audio-technica AT-OC9/III

[Autobot]

AT-OC9/III now 52 LP's into break-in

Well I just completed the 52nd album and pretty sure its as close to being broke in as it will get...(though I could still be in for more surprises)

Is it an upgrade over the MKII?
Yes!
Is it knock you over with a feather different?
:scratch2: Not exactly.
It does still have the classic signature sound as the MKII, its lightning fast has plenty of air with lots of detail and a wonderful soundstage.

Where the MKIII differs is where the improvement is. IMO
wider soundstaging, slightly warmer sound (a bit less bright), vocals are better focused less edgy, midrange has a bit more depth, deeper bass, a bit less surface noise.
Seems to dig a little deeper into the grove uncovering subtleties that the MKII just could not quite pick up.

With the discontinued MKII at the bargain basement price being offered at LP Gear that is "while supplies last" and those on a budget or not I can still highly recommend the MKII.

And for those that are MKII owners looking for an improved OC9 I feel that you will in no way be disappointed with your purchase.

 

[Pio1980]

So it doesn't in any way shame the OC9/II, it just gives you a bit more of what makes/made the /II a great cart for the MSRP bux.

 

[Autobot]

So it doesn't in any way shame the OC9/II, it just gives you a bit more of what makes/made the /II a great cart for the MSRP bux.

:yes:

 

[LAB3]

^^^^ Looking foward to hearing the MkIII as the MKII was awsome to me on your rig. But you have better equipment for analog then I do. So that helps a lot too.

 

[Autobot]

^^^^ Looking forward to hearing the MkIII as the MKII was awesome to me on your rig. But you have better equipment for analog then I do. So that helps a lot too.

Can you plan to come over on August 3rd?

yeah I think once you hear the MKII on your system you will be impressed especially with those bad boy
Klipsch
:jawdrop:

Even with a worn out stylus the MKII still sounds pretty good, just that it mistracks unless set at max VTF, and some slight distortion but you have to listen for it.
when I noticed it it began to drive me nuts

 

[LAB3]

I will see if the wife has any plans for the 3rd. If not yes I will come over and bring some NM- LP I got from Barter Town. Looking foward to jamming your new MkIII. :thmbsp:

 

[Autobot]

I will see if the wife has any plans for the 3rd. If not yes I will come over and bring some NM- LP I got from Barter Town. Looking foward to jamming your new MkIII. :thmbsp:

sounds good then you can get the SUT and the MKII And your SACD
oh and :beer:

 

[LAB3]

Somehow I think I should have went for the AT-OC9 MKIII instead of the MKII I purchased for $100.00 less. Perhaps even the AT33PTGII, but I hear they have their own set of suspension problems.

Just how does the suspension/damper work on the MkII? Does it have a hollow canitlever with a fine wire inside to keep it from bowing? IIRC Pop's vintage ADC XLM had rubber inside the cart body that the stylus went into and dampened the cart. :scratch2: I was told if a MKII starts to mistrack and has to have the tracking weight at the 1:75 max the supension damper is going bad.

 

[Pio1980]

Just how does the suspension/damper work on the MkII? Does it have a hollow canitlever with a fine wire inside to keep it from bowing? IIRC Pop's vintage ADC XLM had rubber inside the cart body that the stylus went into and dampened the cart. :scratch2: I was told if a MKII starts to mistrack and has to have the tracking weight at the 1:75 max the supension damper is going bad.

The ADC is a "free-pivot" cantilever cart, the cant' wiggles about an elastomeric suspension ring at it's center see-saw style and the ring constrains it somewhat. It does not have a rigidly defined pivot point per se. The O'fon MMs are also free-pivot types.
The MCs like the A-T are pretty much all fixed/defined axial pivot types with an axial tie wire from the end of the cant' to a fixing point on the cart thru a platform coil former that is seated onto an elastomeric suspension ring. Audio Technica MMs and Grado MIs also have an axial tie wire defined pivot with an elsatomeric suspension ring.

 

[LAB3]

The ADC is a "free-pivot" cantilever cart, the cant' wiggles about an elastomeric suspension ring at it's center see-saw style and the ring constrains it somewhat. It does not have a rigidly defined pivot point per se. The O'fon MMs are also free-pivot types.
The MCs like the A-T are pretty much all fixed/defined axial pivot types with an axial tie wire from the end of the cant' to a fixing point on the cart thru a platform coil former that is seated onto an elastomeric suspension ring. Audio Technica MMs and Grado MIs also have an axial tie wire defined pivot with an elsatomeric suspension ring.

So the At MKII is a soild cantilever with a wire from the end of it that is conncted to a elastomeric ring inside the cart? I will Google this and look for a link with a diagram. Old retired Tool & Die maker, I need a print to look at. :yes: Thank You.

EDIT I found this http://www.google.com/search?q=pict...NDIfS9gTJ6IHYDw&ved=0CCoQsAQ&biw=1344&bih=706 look at second row 4th pic is a diagram.

 

[Pio1980]

So the At MKII is a soild cantilever with a wire from the end of it that is conncted to a elastomeric ring inside the cart? I will Google this and look for a link with a diagram. Old retired Tool & Die maker, I need a print to look at. :yes: Thank You.

EDIT I found this http://www.google.com/search?q=pict...NDIfS9gTJ6IHYDw&ved=0CCoQsAQ&biw=1344&bih=706 look at second row 4th pic is a diagram.

The wire is usually tied to a 'hard' fixing point in the magnet pole for an MC, into the stylus frame base on the MM/MI types, some pix.

Typical MC;

A-T MM;

Grado MI;

Free-pivot;

Shure pattern w/ tie-back wire;

Just for fun, the unique DECCA London "direct scanning" MI cart;

IIRC the DECCA London cart was originated for playing any cutting pattern, vertical, lateral, or mixed. For Westrex 45/45 cut stereo in common usage the coils are wired for a sum-and-difference output to produce the proper signal characteristic.

 

[LAB3]

^^^^ PIO1980 :thmbsp: many years ago I looked at a pic of a cart that had a hollow cantilever with a small short round rod that IIRC was a magnet ( I think) and it had a fine wire inside it :scratch2: When Pop passed away a few years ago I started spinning vinyl again as I went to CD's back in the 80's. Now here I am 30 odd years later and going thru 800 or so old vintage records of different thickness and speeds. I purchased a mint used Spin Clean and found a NOS stylus for Pop's Pickering cart and cleaned up his old Pioneer PL-518X and with to vinylengine and learned how to to use that damn Stevenson 2 point null protractor. And started to clean/ vacuum and play a few 33 1/3 Lp's every day now. Now I see why some of the members have several TT with different carts/stylus for those old 16/78 RPM etc.
Big fun but now I am getting the "Bug" to try a MC cart and upgrade my analog gear as I have had Pop's Revox R2R restored(thanks to TINMAN) so I can record some of these LP's. Thank You for the info and those pic's.
Louis

 

[LAB3]

Well I got my First taste of a MC cart yesterday. I went over to Autobots with my my 34 year old Pioneer PL-518X TT and we spent the day installing his used AT-OC9ML/II. WOW It sounded AWSOME on this old "S" arm TT. But he has some really nice analog equipment to boot. He was suprised how nice my MM Pickering XUV/D4500Q (Shibata) combo sounded. But after a hour of instpecting the inside of Pop's old Pioneer and setting up the MK II MC cart............ WOW just WOW I played several of my best sounding LP on it that "KNOW" how they use to sound. MUCH more detail. Monday I will hook it up to my crappy AVR and try the Denon step up LC-OFC step up unit AU-300LC Autobot loaned me.

The new run in (50 LP's played on it now) MK III is BETTER then the MKII. His MK 5 GM TT and his NAD/Crown set up is SOOO detailed. I came home 9 hours later with my ears still "Ringing" and Big on my face. I am HOOKED on MC carts now......... time to spend some $$ , next months SS check will take a hit for a adjustable MC phono pre/amp. Thanks Autobot. I had Big fun with the MM VS MC cart tests. Oh and Man your SS Camaro is FAST.... what a RUSH, this old man went home (in wifes KIA) wishing I had NOT sold my Corvette several years ago.:tears: well you opened my eyes and EARS to the MC cart sound.

Pio 1980 those pic's you posted :thmbsp: are worth a 1000 words. I "Get IT" now. 62 and still going to school on analog.

 

[Pio1980]

I have an attraction to linear tracking arm set-ups and own/have owned several different examples, I presently have an A-T OC9/II riding this thing, a VPI HW-19 MkIII with a pneumatic bearing Eminent Technology ET-2 linear arm;

 

[datafone]

I have an attraction to linear tracking arm set-ups and own/have owned several different examples, I presently have an A-T OC9/II riding this thing, a VPI HW-19 MkIII with a pneumatic bearing Eminent Technology ET-2 linear arm;

That arm looks awesome

 

[LAB3]

I have an attraction to linear tracking arm set-ups and own/have owned several different types, I presently have an A-T OC9/II riding this thing, a VPI HW-19 MkIII with a pneumatic bearing Eminent Technology ET-2 linear arm;

:thmbsp: If I knew more about them. I would have purchased a nice mint Revox
linear tracking TT . It was rather expensive, one owner and expensive MC cart so I passed on it. I used that money had our own "Tinman" do a complete tear down of Dad's 1979 Revox R2R I have finally learned how to use correctly now. Now that have MkII MC I will look around for for a nicer phono pre/amp and TT. I was Really impressed with MkII and MK III AT.

 

[Pio1980]

I have owned and fooled with the ReVoX Linatrack, a well-built and ergonomically pleasant record playing gadget to use but over-rated IMO for it's limited sonic potential.

 

[LAB3]

Glad I passed on it Pio 1980, hey it was a ReVox and would have looked cool next to my ReVox R2R. I am Really suprised how much more detail this AT MkII cart MC sounds on a this vintage "S" arm DD semi auto consumer Pioneer TT. I have read so many posts about you need a expensive tone arm and a TT that has a tone arm you can raise up and down to adjust VTA, etc etc. One of the reasons (other then cost) I never purchased a MC cart..

My TT is 25 feet away from my Yamaha receiver so I had to use a diigital input and I purchased a TCC-750 MM phonoe pre for my Pickering. Now I am going hook my RCA cable back to the phono input (MM) and plug it into a Denon LC-OFC step-up transformer AU-300LC and see how the MKII MC cart sounds.

I think Autobot will swap me a Yamaha adjustable MM/MC phono pre/amp for a Akai R2R I have ( I own several) to see if he likes analog R2R If not(R2R is not for him) they are both on loan until I can purchase a nice seperate amp and phono pre/amp and get away from my HD AVR. For now (until he comes over with with the Yamaha)I hope this little Denon box will do this MkII cart justice. It sounded GREAT on Autobots system Now I am Really hooked on vinyl again after all these years.

 

[Autobot]

Glad I passed on it Pio 1980, hey it was a ReVox and would have looked cool next to my ReVox R2R. I am Really suprised how much more detail this AT MkII cart MC sounds on a this vintage "S" arm DD semi auto consumer Pioneer TT. I have read so many posts about you need a expensive tone arm and a TT that has a tone arm you can raise up and down to adjust VTA, etc etc. One of the reasons (other then cost) I never purchased a MC cart..

My TT is 25 feet away from my Yamaha receiver so I had to use a digital input and I purchased a TCC-750 MM phono pre for my Pickering. Now I am going hook my RCA cable back to the phono input (MM) and plug it into a Denon LC-OFC step-up transformer AU-300LC and see how the MKII MC cart sounds.

I think Autobot will swap me a Yamaha adjustable MM/MC phono pre/amp for a Akai R2R I have ( I own several) to see if he likes analog R2R If not(R2R is not for him) they are both on loan until I can purchase a nice separate amp and phono pre/amp and get away from my HD AVR. For now (until he comes over with with the Yamaha)I hope this little Denon box will do this MkII cart justice. It sounded GREAT on Autobots system Now I am Really hooked on vinyl again after all these years.

So it all came together? Yeah I was impressed with the sound of your Pioneer table the MKII seemed to like it too.

MC carts have such a different sound, some like it some don't, I for one love them.
Glad you could came over and let me set up your table.

 

[LAB3]

So it all came together? Yeah I was impressed with the sound of your Pioneer table the MKII seemed to like it too.

MC carts have such a different sound, some like it some don't, I for one love them.
Glad you could came over and let me set up your table.

Thanks Bro. Me TOO. I did as you advised I hooked up the Denon step up transformer to the back of my Yamaha receiver MM phono input and grounded it and ran a ground wire to the TT 25 feet away and hooked it up this way.much better then the Denon SUT next to the TT as I got a hum at 50% volume that went away when I reveresed the hook up.... I was bummed out until you emailed me to try the way I have now :thmbsp:
I can see/hear why MC carts are so popular. The AT-OC9ML/II sure has more detail then my Pickering MM. And the OC9/III was even better I understand now why you spent the money for it.