Identify this Grado cartridge ...

[jandl100]

Hi there

I've had this cart sitting in my 'spares' box for ages. I think it came with a tt I bought a few years back. :scratch: Never really used it, but slipping it into my old standard Techie 1210 it sounded quite 'pleasant', a bit laid back but way diffuse in imaging compared to my Denon 103, almost like my speakers were suddenly wired out of phase (they weren't! ;)).

It kinda looks like a Grado Prestige Gold, but that would be £150 worth of cart at rrp, and a Hifi Choice Product of the Year award winner 2003/4 !! - so that seems unlikely.

Any ideas?

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii114/jandl100/DSCF5992.jpg

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii114/jandl100/DSCF5993.jpg

[Barry]

Hi there

I've had this cart sitting in my 'spares' box for ages. I think it came with a tt I bought a few years back. :scratch: Never really used it, but slipping it into my old standard Techie 1210 it sounded quite 'pleasant', a bit laid back but way diffuse in imaging compared to my Denon 103.

It kinda looks like a Grado Prestige Gold, but that would be £120+ worth of cart, so that seems unlikely.

Any ideas?

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii114/jandl100/DSCF5992.jpg

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii114/jandl100/DSCF5993.jpg

Can't say what it is, only what it isn't. It's not a Grado FTE+1; that had a grey coloured body with a plain 'silver' metal screen.

Sorry not to be any more helpful, but to quote the words of Conan Doyle: "when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth".

Regards

[jandl100]

... to quote the words of Conan Doyle: "when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth".

Regards

Thanks Barry - but I must admit I have always considered that quote to be not only unbearably smug but also completely untrue! :lol:

The problem is usually that there are many not-impossible solutions - the trick is to weed out the possibles and identify the right one!

[DSJR]

The better ones with the smoothest and, yes, dullest response had the gold screening can fitted as I recall. There are three basic cartridges and the best of each are selected and make the six current models.

From memory, the old models often had their monika on the front. If yours isn't from the current crop, whichever model(s) replaced the old F1+ is probably what this one is;)

[Barry]

Thanks Barry - but I must admit I have always considered that quote to be not only unbearably smug but also completely untrue! :lol:

The problem is usually that there are many not-impossible solutions - the trick is to weed out the possibles and identify the right one!

Haha! The quote was made 'tongue in cheek'. Like you I have always thought the quote a little too 'pat'. Good sound-bite, but not really practical or useful.

Regards

[jandl100]

Hmmm .. this def looks like the one I've got ....

http://www.superfi.co.uk/index.cfm/page/moreinfo.cfm/Product_ID/1725

:scratch:

[Hypnotoad]

Hi there


It kinda looks like a Grado Prestige Gold, but that would be £150 worth of cart at rrp, and a Hifi Choice Product of the Year award winner 2003/4 !! - so that seems unlikely.

Any ideas?

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii114/jandl100/DSCF5992.jpg

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii114/jandl100/DSCF5993.jpg

It looks just like my Grado Gold, now these things are tricky to set up, the top must be level with the record while playing, tracking is 1.5gms and set the azimuth as well and you will be rewarded.

If it's not set up right it won't perform near it's best, they also don't like turntables with AC motors as they are not shielded at all and can cause hum.

You also have it wired incorrectly, looking at the back with the stylus pointing upwards the pins on the left are blue at the top and white underneath, on the right side its green at the top and red underneath.

That should make it sound a whole lot better.

[jandl100]

You also have it wired incorrectly, looking at the back with the stylus pointing upwards the pins on the left are blue at the top and white underneath, on the right side its green at the top and red underneath.

That should make it sound a whole lot better.

:lol: Fair enough ... lessee ... you're right! The wiring is all screwed up - amazing it worked at all! :doh::mental:

OKey-dokey .... there's a noo tt chez-Jerry that needs a DIN/RCA adaptor to work. The adapter should be here in a couple of days and I'll have another go with the cart then. :)

[Jason P]

Could be a Prestige Silver Jerry, I have one and it's gold (DOH!) too. Not bad, but as has been said a fussy bugger to set up. MInd you, it's what Len Gregory based his Music Maker series on so can't be all bad...

[jandl100]

It has been positively identified as Prestige Gold on the Wigwam thread I started.
I'm kinda excited about getting it wired up right on my new deck! :eek:

[jandl100]

Well, the Grado is now installed in its new home, and correctly wired up ... :eyebrows: ...

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii114/jandl100/PhilipsGA312tt.jpg

A Philips GA312 tt. £20 plus delivery from eBay :). Remember those? A cool looking compact deck.

Can only listen in mono at the moment - it has a 5 pin DIN signal cable :scratch: and the 5 pin DIN to 2-RCA adaptor that arrived today has only one of the pins wired up in the same way as the cable plug :( so I can listen in mono. But solo keyboard etc is fine.

Have ordered another adaptor cable that stands a better chance of getting the hot pins right ... a 4 RCA / 5 pin DIN lead. Surely two of those will carry the stereo signal ...??:scratch:

Anyways ... in mono mode it sounds damn good actually. Of course, I won't be able to explore its stereo soundstage / focus until/if I manage to source a proper adaptor for it.

But in mono it sounds fast and lively with nice tonality. No hum and tracks well. :eek:

[DSJR]

I can't remember if these decks had a second earth like the B&O DIN equipped decks did. For the latter, pin 3 is L+, pin 5 is R+, pin 2 is signal return L&R and the chassis of the deck is earthed via the shell of the DIN plug.

If only Philips had used an ally platter instead of a steel one - that deck would be an absolute classic instead of the almost forgotten gem you've discovered it to be. Just be careful in handling it as it wasn't firmly screwed together - more double sided sticky tape from many memories of the GA212 that preceeded yours. Great sound though :respect: