Advice: MC like a Denon 304 in Akito good/bad?
Posted by: rp on 04 July 2001
I'd like to move from a K18II to an affordable MC. I presently don't have the money to make a mistake, so I'm seeking the wisdom of the forum. (Yeh, yeh, if I don't have any money what am I doing with the below system. Well, to paraphrase the Fab Furry Freak Bros. - Quality British hifi will get you through times w/o money better than money will get you through times w/o quality British hifi.
- Will a Denon 304 work in blissful harmony in a Sondek (preCirk)/Akito? Or is the Akito really only for MMs and i should avoid all MCs? BTW: The rest is 102/ Hicap/ psc/ 250/ Spendor SP1/2. If the Denon is a good match on the TT/arm will it be a good match for the Naim and Spendors, particularly the Spendors? Does the Denon do the PRaT?
- What about the Denon's old school elliptical stylus: good/bad/lame - thoughts?
- My other choice is a 10X4 gold or to wait for Linn's rumoured new MM. Or a new radiator for the car? Or to save my money and pay down my credit card. Any opinions?
- What's the right board for the Denon - K or S? How about the 10X4 gold (this is the new low output version).
- After reading the Listner review I would have just bought the Dynavector but after checking on here you guys are real hot and cold on this one, and all the other Dynavectors except the really expensive ones. Gave me second thoughts. Why can't you all just agree on everything?: )
Thanks
Posted on: 04 July 2001 by Phil Barry
Which Akito?
Two Linn dealers I talked with (Dallas and Chicago) were adamant that the first Akito would not matxh with any low-output MC. Chicago stated that the Akito II was OK with a low cost MC (Benz Glider, for example).
I don't know from experience. Why not trade the Akito in on an Ittok - won't that cost as much as the Denon? And an Ittok with good bearings is in a different league entirely from the Akito I.
Phil
Posted on: 05 July 2001 by Frank Abela
Phil makes a good point. Do you have a Japanese Akito or a Scottish one? The latter (later) model is significantly superior - and arguably as good as an Ittok.
If it's the latter, then a 10x4 Gold would fit quite nicely. We fitted a straight 10x4 to an Akito'd deck recently and it sounded really rather nice. The Gold is a fabulous cartridge and excellent value for money. I haven't done the A/B against the 304, but I'd be surprised if the 304 came close.
The correct boards to use with the Gold would be S boards.
Regards,
Frank.
All opinions are my own and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of any organisations I work for, except where this is stated explicitly.
[This message was edited by Frank Abela on THURSDAY 05 July 2001 at 10:46.]
Posted on: 05 July 2001 by rp
So the Akito 1 is the Japanese one and the 2 is the Scot? I have a vague memory of not wanting a Japanese Akito and so buying a Scot one, it was about 5 years ago. So how do you tell? Mine has the matt slightly crinkly finish, it is not smooth like the older Basic. I think this means it's Scot. It doesn't say Scotland anywhere except on the packing. The styrofoam is embossed 'made in Scotland'. This should settle it, right?
Just out of curiosity is the Akito considered high, low or medium mass? What's the range of compliance for cartridges to work correctly with it. Looking at the Linn MMs, recommended compliance for carts seems to be around 12-14.
Also, spec wise (arm mass etc for the Ekos, Ittok, Akito) and looking at the compliance and weight of the linn MM and MC range there is very little difference. I know that the Akito is no Ekos but purely technically why shouldn't MC's work well in it? Is it just a matter of the better bearings and precision assembly?
In other words, will MCs, for all practical purposes, work just fine but I simply won't be getting my full money's worth. Or will they just sound bad?
BTW the Dyna Gold looks like the right choice, thanks. Anyone know the US price on this? Is it the same as the standard?
Posted on: 06 July 2001 by davidc
I have a (crinkly, Scottish) Akito and I had a Denon 304. We were deliriously happy together; we wined & dined...well not quite but it was a stonking cartridge in the arm. Then my 2 year-old decided to short-circuit the relationship with a quick tweak to the stylus.. Apparently Denon deliver these things to the dealer (mine's the Sound Gallery in High Wycombe) somewhat less than frequently so after a l-o-n-g wait without anything I bought a £400 Dynavector 17DXII instead. Apparently they get better after 50-60 hours run in. After a miserable 15 months of run in (OK it was fine so long as no one plucked a bass string), on the off chance I called up the Sound Gallery to be told they had a few 304s back in stock. Quick trip up there and everything I loved about vinyl (except I've still never seen Brutal Youth on LP) has now returned.
I know the Dynavector has lots of friends, and I suspect the Akito/Dynavector combination is overly optimistic, but I found the combination of my Akito + 17DXII to sound horrible with most of the music I play, while the Akito plus Denon (at £170 with trade-in for the old one) combination is just wonderful. Again.
Hope this helps.
Posted on: 06 July 2001 by Chris Dolan
rp
Can't comment on 304 in akito from experience but my gut feeling is go for a better arm. I use a 304 in an ekos. Tonal balance is on the bright side but I am very pleased with it.
However davidc is speaking from experience so who knows.
In my system the s boards win hands down.
Can't comment on the 10x4 gold, as I've never heard it. It does sound interesting though. Any views on using one in an ekos II?
davidc
Young children can be a pain to the system can't they?
My daughter when she was about 2 pulled the cantilever out of my troika, and I got a 304 to replace it. Then she did the same to my first 304 until I saw sense and got a wall shelf (Audiotech and highly recommended by me).
I have tried the 17DVII at home and although I enjoyed it I think it is better suited to the aro than Linn arms.
Chris
Posted on: 07 July 2001 by BrianD
quote:
My daughter when she was about 2 pulled the cantilever out of my troika, and I got a 304 to replace it. Then she did the same to my first 304 until I saw sense and got a wall shelf (Audiotech and highly recommended by me).
This happened to me a number of years ago. I'd just bought a new Ortofon MC30s (I think, I've bought a couple of Ortofons) and my son opened the lid of the LP12 and had a real go at the cartridge. It was completely knackered. I went back to the dealer for a new one and a wall shelf but he suggested simply using a belt. The light came on straight away, great advice. I went home and used a belt buckled at the back of the LP12 for ages. There was no way my kids could open the lid and do any more damage.
Brian
