monkboughtlunch
Super Member
Any recommendations for an ideal cartridge for a Rek-O-Kut S-320 tonearm? (ideal meaning: compliance match, low inner groove distortion, low sibilance and excellent sound quality)
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Best cartridges for Rek-O-Kut S-320 tonearm?
- Thread starter monkboughtlunch
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KentTeffeteller
Gimpus Stereophilus!
A broadcast cartridge on this arm is best. Which is what the arm was designed for. Shure M44-7, M35x, SC 35-C, Stanton 500 A and AL, the Stanton 680 EL and 681A, many a MC which calls for a heavier arm.
Hi, An LPGear AT95VL is at $100 easily best bang for buck, rgds, sreten.
It needs careful optimum alignment to get the best out of the VL tip.
TBH it doesn't look half a clunky as made out in the above post.
Looks very Jelco, might even take the Audio Technica AT440MLb.
It needs careful optimum alignment to get the best out of the VL tip.
TBH it doesn't look half a clunky as made out in the above post.
Looks very Jelco, might even take the Audio Technica AT440MLb.
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Joe Roberts
Agent Provocateur
That is the S-320 mk. II. Jelco.
The original 320 was the long "Micropoise" arm, I believe.
The original 320 was the long "Micropoise" arm, I believe.
KentTeffeteller
Gimpus Stereophilus!
The original S 320 is a bit too high mass for an AT 95e, or a VL. And definitely not suited for a AT 440 MLb. This is a high mass, low compliance tonearm. And built for broadcast use.
monkboughtlunch
Super Member
Please see picture below. Some of the vintage S 320's have tonearm wires with spade lugs instead of traditional phono plugs. Can the spade lugs simply be cut off and the wiring re-terminated with RCA phono plugs? Or is the wiring of the spade lug version somehow different? And if so, would it need to be routed into a terminal strip?
malden
Addicted Member
The S-320 was a standard length (12") arm. The S-260 was the longer (16") arm
malden
Addicted Member
The Shure M35X would be a great cartridge for the ROK tone-arm
monkboughtlunch
Super Member
Here's a diagram of the wiring. See 16. Can the spade lug version simply be reterminated with RCA phono plugs?
monkboughtlunch
Super Member
Thoughts on which of these carts sound best?
KentTeffeteller
Gimpus Stereophilus!
I like the Stanton 681A best, but that's with genuine styli only. The Shure M35x is nice and currently available. The Denon DL-103 would shine in this arm if you like LOMC options.
KentTeffeteller
Gimpus Stereophilus!
Please see picture below. Some of the vintage S 320's have tonearm wires with spade lugs instead of traditional phono plugs. Can the spade lugs simply be cut off and the wiring re-terminated with RCA phono plugs? Or is the wiring of the spade lug version somehow different? And if so, would it need to be routed into a terminal strip?
Connecting this tonearm into a terminal strip is what was intended to be done connecting this tonearm. For the record, your ROK tonearm dates from their ownership by CCA in New Jersey, when Rek-O-Kut had withdrawn from the consumer market and was purely marketing to broadcasters.
monkboughtlunch
Super Member
I'm guessing CCA terminated spade lugs for interface to their QRK phono preamp which they also sold as evinced in a June 1971 catalog. Here are some pics:
So my questions are:
1) The tonearm wire with spade lugs is roughly 3ft. Since I'm not using a vintage QRK phono preamp with terminal strip connectors, why would I want to run this in a terminal strip, and add a second length of cable to present the signal to my receiver? Wouldn't the unnecessary addition of a terminal strip and second extra run of RCA cable (from the terminal strip output to my receiver) degrade the audio signal?
2) Can I reterminate the tonearm cable with something like an Amphenol RCA connector? (Mouser part: 523-ACPR-SRD). This would allow direct connect from tonearm to my receiver.
3) Any idea what year CCA bought ROK from Koss? The latest Koss print ad for ROK I've seen is from 1968 and the first ROK ad I've seen from CCA is 1970 so the acquisition must have occurred between those dates.
4) What year and to whom did CCA sell ROK to?
5) Is there any quality difference in the ROK tonearms across the various owners over 30 year production run of the S-320 tonearm(circa 1961-1991)? Are some S-320s built better than others or was the same tooling and materials used throughout the various corporate ownership changes?
monkboughtlunch
Super Member
Thanks - how would you contrast the sonic signature of the 681A vs M35x vs the DL-103? Which would have lower IGD and sibilance artifacts?
malden
Addicted Member
It seems to me that the only way to get a useful answer to that question would be to audition each cartridge in your particular tonearm, turntable, amp and speakers.
Joe Roberts
Agent Provocateur
With a cart like 681 or DL103, I feel that the arm will be the limiting factor.
There will be no sibilance with a 681 or 103 in a good arm, properly set up.
I have had many Rekokut arms and when they are in good shape they are "OK"...however, most are messed up. Grasp by the arm tube and twist. Is there any wiggle at the vertical bearings? There shouldn't be. If there is movement, the arm needs attention.
Even when in good shape, RoK arms are a bit rough sounding. Not horrible, but compared with something like a Schick 12" they are at times dull and/or brash. Usable but not for snobby evaluators.
All told, I'd go with a 680/681 conical or maybe fat elliptical...good recommendation and pretty much what the arms were intended for. I had an 680 ,4x.9 elliptical playing in an S-120 last month and it sounded pretty good.
A 103 is pretty stiff and will test the bearings so if they are not in proper tight condition, the 103 will shake that armtube like crazy.
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KentTeffeteller
Gimpus Stereophilus!
CCA had their own turntable preamp branded as ROK. All period broadcast tonearms by ROK, and by Micro-Trak terminated into spade lugs as this is a standard connection in broadcast analog plants. And all broadcast preamps accepted such connections, SME the exception and the Japanese arms the exception. Your S320 dates from roughly 1970-1971. These are not going to be modern audiophile tonearms as such, they are not designed to be forensic sounding, they're designed for reliable heavy duty use and for ruggedness and to perform as well as possible within that goal.
Hi,
It is easy to rewire with phono plugs. If your amplifier / receiver has a phono
ground post also run a ground wire from it to a similar post on the deck.
The arm is grounded by the right channel shield (white=left, red=right).
Try to avoid ground loops. If the arm mounts onto a metal chassis
then its probably better to forgo the ground wire and earth through
the cable. (Alternatively remove the ground connection in the arm).
FWIW the Shure M35X doesn't offer anything useful that budget hifi
cartridges at half the price cannot provide, and in hifi terms they are
much better, without DJ exaggerated bass and the peaking treble.
An option would be this :
http://www.lpgear.com/product/CF3600LE.html
Which is a improved version of this :
http://www.lpgear.com/product/REGACARBON.html
All of the AT95 options here would work well :
http://www.lpgear.com/Merchant2/mer...t_Code=&Search=&Sort_By=price_asc&Per_Page=-1
The AT95VL option being the standout choice. Low compliance like all AT95's.
High quality line contact tip, 0.2 x 3.0, that will last several times longer than
all the other versions listed on the page. It must be accurately aligned.
With no bias run it at the top of its range, 2.5 g, which is nothing for
a line contact tip, equivalent to under 1g for a standard elliptical.
rgds, sreten.
It is easy to rewire with phono plugs. If your amplifier / receiver has a phono
ground post also run a ground wire from it to a similar post on the deck.
The arm is grounded by the right channel shield (white=left, red=right).
Try to avoid ground loops. If the arm mounts onto a metal chassis
then its probably better to forgo the ground wire and earth through
the cable. (Alternatively remove the ground connection in the arm).
FWIW the Shure M35X doesn't offer anything useful that budget hifi
cartridges at half the price cannot provide, and in hifi terms they are
much better, without DJ exaggerated bass and the peaking treble.
An option would be this :
http://www.lpgear.com/product/CF3600LE.html
Which is a improved version of this :
http://www.lpgear.com/product/REGACARBON.html
All of the AT95 options here would work well :
http://www.lpgear.com/Merchant2/mer...t_Code=&Search=&Sort_By=price_asc&Per_Page=-1
The AT95VL option being the standout choice. Low compliance like all AT95's.
High quality line contact tip, 0.2 x 3.0, that will last several times longer than
all the other versions listed on the page. It must be accurately aligned.
With no bias run it at the top of its range, 2.5 g, which is nothing for
a line contact tip, equivalent to under 1g for a standard elliptical.
rgds, sreten.
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