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I have to laugh . . . the AT VM95E vs the Grado Sonata

so any personal experiences with “down grading” from MC to MM would be appreciated.
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I "downgraded" many moons ago from expensive Koetsu, Kiseki, Dynavector, SPU..you name it MC's to cartridges much cheaper.

The most expensive I have currently are AT-VM95SH, Hana EH, 2M Bronze & Goldring 1042, the latter need a replacement stylus, I consider trying the 1022X once this is convenient. On the list for new ventures are New Grado Opus, a Vivid Vessel, maybe a few others, done for next century.
 
I agree with you Matt and maybe it was wishful thinking on my part, so I’ll call this a “stop-gap” and sensibly look at getting the Lyra rebuilt or going for something else. Like the Hana ML(?)
 
matt j said:
It's not that I find MMs bad in any way, but every time I have tried going back it always feels like something is missing.
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I think that's a fair comment. MC has that air and space lacking in most MM carts.

My caveat would be 'if all else is equal'. If you swap a decent MC for a MM in the same arm, you're hearing a drop probably. But, upgrade the arm the MM is on and it's not so clear. When I was running MM carts on the RP10 it was beating the MC carts I'd had on the LP12. The deck and arm define what the cartridge can do.
 
Mr Pig said:
I think that's a fair comment. MC has that air and space lacking in most MM carts.

My caveat would be 'if all else is equal'. If you swap a decent MC for a MM in the same arm, you're hearing a drop probably. But, upgrade the arm the MM is on and it's not so clear. When I was running MM carts on the RP10 it was beating the MC carts I'd had on the LP12. The deck and arm define what the cartridge can do.
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My counter to that is the difference a phono stage can make. An MC cart through a transimpedance phono stage is the best vinyl I've ever heard regardless of what deck or arm they're fitted to. But because of that it's impossible to directly compare a MM and MC in the same deck/arm/phono stage set up.
 
Mr Pig said:
Yes exactly. There are so many variables and all I'm saying is that it's a mistake to think that if you've got a MC you've got a better sound than someone who runs MM. You might not have.
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"Better" is all relative though isn't it? I mean, the things an MC cart does better than an MM might be completely irrelevant to 50% of people, in which case they might prefer their cheap MM over ANY high end MC regardless.
 
@kanwar best move is to trade the Lyra using the Lyra exchange scheme or sell it on so someone else can, any other retipping services and it's no longer a Lyra

I've recently started using a Hana ML, it's a nice sounding MC though not as peppy or forward sounding as the typical Lyra house sound, no complaints though.
 
matt j said:
"Better" is all relative though isn't it? I mean, the things an MC cart does better than an MM might be completely irrelevant to 50% of people, in which case they might prefer their cheap MM over ANY high end MC regardless.
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Yes. Completely agree. In the wrong context a MC can sound dull and lacking solidity.
 
I have a PU 9 on a heavily modified Linn (not really a Linn anymore), the Teddy Pardo 2 box phono amp, so the potential for something mind blowing is there but I gotta also not go nuts; the Covid has put somewhat a dampers on the living I usually make, such is life.

I appreciate the input and enjoy the learning roller coaster I get from this site.
 
I like the main theme of the OP here, that a mid-fi AT cartridge can best a potentially over-priced cart.
But in this case, I have to push back against several invidious comparisons or troll-like slanders on Grado that sprouted here--
that a) they haven't known what they are about since 1985, that b) they put "moon rocks" on styli, or that
c) they are so obsessed with headphones that cartridges are a sloppy afterthought.
All baloney: and I testify here as a longtime fan of both Audio Technica (the 440, 540, 740, and black-shelled shibata MM variants)
and Grado's Red and Silver, e.g., which are similar carts to the AT 540 VM line, and which are preferable to ATs on some systems/ speakers.
Grado cares about craft; they have great, intelligent customer service. I have experienced no hokum in their dealings with me, and they have an excellent cost/ result ratio. Their Red, esp., is a prize in mid-fi and is precisely one of those solid bargains that makes one
dubious of the real room for sonic improvement given adjective-heavy, sky-kissing rhapsodies about moving coil or otherwise high dollah styli.
 
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It can take me months to make my mind up on comparisons like this. Quite often I opt for the cheaper option if the musical enjoyment is the same, regardless of 'sound'. When I was a young audio obsessive I used to care about the crispness of tinkling glass sound effects and such, now I just ask myself "does it rock?"

I'll still be very interested in your impressions though! :)[/QUOTE]


A man after my own ears- well said Sir.:)
 
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