

The overall value of this cartridge is on par with its competitors in the same price range (~$100). Whether you prefer this cartridge over other similar carts comes down to personal taste and what cart is the best match for your system. I personally prefer this cartridge over the Ortofon 2M Red, the Shure M97XE, and the equivalent model from Audio Technica (formerly the AT100E, now replaced by the VM520EB).

Those looking for a somewhat neutral, yet warm cartridge that does not sacrifice too much detail may want to consider the Vessel A3SE.

I am personally interested in how the Vessel cartridge performs with the upgrade styli available from LP Gear. The next level up would be a nude line contact stylus priced at $230 (stylus only) or $260 (complete cartridge). I would imagine this solves the minor issues with this cartridge but I am also curious how it would impact the overall sound profile of the cart.
 
What you are describing technically and sound wise is exactly the same as the Pearl. Why do companies do this? Sell a cartridge that is exactly the same with a different label and price....
 
What you are describing technically and sound wise is exactly the same as the Pearl. Why do companies do this? Sell a cartridge that is exactly the same with a different label and price....

The specs of the Pearl are different. They are not exactly the same.

Similar, yes
.

How different do they sound? I don't know, because I don't have a Pearl on hand to compare.

Re: OEMs selling the same or very similar products under a different brand and model name, that happens all the time, and not just in audio. Not saying I endorse it, just saying...
 
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What you are describing technically and sound wise is exactly the same as the Pearl. Why do companies do this? Sell a cartridge that is exactly the same with a different label and price....

Pure economics. LPGear can place an order for the cart with their name on it, and pay less than they would from Sumiko. Just eliminates the middleman.

Cheers,
Larry B.
 
Why do companies do this? Sell a cartridge that is exactly the same with a different label and price....
Brand loyalty? If you own a JVC TT you might want a JVC cartridge for it. The buyer might gain some confidence knowing that the cart, even if it's not made by JVC, is at least an approved match for the deck.

As for the OEM....who turns away customers?
 
Hi. It has been a month and a half since I mounted my A3SE. My Technics arm has the same mass as the OP's, at 11g. VTF=2.0, AS=1.2 on a meticulously level deck.

The cartridge now has 20+ hours on it and it has most certainly improved. At first I was quite underwhelmed coming from an AT440MLa on the same deck.

Now, the highs have snapped into a more natural state of response, yet it can never compete with the 440 due to that cart's wonderful Microline stylus unit. I was afraid of stylus supplies running short when it went NLA so I temporarily retired it for now. Eyeing a Luxman deck for it soon.

My HK receiver's preamp's schematics show that it has an input shunt capacitance of 90pF on MM phono at 47kohm, which seems sonically adequate for the tonal balance of this system.

Having also heard the Nagaoka 110, well frankly that cartridge bests the A3SE in mostly every way, but this is not a poor performer at all either.
Long break-in required for sure but I'd say it is a recommended item in its price point.
 
Some "super elliptical", if it's .2x.8. I've been debating getting one, but the reviews make me think I should pass.
 
I have the LP gear a3sm vessel, it's a bit further up the chain but I will say it is an excellent cartridge, very detailed (micro line stylus) solid bass and very quiet with background noise surprisingly as I thought because of the micro line I would hear much more groove dust etc. The output is low as stated above but a phono stage with a gain at least in the 40's will do fine. Overall I've been very pleased with it.

Audiofreak71
 
The A3SE definitely can't track the inner grooves as well as any cart with a more advanced stylus shape.

As of right now my A3SE is mounted on a secondary turntable, an old JVC with a much heavier tonearm than my main table. Oddly enough it seems to work quite well in the heavier arm, though I haven't evaluated it with a test record and a scope yet.

Just got an old CBS ST-100 test record the other day. At some point I'll download a scope program and see about testing it.

Hi. It has been a month and a half since I mounted my A3SE. My Technics arm has the same mass as the OP's, at 11g. VTF=2.0, AS=1.2 on a meticulously level deck.

The cartridge now has 20+ hours on it and it has most certainly improved. At first I was quite underwhelmed coming from an AT440MLa on the same deck.

Now, the highs have snapped into a more natural state of response, yet it can never compete with the 440 due to that cart's wonderful Microline stylus unit. I was afraid of stylus supplies running short when it went NLA so I temporarily retired it for now. Eyeing a Luxman deck for it soon.

My HK receiver's preamp's schematics show that it has an input shunt capacitance of 90pF on MM phono at 47kohm, which seems sonically adequate for the tonal balance of this system.

Having also heard the Nagaoka 110, well frankly that cartridge bests the A3SE in mostly every way, but this is not a poor performer at all either.
Long break-in required for sure but I'd say it is a recommended item in its price point.
 
How did you calculate that, if you don't mind my asking? It's possible the conversion calculator that I used for the original review I did was wrong. Just curious.
Specs are from the LPGear website. I just used an online metric converter to translate it into English. ;)
 
I'm glad this was posted, as I've been intrigued by the Vessel cartridges. As far as reviews, I've only seen good ones, including Don Lindich, who has published several professional reviews praising this cartridge. Re the above discussion about stylus dimensions, I thought the A3SE had something more akin to the m97xe, a .2X.7 or .2X.8.

Too many great cartridges, not enough time and money!
 
I happen to have the Vessel R3SV here, and it is a pretty nice cartridge. Normally I am not a MM fan at all, my cartridges are all MC. But this Vessel is very nice, and have a lovely balance of detail and that coherence that MM cartridges seem to possess. The ruby cantilever and line contact stylus on this cartridge are quite nice. No its not a cheap MM, and probably a few rungs up there in cost compared to other MM offerings. But this cartridge does seem to be a solid value in terms of sound, even if the looks are a bit nondescript.

Regards
Mister Pig
 
My first question when I saw these carts was:

Is there interchangeability with replacement stylus for other Excel ES-70 derivatives, or are you stuck with LPGear replacements specifically for this cart?
 
My first question when I saw these carts was:

Is there interchangeability with replacement stylus for other Excel ES-70 derivatives, or are you stuck with LPGear replacements specifically for this cart?

Due to the plastic part of the housing, I doubt most of those ES-70 styli will fit without some sort of modification to the cart body.
 
I’ve played this cartridge(The vessel A3SE) for a few hours, and it is fantastic for a budget cartridge. It digs into the music and gives you some real tasty sounds. You can hear some weaknesses in detail, but you should. And mine hasn’t broken in yet. If this cartridge sounds this good, I wonder what some of their more expensive carts will sound like?
 
I’ve played this cartridge(The vessel A3SE) for a few hours, and it is fantastic for a budget cartridge. It digs into the music and gives you some real tasty sounds. You can hear some weaknesses in detail, but you should. And mine hasn’t broken in yet. If this cartridge sounds this good, I wonder what some of their more expensive carts will sound like?
There outstanding, lots and lots of detail , excellent midrange, solid bass and very fast articulate highs , I’m referring to the Lp Gear A3SM Vessel and the new Ruby version , both outstanding for the money .

Audiofreak71
 
I happen to have the Vessel R3SV here, and it is a pretty nice cartridge.
On reading your praise, Mr P, I went to the LP Gear website, and found this —

"The R defines itself and its users as those who transcend the vulnerability of success, advance their intellect and sentience, extend their humanity and exceed their personal best."

I'd pay any amount of money to do all that! At the price, it's a steal.
 
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