AudioNervosa
Systemic Development => Analog Devices => Topic started by: tmazz on July 22, 2021, 06:00:48 PM
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The suspension on my Benz Micro glider collapsed so I had to seek out a new cartridge. After listening to Peter Ledermann speak at the NJ Audiophile Society zoom meeting a few weeks ago I diced to go with something from Soundsmith. I just really liked his design philosophy adn the way he approaches the physics of phono reproduction.
I ordered a Soundsmith Carmen Mk II ES. The tracking report from USPS says that the package has reached Metro NY so I am hopeful that the cart will be in my hands by either tomorrow or Saturday. 8)
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I’ve always enjoyed listening to Peter Ledermann and Frank Schroeder as well. I just looked up the Carmen Mk II ES on the web. Is this your first moving iron cartridge?
I think this is the NJ Audiophile Society meeting you mentioned…
https://sound-smith.com/reviews/positive-feedback-review-carmen-mk-ii
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In the past I tried two different wood body Grados. I really liked the way they sounded, but they were not shielded and picked up too much hum from my TT motor, so I could not use them.
I spoke with the folks at Soundsmith and they assured me that their carts have been install on many VPI tables and they never came across with them picking up motor noise.
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In the past I tried two different wood body Grados. I really liked the way they sounded, but they were not shielded and picked up too much hum from my TT motor, so I could not use them.
I spoke with the folks at Soundsmith and they assured me that their carts have been install on many VPI tables and they never came across with them picking up motor noise.
Same old song, so to speak, with the Grados…sound great and pick up too much hum…
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Nick, that was a video of Peter's talk. Thanks so much for puttng up that link.
I have a friend who was looking forward to hearing what Peter had to say. Unfortunately he ended up getting rushed to the hospital that afternoon causing home to miss it (His problem was resolved and he is in good health now. :clap:)
I will be passing the link on to him and I am sure he will be very happy to get a second change at seeing Peter's talk. :thumb:
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In the past I tried two different wood body Grados. I really liked the way they sounded, but they were not shielded and picked up too much hum from my TT motor, so I could not use them.
I spoke with the folks at Soundsmith and they assured me that their carts have been install on many VPI tables and they never came across with them picking up motor noise.
Same old song, so to speak, with the Grados…sound great and pick up too much hum…
It was definitely an issue with my HW-19 because it was fairly quiet at the beginning of a record but as the arm got closer to the center (and therefore closer to the motor), the hum got louder and louder. I have been told that the lower output versions of the wood body Grados did not have the same problem as the lower number of wraps on the coils reduced the sensitivity to inductive hum, but I never had the opportunity to try one on my table.
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Nick, that was a video of Peter's talk. Thanks so much for puttng up that link.
I have a friend who was looking forward to hearing what Peter had to say. Unfortunately he ended up getting rushed to the hospital that afternoon causing home to miss it (His problem was resolved and he is in good health now. :clap:)
I will be passing the link on to him and I am sure he will be very happy to get a second change at seeing Peter's talk. :thumb:
That’s great, Tom. Glad I found it :thumb:
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I enjoy my Soundsmith Zephyr Mk3, and all the re-tips Peter has done for me, very much. Good luck with your Carmen! :thumb:
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The new cart arrived this afternoon. I mounted it , gave it an initial alignment and then preceded with an inaugural spin of what else, The Carmen Suite (Alexander Gibson/Royal Opera House Orchestra Covent Garden.)
The first thing I noticed was as compared to the Micro Benz (I played the same record using it right before I swapped the carts) was that the Carmen picked up significantly less surface noise, resulting in a quieter, blacker background. It also a much more defined and realistic sense of space. Instruments really took ownership of the space they were in . Instead of a instrument being on the right side it was in very specific spot on the right side. Is lead to a very clear sense of not only where the instruments were, but also where they weren't.
Next up The Harry James King James Version for Sheffield. The Carmen track this on without ever breaking a sweat. Since it handled Harry James with such ease I figure I would give it a real tracking test, The Telarc 1812 LP with the big cannon blasts. I have owned cartridges with significantly higher price tags than the Carmen that couldn't come close to tracking this record. In fact the Sumiko Blackbird, which lists for 25% more than the Carmen, actually jumped off the record every time it hit a cannon blast and laded several groves way from the blast. The Carmen sailed through this record without even a hiccup. Very impressive. Now I have to say that it was late and my wife was already in bed so I played this with the volume just loud enough to let me listen for mistracking. I will try it again tomorrow to see if the air compressing in the room from the cannon blast at a more typical value will have any effect on how the Carmen tracks this record.
At this point I am very happy with what I have heard so far.
More updates as things develop.
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Congrats Tom. A good cartridge is truly an enjoyment that lets you forget what those suckers actually cost.
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Congrats, Tom... Can't wait to hear it one day!
Cheers,
Pete
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The new cart arrived this afternoon. I mounted it , gave it an initial alignment and then preceded with an inaugural spin of what else, The Carmen Suite (Alexander Gibson/Royal Opera House Orchestra Covent Garden.)
The first thing I noticed was as compared to the Micro Benz (I played the same record using it right before I swapped the carts) was that the Carmen picked up significantly less surface noise, resulting in a quieter, blacker background. It also a much more defined and realistic sense of space. Instruments really took ownership of the space they were in . Instead of a instrument being on the right side it was in very specific spot on the right side. Is lead to a very clear sense of not only where the instruments were, but also where they weren't.
Next up The Harry James King James Version for Sheffield. The Carmen track this on without ever breaking a sweat. Since it handled Harry James with such ease I figure I would give it a real tracking test, The Telarc 1812 LP with the big cannon blasts. I have owned cartridges with significantly higher price tags than the Carmen that couldn't come close to tracking this record. In fact the Sumiko Blackbird, which lists for 25% more than the Carmen, actually jumped off the record every time it hit a cannon blast and laded several groves way from the blast. The Carmen sailed through this record without even a hiccup. Very impressive. Now I have to say that it was late and my wife was already in bed so I played this with the volume just loud enough to let me listen for mistracking. I will try it again tomorrow to see if the air compressing in the room from the cannon blast at a more typical value will have any effect on how the Carmen tracks this record.
At this point I am very happy with what I have heard so far.
More updates as things develop.
Congrats, Tom. The Carmen seems to be quite a bargain when taking into account the low noise and tracking capabilities. I’ll be curious to know how the walls will withstand the Telarc 1812 being played during daylight hours 💥
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Let us know what you think after a week or two. A new cartridge is always a cool experience. :thumb:
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Let us know what you think after a week or two. A new cartridge is always a cool experience. :thumb:
I will.
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The new cart arrived this afternoon. I mounted it , gave it an initial alignment and then preceded with an inaugural spin of what else, The Carmen Suite (Alexander Gibson/Royal Opera House Orchestra Covent Garden.)
The first thing I noticed was as compared to the Micro Benz (I played the same record using it right before I swapped the carts) was that the Carmen picked up significantly less surface noise, resulting in a quieter, blacker background. It also a much more defined and realistic sense of space. Instruments really took ownership of the space they were in . Instead of a instrument being on the right side it was in very specific spot on the right side. Is lead to a very clear sense of not only where the instruments were, but also where they weren't.
Next up The Harry James King James Version for Sheffield. The Carmen track this on without ever breaking a sweat. Since it handled Harry James with such ease I figure I would give it a real tracking test, The Telarc 1812 LP with the big cannon blasts. I have owned cartridges with significantly higher price tags than the Carmen that couldn't come close to tracking this record. In fact the Sumiko Blackbird, which lists for 25% more than the Carmen, actually jumped off the record every time it hit a cannon blast and laded several groves way from the blast. The Carmen sailed through this record without even a hiccup. Very impressive. Now I have to say that it was late and my wife was already in bed so I played this with the volume just loud enough to let me listen for mistracking. I will try it again tomorrow to see if the air compressing in the room from the cannon blast at a more typical value will have any effect on how the Carmen tracks this record.
At this point I am very happy with what I have heard so far.
More updates as things develop.
Congrats, Tom. The Carmen seems to be quite a bargain when taking into account the low noise and tracking capabilities. I’ll be curious to know how the walls will withstand the Telarc 1812 being played during daylight hours 💥
I played the 1812 again this afternoon with the volume turned up as loud as I dared to. The walls shook, the cannon blasts hit you in the chest and the Carmen still tracked the record just like it was something with a "normal" dynamic rage. This record gave the cart (and my subs) quite a workout and it never broke a sweat. I was very impressed.
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The new cart arrived this afternoon. I mounted it , gave it an initial alignment and then preceded with an inaugural spin of what else, The Carmen Suite (Alexander Gibson/Royal Opera House Orchestra Covent Garden.)
The first thing I noticed was as compared to the Micro Benz (I played the same record using it right before I swapped the carts) was that the Carmen picked up significantly less surface noise, resulting in a quieter, blacker background. It also a much more defined and realistic sense of space. Instruments really took ownership of the space they were in . Instead of a instrument being on the right side it was in very specific spot on the right side. Is lead to a very clear sense of not only where the instruments were, but also where they weren't.
Next up The Harry James King James Version for Sheffield. The Carmen track this on without ever breaking a sweat. Since it handled Harry James with such ease I figure I would give it a real tracking test, The Telarc 1812 LP with the big cannon blasts. I have owned cartridges with significantly higher price tags than the Carmen that couldn't come close to tracking this record. In fact the Sumiko Blackbird, which lists for 25% more than the Carmen, actually jumped off the record every time it hit a cannon blast and laded several groves way from the blast. The Carmen sailed through this record without even a hiccup. Very impressive. Now I have to say that it was late and my wife was already in bed so I played this with the volume just loud enough to let me listen for mistracking. I will try it again tomorrow to see if the air compressing in the room from the cannon blast at a more typical value will have any effect on how the Carmen tracks this record.
At this point I am very happy with what I have heard so far.
More updates as things develop.
Congrats, Tom. The Carmen seems to be quite a bargain when taking into account the low noise and tracking capabilities. I’ll be curious to know how the walls will withstand the Telarc 1812 being played during daylight hours 💥
I played the 1812 again this afternoon with the volume turned up as loud as I dared to. The walls shook, the cannon blasts hit you in the chest and the Carmen still tracked the record just like it was something with a "normal" dynamic rage. This record gave the cart (and my subs) quite a workout and it never broke a sweat. I was very impressed.
👍 👏 😊
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The new cart arrived this afternoon. I mounted it , gave it an initial alignment and then preceded with an inaugural spin of what else, The Carmen Suite (Alexander Gibson/Royal Opera House Orchestra Covent Garden.)
The first thing I noticed was as compared to the Micro Benz (I played the same record using it right before I swapped the carts) was that the Carmen picked up significantly less surface noise, resulting in a quieter, blacker background. It also a much more defined and realistic sense of space. Instruments really took ownership of the space they were in . Instead of a instrument being on the right side it was in very specific spot on the right side. Is lead to a very clear sense of not only where the instruments were, but also where they weren't.
Next up The Harry James King James Version for Sheffield. The Carmen track this on without ever breaking a sweat. Since it handled Harry James with such ease I figure I would give it a real tracking test, The Telarc 1812 LP with the big cannon blasts. I have owned cartridges with significantly higher price tags than the Carmen that couldn't come close to tracking this record. In fact the Sumiko Blackbird, which lists for 25% more than the Carmen, actually jumped off the record every time it hit a cannon blast and laded several groves way from the blast. The Carmen sailed through this record without even a hiccup. Very impressive. Now I have to say that it was late and my wife was already in bed so I played this with the volume just loud enough to let me listen for mistracking. I will try it again tomorrow to see if the air compressing in the room from the cannon blast at a more typical value will have any effect on how the Carmen tracks this record.
At this point I am very happy with what I have heard so far.
More updates as things develop.
I was going to say T, that if your cartridge is anywhere close to the Accutex 320STR moving iron, I think you are going to absolutely love it. I have been sold on moving iron ever since I got mine.
cheers
steve
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In the past I tried two different wood body Grados. I really liked the way they sounded, but they were not shielded and picked up too much hum from my TT motor, so I could not use them.
I spoke with the folks at Soundsmith and they assured me that their carts have been install on many VPI tables and they never came across with them picking up motor noise.
And as far as the hum goes the Carmen is dead quite with absolutely no hum at all. :D
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The latest report on the cartridge T?
cheers
steve
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I still need to put some more hours on it before I do the final alignment tweaking, but so far I am very impressed.
Tracks very well and it is the quietest cartridge I have owned.
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One thing I do notice about the Carmen is that it makes the loudest noise when hitting the bump stop at teh end of the dead wax of any cartridge that I have ever heard. I'm not sure why.
Not that it is a problem, it just seems a bit strange to me.
Steve does your MI cart behave like this as well?
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One thing I do notice about the Carmen is that it makes the loudest noise when hitting the bump stop at teh end of the dead wax of any cartridge that I have ever heard. I'm not sure why.
Not that it is a problem, it just seems a bit strange to me.
Steve does your MI cart behave like this as well?
I would not say it does T, but I usually try to lift the needle before the end. I don't have a huge library, I can try some LPs tomorrow and modify my post.
There were a couple of different versions of my 320STR cartridge T, which could affect the "pop".
Below is my "brick" version specs, same color body. I wonder what it would cost new today? It sounds wonderful.
Specifications
Stylus: Perfect Vital STR™ polished natural gemstone, shibata type configuration
Frequency response: 20 Hz to 45 kHz
Channel separation: minimum 33db
Output voltage: 3.2 mV
Channel balance: within 1dB
Impedance: 2.7 k ohms
DC resistance: 580 ohms
Load resistance: 47K ohms
Compliance: 42 x 10-6 cm/dyne at 100 Hz
Tracking force range: 1.5 to 2.3g
Overall dimensions: 29 mm. x 18 mm. x 16mm
Net weight: 5.45g
Mounting: standard 1/2" (12.7mm)
I have heard through a friend that others have claimed that this cartridge needs a 100k ohm load, not 47k. 100K load is a wow.
Cheers
steve
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Hi T,
No popping, but sometimes there is a click. Does it occur on every LP you play?
cheers
steve
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Across the board. It is not really any different that the bumpstop sound I got out of previous cartridges, just significantly louder. When I get a chance I am going to call Soundsmith and see if they can tell me why.
It's not that I consider it a bad thing per se, just something I am curious about.
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Hi T,
It has been a little while now and I was wondering if it is broken in, and if so how you rate it? If it has dropped, no sweat. Just curious so I can either recommend or not.
Cheers and thanks T.
steve
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Steve the Carmen is most definitely a keeper.
As far as characteristics, this is the third cartridge that I have owned in the $1k price range (The other two being a Sumiko Blackbird and a Benz-Micro Gilder which were both about $200 more expensive and I think the Carmen is definitely the best of that bunch) I thought the Blackbird and the Glider were pretty
close in sound, but the Carmen beats them in the following respects:
1) it has better base response,which is not all that surprising considering we are comparing similarly priced moving coil carts to a moving iron.
2) The soundstage was a little wider and deeper, but the interesting thing about the way it imaged was that instruments tended to own the space they were in. The effect was not as prevalent with an orchestra, which has more of a continuous soundscape, but with something like a small jazz combo the individual instruments were not only clearly defined in space but also had more of a 3d image. Instead of sounding like a point source of sound emanating fro a spot on the soundstage the Carmen projected an image that sounded more like the instrument was coming from an area in the stage that had a sense of width height and depth to it, which is more like what you would hear in an actual live performance.
3) Finally the Carmen is the quietest cartridge I have ever owned. The dead space between songs and in the lead in and outro space were dead quiet. I am not talking about clicks and pops but rather the grunge that comes from dragging a stylus across apiece of vinyl even when it has no grooves. Not only was it nice to not hear noise between songs, but the lack of that grunge was also noticeable on quite sections of music and not having it constantly there removed a bit of veiling when the music was playing.
All in all I an very happy with the Carmen and think it is a great choice for anyone looking to buy a cart in that price range. And the fact that Soundsmith will rebuild the Carmen at any time for around $250 instead of the 75% of MSRP that other companies charge really made this an easy choice for me for a long term cartridge.
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Steve the Carmen is most definitely a keeper.
As far as characteristics, this is the third cartridge that I have owned in the $1k price range (The other two being a Sumiko Blackbird and a Benz-Micro Gilder which were both about $200 more expensive and I think the Carmen is definitely the best of that bunch) I thought the Blackbird and the Glider were pretty
close in sound, but the Carmen beats them in the following respects:
1) it has better base response,which is not all that surprising considering we are comparing similarly priced moving coil carts to a moving iron.
2) The soundstage was a little wider and deeper, but the interesting thing about the way it imaged was that instruments tended to own the space they were in. The effect was not as prevalent with an orchestra, which has more of a continuous soundscape, but with something like a small jazz combo the individual instruments were not only clearly defined in space but also had more of a 3d image. Instead of sounding like a point source of sound emanating fro a spot on the soundstage the Carmen projected an image that sounded more like the instrument was coming from an area in the stage that had a sense of width height and depth to it, which is more like what you would hear in an actual live performance.
3) Finally the Carmen is the quietest cartridge I have ever owned. The dead space between songs and in the lead in and outro space were dead quiet. I am not talking about clicks and pops but rather the grunge that comes from dragging a stylus across apiece of vinyl even when it has no grooves. Not only was it nice to not hear noise between songs, but the lack of that grunge was also noticeable on quite sections of music and not having it constantly there removed a bit of veiling when the music was playing.
All in all I an very happy with the Carmen and think it is a great choice for anyone looking to buy a cart in that price range. And the fact that Soundsmith will rebuild the Carmen at any time for around $250 instead of the 75% of MSRP that other companies charge really made this an easy choice for me for a long term cartridge.
Nice, interesting write up, Tom. Did you ever get a chance to ask Soundsmith regarding the loud bumpstop noise?
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Congrats on the Carmen. I took a chance on a used Hyperion several months ago and it is by far the best cartridge I’ve ever heard. I also got the bug after watching Peter’s videoed speeches.
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Steve the Carmen is most definitely a keeper.
As far as characteristics, this is the third cartridge that I have owned in the $1k price range (The other two being a Sumiko Blackbird and a Benz-Micro Gilder which were both about $200 more expensive and I think the Carmen is definitely the best of that bunch) I thought the Blackbird and the Glider were pretty
close in sound, but the Carmen beats them in the following respects:
1) it has better base response,which is not all that surprising considering we are comparing similarly priced moving coil carts to a moving iron.
2) The soundstage was a little wider and deeper, but the interesting thing about the way it imaged was that instruments tended to own the space they were in. The effect was not as prevalent with an orchestra, which has more of a continuous soundscape, but with something like a small jazz combo the individual instruments were not only clearly defined in space but also had more of a 3d image. Instead of sounding like a point source of sound emanating fro a spot on the soundstage the Carmen projected an image that sounded more like the instrument was coming from an area in the stage that had a sense of width height and depth to it, which is more like what you would hear in an actual live performance.
3) Finally the Carmen is the quietest cartridge I have ever owned. The dead space between songs and in the lead in and outro space were dead quiet. I am not talking about clicks and pops but rather the grunge that comes from dragging a stylus across apiece of vinyl even when it has no grooves. Not only was it nice to not hear noise between songs, but the lack of that grunge was also noticeable on quite sections of music and not having it constantly there removed a bit of veiling when the music was playing.
All in all I an very happy with the Carmen and think it is a great choice for anyone looking to buy a cart in that price range. And the fact that Soundsmith will rebuild the Carmen at any time for around $250 instead of the 75% of MSRP that other companies charge really made this an easy choice for me for a long term cartridge.
Sorry for the response delay Tom as Sis has arrived for a visit.
Thanks for your review. Your cartridge review sounded very very similar to my experience with the Accutex 320STR in every area, except the thump at LPs end. The sound quality is outstanding and I don't even think of obtaining an mc or mm cartridge.
Thinking it over, the moving iron seems to have the advantages of both the mc and mm but not the disadvantages of
either.
Nice write up as well; clear and easy to understand.
Thanks again for your time and efforts Tom. Much appreciated.
steve