Will do!
Re deadness, have to say this is what I heard the last time I put our GR in the main system, with a Nagaoka MP500. It’s not what I heard the previous time, when I think I had an AT33EV on it. My take on it then is that it has the potential to sound that way to my ears, but it can probably by countered by other factors.I have been playing around with the DV20X2 on the GR.
To start with I played Don’t Know Why by Norah Jones. Blimey. It was the best I’d heard it and was somewhat amazed. So subtle and smooth and liquid and luscious. Yet so quiet and clean and clear.
Next up I played some Icehouse. Hmmmm. It was just not good at all. The crispness and attack had all disappeared and it was all a bit one dimensional and fat. Weird. Then I trawled through a few more indie albums and I was so disappointed. Put the VM540ML back on and it was all great again. So it’s not my ears or my mood, something was definitely off. I decided to give up and sulk for a day or two
After reflecting I realised the only thing I know that could have this kind of impact is tracking force. So I got out my little meter and set to exactly 2.0g (was probably around 2.1 previously). Pretty much the same. Dialled it back to 1.9g. Booom! Suddenly the DV was bouncing around to everything and I couldn’t stop playing stuff. Obvs Icehouse, Menzingers, Clash plus Amanda Marshall, Tanita Tikaram, Snuts, Elvis P. He he. Quite carried away I was. And finally back to Norah to make sure I wasn’t losing anything. OK, so she wasn’t maybe quite as deep and lush but still bloody majestic all the same.
So 0.1g made a huge difference! This is in the stock headshell. Im wondering about getting a 10g AT headshell and seeing if it makes the tracking weight less sensitive. Any thoughts?
I still have much playing about to do with the VM540ML, which so far I detect as being a little grainier but so full of life. Maybe I’ll end up preferring or at least being equally happy with the VM540 on indie/electronic music? I’m looking forward to finding out.
As an aside, it’s so easy to change cartridges and compare that it’s injecting some new life into this hobby for me. I’ll be saving up for a Nagoaka next! Thanks to this thread I’m going to be posting questions soon about interconnect cables and better matching the VM540 with the MM stage in my Luxman.
Probably the most interesting thing here is with the DV, that I’ve used on the LP12 for years, I don’t believe the GR gives away anything to my LP12/Ittok. I detect no loss of airiness or the old ‘boogie’ factor. In fact, there is more of the latter. And in other areas, because of system matching, the GR is streets ahead. It’s also built like a tank and is a joy to use, oddly more so than the LP12. It’s more tactile somehow and engaging, I will concede the queuing lever is probably the least satisfying aspect tho!
The other thing that I’m really curious about is this idea of deadness in the SL1200. I’m not sure I understand it. I’ve had an LP12 for many years of my life, and surely that’s supposed to be the epitome of a ‘live’ deck? I just don’t hear anything that makes me feel the GR is in any way dead. Yes, background noise has dropped hugely. Yes it’s crisp and almost CD like at times. But dead? No, definitely not. Obviously I have huge respect for Tony L and others with so much more experience of what’s out there, who feel this way. But personally, I’m a bit stumped!
I have been playing around with the DV20X2 on the GR.
To start with I played Don’t Know Why by Norah Jones. Blimey. It was the best I’d heard it and was somewhat amazed. So subtle and smooth and liquid and luscious. Yet so quiet and clean and clear.
Next up I played some Icehouse. Hmmmm. It was just not good at all. The crispness and attack had all disappeared and it was all a bit one dimensional and fat. Weird. Then I trawled through a few more indie albums and I was so disappointed. Put the VM540ML back on and it was all great again. So it’s not my ears or my mood, something was definitely off. I decided to give up and sulk for a day or two
After reflecting I realised the only thing I know that could have this kind of impact is tracking force. So I got out my little meter and set to exactly 2.0g (was probably around 2.1 previously). Pretty much the same. Dialled it back to 1.9g. Booom! Suddenly the DV was bouncing around to everything and I couldn’t stop playing stuff. Obvs Icehouse, Menzingers, Clash plus Amanda Marshall, Tanita Tikaram, Snuts, Elvis P. He he. Quite carried away I was. And finally back to Norah to make sure I wasn’t losing anything. OK, so she wasn’t maybe quite as deep and lush but still bloody majestic all the same.
So 0.1g made a huge difference! This is in the stock headshell. Im wondering about getting a 10g AT headshell and seeing if it makes the tracking weight less sensitive. Any thoughts?
I still have much playing about to do with the VM540ML, which so far I detect as being a little grainier but so full of life. Maybe I’ll end up preferring or at least being equally happy with the VM540 on indie/electronic music? I’m looking forward to finding out.
As an aside, it’s so easy to change cartridges and compare that it’s injecting some new life into this hobby for me. I’ll be saving up for a Nagoaka next! Thanks to this thread I’m going to be posting questions soon about interconnect cables and better matching the VM540 with the MM stage in my Luxman.
Probably the most interesting thing here is with the DV, that I’ve used on the LP12 for years, I don’t believe the GR gives away anything to my LP12/Ittok. I detect no loss of airiness or the old ‘boogie’ factor. In fact, there is more of the latter. And in other areas, because of system matching, the GR is streets ahead. It’s also built like a tank and is a joy to use, oddly more so than the LP12. It’s more tactile somehow and engaging, I will concede the queuing lever is probably the least satisfying aspect tho!
The other thing that I’m really curious about is this idea of deadness in the SL1200. I’m not sure I understand it. I’ve had an LP12 for many years of my life, and surely that’s supposed to be the epitome of a ‘live’ deck? I just don’t hear anything that makes me feel the GR is in any way dead. Yes, background noise has dropped hugely. Yes it’s crisp and almost CD like at times. But dead? No, definitely not. Obviously I have huge respect for Tony L and others with so much more experience of what’s out there, who feel this way. But personally, I’m a bit stumped!
