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Grado Opus3 review

cafe latte said:
No it is not, I too have an 8MZ, but it does not beat the platinum, but a retipped blue smashes a platinum (I have one) and I actually prefer my retipped blue to my statement reference.
Chris
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The stock Platinum is better than the 8mz but the retipped Platinum is much better. Good thing, because I snapped the cantilever off the 8mz.........
 
Would have bought an Opus3 but it wouldn't fit in my upgraded SME 3009 R headshell. Had to get the Gold3 which I really like! Very MC sounding! Reminds me of my Denon DL-301 MKII. Tracking my Gold3 at 1.7 VTF with .5 anti-skating. Using Soundsmith weighted screws which adds 5.7 grams to the 6.5 gram tonearm. Also using the FD-200 fluid dampening which the Gold3 loves!
 
Blackdog61 said:
The stock Platinum is better than the 8mz but the retipped Platinum is much better. Good thing, because I snapped the cantilever off the 8mz.........
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My point is retipping a blue beats a statement reference, the motor of the humble blue is very very good. The heavy wood of the higher range is not a good idea for the compliance of the car so it is no surprise the blue and gold sound so good with a decent stylus.
Chris
 
Bkphoto said:
So you buy carts and then cut them apart...?
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I am a retipper, I have maybe 70 carts and I retip every week for customers so no I dont just cut stuff apart I do it to retip, but this last buy ie the green was for my information and I can still use the stub for myself for a retip.
Chris
 
Ilikevinyl said:
Would have bought an Opus3 but it wouldn't fit in my upgraded SME 3009 R headshell. Had to get the Gold3 which I really like! Very MC sounding! Reminds me of my Denon DL-301 MKII. Tracking my Gold3 at 1.7 VTF with .5 anti-skating. Using Soundsmith weighted screws which adds 5.7 grams to the 6.5 gram tonearm. Also using the FD-200 fluid dampening which the Gold3 loves!
Click to expand...
Most arms are a lot heavier and are too heavy for Grado adding weight is not good for most arms today.
Chris
 
cafe latte said:
Most arms are a lot heavier and are too heavy for Grado adding weight is not good for most arms today.
Chris
Click to expand...
I'll use a heavy headshell on my modified AR when running a low compliance cartridge. Like an original Technics headshell with the screw-in 4 gram weight attached, and a heavier counterweight.
 
From the Amazon.com listing:

The All New Timbre Series Opus3 cartridges offer a low mass generating system, and a diamond cut specially for Grado. The Opus3 is the first Grado cartridge to use a Maple housing, the Opus3 establishes a new entry point into the wooden Grado cartridge line with a price of just $275. The Timbre Opus3 uses a modified four piece OTL cantilever technology achieving a 10% tip mass reduction over the Prestige series and ultra-high purity long crystal (UHPLC) oxygen free copper wire in the coils. The Opus3 model uses Grado's specially designed elliptical diamond mounted on a brass bushing. The Timbre Opus3 cartridge is 1/2" mount. 78 RPM styli are not available with this cartridge. All re-tipping on the Timbre Opus3 series will be done through 4OurEars.

TLDR: The Opus3 has a bonded stylus, not nude.
 
patient_ot said:
From the Amazon.com listing:

The All New Timbre Series Opus3 cartridges offer a low mass generating system, and a diamond cut specially for Grado. The Opus3 is the first Grado cartridge to use a Maple housing, the Opus3 establishes a new entry point into the wooden Grado cartridge line with a price of just $275. The Timbre Opus3 uses a modified four piece OTL cantilever technology achieving a 10% tip mass reduction over the Prestige series and ultra-high purity long crystal (UHPLC) oxygen free copper wire in the coils. The Opus3 model uses Grado's specially designed elliptical diamond mounted on a brass bushing. The Timbre Opus3 cartridge is 1/2" mount. 78 RPM styli are not available with this cartridge. All re-tipping on the Timbre Opus3 series will be done through 4OurEars.

TLDR: The Opus3 has a bonded stylus, not nude.
Click to expand...
Also... pics in this thread: https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/daveyw/opus-3-cartridge-by-grado-labs-t862.html
 
Jbl Joe said:
I have to disagree. John is one who dislikes talking specs. Notice that stylus type states E. The Opus3 is a nude .2x.7. The cantlever as you move of the Prestige line improves the tracking abd detail
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It is bonded as others have said, and I doubt it is 0.2x0.7 also so far all the Grado stylus tips have looked identical to a AT95e 0.3x0.7 so similar I bet they are from the same supplier.
Chris
 
cafe latte said:
It is bonded as others have said, and I doubt it is 0.2x0.7 also so far all the Grado stylus tips have looked identical to a AT95e 0.3x0.7 so similar I bet they are from the same supplier.
Chris
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The AT95e is a .4x.7...not the same as Grado at all.
 
Blewpernt said:
It's not just a shorter wire. They are two different gauges of wire entirely. The high output has finer guage wire and waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more turns.

I agree on the Opus3. I've got the high out. I can't really see the point of getting a low out since, as Wolfie says, the inductance in either case is already so low.

Speaking to the high output: I can't believe what Grado was capable of doing with the bog standard bonded elliptical and aluminum cantilever regarding how it sounds. Tracks great, does everything I can think of on my list superbly well. I haven't heard the 3 series Prestige cartridges but it leaves even the 2 series behind which left the 1 and the 0 series way behind. I can't see a retip bringing more to the table except for longer wear that a line contact will give you. I have taken it off my table and put it on again and again. I don't want to believe what I'm hearing and I would like to know what fundamental changes Grado made to get this new trick out the old dog. I've heard all the Grados there are to hear and this one sounds like they do after a high quality retip. Could it all be just because of the maple body?

I grabbed mine off of ebay. Somebody, who for some inexplicable to me reason, decided not to keep it and put it up with a ridiculously low BIN. My thumbs jumped to action and bought it before my brain even comprehended what I was seeing on the screen. I didn't start as I usually do with low expectations, either. I was very satisfied with the 2 series and I was expecting more of the same, which isn't a low expectation at all.

I put a record on and my jaw dropped. The highs are so clean and detailed, the mids are always the Grado mids, and the bass is actually tight. Grado went after the issues of their cartridges with a surgical knife and figured out exactly what the problem was. The question now to me is how to fight upgraditis. I'm not usually one to do that, but if what I have is just the Opus 3, what does the next one up sound like??????????????
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The higher ups weight much more than Opus3 which might cause compatibility issues. The wood type,cantilever and stylus profiles improve. To match the Opus with a Prestige3 a xtz stylus is the way to go.
 
Blewpernt said:
Um, well, it's the most mundane bonded looking plain Jane run of the mill looking nudie I ever saw. That's all I have to say about it. I'll squint at it some more tonight and see if I think it could be a nudie, but I really don't think so.
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Why are so many members concerned about nude or bondedconstruction as opposed to how the cartridge sounds. The opus has a trickle-down effect from the high rep would series it is even some Clues from the epoch. Sometimes I wonder well our Hobby has gone so long
 
Jbl Joe said:
Why are so many members concerned about nude or bondedconstruction as opposed to how the cartridge sounds. The opus has a trickle-down effect from the high rep would series it is even some Clues from the epoch. Sometimes I wonder well our Hobby has gone so long
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Well, one thing is clear. I haven't seen or heard anywhere that someone doesn't like the way they sound.
 
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Redd House said:
Well, one think is clear. I haven't seen or heard anywhere that someone doesn't like the way they sound.
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Same here...for the money they are hard to beat....l use mine with Grado GS3000e reference statement cans and l am hearing things l never heard with my blue3tlz
 
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Blewpernt said:
It's not just a shorter wire. They are two different gauges of wire entirely. The high output has finer guage wire and waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more turns.

I agree on the Opus3. I've got the high out. I can't really see the point of getting a low out since, as Wolfie says, the inductance in either case is already so low.

Speaking to the high output: I can't believe what Grado was capable of doing with the bog standard bonded elliptical and aluminum cantilever regarding how it sounds. Tracks great, does everything I can think of on my list superbly well. I haven't heard the 3 series Prestige cartridges but it leaves even the 2 series behind which left the 1 and the 0 series way behind. I can't see a retip bringing more to the table except for longer wear that a line contact will give you. I have taken it off my table and put it on again and again. I don't want to believe what I'm hearing and I would like to know what fundamental changes Grado made to get this new trick out the old dog. I've heard all the Grados there are to hear and this one sounds like they do after a high quality retip. Could it all be just because of the maple body?

I grabbed mine off of ebay. Somebody, who for some inexplicable to me reason, decided not to keep it and put it up with a ridiculously low BIN. My thumbs jumped to action and bought it before my brain even comprehended what I was seeing on the screen. I didn't start as I usually do with low expectations, either. I was very satisfied with the 2 series and I was expecting more of the same, which isn't a low expectation at all.

I put a record on and my jaw dropped. The highs are so clean and detailed, the mids are always the Grado mids, and the bass is actually tight. Grado went after the issues of their cartridges with a surgical knife and figured out exactly what the problem was. The question now to me is how to fight upgraditis. I'm not usually one to do that, but if what I have is just the Opus 3, what does the next one up sound like??????????????
Click to expand...

I would think the wood body would give it a more richer sound than the plastic body Prestige. I really enjoy my Gold3! Also like my Grado ME+ mono cartridge too. ;) These are my first Grado cartridges that I've owned. :thumbsup::music:
 
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