After nearly 2 years without vinyl...I have a new cart!

[Zanth]

It has been a tough 22 odd months. My cartridge was dying and I had to avoid playing vinyl as much as possible as to protect my wonderful black discs. The last time I played vinyl using my cart was sometime last summer and frequent playback...sometime the summer before that.

Friday I received a new cartridge...upgrading from my Koetsu Black (which came with my table) I now have a Grado Statement. I was having trouble setting it up on Friday night but by Saturday I had recalled how to set one up properly and went to task getting it sounding just right. I still have to test the antiskating to make it perfect, same with VTA, but aside from OCD perfections...the system is producing sublime musical enjoyment.

I once read that the Grado Statement is what a Koetsu should hope to be. That is saying a lot as many know the Koetsu line is renowned for its lush, warm life-like sound. As low-MC tech, the highs are tipped up but not so much with the Koetsu line. Some say they are even rolled off in the highs. At least perhaps the lower end models. I never experienced that but then I think many enjoy the harder brighter top ends of the leaner MC carts. Regardless, the Koetsu Black is a wonderful sounding cart and going up the line one apparently achieves nirvana. Thus, when I read that the top Grado not only competed well with these carts but bested them in every way I was very very intrigued.

The Grado Statement is Moving Iron. I've read through the tech a few times and I still need to wrap my mind around it (I'm a pictures person) but what I do know is that when Grado went to low output MI technology many jumped on the bandwagon as it seemed to eliminate the prevalence of "Grado Hum" which occurred with some tables with a lot of RI as well as increasingly the overall low level detail and black ground while listening.

Figuring I would just get my Black retipped when the time came, a well respected friend of mine commented that he had set up the Statement in a megabuck system for a super diehard vinyl fanatic. After doing so, this perpetual tweaker had finally stopped swapping carts every other month (but he still swaps amps a lot apparently!). The cartridge was that good. Anytime I read about this cartridge I was sucked in by the allocades.

Despite me being a Grado headphone fan, being new to vinyl, I wasn't sure if Grado was the sound for me regarding carts. The first serious rig I ever ahd in my system used a Grado Prestige Gold. On that table, with that cart, I was sold on the vinyl deal and began my journey down the dark path.

Grado seemed to provide what I wanted in a sound and even though I really really enjoyed my Koetsu, I always wished for this or that aspect of the sound that the little Gold could do. I thought perhaps it was because the Koetsu was nearing the end of its useful life but in fact, it was merely the technology behind the Koetsu that was keeping me from total audio bliss.

This cartridge is still working itself in. I have maybe 5-6 hours on it and apparently it needs 20 to really open up and then 50 to be fully worked in. I'll enjoy the changes in sound. The top end is definitely not as tipped up as the Koetsu which I never thought was very tipped up but it is far from the presentation I've heard from other MC's. Yet, so far, I don't hear any missing details up there and of course the midrange is to die for. I've read countless times, that the best midrange, particularly for voices comes from this cart. I've only heard 5 carts in my life so I can't agree or disagree with that statement but I will say, I have a perpetual smile on my face while listening and I have no desire to change my setup in any way (well maybe a new phono cable ).

Anyhow, this is one happy head-fier over here. Working the mad hours I have been lately, it is grand to be able to spin vinyl while I work from home.

[mrarroyo]

Good to see you are enjoying yourself. It is the part of the "big smile" that people outside the hobby do not get nor can understand.

BTW, why did you wait so long to get a new cartridge?

[Zanth]

The reason for the long delay was two-fold:

1) deciding whether to retip or go with a new cart
2) once I decided that I wanted the Grado (about 18 months ago); I had to start saving. My second child was born in that time; my hours of work were significantly cut, then I transitioned jobs outright and am actually now going to start a new job in the coming weeks and so sadly, my audio purchases were put on hold time and time again as money had to be allocated for family needs. Thankfully, as a gift from a good friend, I was able to receive the cartridge earlier than I expected and much to my delight!

You are right of course, most don't get it nor will ever be able to simply because there is no effort to understand. Kinda like enjoying a fine wine...one can drink 2 buck chuck and get drunk no problem! or one can spend some money and sit and savor a complex work of art over an evening. To each his own, but from where I sit, ignorance isn't always bliss

[robm321]

Glad to hear that the Grado is working out so well.

I'm in the same boat. My Dynavector Karat went bad, and I have had too much going on in my life to focus on getting a new one. My CD player has done very well to take up the slack, but I do miss vinyl.

I will have to look into Grado as I was interested in the Koetsu. The Dyna is great, but I like the warm midrange...

[Uncle Erik]

Zanth, please keep this thread updated. I just ordered a SME IV for the deck and I plan to upgrade my cart in the next few months. The Koetsu Black is/was on the short list, but I've also been intrigued by the high end Grados. The Shelter 501 holds interest, as well.

I started off with a Gold, too, and loved it. There is something special about the Gold. I'm spinning a Platinum now and occasionally a DL103.

Anyhow, please let us know how that Grado settles in for you.

[Zanth]

I had on loan a Karat when I had my first phono (P75) but that combo just didn't work in my system. The sound was too bright and brittle. I swapped out the Karat for a Clear Audio Virtuoso, Grado Reference Platinum and a couple of other carts and the only one that really got to me was the Reference. Still though, the sound wasn't right. I decided it was the P75, so I sold it and put the money towards the EAR. It was tough too because I bought through my dealer for near MSRP and I had to sell for 65% of the value in only 1 month. Once the EAR arrived though things were really going well and the Koetsu had 6-10 months left in her before it was time to retire it.

The Dyna tracked so very well, had wonderful attack and transients but the midrange was cool and lean and the top end tended on the bright side more than I would have liked. At least with the P75 which I was told was a match made in heaven.

Regardless, unless I throw down mega bucks on one of the really pricey stone body carts, I doubt I will be able to surpass the Statement if at all (from the Koetsu line anyway).

[Zanth]

Had I never heard a Grado and read recently the merits of MI and MM tech over MC (great long thread over at Audiogon started by their resident vinyl guru Raul who has 5-6 tables, a few dozen arms and even more carts...no joke, he's tried everything), I would have been very pleased to have Koetsu retip the Grado. I still might in the future just to have a backup cartridge. The Koetsu is as close to an MM midrange as one is going to get so if one finds their system a bit slow and dull and needs the extra top end energy MC's provide, the Koetsu Black might do it for you. The Statement already has better bass though (the Black was known to be good but not wonderful in the bass region) and the highs are far better to my ears but the mids, despite me feeling the Grado is better isn't miles ahead better than the Koetsu, which makes sense. Koetsus are the kings of mids so say so many, for MC carts.

[memepool]

Interesting thread. A lot of this comes down to matching with the gain stage and perhaps the Koetsu is just too low output for a valve phonostage.

I have the Supex 901 which is an earlier Sugano design and a higher output version of the famous 900. You can find these on ebay for 2-400 usd and they obviously need retipping but many people rate them over the Black and the higher output makes it more suited to valve phonostages. Although I use it with a Naim

Another MI cart worth trying is are the B&O inspired range from The Soundsmith . They also do excellent re-tips with ruby cantilevers and contact line stylii for very reasonable prices if you want your Koetsu retipped.

Or you could really go back to the old school with a London Decca Jubilee

[Zanth]

Nice suggestions memepool!

The EAR 834p has enough gain for the Koestu and I suppose it could even do a really low output in the .2 range if it had to but I wouldn't try it. In the near future I'll be introducing Bent Audio step ups so I can use any cartridge I want. I have often wondered if I should just sell the Ear at some point and upgrade to something like the Manley Steelhead. Save for the inability for loading...in theory the Bent/Ear should be a better combo as the transformers are the best in the world and the 834p has a very short signal path. It would just come down to loading and I think the 834p is locked at 47k. Thankfully the Black loved 47k but I know some have really gone out of their way to experiment claiming 100k is often the key loading while others feel dropping to 10k is best.

Some Dynavectors are REALLY low outputs, .2 which do pose a difficult problem for some phono stages. What Naim are you using? I know Kuma has a Naim and she just loves it. Though she loves all things Naim it seems

[memepool]

I have a vintage Naim 32 which has two phono inputs with various phono stages on plug in boards so you can compare stuff easily. There are 3 varients, a standard MM, standard MC and a "K" board which was designed specifically for the Linn MC carts of the period (Asak/Karma/Troika), which in turn were also made for Linn by Supex and so in all probability designed by Sugano.

I don't use an LP12 though, rather a Logic DM-101 which is a similar but more heavyweight obscure British beltdrive, also from the 1980s ( it's my 'Flat Earth system' ).

Unfortunately my Dynavectors (20XL and Karat) didn't get on too well with the Logic arm so I'm currently using the Supex which sounds lovely.

Naims of this period have a very revealing treble which can be ear splitting with CD so this system is mostly Vinyl/tape.