Quote:
Makes getting an Oracle "just right" seem like a piece of cake. Awfully complicated to play a record but I've been simplifying lately. I'm afraid you wouldn't make any money off me but I'm in awe of your work. Hope all goes well.
Not so sure. Cantus could be mounted on Oracle - light enough not to disrupt its stability too much. Add usual Oracle set up to get there.
As regards Cantus - once set up, unless you are a total VTA freak, it can be forgotten. Also very inituative to operate.
I had very limited listening time with it so far ( strictly test music tracks , played say for a minute or two per track ) - but both myself and the owner clearly recognized this is something entirely better, not just different. And he is a pro - first flutist in the symphonic orchestra. There is simply less intrusion of "foreign mechanical matter" with Cantus - and that does not include only pivoted arms, but most linear trackers as well..
Designer of Cantus is now sadly late Bo Hansson - producer, recording engineer, designer of audio equipment and overall positive audio figure from Sweden. Some of you may know Opus 3 label - yes, he was the man behind it. He simply wanted a "record player" that would play records with closer
resemblance to master tapes - his own. He came up with Continuo turntable and Cantus arm - specially the later is something of genius. If you have any of the test records by Ortofon or Clearaudio with music on it - they are mainly from the Opus 3 catalogue.
I was shocked how free from resonances this deceptively frail looking lightweight construction is. Although I did not perform the full batery of tests due to lack of time, I did record both technical measurements as well as above mentioned limited musical listening to the Korg MR 1000 DSD recorder at its highest resolution. I was able to adjust the CA Wood Maestro cart with an absolute aplomb - this exact serial # proved to be a "T" or perfect cartridge. This combo is perhaps better off at the innermost grooves than most others are at the outside - so precise is its performance. I am really happy to report that CA Maestro Wood in Cantus performs like on railroad tracks - and cart itself is very quiet in the groove and retains full composure even with worn and abused records. It is capable of brushing aside noise and distortion lesser transducer would go berserk with - even with the most difficult and complex of passages, like finale of Mahler's second symphony. That ability alone is more than worth the admission fee. Lovers of classical and special vocal classical music should put Cantus on their short audition list - IF they are willing and capable of mounting/adjusting it by themselves or have a dealer or friend to whom they can trust to carry that for them.
There will be better pics of this table in its natural habitat and not on the kitchen table; but you can clearly see the difference in size of Cantus vs normal 9" arm ( Kuzma Reference w/ Benz LP ( under the makeshift stylus guard my friend made from LEGO ( ! ) ) :
This sample of Cantus has wiring in one piece from cartridge lugs to the output RCAs - and does not extend for more than approx 20 cm from the tonearm base. Reason? Requirement for the wiring to have the least capacitance possible - something some MM carts absolutely require to work well. Clearaudio range of MMs is definitely in this group, spec for the load is 100 pF - which is in practice VERY hard to achieve. Translated to human terms - like man 190 cm tall weighing 60 kg. Borderline possible, definitely not common. Wiring here has been reduced to an absolute still somehow useable minimum; I will measure the capacitance next time out of curiosity, as it can not be made any lower. Instead of 47 kohm resistive load I used 33 Kohm - better from both measurement and listening,
If you remember, I suggested minimum capacitance achievable with 33Kohm resistance as load preferred by quite a few of the better Audio Technica MM carts. We have a saying: A wolf changes its fur, but never its nature. No wonder Maestro Wood behaves like that - it is OEM by Audio Technica for Clearaudio.
