JP
Major Contributor
Developing new products doesn't equate to technical progress though. These are just design choices. I haven't seen any data that shows the 540 measures very flat.
See post 239.Developing new products doesn't equate to technical progress though. These are just design choices. I haven't seen any data that shows the 540 measures very flat.
HCR.I just can't get excited about modern cartridges. Since the late 70's it's pretty much been just a rehash of basic old tech with shiny new names. I have to get my kicks trying to restore things from the past.
That reminds me, @SIY, I'd like your counsel on elastomers for suspensions. I'm about to embark on bringing some old Technics styli back to life (as promised, and long over-due).
HCR.
Send over a mold and an injection press.Cool. Send over very small donuts please.
Send over a mold and an injection press.
Do very small donuts attract midget cops?
I have long bemoaned our society turning into the Nano State.Nano cops.
The threaded bodies on OC9X and the bodies on VM95, and the Red, Blue, Bronze, Black bodies are all improvements over prior models, with new headshell designs to match. These go together nicely and have good industrial design. And the 540ML measures very flat. Obviously they are investing in developing new products.
I am not suggesting any breakthroughs like we saw 30-60 years ago, but they are making progress and cool new products.
+4dB treble rise isn't flat to me.
That one looks good to me. The presence dip is mild, under -3dB, smooth and broad.I think the losses in vinyl replay often benefit from a little hf boost if it's a good diamond that doesn't emphasise surface noise overmuch but so many people are used to a suckout in the lower to mid kHz region.
Carry on with the Lowbeats review of this AT family and follow through to the VM740 test. It would appear the cartridge mechanicals are identical, the difference being the metal fixing bracket, which does seem to have a 'calming' effect on the response and making it a bit more old fashioned -
https://www.lowbeats.de/test-audio-technica-vm740ml/
As with many speaker designs, having a response dip in the low to mid kHz (presence?) region does seem to find favour in some quarters and I can think of a few 'lively' tonearms that may be better 'sounding' with a cartridge like this fitted.
150pF is my floor with my arm, ~8" of cable, and the miller/parasitic capacitance of my phono stage. Their plot looks like what an 150MLX does with ~300pF.
Here's a Technics P100CMK4. First is the TRS-1007 test record, and second is the TRS-1005. This highlights another major variable in measuring cartridges - how well was your test record cut?
AT used a TRS1007. For the old chart recorder ones they note the record.
Shure V15-VMR 350pF, TRS-1007.