Introducing the Phono Cartridge Measurement Library

[USER]

• Aside from the expected low frequency resonance stability the results pretty much match my prior Denon ones

can you please clarify what is expected.? Do you mean that the high mass tone arm is better or worse for this cartridge? I notice from your plots that the light arm (Denon 30LII?) gives a rise is bass at 20hz, while the more heavy arm seem to have a drop/irregularity below 40 hz or so

My Ortofon OM10 on Denon 21F shows som erratic behaviour below 50Hz too... is this a "light arm" problem? or..
View attachment 434739

• Info CA TRS-1007
• New OM10 stylus on OM10 1hr,
• Denon 21F
• CAMBRIDGE cp2 RIAA 220pF, cable 125pF, Tascam 144MK2

High distortion !!! Tracks OK 70um
The same body with original stylus was posted here

Introducing the Phono Cartridge Measurement Library

AT VM95C Notes Cartridge: Audio-Technica AT VM95C Stylus condition

audiosciencereview.com

Yes, I meant that a higher mass tonearm is better for this cartridge. You are right that the small small rise at 20Hz on the DL-30II with the light tonearm is the result of a cartridge-tonearm mismatch. Unfortunately my results on the appropriate Sony PS-X50 are not helpful for understanding this because the preamp I was using had a high pass filter at 40Hz and is preventing us from seeing the true results at 20Hz. But yeah I would expect the results to be more flat.

As far as your results, I am not so sure it is a result of the tonearm as the rise is within reason to me. Are you snipping the wav files manually? Sometimes when I cut too early or late it can mess with the results at 20Hz. Other than that I don't have many ideas as to what is happening.

 

[Balle Clorin]

vm95en stylus- at95 vs vm95 body

at95-
View attachment 407456
vm95-
View attachment 407457


these were cheap so thought id try them. i dont think id ever buy these at full price. i bought a few and tested two. the other one i tested is a db brighter at the peak, but the overall shape of the response looks the same. the two vm95ml styli i have do really well on the at95 body. the extension is much better and no where near as much of a fall off. i was expecting something similar but was pretty disappointed.

Can you please post vm95ml on 95E body? I have a 95E body I want to utilise, and avoid having to buy a VM95 body

 

[narud]

Can you please post vm95ml on 95E body? I have a 95E body I want to utilise, and avoid having to buy a VM95 body

pretty sure ive posted that before and its scattered amongst the different threads. heres one of them. i get better extension with the 95e bodies that have the lowest inductance. they vary, but can be had for 15 bucks or so off ebay so ive purchased multiple. the 95ml bodies roll off earlier and further down. i like to take the body from the 95e and install it in the threaded insert mounting cap of the vm series.

 

[essence]

Audio-Technica AT-OC9XML​

Notes:

• Cart probably has 20h of usage at this point
• Turntable: reloop7000 internals fully bypassed via technics pcb balanced connection output
• Tracking force: 2g
• Phono stage and loading settings: e1da apu balanced 47kΩ & 60dB gain
• Cable capacitance: cables + turntable = 195pf
• ADC: e1da cosmos adc 2.7v sensitivity 96kHz
• Test record: CA-TRS-1007 180g brand new + sealed

 

[Balle Clorin]

Some rumble filter in action here?

 

[essence]

Some rumble filter in action here?

I took a look and your right; my adc is doing some filter action when applying RIAA.

RIAA curves are correct from 44.1k to 384k, 705-768k RIAA is not implemented.
BTW, I did add there 20Hz 2ord HPF as a subsonic but on the fixed Fs=384k, i.e. at 192k the HPF cuts <10Hz, at 48k cuts <5Hz. I guess RIAA users will go with 384k
to ripping their LPs in most cases, so they will get a normal subsonic filter then. If they don't want that filter, just go 192K or 48K and HPF will cut lower than audio range freqs.

 

[IVX]

essence, right but at 96k the DSP HPF cutoff is 5Hz. 20Hz -3db. It looks like the record itself is limited. Anyway, 20-20000Hz +2db/-3db is an excellent result.

 

[Balle Clorin]

I do not think the record limits the response, look at the other CA TRS-1007 here, they are mostly flat to 20hz, or maybe the cart is not fully run in?

 

[JP]

AT VM740ML Loading

I think there are enough 540/740ML measurements that I'm not inclined to post more, but I thought some load comparisons would be helpful. These are various Cloads at 47k, and various Rloads at 105pF and 205pF (AT's recommended Cload range)

@USER perhaps these and submissions that show various loads can be designated such in the index?

 

[USER]

@USER perhaps these and submissions that show various loads can be designated such in the index?

View attachment 439806
View attachment 439889
View attachment 439890

That's a good idea. The index is due for an update and I'll get to it when I get home tonight. I'll also add a section devoted to loading in the "guidebook" (post 3). If you don't mind I'll use some of the images, with links and credit of course.

 

[JP]

If you credit me I can’t pretend they’re not mine if something’s wrong.

 

[Balle Clorin]

AT VM740ML Loading

I think there are enough 540/740ML measurements that I'm not inclined to post more, but I thought some load comparisons would be helpful. These are various Cloads at 47k, and various Rloads at 105pF and 205pF (AT's recommended Cload range)

@USER perhaps these and submissions that show various loads can be designated such in the index?

View attachment 439806
View attachment 439889
View attachment 439890

Looks like curves are smoothed, how do you do that ?

 

[JP]

Looks like curves are smoothed, how do you do that ?

It's just a filter on the data set, but in its present form it only works from 1kHz and up as the step sizes below that are different. It's in a hacky script I use to do comparison plots, which at some point I'll likely put on my GitHub once it's in a bit more user-friendly shape. I use the filter on these for legibility and the "lost" detail is of no consequence for the purpose of the data.

Attached is filtered vs. unfiltered for comparison.

 

[USER]

Updated the index. I also added a section on loading in the guidebook. I wrote it for beginners and so I simplified it a lot. I would really appreciate feedback. Thanks.

 

[VinyLuke]

Grace F-9 & Soundsmith RS-9U stylus

and with added 220pf of capacitance:

Notes:

• Stylus is new
• Turntable: Technics SL-1210GR with KAB Fluid Damper
• Headshell: Stax HS-7
• VTF: 1.50gr (SS recommends 1.4gr but with 1.5gr it passes the 90μm Ortofon tracking test)
• Phono stage: HusaRIAA v2 (http://tinyurl.com/45ke55cx)
  • Capacitance: ~95pF-315pF (total capacitance)
  • Loading: 48kΩ
  • A/D: ASUS PRIME B660M-A Line In and Audacity
• Test record: Clearaudio CA-TRS-1007 side A

 

[USER]

Grace F-9 & Soundsmith RS-9U stylus

View attachment 443606

and with added 220pf of capacitance:
View attachment 443607

Notes:

• Stylus is new
• Turntable: Technics SL-1210GR with KAB Fluid Damper
• Headshell: Stax HS-7
• VTF: 1.50gr (SS recommends 1.4gr but with 1.5gr it passes the 90μm Ortofon tracking test)
• Phono stage: HusaRIAA v2 (http://tinyurl.com/45ke55cx)
  • Capacitance: ~95pF-315pF (total capacitance)
  • Loading: 48kΩ
  • A/D: ASUS PRIME B660M-A Line In and Audacity
• Test record: Clearaudio CA-TRS-1007 side A

Great measurements. Thank you. Good to see a Soundsmith replacement stylus on here. A sensible choice too. It is the one I would have picked out myself from the options. (I am always terrified of Ruby cantilevers.) The second result is of the official Ruby version (from Audio, July 1983) and I can imagine it would have caused some mayhem here.

 

[Balle Clorin]

Nice Azimuth and alignment @VinyLuke !

 

[VinyLuke]

Nice Azimuth and alignment @VinyLuke !

This is probably the best feature of this cartridge and stylus. I didn't have to correct anything. The cartridge is positioned perpendicular to the platter!

 

[IVX]

BTW, Cosmos ADC has ability to use tens of EQ parametrics at Fs 44.1- 768kHz, and it is not a big deal to add some typically needed extra EQ to the RIAA.

 

[Balle Clorin]

I have been aiming for the that linearity from a V15 MR, and with some cheating with Puffin DSP ( AIR +1) I finally got quite close with Shure V15 IV and Jico SAS-B,, on a Denon 51F. It sounds nice, and best of all ,I now know what a linear vinyl response sounds like ....I do not need to buy Unobtainium
View attachment 380698

Spoiler: AIR

View attachment 380709

Shure V15-IV Jico SAS-B no eq and CBS test record looks quite different... I guess this would benefit from higher R and more Cp, But I fix it with Puffin EQ anyway

• Jico SAS B few hours< 50 1.25g
• Load 47k and 125+50 and maybe 50? pF
• Denon 51F
• Parks Audio Puffin Toslink out to USB to PC