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CrSens
Super Member
No, this one is not user replaceable. I think retipping cost is $180 or something like that. It is also possible to send it to other retippers and fit microline stylus and exotic cantilevers on it, to possibly further elevate performance.
Andre Garcia
“WITHOUT MUSIC, LIFE WOULD BE A MISTAKE”
Grado trade in all the wood series.
Send the old cart and they send you a new one for a charge of course.
No experience with Opus3 but so far I heard good reviews.
AG.
Send the old cart and they send you a new one for a charge of course.
No experience with Opus3 but so far I heard good reviews.
AG.
@cafe latte 's endorsement was suffiient enough for me to put it on my list of future carts.
cafe latte
Addicted Member
No elliptical tracking at 1.7g lasts 1000 hours no matter how clean your records are. 300 hours is more realistic. A Micro ridge however can manage 1000 hours plus, anyone using a bonded elliptical for 1000 hours will be damaging record.
Chris
cafe latte
Addicted Member
The woody series all have basically the same engine high and low output. The top two Epoch models have gold coils which results in them having higher resistance and higher inductance which is not really a good thing. Anyway apart those two the rest of the range is the same apart wood type and stylus and cantilever. The glue inside the body is quite rubbery so the glue itself is helping with damping.
Previous Grado sounded nice, but highs were rolled off not so with the new 3 series. Separation too is nuts, I measured an Opus 3 a few days ago with 39dB Separation!!!
Chris
MisterDK
Addicted Member
@cafe latte - Chris, can you tell the quality of the Opus3’s eliptical from those you’ve retipped? Standard eliptical cut and bonded, or something a little more special? Also, from your experience - Low or High output. I’m using an 834 “clone” tube amp that has a fair bit of gain with most MM/MI carts I’ve tried. Quite possibly enough for the low output..
Duane
Duane
cafe latte
Addicted Member
The low output is quite healthy at 1mv, my DNM MM setting is enough for plenty of gain for low output.
Tips are bonded elliptical but well polished. Shape wise they are nothing special, but for the price you are getting a not bad stylus.
These are a super bargain, how many carts get you 38, 39dB separation at this price?
Non I can think of. Great highs, lovely mids and great bass and cheap as chips.
Chris
CrSens
Super Member
I am using Grado's for 20 years, I disagree with you. I don't have one damaged record from a worn stylus. 800 hours is also a number quoted to me by the manufacturer and my experience confirms it.
This 300 hours fear mongering is getting widespread.... so it seems.
cafe latte
Addicted Member
I have a lot of experience and I inspect a lot of tip, 300hours is correct I assure you. Audio Tecnica agree with me. There have been a couple of wear studies on Vinyl Engine and another is starting soon.
Wear relates to tracking force and tip profile ( of course clean vinyl too).
There is a graph, can't remember who did the study I think it was shure shows wear exponentially increases over 1.5g. Crazy stylus life estimates come from high compliance carts tracking at less than 1g. Ray Pankhurst did a study tracking very light and 600 showed significant wear, 800 hours it was a lot. This was on a a linear trackers on repeat.
The same stylus type with real wear was clocked at 500 hours and stuffed.
An elliptical stylus tracking at 1.7g will be very worn at 300 hours and a chisel at 800.
Chris
CrSens
Super Member
I guess it's better for everybody the number is 300, I understand.
Guys, don't listen to me.....
CrSens
Super Member
Other things I believe, and which are total nonsense:
1) All turntables sound pretty much the same if they are insulated from micro-vibration from the surface they sit on, and cartridge is decoupled (vibration vise) from the tonearm, so the resonances can't travel between cartridge, tonearm, plinth and back. All you need than is good, constant speed (most do OK here) and reasonably low friction tonearm bearings.
2) Cartridge determines 70% of the sound character, if the turntable is free from vibration induced colorations.
3) Speakers and speaker placement are most important for the final result you will get.
1) All turntables sound pretty much the same if they are insulated from micro-vibration from the surface they sit on, and cartridge is decoupled (vibration vise) from the tonearm, so the resonances can't travel between cartridge, tonearm, plinth and back. All you need than is good, constant speed (most do OK here) and reasonably low friction tonearm bearings.
2) Cartridge determines 70% of the sound character, if the turntable is free from vibration induced colorations.
3) Speakers and speaker placement are most important for the final result you will get.
cafe latte
Addicted Member
Pop over to vinyl engine and read the old wear study, the stylus has significant flats at 800 hours on a linear tracker tracking at 1.25g. The record was not swapped in that experiment and the groove got smoothed out in the test. The test is being repeated soon swapping records. Early in the study Ray photographed real wear from normal use and it was very significant at much lower hours even tracking light. The new study will swap records and later test different tips, they are also discussing comparisons of distortion at different wear points. All very scientific, not fear mongering at all.
1.7g is heavy for an elliptical so life will be short.
Chris
cafe latte
Addicted Member
This is interesting re vinyl wear, elliptical at 1.5g for one play shows real wear to the vinyl.
https://pspatialaudio.com/record_wear.htm
https://pspatialaudio.com/record_wear.htm
cafe latte
Addicted Member
Anyway, stylus life aside of the stylus it is not bad for the price.The Opus is a lovely cart and a total steal for what it does.
Chris
Chris
Andre Garcia
“WITHOUT MUSIC, LIFE WOULD BE A MISTAKE”
Styluses are a consumable, hence we should be careful with info source.
AG.
AG.
CrSens
Super Member
I don't think 300 hour model is sustainable business wise for MC cartridges (many are subgroup of elliptical and have 1.8-2 g tracking), it's just not happening.
