The problem with vinyl is cartridge inadequacies

One major reason for my preference for 78s is the presence.

I can only achieve the quality that I strive for by playing a 78 slow.

What I hear when playing a stereo record is a sense of lack of mid-range 
texture. I use a Shure M97  cartridge for slow dub 78s only. I find that the 
sound is compressed when I play a 78 at full speed. This is due, I believe 
to the flexing of the cantilever assembly in the cartridge. Less so  than an 
M44 which has a thicker and thus more rigid cantilever. On a 33 1/3 I hear 
sibilants popping out at you with a washed-out quality of mid-range.  The 
location of the pick-up in many stereo cartridges is inside the body of the 
cartridge. The vibrations relayed by the cantilever are accurate for bass - 
i.e. the stylus can reach the peak of a wave form without flexing because 
there is adequate time for it to achieve this. high frequencies are far 
smaller and can be tracked adequately as well.

The problem is the mid-range frequencies - a cantilever assembly will flex 
slightly, not reaching the full amplitude of the wave form. In the case of a 
tuba, you will tend to hear the fundamental of the note which will overpower 
the overtones which give the sound more character.

The General Electric VR22 - Golden Classic - variable reluctance cartridges 
address this issue by working in an entirely different manner. The magnet is 
on the very tip of the cantilever . The relationship of the magnet with the 
two metal nodes that protrude from the cartridge induces magnetic 
fluctuations which are picked up by two coils within the body of the 
cartridge. The cantilever in this design is only a ground in the circuit and 
does not need to be rigid in order to perform it's function.

As I was curious about this cartridge, I found a new-old stock 1960 Golden 
Classic which I have mounted on a ca. 1935 Micro transcription turntable 
with a professional Audax tone arm.

The following link is to comparative samples of Renata Tebaldi singing Un 
Bel Di from London issue of Madame Butterfly. Original sample rate 96,000/24 
resampled to 44,100/16. I ran a very low dehum filter to both and maximized 
the levels for comparison (so at least the peaks are in line with each 
other. As I expected, the GE golden classic retains more of the breath of 
the voice and the strings have more presence.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/rih2ao2scmx9w01/Un%20Bel%20di%20Comparison.zip?dl=0

I prefer the 58 year old cartridge on the 85 year old Micro(later McCurdy) 
to the Shure on a Technics SP-15 -Mickey

-----Original Message----- 
From: Lou Judson
Sent: Sunday, April 15, 2018 9:07 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] "High Def vinyl?"

It in’t so surprising to me that it is sourced from digital - there is no 
economical way to record analog any more - the question is, has it been 
damaged by poor digital practices?

<L>
Lou Judson
Intuitive Audio
415-883-2689

On Apr 14, 2018, at 8:14 PM, Corey Bailey <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> From digital to analog.
>
> Verrry Interrresting!
>
> Corey Bailey Audio Engineering
> www.baileyzone.net
>
> On 4/14/2018 4:37 PM, John Haley wrote:
>> Ah, Lou.  Almost the same analogy I made, before seeing your email.
>>
>> Best,
>> John Haley
>>
>>
>> On Sat, Apr 14, 2018 at 7:27 PM, Lou Judson <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>
>>> Verrrry Interrresting as Arte Johnson used to say: <
>>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krD4hdGvGHM>
>>>
>>> But will it be playable? They say so, but the proof is in the playing… 
>>> and
>>> still suseptible to dust, scratches, clicks and pops!