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Recommend a headshell for my Grado reference statement

Onebean

Onebean

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I picked up a retipped Grado reference statement for my Jelco tone arm on my modified Lenco L75. What headshell should I run with the Grado? Wood, aluminum, carbon fiber, or something else? Is there a general guideline on the sonic signature of these varieties? I’ve never heard the Grado RS, so this will all be new to me, I’m just looking for a starting point.
 
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I took your advice and ordered one. That way I can swap back and forth between the Grado and my Fidelity Research FR1 mk3f.
 
If an SME headshell can work with your Jelco...

I'm using this ADC Magnesium LMG-1 headshell with my SME 3009 Series II (Unimproved). It's a flat, reinforced platform that can hold a large cartridge.
My Grado Statement Sonata3 was too large for a standard SME headshell.

20220116_180745_HDR.jpg20220116_181423.jpgb
 
Light as possible as the Grado like a light arm and the woodies are 2g heavier than the Prestige but compliance is the same, also the Prestige need a light medium effective mass so the woodies need even lighter due to them being heavier so lighter the better.
Chris
 
I've had good results with the Soundsmith wood headshell (9.6g). Also, have Jelco HS-25 magnesium bronze (14.5g) and the TT Lab special edition black HS25.
 

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MRL_Audio said:
Didn't you just post that same photo in another thread?
Click to expand...
Yes. Recently too.
I can weigh an LMG-1 if it's important to this discussion.

Chris....
The first Grado Woody's (Sonata) weighed around 8gm, the newer Sonata 3 is even heavier, around 10gm.
I think my old Prestige Gold weighed around 6gm.

I mentioned the ADC LMG-1 because the platform is flat, which my Sonata3 needs because it's so large.
 
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The Sonata and other Grado’s of similar construction are quite large. Has the be the right arm and headshell to get the most from them.
 
Maybe I have the Statement Sonata. Here is a couple pictures with a flat JVC headshell I have. It doesn’t look nearly as big as the one in @heyraz post. My cartridge is marked SS.

The JVC headshell and finger lift weigh 13 grams according to my kitchen scale.

I was under the impression that the Grado was a good match to my Jelco TK-850L.
38667CE3-958C-40BE-86F7-5E53545A1A38.jpeg 20CE968F-890F-49F2-838A-2CF8926D18E5.jpeg F5F73B9C-99BA-4A39-B55B-0E9D190BA96C.jpeg CD75483A-D1D1-4150-B710-7DE1CA38EA9E.jpeg
 
Onebean said:
Maybe I have the Statement Sonata. Here is a couple pictures with a flat JVC headshell I have. It doesn’t look nearly as big as the one in @heyraz post. My cartridge is marked SS.

The JVC headshell and finger lift weigh 13 grams according to my kitchen scale.

I was under the impression that the Grado was a good match to my Jelco TK-850L.
View attachment 2457690 View attachment 2457691 View attachment 2457692 View attachment 2457693
Click to expand...


Looks like a Statement Sonata 1. Good cartridge, I have one. Is that the 0.5 mv output version? I had trouble finding a preamp with enough clean gain for the low output. The 2nd and 3rd version were physically bigger and raised the output to 1.0 mv.
That was a better match for my preamp.
 
heyraz said:
Looks like a Statement Sonata 1. Good cartridge, I have one. Is that the 0.5 mv output version? I had trouble finding a preamp with enough clean gain for the low output. The 2nd and 3rd version were physically bigger and raised the output to 1.0 mv.
That was a better match for my preamp.
Click to expand...

With .5 mv you need a phono preamp with MC input.
 
I have a SUT to raise the low output. I looked back on my paperwork and this is a Sonata 1. It was retipped with a nude Fritz Gyger FG S, that the repairman said would elevate the performance of the cartridge significantly.
 
With .5 mv you need a phono preamp with MC input.
Click to expand...

Grado cartridges are not Moving Coil, they are Moving Iron and behave a little differently than MC.
What I needed was a MM phono stage with (iirc) about 65 db's of clean, hiss free gain.

I went through many preamps, they all had too much hiss.
I settled on an Audio Research PH-3, a hybrid design. Between the PH-3 and my line stage I had enough gain to make vinyl enjoyable again.

Then Grado increased the output of their SS from 0.5mv to 1.0mv. I think the 1.0mv version sounds better. More lively and dynamic. I still have the 0.5mv cartridge, I may give it another shot one day.
 
@heyraz thanks for the tip on the low output moving iron. I have several SUT with different amounts of step up I can try. Hopefully one of them will do the trick.
 
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