Acutex M 320 III SRT vs Ortofon Super OM

[TRTerry]

I was wondering if anyone has experience with the Acutex M 320 III STR and the Ortofon Super OM cartridges. I have a Dual 721 that came with an Acutex M 320 III STR but the stylus was broken, the cartridge appears to be good. After searching I could not find a quality replacement so I went with an Ortofon Super OM 10 which sounds pretty good. My question is would I be better off getting a 30 or 40 replacement stylus for the Ortofon or try and find an Acutex 320 stylus? Is there much difference between the quality of sound between the two brands?

 

[KentTeffeteller]

I'd get a Stylus 20 for the Ortofon, the most performance for the least cost.

 

[Wolfie62]

The AcuTex is very difficult to find styli for. That’s the bottom line, really. About the best I’ve come up with is swapping a cantilever from an AT cart into the AcuTex. AT are made nearly identically to the AcuTex, except the AcuTex uses iron ears instead of the V magnets.

IMO, AcuTex sounds like AT carts.

You can find a few 307/306 styli out there for the AcuTex, but that’s a pretty drastic downgrade.

Much easier to get original and aftermarket styli for the OM.

 

[Nashou66]

The AcuTex is very difficult to find styli for. That’s the bottom line, really. About the best I’ve come up with is swapping a cantilever from an AT cart into the AcuTex. AT are made nearly identically to the AcuTex, except the AcuTex uses iron ears instead of the V magnets.

IMO, AcuTex sounds like AT carts.

You can find a few 307/306 styli out there for the AcuTex, but that’s a pretty drastic downgrade.

Much easier to get original and aftermarket styli for the OM.

You didn't get the full magic of the Tri Pole Acutex then. On the base of the cantilever is the third pole magnet not found on any other stylus ( some others are rebranded). It is not going to sound as good with out it.

Acutex Tri Poles are one of the best sounding IM carts out there and the 320 was the TOTL stylus for them.

It can be retired as long as the third pole magnet is still on the cantilever. But the STR diamond was a highly special tip. I still want to find one some day.

Love the Acutex carts.

Athanasios

 

[TRTerry]

So it sounds like the SRT would be the better sounding. I have found and ordered a pfanstiehl 707-DE but the quality was poor. The ears on the base of the cantilever were twisted and out of alinement making the audio levels between R & L way off. I even sent the original back and got a replacement and it was the same way. Maybe someone needs to make new quality production replacements.

 

[Nashou66]

So it sounds like the SRT would be the better sounding. I have found and ordered a pfanstiehl 707-DE but the quality was poor. The ears on the base of the cantilever were twisted and out of alinement making the audio levels between R & L way off. I even sent the original back and got a replacement and it was the same way. Maybe someone needs to make new quality production replacements.

Where did you get them from?

The ones have gotten were elliptical and of good quality.

Is your 320 the Brick style of the LPM long nose style?

Athanasios

 

[TRTerry]

It is the brick style I got it from LP Gear.

 

[Nashou66]

It is the brick style I got it from LP Gear.

There is a little screw that holds the cantilever in place and it also affects the compliance somewhat.

you can loosen the screw and move the ears to be more even. I have done that on the one that i did get that was imbalanced.

I cant tell if yours has the metal shielding all around the plastic holder or not.
That is also a sign of better quality. yours does have the ferrous collar on the base of the cantilever tho.

The little Screw

Yours is definitely a newer style remake denoted by the cone base just before the ears.
the collar above your cone is the third pole ferrous material.

Mine is also a Pfanstiehl 707-DE .0004 v .0007 elliptical.

try looking for the yellow replacements. or look at the black ones that look more like my yellow one.

Athanasios

 

[muovimies]

I got the LPM 312 STR back when there was that Italian seller on eBay selling them for total bargain prices (must be almost 10 years ago now, geez). I never got another one, despite them being such a bargain, that's how much I liked the Acutex I wanted to like it so bad, I was willing to buy a stock of them but sadly it was not for me at all. The tri-pole thing seemed to result in a soundstage that was very precise and stable, that was definitely the best aspect of it, and something it did very well indeed. On the other hand, never heard an Ortofon I didn't like, but admittedly I have somehow missed hearing OM and 2M series cartridges at all, only having experience with the older VMS and their MC offerings.

Taste in cartridges is very personal, they all have their shortcomings so you just gotta find the ones where the shortcomings are such that you personally won't be bothered by them. It's a bit like speakers, even the best ones are horrible Yet when you find one that you like, it will be awesome. Just like speakers.

 

[Wolfie62]

I’m not a big fan of AT carts, even though I have quite a few.

AT “unsuccessfully” sued AcuTex for patent infringement. AcuTex is made in Japan as well. The lawsuit cost a lot of money; even though AT lost, they won. They put AcuTex out of business. The only real difference between them is that AcuTex used soft iron and a stationary magnet to magnetize the “Mickey Mouse” ears. AT used 2 lighter weight small magnet cylinders. Cantilever suspensions are virtually identical. There is no axial movement (movement along the length of the cantilever) in either the AT nor the AcuTex cantilever. So the 3rd “pole” of the AcuTex that is supposed to cancel “distortion” from that movement is a ruse; there is nothing to cancel. It’s a marketing gimmick. If you look at tests of distortion in both types of carts, distortion is actually lower in the AT carts, or identical at worst.

I have the AcuTex 310 IIE and the LPM 310 IIIE. Both bonded ellipticals. Meh.

The thin metal shield lining the inside of the grips is there to prevent hum. Even without the liner, I don’t get any hum.

So the most cost effective way to upgrade my bonded ellipticals would be to transplant cantilevers/tips from nude AT carts. My measurements show identical lengths between AT and AcuTex styli.

But I haven’t been motivated to do it.

 

[TRTerry]

Thanks for all the good information. Ill try and adjust the cantilever and see if that helps. And I like the idea of transplanting cantilevers.

I cant tell if yours has the metal shielding all around the plastic holder or not.

Yes my replacement does have the metal shielding inside.

 

[Nashou66]

The tri pole doesn't move axial in moves vertical the Z axis .

In this image is the bad replacement. it has the cone which is not a magnet.

BAD

This replacement has the soft magnetic collar

Good

So you really need the correct stylus. I have a few original 312 STR and they are just awesome sounding.



Athanasios

 

[revox-b77]

I have a few original 312 STR and they are just awesome sounding.

I agree 100%, They are one of my favorite cartridges.

 

[Bob in WI]

I have a 412 STR. It is quite bright-
This may be due to
- I bought this NOS (that Italian seller) & it has less than 10 hours on it. Maybe not broken in.
- I last tried this cart some time ago - I question the way I set it up. Likely room for improvement there.
- My system tends towards bright.

Sound wise, the 300 series is supposedly a different animal altogether - way more refined.

The OP has 2 good choices. As a practical matter, I would get a stylus for the Orto.

 

[Nashou66]

I have a 412 STR. It is quite bright-
This may be due to
- I bought this NOS (that Italian seller) & it has less than 10 hours on it. Maybe not broken in.
- I last tried this cart some time ago - I question the way I set it up. Likely room for improvement there.
- My system tends towards bright.

Sound wise, the 300 series is supposedly a different animal altogether - way more refined.

The OP has 2 good choices. As a practical matter, I would get a stylus for the Orto.

the 412 series is not a Try-Pole architecture . And I find that series bright as well, I have the 410 from the same italian seller.

The STR stylus is also very finicky to set up. Getting it just right tho will reward you, at least tits try on the 3xx series.

Id give it more time to break in and play around with VTF and VTA and make sure the azimuth is just right.

Athanasios

 

[zeplin43]

If the cart & cantilever are in good condition a retip of your Acutex may be worth it.
Acutex is my favourite brand of Carts
I have the long nose versions
of the 410E & 412 STR III - Moving magnets
I also have the 312 STR III moving iron with tri pole
312 to my ears beats all the other carts i have denon 110 + 160 - Shure 95 - V 15 III - IV etc
The 320 is the top of the line on the tri pole series with a natural gem stylus and vary rare,How i would like to have one.

 

[Decibel_116]

If the cart & cantilever are in good condition a retip of your Acutex may be worth it.
Acutex is my favourite brand of Carts
I have the long nose versions
of the 410E & 412 STR III - Moving magnets
I also have the 312 STR III moving iron with tri pole
312 to my ears beats all the other carts i have denon 110 + 160 - Shure 95 - V 15 III - IV etc
The 320 is the top of the line on the tri pole series with a natural gem stylus and vary rare,How i would like to have one.

The Eagle P750SX Shibata stylus for the Acutex "bricks" take these cartridges to a new level. One of my very favorites for sure.

 

[wualta]

Not mine, but it's a nice blue and a good photo.

 

[Nashou66]

View attachment 2062835
Not mine, but it's a nice blue and a good photo.

I missed out on a few of those a year or two ago on the UK eBay site. I should have ponies up what they wanted.

There will be others some day......I hope .

nashou

 

[Decibel_116]

I missed out on a few of those a year or two ago on the UK eBay site. I should have ponies up what they wanted.

There will be others some day......I hope .

nashou

I picked up three of them while they were available. The plastic grip color is almost the same color blue as the Acutex 307 cartridge body.