10 hours in . . . lots more to come?

[CJSF]

Yep, I'm 10 hours into the new Benz runing in period. Hows it going? . . . very well, initialy, first hour, plenty of detail but bland, then someone threw a switch!! The bass end came alive, chest vibrating! From then on the improvements came hourly . . . I know that sounds strang but thats how both of us noticed it.

We got 7 hours of needle time yesterday, all sounding good, the final reverlation was the midrange, human voice started jumping out, in a nice way. This afternoon, with a fresh ear, it was internation in the gentle voice of Leonard Cohen that made his album 'old ideas' simlpley come to life. That how it been this afternoon, Jazz at the Pawn Shop was like being there, sitting at a table, in a smoke filled bar . . . yes, when that was recorded, you could smoke in bars, I could almost reach out and pick up a drink!

The final revelation was a 1962 LP on the Sunset label, 'The Very Best of Sandy Nelson', the beat and drive of the music was infectious . . . reality, I started to 'bop' . . . takes a lot to get me bopping these days :dance:

This is only after 10 hours, 30 more to go, what is to come . . . ? I feel a Benz Sumiko head to head coming on, and they said this leval of cartridge was inapropriate for a simple Rega . . . 8)

CJSF

CJSF

 

[Al ears]

Glad to hear the Benz is coming along nicely.

I think others would indeed be amazed at what grade of cartridge Rega arms can do justice to.

PS The Cohen LP is a real classic isn't it. i must get around to listening to some of the others you refer to as well, it's been a wee while since I treated myself to some new vinyl.

 

[CJSF]

Glad to hear the Benz is coming along nicely.

I think others would indeed be amazed at what grade of cartridge Rega arms can do justice to.

PS The Cohen LP is a real classic isn't it. i must get around to listening to some of the others you refer to as well, it's been a wee while since I treated myself to some new vinyl.

As you say Alears, Cohens 'Old Ideas' is a referance recording for me. If you are out to get hold of Jazz at the Pawn Shop, the original double album is excelent, however keep your eyes open for the 'Proprius, Atr Mastercut Recording', its an edited single album of the original, the quality is the best, again I use it as referance.

Sandy Nelson 1962 . . . ? best of luck . . . It is a record of its time, left, right and middle stereo, oh for a mono button, but the musicality is simply something else!

CJSF

 

[Al ears]

Thanks CJSF. The ATR Mastercut version has been located and ordered.

Think I'll leave out Sandy Nelson

 

[MajorFubar]

Whch Benz did you settle for CJSF? I did check your signature before asking but it still lists the Sumiko

 

[CJSF]

Whch Benz did you settle for CJSF? I did check your signature before asking but it still lists the Sumiko

Hi MajorFubar, I took the Benz Micro Wood SL, to soon to chang the sig. I have not writen off the Sumiko, its going for re tipping shortly, then the two will be compared. The Benze is good, very good but not yet fully run in, my memory of the Sumiko when I first got it says I need to be patient and put them head to head . . . :?

I dont know what makes the differance the stylus or the workings inside. You see, the Sumiko will have the same stylus applied as is on the Benz. The Christmas period will be interesting musicaly?

I have not decided if I will keep both? . . . one as a back up you might say. However, if I do sell one at the end of it, someone is in for a bargin and I dont loose out, everybody wins . . . :clap: Keep them both and I dont have to go throught this agony again in two or three years time?

CJSF

 

[CJSF]

Thanks CJSF. The ATR Mastercut version has been located and ordered.

Think I'll leave out Sandy Nelson

Mmm . . . have you listend to 'Carrol Kidd' Alears? if not, try her album 'All My Tomorrows', Aloi Records AKH005, it is on Spotify. This was her second release with Linn, the first was OK, but this was outstanding IMHO, went a bit commercial after that. I think she has come back to bassics more now though, from what I have gleaned from the net??? Those comercial type recordings put me off.

CJSF

 

[MajorFubar]

I dont know what makes the differance the stylus or the workings inside.

Bit of both I'd say. The stylus is on the front line, and the backroom boys in the cartridge can anly work with the information it supplies. My own (unsubstantiated) opinion is the stylus has the hardest job. Which is why you sometimes find cartridges at each end of a manufacturer's MM range sharing a body, but the stylus is different. For example the Ortofon OM range and the Goldring 1006-1042. I'm sure there are others. I'm on the lookout for a new cartridge; I'd love to shake your hand off for the retipped Sumiko if you decide to sell, but I doubt I'll be able to afford it

 

[CJSF]

I dont know what makes the differance the stylus or the workings inside.

Bit of both I'd say. The stylus is on the front line, and the backroom boys in the cartridge can anly work with the information it supplies. My own (unsubstantiated) opinion is the stylus has the hardest job. Which is why you sometimes find cartridges at each end of a manufacturer's MM range sharing a body, but the stylus is different. For example the Ortofon OM range and the Goldring 1006-1042. I'm sure there are others. I'm on the lookout for a new cartridge; I'd love to shake your hand off for the retipped Sumiko if you decide to sell, but I doubt I'll be able to afford it

I have had a very interesting conversation with Dominic at Northwest Analogue this morning re the retipping of the Sumiko. We both think that the Sumiko might have a few suprises? We are moving into the 'black art' side of hifi here, gut feelings, pure experiance and personal likes and dislikes.

It may be the Benz will end up sidelined? Apparently they recently changed to a new super line contacy stylus type, superb information retreval but may be lacking that organic something, is 'organic' the word? . . . Dominic has sugested he might be able to work a bit of magic on the Benz as well???

Funny bisiness hifi when we get into the rarified area of the ' analogue audiphile', if 'audiophile' is the right word? There are things one hears/feels that you canot describe, understood by few these days with modern digital thinking. Often they have never heard that 'something' . . . It was refreshing to hear Dominics understanding, although he too, could not put it into a meaningfull sentance, How about you MF, do you know what I mean?

Is the cartridge you have resarectable, worth reserecting? Dom recons he can do a lot for a wide range of cartridges?

CJSF

 

[MajorFubar]

How about you MF, do you know what I mean?

I do. That intangible 'something' which just sounds right. Sceptics would call it coloration or expectation bias, but that doesn't bother me.

Is the cartridge you have resarectable, worth reserecting? Dom recons he can do a lot for a wide range of cartridges?

I fear it would cost more to re-tip than it is potentially worth, being just a comparatively-inexpensive MC (Ortofon MC-3 Turbo)

 

[MajorFubar]

Nice one CJSF, every time I listen to War Of The Worlds I'm now going to picture warm chocolate running down a slope.

 

[CJSF]

. . . 'intangable somethin' . . . perfect, sceptic can say what they like, I know its there, like oxegen, can't see it, hear it, but without it where would we be . . . :O

I have a theory about the new sound of our digital world, that demands extreem detail with a sharp informative cutting edge . . . OK in small dosess, but over extended periods . . . :wall: Then I though how does one explain it . . . its like listening to someone with a sharp voice, clear and concise, nice for a while but eventuatly it grates . . . Then again, listening to Richard Burton, its like watching warm chocolate runnig down a slope, an intangable something, loverly . . .

CJSF