Phono Cartridge Reviews

Talisman S MC phono cartridge Associated Equipment

Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment

The system I use for audition of components is one which has given me much listening pleasure over the years and has not stressed my rather limited budget. The front end consists of the Systemdek IIX turntable to which is attached a vintage Infinity Black Widow II tonearm. This unit sits on Tiptoes, which, in turn, rest upon a solid birch shelf. The preamplifier is the much admired PS Audio Model 4.5, used in its Straightwire mode with the MM/MC switch set to MC. This configuration gave me more than enough gain to listen at realistic volume levels, even with the relatively low output of the Talisman. Indeed, the volume pot of the 4.5 was rarely set above 2 o'clock.

Feeding my Acoustat Model 2 loudspeakers are a pair of Kenwood L-07M monoblock amplifiers. Speaker cable is Fulton Brown, terminated with Monster Cable X-Terminators at the amps and Pamona bananas at the speakers. Records are routinely cleaned with a VPI Model HW-16 record-cleaning machine, and an AudioQuest electronic stylus cleaner is used to keep the "gunk" off the diamond.

The listening room, set in a 130-year-old frame house, measures 15' x 17'. The ceiling is 11' high and the room is blessed (!) with hardwood floors. Listening is done 7' away from the toed-in Acoustats. The room is quite "live"; I hope, in the near future, to install some sound-absorbing material on the walls or place Tube Traps in the corners. —Guy Lemcoe

COMPANY INFO
Sumiko, a division of the Fine Sounds Group
6655 Wedgwood Road N Suite 115
Maple Grove, MN 55311-2814
(510) 843-4500
www.sumikoaudio.net
ARTICLE CONTENTS

COMMENTS
tonykaz's picture
Submitted by tonykaz on June 4, 2020 - 4:12pm

I was a stocking Dealer for Sumiko in the 1980s . My Esoteric Audio was a Turntable Specialist Shop.

I ( we ) had all three of these Cartridges in Stock and on Demo. They were excellent Sellers, out performing everything we Stocked except the Koetsu range.

Monster responded with their Alpha Cartridge which I also stocked and had on Demo. The Absolute Sound gave the Monster a unearned superb review, causing a sudden burst in Monster Sales at the $300 price point.

Customers demonstrating all the above cartridges showed the Monster to be inferior yet folks believed TAS more than thier own listening experience.

This is a cautionary tale, reviews will not typically reflect a ownership experience.

Tony in Venice

ps. the Koetsu consistently outperformed everything out there, for a hefty price. ( $600- $1,300 in 1985 Dollars ). I learned of Koetsu from John Atkinson ( thank you Mr.JA1 ) I still think that you are the highest integrity person in Audio Print.

Ortofan's picture
Submitted by Ortofan on June 5, 2020 - 7:07am

... quality of sound reproduction - according to J. Gordon Holt -
"sounded astoundingly like the original program sources from which discs had been cut—master tapes or direct-wire feeds from the microphones", then you would have chosen an Ortofon MC3000.

https://www.stereophile.com/content/ortofon-mc-3000-mc-phono-cartridge-j-gordon-holt-november-1988

A bit earlier in the decade, you could have had an Ortofon MC2000, which J. Gordon Holt said was "the best-sounding moving-coil cartridge I have ever heard!" and "this cartridge does everything right that all the other MCs have done wrong or almost-right-but-not-quite."

https://www.stereophile.com/phonocartridges/ortofon_mc-2000_mc_phono_cartridge/index.html

tonykaz's picture
Submitted by tonykaz on June 5, 2020 - 8:26am

I carried the first of the super pricy, ultra low output Ortofon MC Phono Cartridges. I cant recall the model no. or name. ( I think it was 1000 ) Ortofon offered their own matching Step-up Device which was also super pricy. It was 1985ish.

These devices got rave reviews. I couldn't get them to perform well. My Ortofon Rep. Tex Morton convinced me to carry the entire Ortofon line which turned out to be a Profit Center.

I'd enjoy carrying the entire Ortofon Line today, to sell on eBay. It's a high point line that earned a good reputation with everyday people.

As Ortofon began launching Phono Carts for the high end, I was closing down all of our Audio businesses. PCM was coming on strong and folk were abandoning their record players. Since I was a Turntable dominated Shop, my monthly sales plummeted.

I was happy to return to the Transportation Industry.

Tex Morton was one of the great guys in Audio ( kinda like our JA ) , I miss him

Tony in Venice

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