Miyajima Shilabe - first impressions

[farflungstar]

I know that when I'm researching a new component AOS member impressions always count more than any other, including paid reviews. So I like to add to the knowledge bank by adding my own 2 penneth worth whenever a new component or accessory passes the threshold.

I gave my initial impressions when the Allaerts arrived and updated it over the following weeks. Well today I mounted my new Miyajima Shilabe and will give a few impressions...

Here's caveat 1 - this was a demo unit from fellow member Hugo of Ammonite Acoustics and had done around 25 LP sides before coming my way. So not anywhere near the recommended 60-100 hour play time for peak performance, but neither straight out of the box.

Here's caveat 2 - my impressions are running the Miyajima straight into the Vida's MC input which doesn't load the cart at the manufacturers recommended 250ohms.

I'm reliably informed that although it actually sounds very good into the Vida with its less than perfect loading, even better performance can be had by using a good SUT such as the Hashimoto H7 or even a top notch head amp - although I'm tempted by the Miyajima KSW dedicated SUT which of course loads it correctly. But this decision is next month. Right now it's Vida only.

Appearance


The Shilabe is a thing of understated beauty, at least in my eyes. It's very different to the chunky square shape of the gold Allaerts, with its rounded polished African Blackwood body. The cantilever is also rather businesslike and 'rugged' in comparison - though I like it.

Set up
I was crapping myself fixing this to the Siggwan arm with its integral wooden headshell. (pics to follow) The Shilabe needs to be fixed bolt side up which means somehow securing the screw heads from underneath so they don't move while the bolts are fixed from above - not easy but doable.

This was very fiddly and didn't give me confidence for setting overhang and alignment BUT it was actually very very easy. I was surprised that I got it right first time - aligned spot on with zero sibilance, perfect central imaging of female vocals with no obvious crosstalk - I'm very sensitive to this. Infact it was easier than the Allaerts.

I didn't need to adjust azimuth or VTA - it was spot on with the cart parallel with the vinyl.

Readjusting tracking force was easy - I'm tracking it at 3g - with the Siggwan loaded at an effective mass of 18g - copying Frank Schroder's preferred settings.

The sound
Bearing in mind the lack of break in I was surprised by how good it sounded 'cold' but after only a few hours play time there was a very audible improvement - which of course promises good things for the future.

I guess a recap of the Allaerts is in order.
- Stunning resolution
- Perfectly flat response
- Holographic pinpoint imaging
- sublime vocals
- Wide, deep and tall soundstage.

Perfect, right? Well almost. The Vida loads the Allaert at its optimum setting but if the cart has one minor weakness it's a slight lack of boogy factor and perhaps the final nuances of timbre.

The Shilabe
This cart has balls! Even at the wrong loading it has the most profound bass I've ever heard from vinyl. Not warm flabby bass but cavernous, controlled earth moving bass that is going to cause problems with my neighbours!

This, and the carts reputation (which I can now confirm) for being faster at transients than any other cart because of it's unusual construction, accounts for a tremendous boogie factor. It sweeps you up into the performance in a way the Allaerts doesn't - amazing.

Soundstage is actually very very good, with a wider spread than the Allaerts, but not quite as deep (I'm being very picky) and not as much height. The imaging is excellent but again not quite up to the Allaerts with its 70db of channel separation. But the Miyajima spreads a wonderful tapestry before you and around you - dense and rich.

Vocals are beautifully portrayed, not quite as ethereal as the Allaerts but with more body. Dianna Krall has a new chestiness that adds to the sum of the whole. Less holographic and walk around but more visceral and in 'my' room rather than a holodeck. I like it. Multilayered vocals dont have quite the same air around them - yet.

Cello and piano have actually taken on a new realism, which I thought impossible. Timbre is sublime, truly - and with a grandeur the Allaerts just doesn't have.

Electronica is a minor revelation, mainly due to the apparent extra bottom octave of clean bass. I'd read that the Miyajima wasn't a cart for electronica - crap. Yello's Toy sounds truly awesome - incredibly dynamic and multilayered. Stunning.

Percussive instruments (I have a thing for Japanese percussion) is extraordinary. Timbre and decay as well as leading edges are superb and bring a whole new realism.

With the Allaerts you are watching a performance, beautiful yes but you are a voyeur and not a participant. With the Miyajima you are pulled into an event, embraced by it, bewitched by it. And that's with less than perfect loading or break in. Am I a happy bunny - oh yes.

PS. A quick thank you to Hugo of Ammonite and also Tom and Mike for their help and advice.
Adey

In perpetual pursuit.

[Ammonite Audio]

I'm pleased that you like it! I do find that setting the tonearm slightly 'tail up' to give a balanced sound.

Even though Miyajima states in the specification card that loading should be 250 ohms, the Shilabe does plainly work very well into 100 ohms which is more or less what my Audio Note AN-S3H provides. Dave Cawley at Timestep actually recommends 100 ohms loading for Miyajima cartridges. I have pulled the trigger on a Miyajima ETR-KSW step up transformer and it will be very interesting to compare that, with its optimum loading, to the Audio Note. The ETR-KSW is on its way from Japan and I hope to have it in a few weeks.

[RothwellAudio]

...my impressions are running the Miyajima straight into the Vida's MC input which doesn't load the cart at the manufacturers recommended 250ohms.

I'm reliably informed that although it actually sounds very good into the Vida with its less than perfect loading, even better performance can be had by using a good SUT such as the Hashimoto H7 or even a top notch head amp - although I'm tempted by the Miyajima KSW dedicated SUT which of course loads it correctly.

The turns ratio of the Miyajima transformer is 1:27. Running it into a 47k phonostage gives the cartridge a load impedance of 64 ohms. If 250 ohms is the correct load impedance, their own transformer cannot be loading the cartridge correctly. But that's a big "if".

I think the truth is there is no "correct" load impedance for LOMC cartridges. The source impedance of the Miyajima cartridge is 16 ohms with negligible inductance, so the difference between a 100 ohm load and a 250 ohm load miniscule.

[Ammonite Audio]

When I say 'optimum loading' what I mean is 'loaded according to Mr Miyajima's intended design criteria' , which for a SUT do not necessarily conform to accepted wisdoms. Anyone who has lived with a Miyajima cartridge will know that his alternative take on moving coil design principles does in fact yield considerable benefits, so I am completely open-minded about a SUT that, on the face of it, appears to contradict the cartridge specs. The proof of the pudding is, as always, in the listening.

The turns ratio of the Miyajima transformer is 1:27. Running it into a 47k phonostage gives the cartridge a load impedance of 64 ohms. If 250 ohms is the correct load impedance, their own transformer cannot be loading the cartridge correctly. But that's a big "if".

I think the truth is there is no "correct" load impedance for LOMC cartridges. The source impedance of the Miyajima cartridge is 16 ohms with negligible inductance, so the difference between a 100 ohm load and a 250 ohm load miniscule.

[petrat]

Nice write-up Adey!
I had a Shilabe on my turntable for a while, and agree with your findings. Abiding memory? ... big solid sound, big solid tone
I suspect your lovely Siggwan arm, being a bit lighter than the FR-64, might get even more performance out of the cart than I heard, but it really is a top-notch cartridge, for sure.

[farflungstar]

Well it's no where near broken in Peter but it's character is already shining through. Actually spent a few hours spinning studio multilayered albums like Enigma, the Allaert's resolving ability wins hands down at making dense poor production more intelligible, at picking apart individual complex strands. But am currently listening to Diana Krall's Girl in the other Room and the Miyajima is astounding in all areas - best I've heard this album. Also spun some Miles Davies and again the realism is a higher level with the Miyajima. It's weird but it's about emotional engagement if that makes sense. There's something about the sound that just draws you in.

I've actually got the Siggwan loaded up with temporary extra weight to take it to 18g and speedy Steve is making me up a nice brass saddle to fit the arm.

As for matching with the Vida it sounds very good with no obvious aberrations - but I have to crank up the volume in comparison to the Allaerts. This has caused a long forgotten problem to resurface, slight RF breakthrough. I had this with the wood bodied Grado and I think the wood bodied Miyajima coupled with its lower output is the culprit. It's very very minor and doesn't interfere with listening - not sure whether going the SUT route will help cure this - I actually have a radio station and transmitter at the end of my street!

Adey

In perpetual pursuit.

[RothwellAudio]

When I say 'optimum loading' what I mean is 'loaded according to Mr Miyajima's intended design criteria' , which for a SUT do not necessarily conform to accepted wisdoms.

Now I'm confused - I thought it was farflungstar who was saying that the correct load impedance for that cartridge was 250 ohms, whereas you were saying that other load impedances are ok too.
In any case Mr Miyajima cannot claim that 250 ohms is the correct load impedance and also claim his transformer loads the cartridge correctly.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the cartridge isn't good or that the transformer isn't good - just that Miyajima's concept of "correct" cartridge loading is inconsistent.

[anubisgrau]

Cmon, it's a 16 ohm cart. Dont make a rocket science out of loading. >80 ohm SUT or >150 ohm headamp is where it should start, we are all fine tuning by ear anyway...

[RothwellAudio]

Cmon, it's a 16 ohm cart. Dont make a rocket science out of loading. >80 ohm SUT or >150 ohm headamp is where it should start, we are all fine tuning by ear anyway...

I agree, it isn't rocket science - but it isn't some mysterious black art either. Why >80 ohms if it's a SUT but not if it's a headamp?

[anubisgrau]

I agree, it isn't rocket science - but it isn't some mysterious black art either. Why >80 ohms if it's a SUT but not if it's a headamp?

i dunno but it is empirically proven that the headamps need a bigger input impedance than SUTs. i guess it has to do with a complexity of other parameteres that a transformer presents to a cartridge (like inductance...)..

a friend of mine with shilabe and pathos in the groove RIAA runs it with 250 ohm setting, fwiw