cartridge dilemna

[danilo]

Trolling the erm 'Shallow' end of the Cart pool.
House cleaning revealed a Pair of Shure M91ed's a Shure M95 and a couple of the erm.. cheaper Grados
All, but for the M95 require stylii
Is it worthwhile to Find / buy replacements (jico? or Phlanstein (sp?)? For any of the above.
Grados I know are economic to buy a new cart outright, should I wish to.
I have a brand new AT92ED on hand. Hey! it was 20$.. delivered.
Forum babbles claim it's a good 'un.. No idea.. yet.
My Thorens currently has a Grado black fitted. Works fine.
Waiting (interminably it seems) on bits arrival to complete a 'Le Pacific" Phono stage.
So the 'stage' will, one day, likely be superior to any of my on hand carts, which isn't a bad thing imo.
That said; I am not a vinyl collector, I have ~200 Lps and small inclination to buy Brand new ones, certainly at 35/40$ each.

[Virtual-Symmetry]

The 'M95ED' was a good Cart, better with the 'HE' Styli.. I prefered it to the 'V15/III'

[danilo]

Thank you.
Of course :rolleyes: I have the red one.
Although I'm believing that Shure only had a Few actual carts.. but Many plastic shells and Names.
Suppose finding an OEM New HE stylus is unlikely and an SAS (if available) pricings puts one into better cart realms

Simple curiosity:
What magnet materials are typically used in carts??
Asking because Ferrite has a proven Flux loss over time, measurable after only a few years and significant by 10.
But that's a pretty cheap material choice. Surely, few if any cart makers used it ??
No idea.. just asking if someone knows.

[Macca]

Don't know about carts but isn't one of the claimed benefits of Ferrite drivers that they don't lose flux unlike AlNiCO drivers which do?

[struth]

Don't know about carts but isn't one of the claimed benefits of Ferrite drivers that they don't lose flux unlike AlNiCO drivers which do?

bit of an unlikely event alnico drivers losing their magnetism. Probably melt the voice coil first

[danilo]

Don't know about carts but isn't one of the claimed benefits of Ferrite drivers that they don't lose flux unlike AlNiCO drivers which do?

Unfortunately there are a Lot of Myths in Audio weenie land.
We are all subject to them ..sooner or later ;).
Ferrite Does lose flux. proven. Not surprising given it's erm.. inexpensive pennies/pound? makeup.
Neodym is Good stuff. Powerful and compact. But it's problems are heat ( V intolerant.. 100 C demags it) and It oxidises in air.. turning to toxic sand.
Plating quality therefore is understandably paramount.
Cobalt is pretty well indestructible, having a projected 2 Millenia flux life (before it measurably degrades) and it's currie point (the heat at which it's mag flux degrades) is ~900 C.
Still a 'strategic' metal though.
Oddly Neo currently costs more.. which seems as odd to me.

[Virtual-Symmetry]

Matey. Just worry about things that you really don't need to worry about.

[danilo]

:D Entire point of asking re Cart Magnet material was :
IF it's ferrite motored.. (unknown to me) then a cart that's a decade old Isn't to the same spec as when new.. all claims aside.
And when it's 30 yrs old ?
Or is it such a 'shopping' cartridge that it makes little/no real world difference.

As soon as my Bits arrive and I run my le pacific.. I'll be able to decide for myself.

[Virtual-Symmetry]

I think you'll find their be no problems with it in the long term. Good old carts last fereva & eva Amen.

:)

[Barry]

Unfortunately there are a Lot of Myths in Audio weenie land.
We are all subject to them ..sooner or later ;).
Ferrite Does lose flux. proven. Not surprising given it's erm.. inexpensive pennies/pound? makeup.
Neodym is Good stuff. Powerful and compact. But it's problems are heat ( V intolerant.. 100 C demags it) and It oxidises in air.. turning to toxic sand.
Plating quality therefore is understandably paramount.
Cobalt is pretty well indestructible, having a projected 2 Millenia flux life (before it measurably degrades) and it's currie point (the heat at which it's mag flux degrades) is ~900 C.
Still a 'strategic' metal though.
Oddly Neo currently costs more.. which seems as odd to me.

Somewhat post hoc, but this might be of interest: http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?3845-Basics-amp-General-Permanent-Magnets .

[danilo]

Thank you for the link /info.
Small aside though:
Neo.. Does cost More than Cobalt (not the watered down/diluted versions of it either).
Substantially more actually.. True. Yet completely illogical. Tough to build Cobalt Bombs from Neo.
Market forces at play? Most Chinese toys use neo mags ..as the only plausible explanation .
Few... Neo mags survive 100c (that's boiling water in case we forget :-) despite brochure babbles/claims to the contrary.
I've personally totally demagged "high-temp" H 45 Neos ( which cost me mucho More because of their claimed hi temp tolerance)
Seemingly product exaggeration is a widespread affliction.
Moderne times indeed.