Just a few words about my latest and only experience with Analog Production customer service.
One of my fav records that I’ve ordered lately (back up bc it’s that good) had what appears to be a no fill on the very first track which is my fav btw. Defect ruined first 40sec of the song and made that record a failure.
After few emails, with short explanation, as to what kind of defect we are dealing with. I was informed that I will receive a replacement (minus the jacket. Which I don’t need anyway).
Such a relieve bc I really never had issues with their records and I wasn’t sure how they address these issues. Well, awesome customer service. VMP is a lot more difficult to deal with. Perhaps they need to work on that.
I had a Shure on it, the Dual version that was originally mounted, and found it to sound very old fashioned and limited. Of course this is largely due to the stylus how it will eventually sound but the replacement styli are way overpriced to cater to vintage gear. If you want vintage 'brownsound' it's your ticket though.
I mounted a 'simple' AT95 and had a lot of fun. Also the cheap as dirt AT91 with the carbon cantilever worked great. Sounds great too. Both are now replaced by a single cartridge with simply different styli.
It really is a custom cover! Looks very decent and fresh now.
I ended up hedging my bets! Two cartridge slides, one gets the humble Ortofon 510 Mk II, the other gets an M44 (original vintage body) with Jico N44E stylus. This should give the dynamic, punchy sound, but with a little more treble detail, and is much cheaper than the M44-7 equivalent. Oh, and it doesn’t track at 4g (I only trust the SPU to do that properly!).
Cool solution. I’ve seen worst speed offenders then that.
Listening to:
Not overly compressed. Sounds really good IMO. Awesome album to have. Great extra content and overall package. Vinyl clean, quiet, without defects.
Recommended.
Clearly mastered from analog tapes. Sound/performance is a killa. 9.5 out of 10.
The reason I changed the idler wheel: I want to use the automatic function, and it helps if the platter has already reached 33.33rpm when the stylus hits the record…
That looks perfectly acceptable. My phone won't measure as precise as the turntable spins anyway.
I think the ortofon 510 would be just as good. I think I had a similar one (yellow stylus) that sounded good. And I made an error, I have the Shure M71. So that's not the same as yours.
I do still think that the styli sold for vintage cartridges are overpriced. Vintage cartridges aren't 'holy'. Only a few old ones deserve praise for their certain tuning. Overal I think modern cartridges sound a lot better and are better for your lp's. And very much so for your wallet if you don't go with the very advanced stylus types or MC.
I also have an AT mono MC (output is really high for an mc) for 78'S, that is the SP, but an LP would also be an idea for all those old 10" records.
“Little more noise” is definitely a trade off you need learn to live with. And decide if that “little noise” is in fact acceptable or something that will drive you insane once it burns into your auditory memory.
I trust Ortofon when they tell me that the SPU, provided it is aligned correctly, not worn and not mistracking, won’t damage my records despite tracking at 4g. Also, all those Japanese audiophiles wouldn’t risk their valuable collections…
With aftermarket Shure styli (even Jico), I’m not as confident of the quality and polish of the diamond. Hence I went for the best sensibly-priced one I could get, and chose the elliptical which tracks between 2 and 3g. An M44 isn’t an SPU. And as for the “boutique” wooden cantilever versions, just who buys them???
Roger Waters is news again... And not in a good way. Let's hope the result will not be the next news item of his 'unexpected' demise. Unexpected being the keyword like 'unprovoked'.
Yes there is a list and he's on it. Because he wants peace.
BTW, I didn't realise but he is 79 years old. He sure doesn't look it (unlike that other mumbling 79 y/o). Making music must be good for people. Like classical directors getting incredibly old while still directing.
---
Edit: I didn't mean the new styli are bad for your vinyl. Only that less VTF does NOT automatically means less chance of damage or wear.
And these styli are quite expensive. You can get a killer cart for that.
This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
![]eep](https://cdn.head-fi.org/avatars/m/139/139747.jpg?1273084439){kind=avatar}
