Funny you should say that as a friend uses an M75 ED PL12 D . It works OK . I had a V15 3 in one for a short time . I would say 90% PL12's had M75 ED .
When it goes badly wrong it is different . Some ADC's were as the maths suggest . BTW use a test record not maths . The 8 Hz band is ideal . RB200 + VMS 20 was about 8 Hz .
RB 200 Coral 777EX was my favourite . I would guess RB200 + Denon 103 would be ideal . Compliance figure mean very little . They just indicate which end of the spectrum the designs sit in . Ones saying 40 CU sometimes are 20 CU .
When it goes badly wrong it is different . Some ADC's were as the maths suggest . BTW use a test record not maths . The 8 Hz band is ideal . RB200 + VMS 20 was about 8 Hz .
RB 200 Coral 777EX was my favourite . I would guess RB200 + Denon 103 would be ideal . Compliance figure mean very little . They just indicate which end of the spectrum the designs sit in . Ones saying 40 CU sometimes are 20 CU .
Whilst I remember the most fussy cartridge was Sonus Blue Label . From what I understand these were older ADC designs . ADC when taken over the new owners tried to domesticate the ADC design to be less fussy . The Sonus was a brake away version . The story goes they were genuinely better but very prone to failure . This seems to be linked with very high compliance . The only arm favoured was Infinity Black Widow which must have been the last ever ultra low mass designs . Mission 774 , SME 3 also would have been compatible . When wrong the effects are far from subtle . Compliance / resonance has Q , alas Q is never started and if it was would need everyone to do it to make it meaningful . Decca London would be interesting ( frightening ) . I think compliance was 3 . Sonus about 60 . Side to side compliance of the London was probably about 20 . Staggered is probably best , not to that extent .
One arm that is a mystery is the Hadcock . It never was wrong regardless . The Naim Aro also for obvious reasons similar .
One arm that is a mystery is the Hadcock . It never was wrong regardless . The Naim Aro also for obvious reasons similar .
Cartridge Resonance Evaluator
If you type in 1 g mass for an arm you will see an ADC XLM would never be a possible cartridge to use with any arm . As far as I know there has never been an arm of that effective mass ? 6 g perhaps ? XLM was 50 CU . I never had a problem with a real XLM . The resonance would have been 6Hz and was OK, it was well controlled . Warp frequencies might catch it out . Ortofon and ADC were said to be similar . Not really . VMS 20 E mk 1 was perhaps .
If you type in 1 g mass for an arm you will see an ADC XLM would never be a possible cartridge to use with any arm . As far as I know there has never been an arm of that effective mass ? 6 g perhaps ? XLM was 50 CU . I never had a problem with a real XLM . The resonance would have been 6Hz and was OK, it was well controlled . Warp frequencies might catch it out . Ortofon and ADC were said to be similar . Not really . VMS 20 E mk 1 was perhaps .
Hi,
ADC's by the time you got to the MkIII variants had extremely sensible compliance
values but too late to save them from their reputation of having silly compliance.
Pity as most of the MkIII ADC's were excellent cartridges at the price points.
As I recall my VLM MkIII in the basic Mission 774 fixed arm was excellent.
rgds, sreten.
ADC's by the time you got to the MkIII variants had extremely sensible compliance
values but too late to save them from their reputation of having silly compliance.
Pity as most of the MkIII ADC's were excellent cartridges at the price points.
As I recall my VLM MkIII in the basic Mission 774 fixed arm was excellent.
rgds, sreten.
The very big thing that happened to Ortofon was being bought by Beatrice foods ( about 1980 I guess ) . A bit like how Primark comes under Associated British Foods . The VMS 20 mkII was bringing food industry thinking into the products . Ortofon like everybody had compliance issues . A cartridge said to be 30 CU might be 40 or 20 CU . Or it would be 1 year down the road . Beatrice asked why . Rubber quality . The rubber expert they used worked for another company ( tyres I think ) . Beatrice gave him a full time job and his services were then sold to others via Ortofon . Now that's how to do it , his services probably cheaper as well . This was the very big secret . ADC were always playing catch up after that . Stanton ( Pickering ) and Shure had different ways .
Let me be specific . Shure were the trouble makers . High track-ability can be had by low tip mass and moderate compliance ( 20 ) . It can be had by moderate tip mass and high compliance ( 50 ) . Both roots are valid . The moderate tip mass costs less ( Shure ) . It also calls for pick up arms which are far from ideal . The Dual might be the only OK one as it is cheap . SME got in bed with Shure ( Shure SME brand in the USA ) . It held the industry back for years . Ironically it was Ortofon loosing it MC patents that helped . People liked MC and wanted similar MM's . VMS 20 E was a link between Shure V15 mk2 and JVC X1 . JVC X1 was a milestone . If you have one treasure it . Some say no good for stereo and stereo specific Z1 is better . Sorry that is nonsense . All modern day high grade pick up ( FL ) are related to the X1 .
The VMS 20 E2 was as far as I can remember the first no compromise PU . The right tip mass , right diamond quality , right compliance ( 27 typical ) , and very low measured distortion ( 1.2% THD hi fi choice , AT 95 lower !!! All others regardless of price of higher distortion that they tested , AT has a very low output as a penalty , Linn K18 was a fancy diamond and bracket version ) . On top of that VMS 20 would track fine at 1.3 g and not object to 1 g in an SME for those who were silly enough to do that ( Bad , one must heat the vinyl a little ) . Even in very wrong arms like Lenco it would seem to work . I used to sell them for £27 with a retail of £40 . I bought so many I think I made 40% on each . The greatest bargain in audio ever and way above the quality of how it was typically used . The Golf GTi in PU form . The Goldring 1042 I have similar affection for and the Shure M44-7 of recent production . The Shure gets the most electrons into a phono stage and that is important . If the Shure sounds less than fantastic you have a low grade turntable and arm ( 95% of all M44-7 that will be ) . You didn't allow for overload . Get it right and it is wonderful . I found this out when doing 78's . Had the LP stylus handy . Better than a Decca London I would say . This was Garrard 401 SME series 5 to master the Bing Crosby Radio shows circa 1942 on virgin 78's . I didn't do the mastering , I did turntable and phono stage + EQ's . Some of those disks are 20 inch 33 1/3 on acetate ( maybe not the Radio Shows on 20 inch for this group of transfers ) . We even had a ball stylus for acoustic recordings ( N44 ball , Expert Stylii Ashstead Surrey UK ) . SME 12 inch for that . I love the 3012 . The Loricraft PRC 5 will clean those disks . I think the 1928 film the Jazz singer was on 20 inch . Soon replaced by optical . 12 inch is 78's ( 1888 ) 33 1/3 the films . Bing bought the rights to the tape recorder so as to do the radio show better . These recordings were rebroadcast in the different time zones of the USA , prior to that on 20 inch it is said . That company he funded was ( is ) Ampex .
BTW . If you haven't got the point ( pun not intended ) . Always try things . Like rain on a summers day you will know if it is wrong for you .
Let me be specific . Shure were the trouble makers . High track-ability can be had by low tip mass and moderate compliance ( 20 ) . It can be had by moderate tip mass and high compliance ( 50 ) . Both roots are valid . The moderate tip mass costs less ( Shure ) . It also calls for pick up arms which are far from ideal . The Dual might be the only OK one as it is cheap . SME got in bed with Shure ( Shure SME brand in the USA ) . It held the industry back for years . Ironically it was Ortofon loosing it MC patents that helped . People liked MC and wanted similar MM's . VMS 20 E was a link between Shure V15 mk2 and JVC X1 . JVC X1 was a milestone . If you have one treasure it . Some say no good for stereo and stereo specific Z1 is better . Sorry that is nonsense . All modern day high grade pick up ( FL ) are related to the X1 .
The VMS 20 E2 was as far as I can remember the first no compromise PU . The right tip mass , right diamond quality , right compliance ( 27 typical ) , and very low measured distortion ( 1.2% THD hi fi choice , AT 95 lower !!! All others regardless of price of higher distortion that they tested , AT has a very low output as a penalty , Linn K18 was a fancy diamond and bracket version ) . On top of that VMS 20 would track fine at 1.3 g and not object to 1 g in an SME for those who were silly enough to do that ( Bad , one must heat the vinyl a little ) . Even in very wrong arms like Lenco it would seem to work . I used to sell them for £27 with a retail of £40 . I bought so many I think I made 40% on each . The greatest bargain in audio ever and way above the quality of how it was typically used . The Golf GTi in PU form . The Goldring 1042 I have similar affection for and the Shure M44-7 of recent production . The Shure gets the most electrons into a phono stage and that is important . If the Shure sounds less than fantastic you have a low grade turntable and arm ( 95% of all M44-7 that will be ) . You didn't allow for overload . Get it right and it is wonderful . I found this out when doing 78's . Had the LP stylus handy . Better than a Decca London I would say . This was Garrard 401 SME series 5 to master the Bing Crosby Radio shows circa 1942 on virgin 78's . I didn't do the mastering , I did turntable and phono stage + EQ's . Some of those disks are 20 inch 33 1/3 on acetate ( maybe not the Radio Shows on 20 inch for this group of transfers ) . We even had a ball stylus for acoustic recordings ( N44 ball , Expert Stylii Ashstead Surrey UK ) . SME 12 inch for that . I love the 3012 . The Loricraft PRC 5 will clean those disks . I think the 1928 film the Jazz singer was on 20 inch . Soon replaced by optical . 12 inch is 78's ( 1888 ) 33 1/3 the films . Bing bought the rights to the tape recorder so as to do the radio show better . These recordings were rebroadcast in the different time zones of the USA , prior to that on 20 inch it is said . That company he funded was ( is ) Ampex .
BTW . If you haven't got the point ( pun not intended ) . Always try things . Like rain on a summers day you will know if it is wrong for you .
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