Joy, Oh, Joy!

[allenzachary]

After suffering for years with not understanding why my turntable sounded so awful (and not investigating) I figured out that the cantilever on my Adcom XC-LT II was skewed to an unplayable angle.  While digging through a closet, I found a 30 year old, long since retired Adcom XC-LT original, with cantilever and stylus intact.  I mounted it onto my Sumiko FT-3 tonearm and I am back in the analog business.  Gee it sounds good.

Vinyl.  Mmmmm.

[tmazz]

Welcome back! 

[richidoo]

Nice move Allen....

I didn't know Adcom made cartridges.

Noobs 

[allenzachary]

Yes indeed.  They made cartridges in the late '70's and early '80's.  Really good sounding ones, too.   

They were all high output moving coils- there branded design was called "Cross Coil" or "XC".  They offered an elliptical stylus (XC-E), a "line trace," (XC-LT) and a Van den Hul (XC-Van den Hul -no abbreviation on this one.  How 'bout those marketers cashing in after paying a hefty licensing fee?) They made two series, the later being Mark II.  Occasionally you will see the originals marketed under the SAE brand name, although Adcom and SAE were not affiliated.  The cartridges were made in Japan and distributed by Adcom when they were based in New Brunswick, NJ.

[richidoo]

Do you know who made them for Adcom?  I wonder if it is someone we know.   Is "high output MC" something like 4mV, or not so hot? 

My first serious hifi experience in the modern era was at a dealer who played my future speakers and amp with Adcom 850 DVD player. Super sound from that player.

[allenzachary]

I don't actually know who produced them for Adcom.  You got me thinking, though.  The guy who mentored me when I was a wee lad went on to be Adcom's service manager.  I haven't heard from him in over 25 years, but I think about him on occasion.  I looked him up, but only found his brother.  I sent his brother an email and am awaiting his response.  Maybe we can get all of the dirt on Adcom if I can get in touch with Kenny.

[tmazz]

Do you know who made them for Adcom?  I wonder if it is someone we know.   Is "high output MC" something like 4mV, or not so hot? 

According to the database on VinylEngine the Adcom HOMC cartridges had an output of 2.3mV.

And believe it or not, they not only manufactured their own, but also OEMed them for other companies.

"ADCOM began selling components in the '70s. Our first offerings weren't amplifiers, surprisingly, but phono cartridges! These weren't ordinary cartridges, however. They were extraordinarily musical "moving coil" designs that extracted a lot of information from a record groove. These early "CrossCoil" cartridges were unique in two ways: They were affordable (does this sound familiar?) and their innovative high-output design meant that consumers didn't need expensive and finicky "step-up" transformers" as they did for other moving coils.

These products were so successful that other companies asked us to begin making cartridges for them, too! And so we became a manufacturer! "

See the full Adcom history article at:
http://www.adcom.com/history.aspx

[richidoo]

The cartridges were made in Japan and distributed by Adcom when they were based in New Brunswick, NJ.

Oh I see now (said the blind man...) I mis interpreted you that they were made by someone else.  That is a cool story. That's how companies get started. One small idea, mixed with love and enthusiasm attracts other good ideas and people who want to do the same as you.

At what output voltage do you switch to a (60dB gain) MC preamp?

[tmazz]

At what output voltage do you switch to a (60dB gain) MC preamp?

I think that it would really depend on what preamp you are using. I know that I have seen people using low output moving coils in the area of0.5mv with my SP-9, but a lot of preamps don't have that much gain in the inboard phone stage.

[richidoo]

80dB total works good with my 4mV, with 40dB Vista MM phono amp and 40dB integrated.  Always wondered if the vista would power a HO MC without changing to MC setting (internal mods). I need to learn to do that myself, maybe install a switch. I can try it in MM mode on Carl's ho MC sometime. Thanks Tom

[allenzachary]

Right.  The "MM" setting is based on output levels of cartridges, not on a EQ curve.  Typical Moving Coil cartridges have an output below 1mV.  Moving Magnet cartridges and high output MC cartridges tend to me over 2mV.   I used to have the actual test readout for the cartridge I reinstalled.  I can't remember its output but typically Adcoms ran at 2.5mV. 

[richidoo]

Thanks Allen, always wondered about that.

How is the new cart sounding now with some hours on it?

[allenzachary]

Smooth and silky...

It has an awful lot of hours on it.  I used it heavily for about four years on a Sony TT with a servo controlled arm (don't laugh-it was a surprisingly good table, especially for<$300) during the eighties, then put it away and nearly forgot about it.

I also replaced the tubes in the AI Modulus 2D- The Tube Eater, as Carl fondly calls it- because it, well, ate the last set of tubes.  The Amperex set were howling and sounding like wind blowing into a microphone.  I pulled them and dropped in some Russian made Electro Harmonix in the phone section and J & J's from Slovakia in the line section (both were gifts from Carl).  I don't know whether the 30 year old cartridge is so good or if the new tubes were the key. Maybe it is the Synergy of them both, but boy is it tasty. much better than the thin awful screechy sound I had before, anyway,

[richidoo]

It's amazing how it sneaks up on you slowly so you don't even realize the tubes are shot. Then you finally hear some noise and change the tubes, wow I shoulda done that a long time ago.   Of course, you've been through this before with the tube eater...

[allenzachary]

Funny Adcom Anecdote:

Adcom in its early days was based in New Brunswick, NJ.  Their first amplifier they offered was the GFA-1.  It was shortly followed by their first preamp, fittingly named GFP-1.the Most companies had letter designations with a number, (Hafler DH-220, Denon  DR75, Pioneer SX838).  Some on the letters meant something, like DH standing for "David Hafler," others just sounded good.  In Adcom's case, being they were based in New jersey, the letters had special meaning: "Great F'in' Amp," and "Great F'in' Preamp." Later, they introduced a sub-par tuner.  The "GF" in that case stood for "Grossly Flawed," at least among the employees if not the marketing department.

True story