Mm Cart for Aro?

Has anyone sampled any of the Ortofon 2M range on an Aro?

Lewis posted:

System is Nac 32.5, HC, Nap 135's, SBL's, Sondek.

Just my 2 cents worth but a system of that excellent vintage is begging for a Prefix, which is probably the best bang for buck phono stage on offer for an LP12.

A Prefix would of course require a power supply, such as another hicap, and MC cartridge...

Debs

IIRC the AT95E featured highly in Kuma's tests and is closely related to the K9.

kuma posted:

One man's even-handed is another man's bore.

 

Just took a listen to my DL103, just to confirm it isn’t boring. It sounds anything but boring through, my 62/ mono 110’s. I’m on my second DL103, when it needs replacing I will buy another, with a Zu or Uwe body or a DL103R.

Perhaps your amps are boring.

I don’t know what amps your using, but I’m sure the 103 will be a perfect match with the 32.5/135’s Lewis is using. Synergy is the key.

fatcat posted:

Just took a listen to my DL103, just to confirm it isn’t boring. It sounds anything but boring through, my 62/ mono 110’s. I’m on my second DL103, when it needs replacing I will buy another, with a Zu or Uwe body or a DL103R.

Perhaps your amps are boring.

I don’t know what amps your using, but I’m sure the 103 will be a perfect match with the 32.5/135’s Lewis is using. Synergy is the key.

Are you using ARO tone arm with your stock DL103?

Karma and Prefix as Deb suggested or K type phono would be a better *synergy* as you call it as they were developed to work together.

The amp I used for 103 experiment IIRC, was either 52/300 or it might have been 52/Nait3R. I tried various phonos to make it work to my liking.

As I said in my earlier post, cartridge choice is subjective. In fact I was with my friend listening to this and he liked it whilst I thought it was *nice* in a flowery floaty way.

In the same system, we switched to Linn Akiva, to my ears the energy and timing came back, the music was more alive to my ears, and he did not like it at all claiming too in your face and forceful.

I think anyone who's looking to get a new cartridge really ought to listen in their own system and use the arm cuz, it makes a significant difference.

But for MY 250$, Audio Technica's AT-F7 suits me better.

Kuma, is the AT F7 a good tracker right across the side? Thanks 

Any thoughts, Lewis, on the suggestions offered?

Daft Apeth posted:

Kuma, is the AT F7 a good tracker right across the side? Thanks 

DA,

So far this is tracking excellent. But if you have a list of records you want me to try I can.

kuma posted:

I generally prefer these MM over inexpensive MCs but recently I tried out Audio Technica's AT-F7 MC and it sounds terrific. This is my first decent budget MC. ( works great with Linto so far but I reckon it will work with a Naim stage, too ) Highly recommended!

Output voltage @ 1kHz,5cm/sec: 0.35mV
- Tracking force: 1.8-2.2 g (2.0 g standard)
- Coil impedance: 12 ohms (1kHz)
- DC resistance: 12 ohms
- Channel separation @ 1kHz: 27dB
- Channel balance @ 1kHz: >1.5dB
- Dynamic compliance: 9.0 x 10^-6cm/dyne (100Hz)
- Static compliance: 35 x 10^-6cm/dyne
- Stylus: Nude elliptical 0.2 × 0.7 mil
- Suspension wires: Stainless - Vertical tracking angle: 23°
- Dimensions: 17.3 (H) x 16.8 (W) x 25.4 (L) mm
- Weight: 5 g

250USD!

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Good to see you like the ATF-7 Kuma, I think it's a really great VFM and musical low cost MC.

I generally don't post much here these days but  I've referred to it many times in the Blue place over the last year or so.

KR

Peter

kuma posted:

I was ,one point, interested in Decca but my understanding is that it's a mismatch with ARO. The problem is that the ARO rings and Decca needs heavily damped arm.  As with DL103, you might have to dampen the arm to make it work with Decca. You can certainly try one and report back.

This is from the past forum post from 2009 FWIW:

Well, I just had an interesting conversation with a London Decca dealer in San Leandro, CA.

I inquired of the London Decca Jubilee cartridge and when I asked for the distance from between the mounting holes and the stylus tip, he commented on why on earth I'd need to know that. I explained that the Naim Aro has fixed mounting holes instead of slots. He said he knew nothing of this tone arm, but based on this one piece of information, this arm is a piece of crap! This in addition to the fact that I would be using an LP12, he refused to sell me the Jubilee. He said if you can't set overhang exactly, that close is the same as a mile! He said that I should throw my tone arm in the junk! At this point he ended our conversation without even giving me a chance to respond or discuss anything. I am in total shock to say the least.

LOL! It's a reaction and mindset I have sadly come across myself on occasion............ 

Cymbiosis posted:

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Good to see you like the ATF-7 Kuma, I think it's a really great VFM and musical low cost MC.

I picked it up last year or a  year before but sat in the box till this year. I wasn't expecting much of it since my experiences with inexpensive  MC carts have not been great. So this one is the first musical ultra VFM MC.

The problem with an entry level MC is that it'll give more details than a typical MM but they tend to sap life out of the music. I can't really do a direct AB with Adikt, ( my current reference MM ) but have you compared side by side? You have the Uphorik so easy to do a fair demo. ( I have to swap to Stageline N for Adikt )

I am using an Adikt on an ARO and think it sounds great, very musical. Playing it through a Lejonklou Gaio (soon to be Slipsik 6) into a SN2. I believe the Lejonklou phono preamps are built with the Adikt in mind. Excellent value for the money.

Dynavector XV1S

OK, it not MM. And its not exactly cheap

But when mounted on the Aro it is sublime. 

John,

It's OK. It sounds as good as any other 10k cart.

It is more challenging to find a good musical cart at lesser cost!

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Gammaboy posted:

I am using an Adikt on an ARO and think it sounds great, very musical. Playing it through a Lejonklou Gaio (soon to be Slipsik 6) into a SN2. I believe the Lejonklou phono preamps are built with the Adikt in mind. Excellent value for the money.

Linn Uphrik is also a great phono for the Adikt. It's even better because you can adjust a loading on an MM cart.

Sorry for the delay in reporting back on this guys, it's been busy!

Ok, so to start with I fitted up my Audio Technica AT95e as it was all I had to hand, and I must say it sounded very nice.  It's certainly no slouch that cart and offers excellent sound for it's modest outlay.  I have recently acquired an old but mint Dynavector DV-20X2, and subsequently fitted it up last week and this is a step up in SQ.  I am pleased with the results!  Annoyingly I thought I had MC cards spare for the 32.5 but only have another set of MM, but the DV works with these as it's a high output cart.  Would there be any benefit swapping out to MC cards?  

Also I noticed my Sondek has some wobble and I've traced it down to the motor so I am going to fit a new motor to increase stability also.  Sounds bloody cracking at the moment though!! 

Lewis posted:

I have recently acquired an old but mint Dynavector DV-20X2, and subsequently fitted it up last week and this is a step up in SQ.  I am pleased with the results!  Annoyingly I thought I had MC cards spare for the 32.5 but only have another set of MM, but the DV works with these as it's a high output cart.  Would there be any benefit swapping out to MC cards? 

No. Only the low output version requires MC cards.

Congrats Lewis.

DV works well on the ARO. After the K9 I briefly tried the X20 on the Basik Plus  ( my first Sondek ) Later I tried Dynavector 19A on the ARO. It worked out much better. ( incidentally I still have this cartridge! )

Later if you want to go up on a Dyna ladder and switch to an MC, they all work well with the ARO.

Enjoy your journey.

Thanks Kuma.  Is the 19a a big step up in performance? 

Lewis,

From the 20XH?

Yes.

But I have not ABed with 20XL which offer a better performance than a high output version. ( with a capable phono since the output is only 0.2mV )

I'm really glad this thread came up. I had been thinking for some time about a replacement for my ageing Goldring 1042. Saw the reference to the Audio Note IQ3. Had one fitted today by the splendid Jack at Audio Barn. Listening to JJ Cale right now - stunning even though it's only been playing for an hour or two. More of everything I always liked about the 1042. Not cheap for a MM at £700 - but I'd say well worth it. I feel a vinyl fest approaching.