Introducing the Phono Cartridge Measurement Library

[mackat]

Sony XL-50 JICO SAS/B

Here it is with an 8º shim - likely a bit more, as the tonearm isn't perfectly level. The bottom of the cartridge is nearly touching the record, so I likely wouldn't leave it like this.

Crosstalk definitely improved, although there is a bit more of an HF rise.

 

[Balle Clorin]

Difference between record cutting angle and cartridge VTA affect crosstalk levels, some work about the effect here..
Post in thread 'Fun with vinyl measurements'
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...un-with-vinyl-measurements.20278/post-2627035

 

[mackat]

Sony XL-50 JICO SAS/B

And now with the original JVC TRS-1007:

It's interesting how much it differs from the Clearaudio sometimes.

 

[sqrl]

I guess it sounds bright,?
I see several AT MM cartridges with wrong SRA too , 95E, 91R, and non Jico aluminium cantilever Shure V15-IV replacements

I don't know.

 

[Balle Clorin]

so you just measure, without any listening?

 

[Thomas_A]

It is probably on the border sound a bit bright, depending on your age of hearing. But since it is +1 dB at 10 kHz it would be slight.

 

[JP]

It is probably on the border sound a bit bright, depending on your age of hearing. But since it is +1 dB at 10 kHz it would be slight.

Wrong plot. It's +5dB @ 10kHz.

 

[sqrl]

so you just measure, without any listening?

After trying it out, I have better options, but I thought it would be useful information.

 

[Thomas_A]

Wrong plot. It's +5dB @ 10kHz.

Ops, yes. That one should sound bright.

 

[sqrl]

After trying it out, I have better options, but I thought it would be useful information.

The context is that the Jico replacements were and still are unavailable, due to a 'supply chain issue' from their email reply. I did manage to track a couple down at retailers, in case this becomes a permanent issue. I've also got some OEM styli from auctions, with low wear and good suspensions. And some with heavy wear and good suspensions, or no wear and failed suspensions.

 

[mackat]

Ortofon Concorde 30 - JVC TRS-1007

I got quite a good deal on this one, at about $60: https://auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/n1232892197

I've had another one for a while, but I'd always wanted the special counterweights that originally came with it.

First of all, looking at this one confirmed my suspicions that my first one has a somewhat collapsed suspension.

I did quite a bit of R and C experimenting with this one.

Needed to use loading plugs to get to the optimal capacitance, as unfortunately the MiniDSP ADept goes from 100 pF all the way to 500 pF.

 

[Balle Clorin]

Ortofon OM-10 < 10 hours, did som effort on setting Azimuth first on the Hungatotone Merølemez( literally means measurment record) Azimuth /crosstalk track
Redid this OM-10 on mye newly aquided JVC-QL-Y5F

• Ortofon OM-10 , 1.5 gram, Electronic arm,
• JVC QL-Y5F (as is ,no restoration , yet)
• Headshell( metal perforated) not original but from earlier model A5 I think
• 
• load 47k, 115pF cable+50pF in RIAA, +50pF SUT cable (taken from AU340, my SUT is 320). 215pF
• RIAA Parks Audio Puffin all flat no filters, Toslink to PC via USB converter
• 
  
• 
  

Spoiler: Azimuth setting and VTA check

Surprisingly the CBS STR-112 VTA shows 29.4 while spec is 20 degrees, Merolemez adjusted Azimuth for common mimimum, turns out to become at 90 degree/45 degree track-My only cartrid that does this , all other have common minima at 91-92 degree. Ortofon crosstalk is good with this setting -34.3/34.7 not bad for a spec of 22.. CA TRS crosstalk also OK balance.

I wonder maybe the VTA analysis is incorrect, since minimum at 90 degree indicated that cartridge VTA and cutting angle of record is the same, but all other cartridge with VTA 26-30 show a minimum that deviated from 20 degrees... But could not find a fault.
To not pollute this thread , discussion can continue here..

Fun with vinyl measurements

offset pivot?? I guess that if headshell is NOT perfectly level with vertical bearing, angles will change when raising end

www.audiosciencereview.com

• 

 

[sqrl]

Grace Level-II RC

Output voltage: 2.5 mV
VTF: 1.0-2.0 g (optimal 1.5 g)
Frequency response: 10-30,000 Hz
Channel balance: 0.5 dB/1 kHz
Channel Separation: 30 dB/1 kHz
Compliance: 22×10⁻⁶ cm /dyne
Load resistance: 20-100 kΩ (optimal 47 kΩ)
Internal impedance: 2.4 kΩ
Cantilever: Ceramic
Stylus tip: 0.2×0.8 mil hyperelliptical
Weight: 5.4 g
Replacement stylus: RS-8RC
Date: 1982-88

L 1,044 Ohm 497 mH
R 1,035 Ohm 497 mH

 

[narud]

Signet MK440ML Moving Coil

Beryllium Cantilever/Micro Ridge stylus

1.35grams tracking force

I cant find much info on this one. a stereophile review says it has a .1mv output. the cantilever leans a little to the right like not enough antiskate was used in the past so the cart is lined up with the cantilever and i bumped the antiskate a bit. i only bought it because i saw an ebay ad for one and the included print out showed it measured flat. however i just want back to the ad and im dumb. i didnt notice that the seller was including the wrong printout. it was for a tk10ml. doh! as you can see its definitely not flat! the diamond looks to have some light use but nothing crazy.

 

[Balle Clorin]

Yet another AudioTechnica AT540ML new from the box. I added some extra tests..pheugh.

• AT 540ML NEW. 47k / 165pF at 2 gram VTF (115pf tonearm, 50pf Puffin)
• Turntable JVC QL-Y5F , WITH ORIGINAL HEADSHELL, Electronic arm damping 1.5
• RIAAPparks audio Puffin, Toslink out to PC via USB converter
• No tuning ,shims or setup adjustments other than setting overhang to 15mm on 245mm arm.
• Tracks Ortofon 100um with excellence

A magnificent performing cartridge apart from the too high peak, - keep Capacitance as low as possible-but I can tweak that down,now I just need to listen to it...

Crosstalk and channel balance see spoiler

Spoiler: more interesting stuff

Since I normally run my MM vie a SUT Denon AU-320 in buypass mode I measured going through the SUT bypass setti g too. this adds some capaitance, assuming is is the same as on AU-340 the cable from SUT to RIAA adds another 50pF I then get this

The peak is quite high so I tweak it by my Parks Audio Puffin, AIR(-6 and Treble(+1)settings and get this. Peak reduced from 5.5db to 2 db , with less than 0.5db droop at 4k. the 0,5db L/R unbalance can of course be corrected by Puffin too.

And then crosstalk, Using Ortofon record, very nice less than 0.5dB channel balance error, and cross talk -34/-35 much better than spec

The Azimuth/crosstalk track from Merolemez looks like this

Then I measured VTA by DIN 45 453 and CBS STR-112

DIN has Mimimum at 22 degrees, imperpolate to 21, spec is 23

CBS record script gives VTA 22.2 degrees, the lowest I have and lowest distorion too

Here is the fulle side B of CBS STR-112 HTA and VTA intermodulation converted to angles

Adjusting HTA reference from 0 to 3 we get this

And another alignment indicatior , Sperling 1000Hz track phase difference over the whole record side

To not pollute this thread,discussion about the spoiler measurment is better done here

Fun with vinyl measurements

A new project.

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[Thomas_A]

Thanks @Balle Clorin

another additional test you could do is to record a dynamic part of a music record and look at the symmetry of low frequency spectrum in REW (L-R) at your nominal antiskate setting. Would be interesting.

 

[Timmeon]

Hi everyone,

I currently run an AT7V into a Waxwing. I'm considering adding a microline stylus from the current AT lineup to this body.

Looking at the plots provided here (specifically measurements of the VMN45xML on the 150 body), it seems clear that mating these modern MicroLine styli to the older 350mH generators pushes the electrical low-pass corner frequency up. This leaves the mechanical resonance of the cantilever relatively undamped, resulting in a rising top-end (usually a +2dB to +4dB peak, depending on aluminum vs. boron).

Since the Waxwing handles RIAA and EQ in the digital domain, my strategy is to buy the stylus purely for its physical tracking geometry, mount it to the AT7V body, and use the Waxwing's DSP (PEQ / Air filter) to flatten out that mechanical resonance peak.

My questions for those who have measured these combinations:

1. Is this a sound approach to achieving a neutral response, while minimizing inner groove distortion and pulling more signal from the deeper part of the record groove?
2. If so, Aluminum vs. boron? Is there a meaningful performance reason to choose boron if I'm planning to EQ the resulting peak flat anyway?

Thanks for all the incredible data in this library!

 

[anthos314]

Hi everyone, first post here on this forum even though I have been looking up for a few years now.

Cartridge: Lyra Delos
Stylus: Microline
Cantilever: Boron
Stylus condition: 411 hours of play!

Test record: CBS STR-100
Turntable: Michell Gyrodec
Tracking force: 1.8g
Phono stage: RME Adi 2/4 SE

 

[narud]

Hi everyone, first post here on this forum even though I have been looking up for a few years now.

Cartridge: Lyra Delos
Stylus: Microline
Cantilever: Boron
Stylus condition: 411 hours of play!

Test record: CBS STR-100
Turntable: Michell Gyrodec
Tracking force: 1.8g
Phono stage: RME Adi 2/4 SE

View attachment 545006

these types of measurements are hilarious because if this was an audio technica mm with this voicing, people would be freaking out about how bright and fatiguing it sounds. instead we hear how about the soundstage, resolution and accuracy. i remember a delos discussion on shf where someone was adamant that it was neutral and not bright at all.

 

[sqrl]

these types of measurements are hilarious because if this was an audio technica mm with this voicing, people would be freaking out about how bright and fatiguing it sounds. instead we hear how about the soundstage, resolution and accuracy. i remember a delos discussion on shf where someone was adamant that it was neutral and not bright at all.

I think it's more the results than the measurements, as anthos314 has done a clear job and hasn't made any subjective claims.