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Looks like a really worthwhile innovation.

BTW, that Grado Sonata is no slouch either.

The Grado Reference Sonata is absolutely wonderful....it made the biggest improvement in my system since getting the Rega itself. A luscious, rich, sweet, intensely musical cartridge, and I mean all of those adjectives in best possible way.

Thanks, Buddha, for the kind words.

I've done some writing in the past, for a sports tabloid called Intense Sport Magazine, and I write and shoot from time to time for the leading motorcycle roadracing website in the U.S., SuperbikePlanet.com.

I've got some professional writing experience, and have peer-reviewed, first-author papers published in journals e.g. Science and The Proceedings of the National Academy of the Sciences

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That really looks nice Stephen. Glad it really helps with the sound. I hope this is not a stupid question, but if you have compared, how does the Sonata compare with some of the moving coil cartridges out there and maybe even to the less expensive Grado cartridges? I know that is a broad question but thought I would ask.

Thanks for the review Stephen.

Steve

Hi Steve,
I wish that I could answer your question about how the Grado Reference Sonata compares to Moving Coil cartridges, but the fact of the matter is that I have never had a moving coil cartridge in my system with which to compare it to. My previous cartridge was a Grace F9E Ruby from the mid-80's, which is presently at Soundsmith for a retipping. Goodness knows when I will get it back from Peter Ledermann. I bought a Grado Prestige 1 Blue as an interim, and it was okay, but the Reference Sonata was a revelation when I put it in in place of the Grado Blue. If anyone has an MC they would be willing to lend for a comparison, I would be glad to try it out and write up a comparison review.

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Stephen - one quick question, if you don't mind. What kind of background noise did you hear with the plastic stock subplatter compared to the groovetracer? If you're able to put that in words, that is. I'm trying to decide if I should get one.

Just that the noise level was notably lower overall; it's the old "Blacks are blacker" adage. It's kind of hard to describe in the sense that there isn't more, there's less. It's kind of like trying to describe what putting a good suspension does on a motorcycle. You ride it and the bike doesn't do anything over the bumps. But that's the point; the bike was doing SOMETHING over the bumps before, and now it isn't. So, it's no longer calling attention to itself in your mind because it's not doing anything, rather than doing something. It's when you go back to the way it was that you now notice what was going on all along. This is something I found out about comparing improvements to audio systems long ago; when things get better, it can be hard to put your finger on what the improvement is because your not hearing "problems" anymore. It's when you go back to the way it was before when you figure out what the problems were, "Oh, now I hear what the problems were! Doh!"

If I had to try to be more specific, I would say that the surface noise was reduced, and overall, the noise level has gone down, so that the entire presentation of the music being played is more "musical", if that helps. That is, the music sounds clearer, more lifelike, more dynamic, with better tonal shadings and more accurate instrumental timbres. On some LP's, it is so quiet, even with the gain turned up to 80dB on the Dynaudio Audience 72's (which are an awesome speaker, BTW), I cannot hear any noise from the turntable between tracks.

If you have a Rega, as far as I am concerned, this is a no-brainer.

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That really looks nice Stephen. Glad it really helps with the sound. I hope this is not a stupid question, but if you have compared, how does the Sonata compare with some of the moving coil cartridges out there and maybe even to the less expensive Grado cartridges? I know that is a broad question but thought I would ask.

Thanks for the review Stephen.

Steve

Steve,
Here is a "review" of sorts I posted a while back on the Grado Sonata. I don't necessarily want to hijack this thread, but I guess since I started it, I can hijack it (with all due respect to the other forum members).

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posted by Stephen Scharf on AK
While my much-loved Grace F9E Ruby is at Soundsmith awaiting a retipping/new cantilever, I bought an interim Grado Prestige 1 Blue.

It was a nice enough cartridge, nice and musical and pretty detailed when listening to fairly easy music to track. But when passages became more modulated and complex, louder and/or higher in pitch, the tracking would give up the ghost and it was pretty unpleasant to hear, with pinched highs and a congested sound.

I went in to my local store yesterday, to listen the Grado Reference Sonata, which I've read great reviews about...

This store sells from the entry level to the extremely high end, and yet they use the Grado Reference Sonata even in their very high-end turntables.

Reason? The reason the store owner gave me is that they just sound better than anything else...and he carries all the expensive stuff like Koetsu, etc.

But whenever I go in there they are always listening to a record with this cartridge, in fact it is the only cartridge they have installed on all their store turntables.

After auditioning one, I bought a cryogenically-treated Grado Reference Sonata and came home and installed it in the SME III on my Rega.

After a day of listening to it (it's only got 7-8 hours on it...), I have to say it is the nicest and most enjoyable cartridges I've ever heard. All the expected improvements are there: tracking, detail, air, instrument defintion and timbre, dimensionality, all that good stuff. It sonic character blends beautfiully with the Era Design 4s as the Grado is a little laid back in the upper upper mids, lower treble, and Era is a little forward in that area.

But the most enjoyable thing is that it is just a very "musical" sounding cartridge; capable of being forceful or delicate, loud or soft, yet never strained, just very, very pleasant to listen to. Music just sounds "right" with this cartridge.

Wonderful, just wonderful...

and:

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I've been listening to the Grado tonight on this incredible album that I bought many years ago, The Chieftains 5 on Island Records.

The Grado Sonata is doing just amazing things with this truly excellent-quality recording of complex and absolutely wonderful music.

The Chieftains are 7-person group who play traditional Irish music, with traditional celtic instruments ranging from uillieann pipes, tin whistle, harp, ubridy flute, celtic fiddle, oboe, timp

Yeah, I wish I could put a Rega RB300 arm in my Rega, Jan.

I am thinking of getting a P5 sometime next year, and putting the Sonata in that, and putting my Grace back in the Smeee III.

But, I am listening to a jazz album right now of Ron Carter and things sound pretty sweet....

Great description of the differences between the Grado and good MC's...I heard a Sumiko BP Evo III the week before last when auditioning my Dynaudio's, and it was just as you describe. Incredible amounts of detail (maybe even a bit too much for my tastes), but a bit cool, and not as musical as the Grado. My Dynaudio's sound even better at home than they did when I auditioned them at Audio Visions in The City.

I bought the Groovetracer acrylic platter at the same time that I bought the subplatter. It is beautifully made and looks gorgeous on the Rega. Frank Smillie put a lot of work into so that it's mass would match the glass platter/mat stock system.

But, after a month of using it, I returned it as I felt it did not sound as good in my system as the glass platter and felt mat. It was less open-sounding, and smeared detail in the upper bass and lower mids. Bear in mind that this was with my system (a Planar 3 and SME III from 1981), so YMMV. It may work really, really well on a Rega with an RB301 tonearm and different cartridge set-up. I would definitely recommend trying it out and seeing if it works for you in your own system if you're interested in an acrylic platter.

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If you would care to experiment with some feet, try this set up.

Go to the plumbing supplies department of any good home improvement store. Buy at least three rubber QuikCaps. These are rubber caps used to cap off the end of a pipe. They will have a metal cinch on them to draw them up tight to the pipe. Every one I've seen has a slight depression in its top surface.

You can experiment with size if you like or buy whatever diameter you feel is appropriate. I use 3"'ers under my VPI Scout and 4"'ers under my tube pre amp. You'll quickly figure out that the diameter of the Cap will set the resonant frequency of the "suspension".

Stop in the sporting goods department and buy three squash or racquet balls.

The balls go into the center depression of the QuikCap and the whole piece goes under the equipment with the underside of the gear resting on the small apex of the ball. This should give you a better, less wobbly support for a turntable than the inner tube provides.

Your goal, if you like the sound of the QuikCaps/balls, is to achieve the type of bounce that sets a Linn LP12 owner's heart aflutter. Pushing directly down on the table's center the bounce should be only in the vertical direction. Any side to side wobble and you should add more Caps/balls or play with placement of the existing systems until the new suspension runs as desired.

If you wish, have the home supply store cut you a sheet of 3/4" birch plywood (3/4" MDF if you prefer, though the two materials will sound different) to a size just slightly larger than your table's dimensions. Place this between the balls and the table's existing feet.

The new suspension will cost about $20 max. Try it and let me know what you think.

This sounds like fun. Thanks, Jan.

I will try this out as a project during my "week between X-mas and New Year's break".

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If you would care to experiment with some feet, try this set up.

Go to the plumbing supplies department of any good home improvement store. Buy at least three rubber QuikCaps. These are rubber caps used to cap off the end of a pipe. They will have a metal cinch on them to draw them up tight to the pipe. Every one I've seen has a slight depression in its top surface.

You can experiment with size if you like or buy whatever diameter you feel is appropriate. I use 3"'ers under my VPI Scout and 4"'ers under my tube pre amp. You'll quickly figure out that the diameter of the Cap will set the resonant frequency of the "suspension".

Stop in the sporting goods department and buy three squash or racquet balls.

The balls go into the center depression of the QuikCap and the whole piece goes under the equipment with the underside of the gear resting on the small apex of the ball. This should give you a better, less wobbly support for a turntable than the inner tube provides.

Your goal, if you like the sound of the QuikCaps/balls, is to achieve the type of bounce that sets a Linn LP12 owner's heart aflutter. Pushing directly down on the table's center the bounce should be only in the vertical direction. Any side to side wobble and you should add more Caps/balls or play with placement of the existing systems until the new suspension runs as desired.

If you wish, have the home supply store cut you a sheet of 3/4" birch plywood (3/4" MDF if you prefer, though the two materials will sound different) to a size just slightly larger than your table's dimensions. Place this between the balls and the table's existing feet.

The new suspension will cost about $20 max. Try it and let me know what you think.

Okay, I got my Christmas shopping all done, so tomorrow I will be going to Orchard or Home Depot and getting some Quick Caps; then off to Any Mountain for some squash balls. Will report back.

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If you would care to experiment with some feet, try this set up.

Go to the plumbing supplies department of any good home improvement store. Buy at least three rubber QuikCaps. Stop in the sporting goods department and buy three squash or racquet balls.

The balls go into the center depression of the QuikCap and the whole piece goes under the equipment with the underside of the gear resting on the small apex of the ball. Try it and let me know what you think.

I tried it with 2" Quik-Caps and squash balls and it sounds really good. The sound is open, airy, and spacious, with excellent imaging, and the bass performance seems improved, too. In fact, I put the foam bungs in the Dynaudio's ports as I was getting more bass than my little space could handle.

Haven't done an A/B yet....I'm too busy enjoying music!

Maybe in a day or so, I will compare inner tube with QCSB (QuikCapSquashBall).

Sade, on her debut album, Diamond Life, sounds pretty wonderful.

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Glad you like it so far, Stephen. I hope it works out for you. I didn't mention it but you should leave the cinch band on the Caps though, as always, it's your choice based on what you hear.

I was wondering about the cinch bands....I took them off as it distorted their shape a bit; I still have them and could put them back on and try it. How tight should they be?

Oh, makes sense.

I don't think I need them as my Rega isn't as heavy as the VPI. The sides of the caps are nice and straight.

MIne seem relatively squishy. I thought about getting racquetballs, which are in-between squash and tennis balls in size, and using them on the 3" Quik-caps, but the current set-up works really well.

As Jan pointed out, it is more stable than the inner tube with this set-up (I am using 4 balls/caps, one at each corner.)

Hi Steve,

Thanks for the info, but I have no idea how I would change the impedance for my cartridge.

-Stephen.