Grado Silver

J

jazzgoose

BobWillsIsStillTheKing
Right now I have my Micro Seiki DD-24 in for some love and care. I am considering several different cartridges at the moment. One of those as the thread title states, is the Grado Silver. I can't find much on the Silver. I am getting mixed emotions on Grado in general. I don't want to beat a dead horse on the hum issue but if anyone has any specific ideas on that I wouldn't mind hearing. Of course some people say nothing less than the Sonata will suffice. I am not going that route. You could stack my whole system and it just doesn't make sense to drop that kind of money. I don't mind if you bring other suggestions in either at this price point as well...

Regards,
JG
 
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Howard

Funny you mention the DL110... That is the cart I have been running on my other DD-24. But the arm is different on this turntable. It isn't the straight black arm so I think this one was an upgrade. I haven't hear a lot of praise until you get to the DD-31 but I happen to like the DD-24. How does the 160 differ from the 110?

Regard, JG
 
I've had a Silver for a while now, it's a wonderful cartridge, I love it. What you've probably read here about the warm tonal character, and lush midrange is true. So it's largely a matter of personal taste. What type of music do you primarily listen to? I've found this cartridge works very well with rock (distorted guitars are great!) and jazz in particular.

It's not the best tracker in the world, but with some tweaking of the cartridge setup, you can eliminate a lot of this.

What is the mass of your tonearm? Grado cartridges will work with anything from medium-low to medium-high, preferably between 10g and 14g.
 
jazzgoose said:
Howard

Funny you mention the DL110... That is the cart I have been running on my other DD-24. But the arm is different on this turntable. It isn't the straight black arm so I think this one was an upgrade. I haven't hear a lot of praise until you get to the DD-31 but I happen to like the DD-24. How does the 160 differ from the 110?

Regard, JG
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I looked up a picture of a DD-24 and it had an s-arm. Is that what's on yours? S-arms are medium to medium/high mass and work better with carts with higher tracking forces (lower compliance). The DL-110 has a median TF of 1.8 and the DL-160 is 1.6g--so slightly lower compliance than the Grado. I know Mr. Lin is a fan of Grados. My only point is that they are not universally loved and you seemed to be unsure about dropping the money on one. OTOH I've yet to hear negatives about either Denon. The 160 is a bit more refined than the 110. Do a search in the thread archives here for discussions.
 
I am really across the board when it comes to music. I listen to lots of bluegrass but then I listen to rock as well. I have country, jazz, fusion jazz, and all sorts of stuff in there. So I really need something that stands on neutral ground. I have another DD-24 as I mentioned with a straight arm - I do not know the model. This one that this cartridge will be going on has the S arm. I guess my curiosity is in trying something else besides the DL-110 - I guess the DL-160 is an option. Am I going to hear a discernable difference if I switch up to the DL-160? I can tell you the only problem I have with the Denon carts is the inability to change the stylus should it be damaged.
 
Yes, I believe you'd hear a difference between the 110 and 160. Another possibility would be the Ortofon 2M Red, but that's not one I think of as being neutral. Some love it, some are disappointed.

Shure is the neutral cartridge--some consider it boring, but others claim it is transparent--you hear the real music without it being colored. The debate will go on forever. I happen to like the older Shures and the V15 series, but you'd have to buy one used and then an aftermarket stylus. JICO makes excellent styli for Shures. If you're going to go that route, though, ask us first before you buy anything. Most of them have higher compliances (lower tracking forces) so aren't the best match to an s-arm, but they will work. You could also go for a new M97xE, which many praise, but be aware that quality problems have cropped up here and there. The advantage there is that using the brush negates the less than ideal compliance match.

Or you could try the Grado. It's not neutral, but it reproduces the music with a seductive sound that many find very pleasing. Mr. Lin's comments appear to suggest that it might be appropriate for you listening choices.
 
So on the end of tracking - would that pose a problem for novice like me when it comes to setup? I intend to get it a professional setup before it comes back to me but I have a feeling at some point I will have to set it up again. Until now I have done my own setups but I am never sure if my work could be more accurate.

When people are talking about the Grado humm - what exactly are we talking about? I assume the cart produces a low humm of some sort when the needle is off the record but the receiver is on?

Thanks again for the info guys,
JG
 
It depends as to the Grado hum. I use to have it before I upgraded the Audio cables as well as the arm wiring. Now if your having say, high quality audio cables installed on your Micro Seiki then the Grado hum may not be an issue. I use, at different times 3 Grados one is the older version of the Silver and it's one of the nicest sounding cartridge of the many I have tried or use. Plus the stylus is user replaceable VS the denon.
 
Before I get home from deployment, the Micro Seiki will have new cables. I haven't made a final decision but they will be good quality cables. I thought of one other option which is even more off topic.

I have an AT2214SH that simply needs a new stylus. LPGear has them for $99.00 or so - I haven't looked to see if anyone can beat that but it may be hard to find elsewhere.

From what I have heard, this is nice cartridge. Do any of you guys have any experience with this one?

Thanks again,
JG
 
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I also wouldn't describe the Grado Silver as neutral sounding but it sure does have a lower midrange and vocals unmatched by anything I've ever heard, well except for a better Grado. Imagine the sound of your Denon DL-110 and then picture setting several rows further back in the concert hall, that should give you some idea of what it sounds like.
 
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