Grado Black vs Grado Gold

[1200y3]

I have rarely seen cartridge instability on any modern turntable. If there was feedback or oscillations it was due to large floor cavity (crawl space), wooden floors, excessively large subwoofers, etc.

BUT compliance matching and damping controls are a very serious concern on antique mono systems. It is nearly impossible to mate a low compliance mono cartridge with an SL 1200 style arm. In fact even something like the Gray 108B will need the silicone unipivot to work.

The possible problem with Grados is the stiff compliance, which in reality acts like a low compliance likely becomes a problem. This could be a quality control issue.

[Marcie]

I have rarely seen cartridge instability on any modern turntable. If there was feedback or oscillations it was due to large floor cavity (crawl space), wooden floors, excessively large subwoofers, etc.

BUT compliance matching and damping controls are a very serious concern on antique mono systems. It is nearly impossible to mate a low compliance mono cartridge with an SL 1200 style arm. In fact even something like the Gray 108B will need the silicone unipivot to work.

The possible problem with Grados is the stiff compliance, which in reality acts like a low compliance likely becomes a problem. This could be a quality control issue.

I think it has more to do with resonances caused by the cart that in extreme cases might lead to 'dancing' or instability, perhaps when they coincide with bending modes/resonances (either direct or harmonically) of the arm in question. These resonances (not the dancing) in the Grado cart (Gold1) have been observed in testing. I have observed 'dancing carts' in the past a couple of times and it wasn't due to any external feedback or such (volume zeroed).

If you refer to the compliance of this Gold1 specimen specifically, stiff compliance caused by production faults, you may well be right. However, as noted, the Gold1 has a compliance of ca. 25cu; neither high nor low. Perhaps the cheaper models in the Prestige range (silly name for entry level carts BTW) have lower cu's.

[sirnose]

Had them all (almost). Are they really different from each other? I tried to compare the black and the blue, then the gold, sampling the same track from an lp using the exact same equipment. I did this two years ago and I don't have those samples any more but I remember that we were all disappointed by the tooooo subtle (or any at all?) differences. Last but not least there is a problem that is worse to my ears than hum. This little bastards seem to add an aura of low level crackling that stops only a few milliseconds after you lift up the arm. That is one of the most annoying noise (even if it's very low and someone don't even hear it or don't care about it) ever produced by any cartridge I've ever heard, even worse than that metallic snap that my at14sa was producing when the compliance screw failed. So I kept a gold one just in case and sold everything else, but it's still in the box with few minutes of playing on it. Any old shure m75edII even with an aftermarket evg stylus, or an old akg p8 (talking about high compliance low price bargains ...) is better than any grado prestige but I'm not sure it was like this ten or twenty years ago.

[hochpt21]

I'm thinking about buying a Grado gold as well. I have had black in the past and enjoy the sound.

Does anyone know how a grado would pair with my Pro-ject 2.9?

[beatcomber]

That said, there seems to be a well-respected arm damper system for the Technics, the Kab system. Don't have experience with it myself, but it could be the savior for the Technics/Grado combo.

Indeed it is!

On my modded SL-1200, my Grado Gold1 sounded like poop. Veiled, slow, muddy, etc. After installing the KAB unit and trying the Grado again, the transformation was dramatic. It now sounds lively, bouncy, and rich, with a smooth yet not veiled top end. Imaging is also beautifully 3D too. I've since upgraded the stylus to an 8MZ and this cart is now my favorite.