New Cartridge

[Ammonite Audio]

I have been wondering if I really need to play around with MC step up transformers, and luckily managed to get a lightly used Audio Note IQ3, which is now playing tunes:

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s301/hugocass/IMGP1188_zpsf6dc9842.jpg

It's sounding rather good!

[MCRU]

looking good too chief

[DSJR]

Another bloody Goldring :rolleyes: :lol:

What's different about this one?

[chelsea]

Lovely.

[Ammonite Audio]

Another bloody Goldring :rolleyes: :lol:

What's different about this one?

Do your research and you will find out.

[Yomanze]

Another bloody Goldring :rolleyes: :lol:

What's different about this one?

A lot, such as rewinding the coils and increasing the frequency response. It is just a great, musical cart that responds well to mods. My Reson Reca is much more refined than the standard G1042, haven't heard Audio Note or Roksan equivalents.

[DSJR]

Do your research and you will find out.

I did, and I really do hope a new one's worth the extra slurp added to the base price by the middle-men involved :)

[Ammonite Audio]

Now why do you have to be so negative about everything? The IQ3 (as you well know) has a titanium cantilever and the same stylus tip as fitted to Io cartridges, both of which cost a bit of money to produce and assemble. I presume you know what Goldring charge Audio Note, Roksan and Reson for the special body used on their MM cartridges; also how much it costs to make the IQ3's unique stylus assembly?

I don't care that manufacturers and dealers can make a living out of selling these things and anything else for that matter. People are in business to do business and that is how the world goes round.

More importantly, the IQ3 does sound rather good - probably rather better than the Ortofon 2M Black, which sits at the bottom end of the same overall price category. I suspect that, even at full retail price for a new IQ3, it may represent good value against many MC cartridges in the same price bracket, but without the cost and complication of a MC SUT or decent MC gain stage.

So far, I'm very pleased indeed with the IQ3.

[synsei]

I would also mention that it demonstrates just how capable the standard Goldring 10 series actually is that such esteemed manufacturers choose to use it as the basis for their high end MM carts ;)

[Ammonite Audio]

I would also mention that it demonstrates just how capable the standard Goldring 10 series actually is that such esteemed manufacturers choose to use it as the basis for their high end MM carts ;)

Indeed.

[Reffc]

Great cart, congrats Shuggie.

The 10xx series are indeed fine cartridges. I've always regarded the 1042 as the "Shure V15" or our era in terms of popularity and performance but I've never heard one of the AN versions, but it sounds like it should be a good 'un.

[DSJR]

Now why do you have to be so negative about everything? The IQ3 (as you well know) has a titanium cantilever and the same stylus tip as fitted to Io cartridges, both of which cost a bit of money to produce and assemble. I presume you know what Goldring charge Audio Note, Roksan and Reson for the special body used on their MM cartridges; also how much it costs to make the IQ3's unique stylus assembly?



Apologies, I regard anything from AN with deep suspicion where value for money is concerned ;) I wonder who it is that supplies all the fancy cantilever/diamond combo's that the re-tippers and custom-cartridge makers use?

[chelsea]

Would like to try one sometime.
Heard very good things about it.

Although some of the an stuff is nuts in terms of price,i've yet to hear a bad system from them.
Can't say that for many makes.

They just seem to make music and not hi fi.

[pure sound]

Apologies, I regard anything from AN with deep suspicion where value for money is concerned ;) I wonder who it is that supplies all the fancy cantilever/diamond combo's that the re-tippers and custom-cartridge makers use?

In the case of the cantilever & diamond used here, they are the same as those used for the Io and both parts are made & combined in Japan.
You won't find either on any other cartridges.

[Gromit]

I had one of these from quite some time and never really got on with it to be honest, which was a shame. Tried it in a variety of tonearms from Tecnoarm, AO RB251, NAS Spacearm and the standard Technics arm but it never gelled. I much preferred the 2M Black - to me it's a clearer, more musically convincing cartridge - and a fair bit cheaper. Fortunately I didn't pay full wack for the IQ3.

Will be interested to see how you get on with this over time Hugo.

[morris_minor]

I ran a 1042 for a long time and was highly impressed with it, so any improvements over it must be very nice!

[Andrew B]

I had one of these from quite some time and never really got on with it to be honest, which was a shame. Tried it in a variety of tonearms from Tecnoarm, AO RB251, NAS Spacearm and the standard Technics arm but it never gelled. I much preferred the 2M Black - to me it's a clearer, more musically convincing cartridge - and a fair bit cheaper. Fortunately I didn't pay full wack for the IQ3.

Will be interested to see how you get on with this over time Hugo.

I have to agree with Gromit. I've had a a handful of 10 series cartridges over the years, as well as the Roksan variants and the Reca. The first one was a 1040, purchased brand new on dealer recommendation. The rest have come with TTs or arms I've bought over the years. Every one has sounded dull, uninspiring and lacklustre to me. Given the variety of systems I've used them in, it cant just be incompatibility. Mind you, I'm not really an MM fan at all. A Garrott P77 is probably the only MM I've liked. Even then, I much prefer MCs.

There seems to be a real divide though, because many genuine music lovers seem to get a lot of pleasure from them. Vive la difference, I guess.

[Ammonite Audio]

One thing is clear - to get the best out of a MM cartridge, it has to be loaded with the right overall capacitance, which of course includes that of the arm cable. Otherwise, less than stimulating sounds can result, as noted by Andrew above. I wish I'd realised this before I sold the 2M Black to Gromit, but I am very happy so far with the IQ3.

Various values of polystyrene caps have been ordered from HiFi Collective, so I should soon be well on the way to optimising my phono amp for the IQ3 and the rest of my vinyl rig.

[DSJR]

I have to eat some humble pie and say that despite the response anomalies in the old Rega R100 - similar to the Sumiko Gold and A&R E77, with a response that declines in a straight line from low bass to hf, it does make some lovely music still.

Now, I found my G1042 with snapped/terminally buckled cantilever, dinged at the back suspension end where the tube meets the magnet and with a "new" stylus with a few minutes on it. I wonder if the cantilever can be spliced or re-attached?????????