Chinese catridges

[Adrian]

Thanks for the write up & photos of the Chinese carts. TBH there is very little the Chinese cannot do. Quality is also improving across the board too.


Do keep us updated on any further insights you might gather. Certainly is food for thought! Mainstream cart makers should be worried ( if the car EV, solar PV panel makers are anything to go by!)

[Fran]

Will do Adrian.

I'm going to give a bit of time to play out - the manufacturer says run in is 30 hours, so I'll wait until I get there and then call it as I see it.

All still going strong at the moment anyway.

[hudo]

Will do Adrian.

I'm going to give a bit of time to play out - the manufacturer says run in is 30 hours, so I'll wait until I get there and then call it as I see it.

All still going strong at the moment anyway.

Fran, did you do some more listen?
Why did you go with the specific model? Does resistance (2, 3.5, 6 ohm...) tells something about quality or compatibility?
Think cantilever (rod) should be as light as possible; some models have aluminium, some titanium, which would be better, right?

[Fran]

Hi Hudo,


So I went for low ohm coils - I can't find the link now, but I remembered reading somewhere that lower ohm coils tended to have better detail retrieval... that could be BS of course, but I went with it anyway!

I think the stiffer and lighter the cantilever the better, so the titanium alloy cantilever should be stiffer than aluminium, I thought I would give it a whirl. In retrospect, I should probably have been a bit braver and gone with the boron cantilever for about €200 more. But I Was buying blind, the thing could have been completely crap. If I was buying again given what I've heard, I would do that.

The cart really settled down after a decent bit of playing over Christmas. Its not quite at the Benz-micro level, but its not far off either. In short I'm a very happy camper.

[hudo]

Thanks Fran.

My phono pre (Project Tubebox S2 - https://www.project-audio.com/wp-conten ... Box-S2.pdf) has setting for LOMC input impendence from 10 ohm up, will it work with 2 ohm MC cartridge, does those values have to be the same?

[Fran]

I'd say so Hudo - but why don't you call over with it and we can hook it up here and see how it compares?

[hudo]

I'd say so Hudo - but why don't you call over with it and we can hook it up here and see how it compares?

Sorry missed your reply :)
I ordered that chi fi MC already, will need my current MM to sell with old turntable, will be interesting experiment!
But I should visit to check out your system, you should also come to see my new/old Gyro SE!

[hudo]

Chi-Fi MC arrived, installed and breaking in! So far, very good, extended at top and bottom, sweet in the mids (first tings i noticed in comparison to my At vm740ml - extended and touch sweet), good details and dynamics. Not sure how much of that will change after 20-30h, but very nice so far, its really good value for money.

[Diapason]

How does it track compared to your AT? Any sibilance problems? Inner groove distortion?

The reason I moved to my AT was such annoyances from my previous cartridge with elliptical stylus, as it seems I'm very sensitive to such things.

[hudo]

How does it track compared to your AT? Any sibilance problems? Inner groove distortion?

The reason I moved to my AT was such annoyances from my previous cartridge with elliptical stylus, as it seems I'm very sensitive to such things.

Its still maybe too early to give any proper opinion or review, but for now its tracking equally good as AT, and didn't notice any change for inner grooves. But, I never have any sibilance issue in my system, so even if the cartridge is a bit hot at the top and sibilant, it might not be reproduced as such...

Also, think i still have some adjustments to do, this VTA seems a bit too high, more than ideal 92 deg...

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