Alex thank you for the link, very tempting.
Salas you've ruined me, now I think that vinyl is not a limitation and it is an adventure.
Given your Altec vintage horn speakers which can be projecting enthusiastically at times, IMHO don't look first into so neutral style cartridges like the ART9 is. Maybe look to ones leaning a bit on the warm side like a Benz or a Hana. Sticking with line contact stylus models though. They give different names to such thin lip diamond edge profile styli like Microridge, Microline etc.
Hana has the ML and its certified that it makes good combo with Technics and UFSP by our own guys in this thread. Hana just introduced an expensive model with boron by the way, named Umami Red.
Then the Benz Wood S Low is a pricier category cart than the Hana ML, using boron and half open wooden frame. The cheaper ACE S Low (red acrylic) is a good one to also consider if for VFM.
There is a seller from HK (kron on Audiogon) who offers various carts and his Benz listings are half priced. I don't know about import tax chances to USA.
Hana has the ML and its certified that it makes good combo with Technics and UFSP by our own guys in this thread. Hana just introduced an expensive model with boron by the way, named Umami Red.
Then the Benz Wood S Low is a pricier category cart than the Hana ML, using boron and half open wooden frame. The cheaper ACE S Low (red acrylic) is a good one to also consider if for VFM.
There is a seller from HK (kron on Audiogon) who offers various carts and his Benz listings are half priced. I don't know about import tax chances to USA.
Very nice design, got me listening to a lot of vinyl and playing with the VTA on the zeta tonearm. Small changes are quite evident now. Many thanks to Salas and Teabag for making this possible. It is time to sit back and enjoy the music.
Salas you are being gentle, I think some people say they are shouty. There is a Benz Ruby 2 available locally, it looks practically unused and has all the paperwork/box/hardware. It looks like it is a lower compliance cartridge, would it be ok with the 1200 arm? I have a heavier Jelco HS-25 headshell I can use.
That cart used to be expensive in its time and surely had very musical tone. Should be about twenty years old.
I wouldn't expect it to have same level detail and dynamics of later lower impedance Benz models in its class.
Extra mass for proper resonance you may add if needed. Big problem would be when to must lose mass.
Even if the price is excellent it would not worth a single dollar to you if out of spec. Its for playing not displaying.
I wouldn't easily risk over $800 on it if I was you. Negotiate return to full refund few days test period as a must.
You could ask at US technicians like Needle Clinic or Vinyl Audio Science for a re-tipping estimate. To project the lifespan and service costs of this second hand but originally expensive model without having to send it off to Switzerland. Not exactly a bargain trade in process or an official service prospect is assured when the time comes.
Given the opportunity also ask for what bad signs to watch in such a type and age of MC cart. Better still, link to them any available close up photos from the advertised offering in case they will be kind enough to give it a minute's look and advise you if to try or skip.
I wouldn't expect it to have same level detail and dynamics of later lower impedance Benz models in its class.
Extra mass for proper resonance you may add if needed. Big problem would be when to must lose mass.
Even if the price is excellent it would not worth a single dollar to you if out of spec. Its for playing not displaying.
I wouldn't easily risk over $800 on it if I was you. Negotiate return to full refund few days test period as a must.
You could ask at US technicians like Needle Clinic or Vinyl Audio Science for a re-tipping estimate. To project the lifespan and service costs of this second hand but originally expensive model without having to send it off to Switzerland. Not exactly a bargain trade in process or an official service prospect is assured when the time comes.
Given the opportunity also ask for what bad signs to watch in such a type and age of MC cart. Better still, link to them any available close up photos from the advertised offering in case they will be kind enough to give it a minute's look and advise you if to try or skip.
I appreciate the advise and will check things out further. Retipping looks like it runs the about the same by either VAS or Soundsmith, ~$450.
After listening to the VM540 more I ended up settling on 220pf for C2Y.
After listening to the VM540 more I ended up settling on 220pf for C2Y.
I was able to get the Ruby 2 for <$800 with generous return policy. The UFSP is amazing and I don't think I'm anywhere near pushing it's sonic limits yet and it is completely quiet at 62dB gain. Again, thank you Salas for such a great phono preamp.
Congrats. You are welcome. Nice MC cart and nice photos too. Does this Ruby track like new? How do you like its sound quality?
It seems to track really well, I'm just a few LPs in. The sound is very compelling, it is definitely an upgrade. I have the load at 1K and kept C2Y 220pf.
Its a 45 Ohm cart if I am not wrong, so 470 Ohm to 560 Ohm load range test remains an option to be explored too. Keeping a compelling sound was the goal with those vintage Altec horn speakers. Some MC cart with exaggerated last octave response on even a mildly noisy phono would have been an epic fail on those.
Yes it's a 45 ohm, I'll give 560 a try. I think you were spot on suggesting a Benz for the Altecs, everything just sounds right. I'm hearing cool details I had either missed or ignored.
It will get even better as you get to learn the cart for spot on set up details and loading. Did you use a weighting scale, protractor & test record, for geometry, VTF, anti-skating, resonance frequency check etc. or you simply trusted the Technics overhang gauge and the arm's dials?
I used the overhang method (52mm) with calipers since the Jelco has two pins and the Technics gauge only works with single pin headshells. I have a digital stylus scale and set the VTF at 1.8g. I added the auxilary weight to the pivot end on the tonearm. For VTA I used a index card with lines and hold it vertically on top of an LP with the needle down and leveled up the tonearm tube, it's a little finicky with the S-shaped arm but seems to work ok. I haven't tried a test record yet, I have a Shure TTR102 so I'll give it a try and get some more definitive results. For resonance I'll record some tracks with Audacity and do FFT on them to see the resonace peak, it seems to work well. Right now I'm just enjoying the music 🙂.
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Tracking is excellent! I have a Styx Paradise Theater album that has a bad spot on the first track and the Ruby plowed right through. I'm very pleased.
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You did things in detail and it tracks well. Congrats. Mainly the alternative loading test and possibly bit of C2Y curiosity when with that loading remains. The fast and easy stuff in other words.
About anti-skating, which can be controversial for method, LR signals must be equally loud on speakers is the goal. Vocals center well while the dynamics are free and imaging is wide and you are usually there. High frequency distortion on test record purpose tracks should spread the same between channels when done right.
About anti-skating, which can be controversial for method, LR signals must be equally loud on speakers is the goal. Vocals center well while the dynamics are free and imaging is wide and you are usually there. High frequency distortion on test record purpose tracks should spread the same between channels when done right.
That is good guidance on the anti-skate, I'll check it in more detail. Right now anti-skate is just set at the VTF.
Thank you Salas!
Thank you Salas!
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That anti-skate thing and azimuth can rob a lot of performance we only realize after they get well attended. Sometimes we are lucky right from the start.
Nothing much. I am happy to know that you got lucky with the cart. Modern day Ruby Z descendant costs $4,450.00 Canadian (!)
Those Canadians are always charging more 😀. I think I've entered the tail wagging the dog realm with the SL-1200GR. I really wouldn't have thought about a second hand cartridge previously but there has to be lots of good ones (and I guess bad ones too) just sitting in drawers, boxes and showcases.
I played with the anti-skate some more and I actually think setting it at VTF is pretty reasonable. I re-checked the alignment with a protractor, it was correct so I think the overhang method is also reasonable. I'm reluctant to mess with azimuth but the Jelco headshell does allow for it and included an Allen key.
A jfet has essentially a multi mega-ohm input impedance, correct? Cartridge loading should have very little influence on the input other than maybe amplitude of the incoming signal? I've read that loading should have little effect on an MC cartridge frequency response, is this true? I noticed that Benz lists loading from 500 - 47K, seems like a huge range.
I played with the anti-skate some more and I actually think setting it at VTF is pretty reasonable. I re-checked the alignment with a protractor, it was correct so I think the overhang method is also reasonable. I'm reluctant to mess with azimuth but the Jelco headshell does allow for it and included an Allen key.
A jfet has essentially a multi mega-ohm input impedance, correct? Cartridge loading should have very little influence on the input other than maybe amplitude of the incoming signal? I've read that loading should have little effect on an MC cartridge frequency response, is this true? I noticed that Benz lists loading from 500 - 47K, seems like a huge range.
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