True 2-Channel Analog Additions

Posting some pics of my Zenn/Klipsch MCZ cartridges here. I already owned a couple of the Klipsch MC carts (and love their sound), so couldn't help but pounce on some NOS (unused) Zenn MCZ carts from a collector in Ireland. My recent (Zenn) acquisitions are on the left in these pics, and vintage Klipsch cart packaging on the right.
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Specs on these carts are easy to obtain, but in summary, they are LOMC, with a low compliance.

The most exciting item from my latest haul is a NOS Zenn MCZ/7, which has a Boron cantilever.
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I've had an MCZ-2(?) re-tipped with a boron cantilever for a while, but IMO, it has always sounded a little too polite for my system. I am interested to hear how this MCZ-7 with 'native' boron cantilever sounds.
"This may not matter to you, but it does to me for various reasons, many of them illogical or irrational, but the vinyl hobby is not really logical or rational..." - member on Vinyl Engine
"Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to." - Cicero, in Gladiator
Regarding collectibles: "It's not who gets it. It's who gets stuck with it." - Jimmy Fallon

Comments

  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,560
    edited February 2023
    Congratulations Jody on your new cartridges. Will these primarily be collector's items or are you planning on putting them to use?
  • msg
    msg Posts: 9,308
    edited February 2023
    Clipdat wrote: »
    Congratulations Jody on your new cartridges. Will these primarily be collector's items or are you planning on putting them to use?
    Moment of truth, @jdjohn -Jody - pick a side.

    I've historically had a bad habit of picking up two of things I thoroughly enjoy. One to use, and one (or more) as a backup. (You know, for when jackleg manufacturers discontinue the things I like.) This is impractical for a number of reasons, obviously. Further, I'm still afraid, sometimes, to use the one that's for using!
    I disabled signatures.
  • bcwsrt
    bcwsrt Posts: 1,527
    Made me click on it!
    Brian

    One-owner Polk Audio RTA 15TL speakers refreshed w/ Sonicap, Vishay/Mills and Cardas components by "pitdogg2," "xschop" billet tweeter plates and BH5 | Stereo REL Acoustics T/5x subwoofers w/ Bassline Blue cables | Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum III integrated tube amp | Technics SL-1210G turntable w/ Ortofon 2M Black LVB 250 MM cart | Sony CDP-508ESD CD player (as a transport) | LampizatOr Baltic 4 tube DAC | Nordost & DH Labs cables/interconnects | APC H15 Power Conditioner | GIK Acoustics room treatments | Degritter RCM
  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,560
    Good stuff, Jody!
  • jdjohn
    jdjohn Posts: 2,987
    I've got a couple of Fidelity Research cartridges to post about. My newer acquisition is a PMC-1 MC cart. It has a cool, red glossy finish.
    9gu7afz2n7nm.jpg
    The stylus is not the clearest, or prettiest, gem, but still a nice nude elliptical, mounted on an Aluminum cantilever.
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    The unique thing about these cartridges is that they have 'air coils', which basically means that the coil wires are wrapped around a non-ferrous core. This equates to less moving mass, which is a good thing.

    The resulting sound caused me to document a few initial notes.

    - I'm a fan of Eva Cassidy (RIP), thanks to my wife, and with this cart, I found her voice even more soulful, and the musicality of the accompanying players also jumped out at me more than before.

    - While listening to some Genesis tracks, I picked-up on an extra drum beat (eighth or sixteenth note) that I had never noticed before.

    - Some Atlanta Rhythm Section tracks also had extra depth and detail that were new to me.

    Overall, I noticed greater dynamics from quiet and loud passages, with more layering of sounds from front-to-back, so basically, more depth. Apologies for not having a direct A/B comparison cartridge to mention. All of the above bullet points are exemplary to my previous listening experiences, which is to say: the PMC-1 may have exceeded the sound quality of all my previous cartridges. Needless to say, I am really enjoying it, but I realize there are many other modern, higher-end options out there. Personally, I just love playing around with these vintage beauties B)

    While on the subject of Fidelity Research cartridges, I thought I'd also include the FR-6SE, which I think may have been their best MM cart.
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    The original stylus was a nude-mounted square-shanked elliptical, and this cart is in my MM top 5, especially in the low-compliance realm. Sadly, replacement styli are non-existent. I would describe the sound as one click towards warm, yet still analytical.
    "This may not matter to you, but it does to me for various reasons, many of them illogical or irrational, but the vinyl hobby is not really logical or rational..." - member on Vinyl Engine
    "Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to." - Cicero, in Gladiator
    Regarding collectibles: "It's not who gets it. It's who gets stuck with it." - Jimmy Fallon