jffsnfrd wrote: ↑2020-09-21 06:29
Brilliant Ron!
Jeff,
I thought saying "Brilliant!" was a British thing? Are you from Arizona? Because it's a British phrase, I don't quite understand it. Is it like a teenage American saying "Awesome!" when something isn't literally awesome and is overused? Because of my upbringing, whenever I hear the word "brilliant", I think of "bright and colorful".
Anyway, you seemed to be using it as an insult. I also wasn't insulting you in any way; I was being funny. Let's start over again;
I forgive you and welcome!
Please share the source for your information on the K9's output or whether it is purely based on the measurements given for the AT95E. Are you taking your own measurements?
I have shared much on this thread and hidden nothing. I've compared the bodies of two Linn K9s, two Linn K5s, two AT95Es, and four AT-VM95s directly, on the same LP12, and at the same volume within the range of several months. I have made many audio recordings. My set-up skills are brilliant and my ears are awesome.
I am in no way saying volume level has anything to do with tune-dem. Quite contrarily, I was surprised the louder body sounds best; meaning the AT-VM95. My thoughts were poisoned by the myth of low-output moving coils sounding best.
Please tell me your favorite measurement. Tell me which two items you want comparatively measured. I am a manager of a large manufacturing facility, owned by a well-known corporation. I have access to older and newer testing devices. I have thousands of hours experience making, testing, and shipping quality electrical/electronic products. I have hand and machine wound hundreds of load cells and torque sensors; the most accurate in the industry used for testing purposes. Before you respond, I also need to know the testing parameters you know positively point to improving tune-dem.
Back to the K9. Here is a link to
Linn's info. Click on K9 (or whichever cartridge interests you). The K9 output shown is 4.5mV. What is the variant? Plus or minus 3db? 1.5db? .5db?
Now go to the AT-VM95 page you linked to on your first post. Click on each individual cartridge and read the specifications. Each cartridge body has
identical coil impedance, DC resistance, coil inductance, and T.P grade copper wire. Then why are the Conical and Elliptical models rated at 4mV output and the Japanese nude styli models 3.5mV? The compliance figures
possibly point to different magnets. You alluded to this in your second post.
The most simple explanation is the specifications are
identical and the output is really 3.78mV for all models and the range is plus or minus 1.5db. Maybe they're all 4mv output plus or minus 3db? Then Audio Technica show a lower output for the more expensive models to attract the audiophool crowd who think lower output is better and "Made in Japan" is better than "Made in China". The reputation of Japanese coil winders is better, right? In fact, I bet Audio Technica has a 104 year old woman who has perfect hearing who is the only person who winds and hand tunes the AT-VM95EN/ML/and Shibata. I bet she also hand-carves the Shibata diamond as well as she has perfect vision too.
I doubt this as all six AT-VM95 styli I've tried (I have the 78 model as well), to my ears, have the same output.
I believe the Linn K5, K9, and K18 specifications were invented by Audiophile Systems when they were the importer of Linn in the U.S. Prior to a decade and a half ago, Linn didn't show specifications for the older models. Linn may have copied the info for posterity. Or perhaps not.
I don't understand why people come to me on this thread and ask me to disprove wrong data and old wives tales. Noone can disprove misleading information and incorrect theories. You can't prove a non-entity doesn't exist.
Of course, the same cartridge body will have different outputs based on the magnets in the stylus unit. Plug an ATN 12S stylus into a regular AT 12 body and you will find a lower output that with an ATN 12E stylus. Have you ever heard an Empire 888 cartridge with its 8.0 mv. That will wake you up!
I am quite acquainted with many high output cartridges. I used to rebuild juke-boxes as a hobby. In fact, I just received a request to rejuvenate a Rock-Ola, which I specialize in. I also have worked on quite a few Wurlitzer models which were all made about five miles from my house. I believe most hi-fi products designed for long-term use sound good musically by default, including juke boxes. Most have well tracking tone-arms and cartridges but are not "hi-fi" in the "sound" sense, but really have a foot-tapping groove.
Yes, Vinyl Engine is only one source, no need to be snarky. I also have the same information directly from the Linn website that I downloaded years ago, although Linn has published spurious information every now and then...[cough-cough (ha-ha)]
Again, I wasn't being snarky. The Vinyl Engine database is loaded with
very inaccurate information. I own a certain rare turntable which is belt-drive. For over a decade it continues to be claimed a direct-drive model on vinylengine.com. The Vinyl Engine Forum members do not use tune-dem at all in their discussion forums. The Lejonklou Forum is much different; there is a standard here that doesn't vary.
I plan on posting a few more comparison videos here in the next month. I will have a contest or two giving you a chance to win a free cartridge. Better yet, I just looked and there is a Sturtevant Richmont Torque Screwdriver Cal 36/4 model for sale for $28 with free shipping. Several more are available for a few dollars more. If you buy one and promise to post videos and your findings here, I will send you a brand-new AT-VM95C.
I guarantee you will like the VM Conical stylus better than the stock K9. You will also be amazed at what precision torquing your K9 body will do. If you prefer the AT-VM95 body, you may come out more than $200 ahead on the deal as used K9 prices have increased in the past few months. Once you get hooked on precision torquing, you will never look back.
Send me a private message if you're interested.
Ron The Mon
Needle-Freak