Hello

[Flyfisher]

I am a music lover and I like my music delivered through valves & vinyl, and I am sort of in the SW.

Now will you answer my question about The Head TX4 SUT...please

[Spectral Morn]

Hi Roger

Welcome to AOS (though you have been a member for awhile)

Can you give us more details as to what system you currently own. Your three past posts were only items for sale.

What kind of music do you like ?

Barry Hunt is the best man to give you technical guidance. All I do with the Head is hook a cart up and if it sounds wrong try another one. Though truth be told my Head sits under a chest of drawers most of the time now days as I have a BAT VK10se phono stage and it sounds great with out the use of the Head (I have tried that combination)

Regards D S D L

[Barry]

Hi Roger

Welcome to AOS (though you have been a member for awhile)

Can you give us more details as to what system you currently own. Your three past posts were only items for sale.

What kind of music do you like ?

Barry Hunt is the best man to give you technical guidance. All I do with the Head is hook a cart up and if it sounds wrong try another one. Though truth be told my Head sits under a chest of drawers most of the time now days as I have a BAT VK10se phono stage and it sounds great with out the use of the Head (I have tried that combination)

Regards D S D L

Forsooth Neil,

Methinks thou dost accord me with too much of the knowledge-extraordinary!

Actually Roger, you really have got the 'cart before the horse' (that's being polite!) here.

The impedance settings on Tim de Paravicini's 'The Head' (aka the TX4 transformer), look as though they follow the Japanese convention of referring to the cartridge's coil resistance, rather than the load impedance presented to the cartridge. As such, your SUT ought to be able to encompass anything from Koetsu, Linn and Ortofon SPUs (all having a coil resistance ~4 Ohm) to the Denon DL103 (having a coil resistance of 40 Ohm).

It is impossible to advise you regarding a suitable cartridge without knowing a little more. What is the rest of your system, what are your tastes in music - and how much do you want to spend on a cartridge?

Both the Denon DL103, the Audio Technica AT33P are popular cartridges with members here.

Sorry I can't be of more help.

Regards

PS By the way Roger, welcome to AoS .

[Flyfisher]

Barry

I am not quite as green as cabbage looking!

I have just bought an SP10 when is being serviced. I have already have a large Iroko plinth that will take 2 arms and I have an Art Audio Vinyl One phono stage with both a MM + MC inputs.

The MC input worked really well with my DV T K Rua cartridge at the time, when I had an LP12/ARO set up, and was fine with AT33PTG too.

Now I have an internal Kondo wired Alphason Xenon with an AT33PTG, which is a really good set up for the money, and I recently bought a 12" Jelco off another forum.

I am considering a cartridge like a Lyra Delos which will be fine into the V1 mc input, and so I was looking for a flexible SUT so I could play with other carts into the MM input.

When I came accross the The Head TX4 on German ebay, I fell for it.

I am not techy so I was trying to get my head around the three setting on the TX4 and from Vinyl Engine cartridge database find out some of the best fit carts with this SUT.

I know the Denon 103/103R would use the 40ohm taps.

I buy a lot of 2nd hand vinyl and despite having a record cleaning machine sometimes get records that are not in that great and I don't want to mess up a good cartridge on these records.

Thanks
Roger

[Barry]

Hello Roger,

Just to say, that no rudeness or sarcasm was intended: I was just following up your recent posts here:

http://theartofsound.net/forum/showt...t=6462&page=10 (post 91)

and on ‘pinkfishmedia’:

http://www.pinkfishmedia.net/forum/s....php?p=1107718 ,

the latter, which incidentally, was answered in a similar manner by ‘hi-fi dave’.

You clearly have an excellent turntable and arm(s), so to answer your query concerning the Lyra Delos cartridge: this has a coil resistance of 8.2Ω, so either of the ‘4’ or ‘15’ settings on ‘The Head’ SUT ought to be suitable.

http://www.lyraconnoisseur.com/Produ...os/Delos4.html

There are no hard and fast rules here; the use of SUTs is a bit of a grey area, so try both settings and see which you prefer. In general moving coil cartridges like to be loaded with at least 10x their coil resistance.

Yes probably, but I could not resist it.

Now will you answer the question please

Now will you answer my question about The Head TX4 SUT...please

In future, if you could be a little less demanding, then these ‘misunderstandings’ might not occur.

Regards

[Marco]

Hi Barry,

In future, if you could be a little less demanding, then these ‘misunderstandings’ might not occur.

Actually, Roger wasn't being demanding; rather he was being accommodating.

The remark you're referring to was a follow on from this thread:

http://theartofsound.net/forum/showt...294#post135294

Observe my post #92 and the request contained therein (and Roger's one previous to it)

Marco.

[Barry]

Understood.

[Marco]

No problem

Marco.

P.S The A23 SUT for the SPU has arrived. You wanna hear the SPU now!!

[Flyfisher]

Marco

By the way how much are the A23 SUTs, I have seen the web site but no price list.

How would you compare an AT33PTG with a DL 103 pro as these are both japanese cartridges going back in time?

Regards

Roger

[DSJR]

Don't get too hung up on spending thousands on a cartridge, 'cos all they're going to be doing is trying to get the most out of an often (bass) compromised bit of plastic which is several generations away from the lacquer which was cut.

Following on from the above paragraph, I'd personally say that the best 103's and AT33 series are two sides of the coin. The AT majors on treble purity and definition (if it's there) and the 103 (alright Marco, the SPU as well when properly set up) I feel, majors on bass power and "slam" - if it hasn't been filtered out at the cutting stage.

My only concern regarding very expensive cartridges is that there really isn't much more you can get off the record these days and the pricing reflects an attempt to make more money from wealthy enthusiasts by using gem stones for the body, silver wires (what wire was used in the cutting head?) and other exotic materials..

Just enjoy your "Head," and try various settings to see what suits you and your stereo without getting manic about it

I mean, Marco has suggested to me that he felt that with his 103SA, a high input impedance of 400 Ohms (what the 103 is supposed to need) made it sound brighter and I understand he didn't care for it as much. My "take" is that 400 Ohms may well be the most neutral balance, and using a lower setting actually rolls the treble region off a tad, which was found preferable.

The Zenon *should* be able to take a Decca, as the 100S does so beautifully. With a *modern* Decca in a suitable arm, you'll have drama right across the frequency range that ordinary cartridges haven't a clue about, you won't need a step-up - but you will need a phono stage with huge headroom - and when playing records you'll have such a silly smug grin on your face and pity the poor misguided saps who still rave about 103's and SPU's.......