Grace F9 with Soundsmith RS-9E vs Grado Platinum 3 (low output)?

A

Alexamur

New Member
Hello all,
I recently bought the turntable Oracle MK1 with a Grace-727 tonearm and F9E cart. The Oracle is in the service company for the maintenance. I have planified to order a Soundsmith nude elliptical RS-9E needle because the original needle is bent. But in the service I have received the offer to replace the Grace F9 cartridge by the Grado Timber Platinum 3 (low output) which is in stock.

I need of your opinions. If this Grado improve the sound quality?

I listen the classical music and jazz. Phono stage for the moment is Lehmann black cube SE.
Unfortunately, a search did not help me to make the decision. Thanks for the help to newbie.
 
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Alexamur said:
Hello all,
I recently bought the turntable Oracle MK1 with a Grace-727 tonearm and F9E cart. The Oracle is in the service company for the maintenance. I have planified to order a Soundsmith nude elliptical RS-9E needle because the original needle is bent. But in the service I have received the offer to replace the Grace F9 cartridge by the Grado Timber Platinum 3 (low output) which is in stock.

I need of your opinions. If this Grado improve the sound quality?

I listen the classical music and jazz. Phono stage for the moment is Lehmann black cube SE.
Unfortunately, a search did not help me to make the decision. Thanks for the help to newbie.
Click to expand...
I have F9 with Soundsmith 9E stylus, and Opus3, but high output. They sound very different, Grace is leaner and more analytical sounding, and has slightly better tracking on inner grooves. Grado is warmer and fuller sounding, but less precisely focused. Soundstage is about the same. I like them both, but Grace (with Soundmith) is less forgiving of phono stage quality and the rest of the system quality, it sounds more "digital" if you will.
 
CrSens said:
I have F9 with Soundsmith 9E stylus, and Opus3, but high output. They sound very different, Grace is leaner and more analytical sounding, and has slightly better tracking on inner grooves. Grado is warmer and fuller sounding, but less precisely focused. Soundstage is about the same. I like them both, but Grace (with Soundmith) is less forgiving of phono stage quality and the rest of the system quality, it sounds more "digital" if you will.
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Thank you for the opinion. Based on your description of the Grado it looks more interesting to me... Which the interpretation (Grado or Soundsmith) of the human voice - the vocals you like more?
 
Alexamur said:
Thank you for the opinion. Based on your description of the Grado it looks more interesting to me... Which the interpretation (Grado or Soundsmith) of the human voice - the vocals you like more?
Click to expand...
Grace with Soundsmith F9E is more "hifi", it sounds more or less flawless in technical sense, somewhat like digital does. Grado is more analog like, and if I would isolate the portrayal of human voice out of the sound picture, I would give the advantage to Grado. It is a very "musical" cartridge if this is what you are looking for.
 
CrSens said:
Grace with Soundsmith F9E is more "hifi", it sounds more or less flawless in technical sense, somewhat like digital does. Grado is more analog like, and if I would isolate the portrayal of human voice out of the sound picture, I would give the advantage to Grado. It is a very "musical" cartridge if this is what you are looking for.
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It means a lot to me. Thank you. But I am afraid of a low output of the proposed Grado platinum 3 because of the possible hum...
 
Alexamur said:
It means a lot to me. Thank you. But I am afraid of a low output of the proposed Grado platinum 3 because of the possible hum...
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Careful, Platinum3 and Opus3 are not the same, Platinum3 is even warmer sounding than Opus3. If you are concerned about the hum, I don't think the service shop would propose to mount low output Opus3 on Oracle if hum was the issue on that turntable. Anyway, high output Opus3 is equally good, you would be happy with that one as well.
 
CrSens said:
Careful, Platinum3 and Opus3 are not the same, Platinum3 is even warmer sounding than Opus3. If you are concerned about the hum, I don't think the service shop would propose to mount low output Opus3 on Oracle if hum was the issue on that turntable. Anyway, high output Opus3 is equally good, you would be happy with that one as well.
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Unfortunately, I did not hear the sound of this TT... Yes, Opus3 with the low output is not considered only Platinum3 with LO is proposed.
 
Looking at their web page I don't see their Grace 9 products any longer. I went with the Grace 9F ruby and thought it very good. It was a fine line profile which I could recommend. I stay away from the standard ellipticals.
 
If the table is an Oracle Delphi I wouldn't worry about hum, I've rebuilt several of them and never had a hum problem no matter what cartridge was used.
 
RickB said:
If the table is an Oracle Delphi I wouldn't worry about hum, I've rebuilt several of them and never had a hum problem no matter what cartridge was used.
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Thank you. It's perfect!
When I bought it my initial intention was to use installed Grace 727 (which is in good condition) with F9 cart. For the moment this idea remains stronger than the intention to replace F9 due to bend tip...
 
The suggestion of the Grado Opus 3 is a good one, of course the service agency wants to sell you the Platinum, it's what they have in stock and he wants to get it out of inventory.
 
Also, if you do have the Grace cartridge replaced make sure you get the cartridge back, someday in the future you might want to play with an advanced stylus shape on it and if the store keeps it, well...

Been there, done that, decades ago...
 
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