Ortofon switches from boron to sapphire cantilevers

[dbxdx5]

Seems the boron shortage affected more than just Jico.

http://www.analogplanet.com/content/ortofon-switches-boron-sapphire-cantilevers#fudqJ2vRbwvJcuY2.97

 

[KentTeffeteller]

It affected Audio-Technica too. Ortofon is not alone, nor is Jico.

 

[Balifly]

Audio Technica, Denon and Nagoaka next.

 

[wualta]

It's getting so we'll have to wash our clothes in 20 Mule Team Corundum.

 

[Wirehead]

Allright, If anyone can sponser me with some boron trichloride, some hydrogen, a vacuum chamber, some tantalum wire, we should be good to go to make boron tubes again.

No seriously, there is no such thing as boron shortage. It just costs more money to make, and it's a small market. Economics 101. It's sad, because boron is just a way better material.

 

[4-2-7]

It's sad, because boron is just a way better material.

Yeah I like boron the best as it's so damn ridged, guess I should get another blackbird before they change

 

[sqlsavior]

Cactus needles.

I know where to get 'em.

 

[gusten]

Cactus needles.

I know where to get 'em.

From a cactus?

 

[sqlsavior]

From a cactus?

Sssshh...

 

[gusten]

Sssshh...

My lips are sealed.

 

[bjlefebvre]

there is no such thing as boron shortage. It just costs more money to make, and it's a small market. Economics 101. It's sad, because boron is just a way better material.

Why do they cost more money to make now?

 

[marcmorin]

Why do they cost more money to make now?

inflation

 

[Wirehead]

inflation

I would even throw in patent licensing. As the process I described above is patented by Technics. Makes you wonder why the h*ll they're not making top notch styli anymore

 

[marcmorin]

I would even throw in patent licensing. As the process I described above is patented by Technics. Makes you wonder why the h*ll they're not making top notch styli anymore

I wonder what they raised the price of licencing to, and why?

 

[Mister Pig]

One of the growing pains of the resurgence of vinyl as a playback medium I suppose. Cartridge manufacturers rely on outside vendors for their parts. The market has shrunk, and reached a manageable list of vendors and parts. With an uptick in demand, supply is not going to be sufficient. So its going to take time for new suppliers to become available, and that means there is excess demand for things like boron cantilevers. Hopefully things will even out soon.

But its not a huge issue with the Ortofon cartridges. Only the Quintet Black used boron, the others used aluminum alloy. Even the Cadenza series uses aluminum alloy, sapphire, and only one cartridge uses boron.

What I wonder though is what happens to the retippers? Will companies like Soundsmith be able to continue to offer a boron option. They only recently started, I hope it doesn't go away.

Regards
Mister Pig

 

[ETI_5000]

Is boron really that different from sapphire? I know hollow boron is a different animal than solid sapphire, but I have heard that there was at least one hollow sapphire cantilever that was produced--problem was that diamond tips kept breaking off.

Stop asking questions!

Note that sapphire and ruby are the same chemically. Because superscript doesn’t work here, I have to write this out longhand.

Density, ρ, lower numbers better (grams per centimetre cubed):

Beryllium: 1.84
Boron: 2.34
Aluminium: 2.7
Sapphire: 4.0

Young’s Modulus, E (stiffness), higher numbers better (10 to the power of 11 dyne per centimetre squared):

Beryllium: 30
Boron: 42
Aluminium: 7
Sapphire: 50

Stiffness Ratio, E/ρ, higher numbers better (10 to the power 10 centimetres squared/seconds squared):

Beryllium: 163
Boron: 179
Aluminium: 26
Sapphire: 125

Sound Velocity, C equals the square root of E/ρ (m/sec), higher numbers better:

Beryllium: 12,800
Boron: 13,400
Aluminium: 5,100
Sapphire: 11,200

So sapphire's relatively light, very stiff, and transmits sound (vibrations) very quickly. It’s equal third best (with ruby) behind beryllium and boron for cantilevers. Accuphase supplied those figures (see their AC-2 cartridge brochure on vinylengine). They were one of the manufacturers who used hollow sapphire cantilevers. and another was B&O. I haven't heard of problems with diamonds breaking off tubular sapphire cantilevers, but that's not to say it didn't happen.

 

[Freddymac2]

Say what you may, both of the very old Denon and the Koetsu cantilevers are still intact, let me know how long your Sapphire and Ruby continue to run.

 

[ehoove]

Yeah I like boron the best as it's so damn ridged, guess I should get another blackbird before they change

I'm with you. a LO BlackBird is on my radar, moving closer at a high rate due to this info!
Regards,
Jim

 

[gusten]

Of course another parameter is the physical dimensions. One can have physical dimension using Al, that can be better than another physical dimension of any other.

 

[4-2-7]

I'm with you. a LO BlackBird is on my radar, moving closer at a high rate due to this info!
Regards,
Jim

Yeah Jim I have yet to get a hold of a LO blackbird but really need to try one. If you ever see the Sumiko Talisman Virtuoso Boron mid output of 1.8mv or the Sumiko Talisman Virtuoso Dti also 1.8mv, they sound sweet.