Vintage Cartridge Hunting - Episode 1: A Grado Something or Other

[cafe latte]

Let me ask you this...

What kind of presentation do you prefer? Quick/detailed or full-bodied/romantic? If the latter appeals to you, you should enjoy the Grado sound.

The new 2 range of Grado are fast and detailed and less so the Grado romantic of old.
Chris

 

[cafe latte]

Best solution with carts IMO is to have a turntable with removable headshell and have a few different carts for different moods. Problem is once you start this the numbers of carts in the cart box can become rather large
Chris

 

[MCM_Fan]

Best solution with carts IMO is to have a turntable with removable headshell and have a few different carts for different moods. Problem is once you start this the numbers of carts in the cart box can become rather large
Chris

This is very true. I was on a vintage Shure kick for a while, trying as many as possible, and diligently tracking down a NOS stylus for each. Now, I'm expanding my horizons to other brands. I need to make a storage/display case for them. As I mentioned in my first post of the thread, lately, I've been buying "junker" tables just to harvest the cartridges. Seems the best way to get them locally - plus when buying them this way, they also come with a headshell as part of the package.

 

[beatcomber]

The new 2 range of Grado are fast and detailed and less so the Grado romantic of old.
Chris

Maybe so, but not as much as, say, an Audio Technica.

 

[bobins08]

Grado sounds great on my marcmorin AR.

Funny thing is I never liked AT very much and now I’m using a vintage AT35E LOMC on the AR with great success. This cart has a replaceable stylus with beryllium cantilever and nude tip that is still available. Using an SUT with it connected into my wonderful tube preamp phono input. It has speed and detail but also balance. Not at all forward or strident.

I’m also liking vintage Stanton and Empires having found OEM styli for both.

You need to try a bunch of cartridges to know what you like. The tonearm and phono stages really also critical to how the cartridge performs.

 

[cafe latte]

Maybe so, but not as much as, say, an Audio Technica.

AT carts though are known to be a little too far in the high direction.
I have a ATvm95ml which is not night and day to the Grado but if I can fault it it is a little to high freq dominant.
Chris