Supex SD-900 Super Moving Coil Cartridge

[montesquieu]

Re Expert Stylus, I had a Zu Denon 103 fitted with a paratrace and sapphire cantilever and it was exceptionally good. I also know plenty of other folk who have been very happy with Expert's workmanship. Main problem is long, long waiting times.

My experience with both Supex and Denon 103 was the exact opposite.

[montesquieu]

cheers tom,very interesting,i bought this to use on my 774 arm so perhaps a bad choice,also i didnt realise they didn't sound the same after a retip,i never had one done to be fair.

it may go straight back again then at this rate lol

It has a compliance of 12 x 10-6 (compared to 5 x 10-6 for a Koetsu Black - another indication that while there are similarities with a Koetsu Black, the notion that it's a cheap or early version of one is a bit wide of the mark) which means unlike the Koetsu it doesn't need a high-mass arm, but that a low or low-medium mass one isn't ideal either. Your 774 has damping so may well indeed be fine (it's not an arm I've owned or am familiar with in detail).

One thing you can guarantee after a retip is that it will be different! But you might find you still like it ... I'd have the original tip and suspension checked over though first before doing anything.

[karma67]

cheers tom,the listing did say it needed a retip soon but i will try it first and see how it sounds.
oh the dangers of buying on a whim lol

[kcc123]

I had very good results when my Supex 900 was on the SAEC 308 L and AT 1010, better than it was on the Grace 707 which I still have it. I have never mounted it on the Mission 774 before so I don't know how it will sound like.

[karma67]

hey geoff! where are you? come on whats your take on this?

[walpurgis]

hey geoff! where are you? come on whats your take on this?

Where am I? On hols in west country mate.

I owned the Supex quite a while ago and did use it in the 774 without bother. It may be on the heavy side though if I recall. I used fluid damping with it.

The SD-900 is pleasant enough. Not an MC I wanted to keep though, but at the time I was a bit spoilt by having a Fidelity Research MC-201 and Technics EPC-305MC to choose from. They were lovely.

[karma67]

cheers geoff,it would appear after speaking to dom at north west analogue that the sd900 is worth re tipping and he thinks its much better than the 2m black so once i get it here,i'll stick it on to get a taste and then seriously think about getting a retip.