Best cartridge for Michell Orbe/SME V?
Henry Tang
I'm currently considering the purchase of a Michell Orbe and SME V
turntable, after hearing an excellent dem at the Heathrow Hi-Fi Show in
London a couple of weeks ago.
I would liked to have purchased the same Koestu catridge as they were using
at the dem, but apparently this unit is no longer in production. If anybody
else reading went to the show and knows what model of Koestu was being used,
could you let me know.
Otherwise, what would be a good alternative to the Koetsu? I've heard an
Ortofon Rohmann on the Orbe/SME V at dealer and was impressed, although the
Koetsu was significantly quieter i.e. surface noise and crackle was much
less obvious. I'm considering a Vdh Frog as an alternative, as this
catridge is reputed to be good in this respect. I'm a collector of
second-hand vinyl, so a cartridge which makes less than perfect condition
LPs sound really good and enjoyable is my ultimate aim.
The playback system will be ATC 50A active speakers, Audiolab 8000Q pre-amp
and Michell Iso phono stage.
Thanks,
Henry.
David Allcock
Henry Tang wrote:
>
> Hi,
>
> I'm currently considering the purchase of a Michell Orbe and SME V
> turntable,
Well I ceratinly can't argue with your choice of T/T. I have one of
their smaller designs, the Syncro and that has given me 10 years of very
faithful service. The Orbe shares many components with the Gryodeck but
is engineered in crucial areas to tighter tolerances. I would like to
suggest you very seriously look at a different arm. The Orbe has long
been supplied by default with a SME arm, but that has now been
superceded by the astonishing Graham 1.5 t/c or even a 2.0 arm from
Graham Engineering in the USA. Audio Quarterly recently tried out the
Graham arm on an Orbe and they basically described the combination as
being of reference standard. The Graham arm is even better engineered
than the Michell, is an absolute joy to use and can be optimally set up
with ease as long as you follow the instructions to the letter. Given
the cost over here of the combo you're looking at I'd seriously consider
buying the Orbe and then buying a Graham 1.5 t/c used either from a
dealer or used off the net. In the USA a 1.5 t/c can be purchased new
for a similar price to that of a new SME V.
The Graham will give you faster, more accurate bass, a midrange which
seems so real it's almost live in front of you and a sparkling, airy top
end which is incredibly detailed yet silky smooth. I use a 2.0 on my
deck and I wouldn't swap it for any arm currently in production (even
exotica like the AirTangent and the Rockport).
>
> I would liked to have purchased the same Koestu catridge as they were using
> at the dem,
Well don't worry, if the Graham arm has left you with a little less cash
to play with on the cart., look at a Benz Micro Glider low output cart,
not the high output which is a different beast entirely where sound
quality is concerned. The LO Glider is available in the USA for about
$750 and you'd probably have to spend well over $1500 to beat this
catridge when ti come to soundstaging, transient deliver and dynamics.
The combo of the Glider / Graham is recommended by Musical Surroundings
in the USA as the two products have a rare symbiosis where the whole is
much greater than the two components.
Well I hope this is of some interest.
Regards,
David Allcock
Fellow music and vinyl lover
Henry Tang
>> Hi,
>Regards,
Thanks for the information David.
I'm based in the UK, but I think there may be one or two dealers near
me who import the Graham tonearm(s) you mention. I have heard of the
Graham arms, but as far as I know, they haven't been formally
reviewed in any of the UK hi-fi magazines - I could be wrong though.
The SME arm, being British I guess, seems to be a lot better known
over here. I'm keen to investigate this alternatative route however.
What are the differences in sound qaulity between the high-output and
the low-output versions of the Benz Glider cartridge you mention?
And can this observation be applied in general between high and low
output variants of the same cartridge? e.g. do low output devices
generally sound better than their higher output cousins?
Henry.
VinylRules
I just read your excellent recommendations of the Graham 2.0 tonearm
& the Benz Micro Glider to Henry Tang from England. As a Glider
owner myself, would you mind explaining to me what are differences
you've heard between the low and high output Gliders?
Actually, isn't the low output Glider you refer to in fact a medium
output (1.1mv) cart? With the high output model being 2.2mv?. Of
course, I could be wrong and a newer low output model has been
introduced in the last year. But that's besides the point. What I'd
like to find out is how much worse (assuming that's what you meant)
did the high output Glider sound than its lower output counterpart?
Did you make these comparisons within the context of the same
table/arm/system? Just curious.
Thanks in advance for your opinions,
Vinylrules