Another salmon counter-current swim.

[bauzace50]

Hi,

we've recently had testimonials about cartridges that swim against the current, and this is another one of those, with real value for this audience. I was attracted to it because my initial intention was getting a generic P-mount adapter alone. Figured: "Might as well get a cartridge in the deal".

It is the Audio Technica "AT 3482H/U" with CARBON FIBER cantilever, round tip, light tracking, P-mount plus adapter, $29.95 price in several vendors including Needle Doctor, LP Gear, even eBay.

This one was badged for Pfanstiehl, through eBay, with genuine AT cantilever/stylus. Its designation "3482H/U" indicates the 1/2-inch headshell adaptor, and No Adaptor without the "U".

Seller was http://www.andersonsmusic.com and they also have the generic 1/2-inch headshell adapter.

This cartridge distinctly merits a backup status for exploring 2nd-hand LPs. It will not harm your LPs while playing fourth fiddle to your Goldfinger during retipping. It will give almost-free exploration of the valuable-bargain netherworld. And it has slightly mellow sound, free from treble highlighting, plus AMPLE tracking ability at 1.5 grams.

Data:

http://www.lpgear.com/product/ATC12.html They have a more upscale stylus on the page.

Model name: AT 3482H/U
.7 mil conical tip
Carbon Fiber Cantilever
P-Mount, with 1/2-inch headshell adapter
(No 1/2-inch adapter without the "U" model designation).
Tracking at 1-to-1.5 grams
Includes mounting hardware

SETUP and TESTS:

The 1/2"headshell adapter makes for risk-free mounting, but care is needed in routing the headshell leads, due to limited space for maneuvering.

The SME 309 tonearm balanced this light cartridge for 1-to-1.5 gram tracking. The "torture bands" of the Hi-Fi News Test LP were ALL played perfectly. The low-frequency resonance came at 8-to-9 Hertz, but could be around 10 Hz with the Rega RB-250, which is slightly lighter than the SME 309 with its 9.5 grams effective mass.

The phasing band gave very distinct results over headphones. The highest tracking band was played free from distortion.

The "white noise" bands were impressively full-range, and free from specific highlighting or suckouts. The 1kHz channel calibration tones on the Shure TR-117 came in perfectly balanced.

The Sheffield Direct-to-Disc Harry James Big Band was played notably free from mistracking on the hottest trumptet phrases of "Corner Pocket", while the cymbals and drums were clear and "airy". The saxophone was appropriately midrangy and impressive, and the stereo effect was believably ample, atmospheric and deep.

The general tone was full-range but mellow on top. This is a Point of Quality in my book, since a highlighted treble is a demerit for me. The large swing dynamics had strong impact. And this, on a recognized high quality "audiophile" LP.

This clearly merits further exploration, since the brief setup impressions show capability in frequency coverage, freedom from treble distortion, high tracking ability, low tracking force, and very few demerits.

Extensive listening will be done over the next few days, and duly reported. For the time being, the Carbon Fiber cantilever impresses as "apt, and free from vices". Its distinct feature is the capability to do these at 1.5-gram tracking!

Additional explorations are clearly merited.

Regards,
bauzace50

[dlaloum]

Thanks for the review...

That generator continues to impress!

[Cobra2]

Yes, it is cheap. Yawn

Arne K

[bauzace50]

David,

where do you know the generator from?
b50

[bauzace50]

Hi,

it had to happen, but it was intentional. I got out a lot of spoken word LPs. Deems Taylor relating how Mercury Records recorded the cannons for Beethoven's Wellington's Victory. Myron Cohen, and Shelley Berman in two standup comedy Lps, plus Bill Cosby with Chicken Heart and other sundry citizens.
There was some, very mild, sibilance on the stronger "sss" sounds. Very little.

Chesky reissue of New Symphony Orchestra of London playing Sullivan's "Overture dei Ballo":
some orchestral triangles (high pitched percussion) came on with decreased volume. Massed violins showed an attractive warmtn, with stronger high frequency shine. And that is the treble suckout typical of lower cost MMs.

That is, the bottom-dollar AT starts to demonstrate its low cost to a mild degree, with no outright mistracking, and the slight upper treble coloration.

Capable performance. More rotations to come.

b50

[bauzace50]

Ha!
Now, this is something good!
-1-
"Ray Charles: A Man And His Soul" on ABCS-590X. 2 record anthology.
On the songs: Georgia On My Mind, Hit The Road Jack, You Are My Sunshine, Baby It's Cold Outside, I Can't Stop Loving You.

The little AT shows NO shortcomings at all. The brass, the piano, the percussion, the background choir, The Voice and Soul, the saxes, the strings...oooh wow! All present in full glory and presence. No nits to pick at all. Great.

-2- Tony Bennet: Brand new Reissue on MoFi 180-gram: "I Left My Heart In San Francisco". On the songs:(title song), Once Upon A Time, Tender Is The Night, Taking A Chance On Love, etc.

-3- Tony Bennet: original Columbia Stereo: "I Wanna Be Around". With songs: (title song), The Good Life, I've Got Your Number, Until I Met You (also known as Corner Pocket, by Harry James Big Band), Let's Face The Music And Dance, I Will Live My Life For You, etc.

The arrangements on the Tony Bennet albums left nothing to be desired. The Ralph Sharon Trio, with bass, flutes ( truly special flutes), piano, percussion. Other arrangements, with violins, background vocal choir, brass and big band, and of course, Tony's voice. All in yet another glorious sound. Nothing to be desired.

The little AT delivered beautifully, with perfect tracking, no colorations, and ample stereo atmosphere. It's a cartridge for popular music, but not quite for classical.

Very, very good,
b50

[crofk]

Hey b50

Are there any styli that are interchangeable for it? It would be really interesting to see how it performs with a better stylus. As with alot of the cartridges you "interview" it seems the performance really comes out with a more sophisticated stylus.

Let us know if you do something like this. There are a lot of good to excellent inexpensive cartridges that beg for a better stylus to sing.

Your research really provides great insight for us here

kc

[bauzace50]

Hi crofk,
yes, there is an upgrade path for this cartridge. I mentioned it in the first post above. It is inside the linked page with the cartridge description.
See the specific upgrade at: http://www.lpgear.com/product/ATSAT3482HU.html It is actually Audio Technica's stylus # ATN-3472C for $27.00.

That page shows links for three subsequent upgrades, to include a Micro Line for $150.00 http://www.lpgear.com/product/ATN3472ML.html

I imagine these would fix up the small demerits observed with classical music (mentioned above). But the stock little Carbon Fiber AT holds its ground with Pop music.

Thanks for your comment!
b50

PS- this little AT has a distincly different sound from the AT 150 MLX I once owned, but whose treble was too strong for my preference. (Later experiments with loading the 150-MLX at 1,000 Ohms fixed that up, too).

[dlaloum]

This family of cartridges does have a TOTL stylus member...
http://www.lpgear.com/product/ATN3472ML.html

The original Audio Technica Microline stylus for the 3472/90/92 family...

With regards to the generator, it is the exact same one as the AT95 (and the AT70's) - just with different plastic surrounds... the p-mount version styli are of course high compliance where the 1/2" mount versions (95/70) are low/mid compliance.

Performance is as good as the stylus you fit....

The better AT styli are very good.

Cross fitting the 3472 styli to an AT95 body is also possible but requires carving off the plastic sides....

bye for now

David

[bauzace50]

@ David,

this upgrade path really shows what can be done with a good basic platform. Good of you to mention this!

Regards,
b50

[crofk]

Thanks b50, guess I need to read a little closer next time It is nice to know that one can upgrade.

Thanks again b50 for your 'research' ,always nice to know one's options.

kc

[Ldg]

Once again, there's a review of credible audible and measured performance from a 0.7mil conical sylus based cartridge. Shortly followed by the seemingly inevitable chorus calling to 'upgrade'. From a basis that linecontact styli must be clearly superior. I just wonder how many repetitions, examples, and how much evidence that conicals can perform well per se will it take before this basis is is seen as obviously worthy of re-examination and challenge ? And whether the 'wouldn't it be nicer with a linecontact stylus' chorus to admit that performance difference is really not necessarily that great, and can be accompanied by a raft of other compromises that can swing the overall results either way?

Any cartridge with a stock conical stylus faces the counter-current salmon swim. But some make it ! Isn't nature wonderful ? And awkward, if one believes conical tips are pathologically vastly inferior ?!

[dlaloum]

Mmm no one was saying the conical did not sound good...

The Question was raised about stylus options for that generator...

The best performers appear to be the original AT ones, with non OEM styli coming in second place regardless of needle profile... probably due to cantilever mass issues.

Of the original AT styli, the most "upmarket" one still available is the ML... but it is also likely to be the one with best cantilever...

[Ldg]

The Question was raised about stylus options for that generator...

To be pedantic, and to illustrate the point, this immediately followed the for question:

It would be really interesting to see how it performs with a better stylus.

Hence my point. There is a counter-current which any 'conical salmon' must overcome. But the basis for it pretty obviously needs re-examining. I'm arguing against the prevalence and bias of the current in forming opinion, not that this particular stylus tip is the best on the planet, BTW. But it plainly can't be that bad, if it gets this far upstream, along with its fellow smolt.

When will it be realised that some conicals really can swim ?