A few more ceramics

[colin]

The BSR wide body cartridges, like this X5H, are fairly light, so some ballast is required when used with a light headshell.



Very high output, intended for single stage amps in suitcase style record players. 

[colin]

BSR and Garrard crystal cartridges were popular back in the 60's, but when discussed today, they are mostly assumed to be record rippers, and probably dead anyway! 

So I thought 'do I bother?'.  Found a couple of headshells and figured I might as well have a go.  'Great Ellingtonians' Vol One, is the test disc, and cartridges were connected to the ceramic input on the Realistic amplifier.

The BSR TC8M tracking at 5gm



Garrard GC8 tracking at 5gm



Both worth a try, if you can find a working copy of one of these.  I've no idea what the frequency response is, but playback of mono discs is full bodied and satisfying.

[wenig watt]

Perhaps it should be pointed out that heavy pickups do not destroy records.
Of course, if you want to reproduce 50 khz, mechanical wear is very relevant.
If you want to listen to music, an LP is the most robust and durable medium we have!
High VTF is not a problem!

Best regards

[wer]

Rewiring headshell so it can be soldered to the output plug of the Sonotone 9TA is almost finished. Was held up by the arrival of a power switch for the TD124 and swapping it for unreliable old one.
Also made an additional counterweight for the arm on the QRK to compensate for a heavy (4mm) brass headshell spacer to stabilise the flimsy ceramic cartridges.

[colin]

Perhaps it should be pointed out that heavy pickups do not destroy records.
Of course, if you want to reproduce 50 khz, mechanical wear is very relevant.
If you want to listen to music, an LP is the most robust and durable medium we have!
High VTF is not a problem!

Best regards

Hi Arndt, 

Thanks for the comments, agree 100%.   

[jotarama]

A few days ago I received a Ronette 105. I mounted it on a Lenco headshell to use it on my B55.










I used the box I made myself and which I talked about in a previous post. The video shows a first test. Up to minute 0.47'' it is played with the Sonotone/Velocitone circuit. From that point on, the Philips is used, and from 1' 20'' on, I return to the Velocitone. It is easily heard: with the Philips the volume is louder but not better. I think that the Philips will work better with lower output cartridges. No matter what, I much prefer the Sonotone 9TA cartridge. Its sound is richer, more defined, more pleasant and, one might say, authentically "hifi".

[Wolfie62]

That video reminds me of how my stereo Ronette sounds, using the Weathers conversion circuit.

[jotarama]

At the beginning of the year I bought an EAR 834 phono board and built a phono stage with the particularity of having 4 inputs (two turntables are connected, one of them with two arms) and 2 outputs (I have two amplifiers). As there was one spare input, today I decided to build the Velocitone converter/attenuator on it. It has been a great success. First I tried it with the Sonotone 9TA (I like this cartridge more and more) and then with a Dual CDS 630 that I was recently given. This also has a very estimable sound, although not as warm as the 9TA.

[Wolfie62]

Perhaps it should be pointed out that heavy pickups do not destroy records.
Of course, if you want to reproduce 50 khz, mechanical wear is very relevant.
If you want to listen to music, an LP is the most robust and durable medium we have!
High VTF is not a problem!

Best regards

I assume you’re actually referring to heavy VTF, not heavy cartridges?

If VTF, it depends. A 0.7 or 1.0 mil conical has enough contact area in the groove that 3-6 grams won’t cause damage. But a 0.3x0.7 mil elliptical played at 3-6 grams can DEFINITELY cause permanent groove damage!!

If a heavy cartridge (say 15-25 grams), with a 1.5 gram VTF, then the arm mass needs to be taken into account for resonance and compliance purposes.