Why is HFW so biased against vintage cartridges?

[David Price]

By the way, one of my fave vintage cartridges is the Supex SD900V - a cartridge I no longer have but remember it singing like a bird in my LP12/Ittok back in the late eighties. It had a deliciously deep, dark, velvety tone - and so lyrical. Does anyone like, have or rate this, or is nostalgia clouding my judgement? Would *love* to try one again...

[WikiBoy]

Why do people still bother to read them, what purpose do they serve any more, so who gives a sod what they think! Now the world is on-line there is far more information on *any* product, just search - users - abusers - sellers - fanbois - trolls and maybe even some factual information. Forums, blogs, on-line mags, and this is just the beginning - the industry as a whole will end up on-line.

It is no longer a main stream industry that can be supported by advertising, those days are gone and with it the people who wanted (and still want to) control the industry and control your decisions.

Enthusiasts building things for enthusiasts, enthusiast writing about and reviewing things for enthusiasts, enthusiasts selling second hand things to enthusiasts, enthusiasts modding things for enthusiast, and where is the retailer and the magazine and the professional reviewer in this, well no where! dead as the Dinosaur.

[Marco]

Hi David,

Hi Marco - yes, getting slightly less mad now - but shouldn't speak too soon!

Excellent. Hopefully that'll mean you'll have more time to post here. I always enjoy reading your contributions

I've never heard a DL103SA - although as you know I've owned several exotic versions of the DL103 when I was living in Japan. Is the SA on sale in the UK?

Yes, Dave Cawley even has them in stock!

I am soooo tempted to get one in for review, but I have a grim sense of foreboding that whatever I/we say, we're asking for a keyboard lashing from you!

Well just DO it, David! I promise you won't get any keyboard lashing from me if I feel that it's had a 'fair hearing'. Can I make a suggestion though?

*Only* do it if you can get all the necessarily ancillaries together, because quite simply otherwise it will not get a 'fair hearing'. In that respect, you need your modified Techy, which would be ideal, fitted with a Jelco SA-750D and a suitably high-mass (NOS) headshell, and an A23 MC step-up transformer. Also, running it through a high quality all-valve MM stage would be a bonus, as experience tells me that the 103 responds very well to valves.

You are more than welcome to borrow my A23 for review purposes, and I can also supply a suitable NOS magnesium headshell (that are hard to find), as these are IMO better with 103s than the popular Sumikos which are now widely available.

Anyway, yep - I've had an M3 (N21D). Came free with an STD305S/SME3009S2 I bought from a junk shop in Brighton back in 1992 for £40! Those were the days! It tracked fairly well at the recommended 2g, and made a very exciting and dynamic noise. Not the last word in finesse though, as I remember. I then switched to a new Audio Technica AT-33E, and didn't feel the need to go back, to be honest.

Fair enough. But it could be one to revisit sometime in one of the magazine's 'Olde Worlde' features, fitted to say, a 301 or a Lenco in a suitably high-mass arm. I reckon that it might give you a pleasant surprise - just a thought!

Anyway, I'll give you a bell on Monday, if you're free, and we can shoot the shit about a few things

Marco.

[DSJR]

By the way, one of my fave vintage cartridges is the Supex SD900V - a cartridge I no longer have but remember it singing like a bird in my LP12/Ittok back in the late eighties. It had a deliciously deep, dark, velvety tone - and so lyrical. Does anyone like, have or rate this, or is nostalgia clouding my judgement? Would *love* to try one again...

David, I have two SD900's and one is mounted up and used occasionally. it sounds too heavy in the bass, tracking is marginal and the top sparkles far less naturally than an OC9 IMO.

Course it worked in a mid eighties LP12/Ittok. Most "in" speakers back then had little bass and too much midrange, perfectly balancing the SD900's measureable and audible response anomalies.

Dark and velvety tone does not a true HiFi (to the original source) product make. The M3D/N21 sounds more neutral, believe it or not.......

[DSJR]

Anyway, yep - I've had an M3 (N21D). Came free with an STD305S/SME3009S2 I bought from a junk shop in Brighton back in 1992 for £40! Those were the days! It tracked fairly well at the recommended 2g, and made a very exciting and dynamic noise. Not the last word in finesse though, as I remember. I then switched to a new Audio Technica AT-33E, and didn't feel the need to go back, to be honest.

It won't work in an SME as-is and mine is used with extra lead mass in the headshell. The Finetone "needle" tracks very well at 2g and I was surprised how well polished the diamond chip is to be honest - far better than the nails supplied with many Shures and Empires back in the seventies anyway..... perhaps you should remove that antiquated Koetsu thingy from the SMEV and try it in that - you may just have a shock......

[anthonyTD]

Hi David,



Excellent. Hopefully that'll mean you'll have more time to post here. I always enjoy reading your contributions



Yes, Dave Cawley even has them in stock!



Well just DO it, David! I promise you won't get any keyboard lashing from me if I feel that it's had a 'fair hearing'. Can I make a suggestion though?

*Only* do it if you can get all the necessarily ancillaries together, because quite simply otherwise it will not get a 'fair hearing'. In that respect, you need your modified Techy, which would be ideal, fitted with a Jelco SA-750D and a suitably high-mass (NOS) headshell, and an A23 MC step-up transformer. Also, running it through a high quality all-valve MM stage would be a bonus, as experience tells me that the 103 responds very well to valves.

You are more than welcome to borrow my A23 for review purposes, and I can also supply a suitable NOS magnesium headshell (that are hard to find), as these are IMO better with 103s than the popular Sumikos which are now widely available.



Fair enough. But it could be one to revisit sometime in one of the magazine's 'Olde Worlde' features, fitted to say, a 301 or a Lenco in a suitably high-mass arm. I reckon that it might give you a pleasant surprise - just a thought!

Anyway, I'll give you a bell on Monday, if you're free, and we can shoot the shit about a few things

Marco.

hi marco,
just an idea, why dont you lend david your deck for the review!
it would make perfect sense as yours is already optimised.
anthony,TD...

[Marco]

Hi Anthony,

I was thinking of that, but I didn't wish to be too forward!

Seriously though, David would be more than welcome to use my turntable to review the 103SA - there is even a perfectly good one already fitted

Marco.

[anthonyTD]

Hi Anthony,

I was thinking of that, but I didn't wish to be too forward!

Seriously though, David would be more than welcome to use my turntable to review the 103SA - there is even a perfectly good one already fitted

Marco.

there you go then,perfect!!!!
A...

[The Grand Wazoo]

*Only* do it if you can get all the necessarily ancillaries together, because quite simply otherwise it will not get a 'fair hearing'. In that respect, you need your modified Techy, which would be ideal, fitted with a Jelco SA-750D and a suitably high-mass (NOS) headshell, and an A23 MC step-up transformer. Also, running it through a high quality all-valve MM stage would be a bonus, as experience tells me that the 103 responds very well to valves.

You are more than welcome to borrow my A23 for review purposes, and I can also supply a suitable NOS magnesium headshell (that are hard to find), as these are IMO better with 103s than the popular Sumikos which are now widely available.

Marco,
I don't want to piss on your cornflakes, mate, but this wouldn't be a review of a cartridge, would it? It's an entire vinyl playing set-up, & that's something altogether different from what Mr Price is talking about - after all, he's just done a review of a Technics TT/psu/arm/cartridge combination. I can hardly see another following right on the heels of it.

The problem is, this means that he'll review it out of the context of your suggestions. So the result is that he'll write something different to your experience, which will then be followed by the 'keyboard lashing' he speaks of!



(............or not?)

[Marco]

Hi Chris,

I take your point, so in that respect David could use another turntable if he wanted.

However, the fact is the other items mentioned are all essential in order to optimise the DL-103SA (or any 103), particularly the A23 SUT, otherwise forget about it - it's as simple as that. My view is that if you're going to do a job, you do it right.

It all boils down to how thorough David wants to be! The more thorough he is, the more accurate and meaingful his review will be

Marco.