]eep
Headphoneus Supremus
Today I picked up some tools I ordered on the Express from that guy Ali.
Now I hear you say: "Didn't you already have a digital scale for that?" Yes. I do. Four in fact. Two diamond scales which I bought long ago that don't fit or are magnetic. That might be attractive (notice the pun ) for an MC cartridge's big magnet but that also makes it very impractical, not to say hopelessly inaccurate. The other two are the same (I received one free with my turntable) you usually see, sold as Tonar (€35) or Pro-ject (€50), also made by Neotek, but costs less than $10.
So what about that follow up question "So what's wrong with that one?". Well, not much. Only it works on a couple of lr6 batteries that I have trouble finding. And those button cell hearing aid batteries are expensive! More than the scale itself. So 1 is useless already. The second thing that annoys me is: there's no place to hold the 5g calibration weight.
This one does have a spot in the tin, and it uses cr2032 batteries of which I have a stack since they are used everywhere. And it only uses 1. It is just as accurate, to 0.01 gram. It has 3 rubber feet so it doesn't slide and is stable. The lid is far less finicky and sharp. And look at the design! Those amazing amber digits. And something I just noticed... Look at the spot for the stylus: it's a mini lp!
It's just a joy to work with. It's (almost) perfect. Any negatives? Well, er, the lid for the battery compartment is very hard to open. And after I put the battery in it said 'low' and shut down. Twice. And then it worked just fine.
Price? €7.50 incl VAT and shipping. How do you like them apples? Ortofon? Pro-ject? Rega? VPI? Clearaudio? Van den Hul? I see prices from Tonar and Pro-ject €35, to $100 up to $300. That is not just ridiculous, it's a rip off.
As you can see in the picture, I'm not a perfectionist. I just like round numbers. You don't need to get it to 0.01 gram precisely. The VTF is a ballpark number. It's a range with a recommended value that is thought to be the optimal compromise between tracking and wear. A scale is just to make sure you are within the range. The rest is done by listening. And this cartridge has played 6 lp's so far. It hasn't settled in yet. It's still a bit strident.
My other purchase. I finally got myself a USB microscope. Simply plug it in my phone, load the app and focus. Hey! Look here! I said focus! Yup, that's the hard part. It's a bit clumsy but it works.
Still hard to see it's a Shibata. But it's easier if you look at it BEFORE you mount it. Duh.
Now I hear you say: "Didn't you already have a digital scale for that?" Yes. I do. Four in fact. Two diamond scales which I bought long ago that don't fit or are magnetic. That might be attractive (notice the pun ) for an MC cartridge's big magnet but that also makes it very impractical, not to say hopelessly inaccurate. The other two are the same (I received one free with my turntable) you usually see, sold as Tonar (€35) or Pro-ject (€50), also made by Neotek, but costs less than $10.
So what about that follow up question "So what's wrong with that one?". Well, not much. Only it works on a couple of lr6 batteries that I have trouble finding. And those button cell hearing aid batteries are expensive! More than the scale itself. So 1 is useless already. The second thing that annoys me is: there's no place to hold the 5g calibration weight.
This one does have a spot in the tin, and it uses cr2032 batteries of which I have a stack since they are used everywhere. And it only uses 1. It is just as accurate, to 0.01 gram. It has 3 rubber feet so it doesn't slide and is stable. The lid is far less finicky and sharp. And look at the design! Those amazing amber digits. And something I just noticed... Look at the spot for the stylus: it's a mini lp!
It's just a joy to work with. It's (almost) perfect. Any negatives? Well, er, the lid for the battery compartment is very hard to open. And after I put the battery in it said 'low' and shut down. Twice. And then it worked just fine.
Price? €7.50 incl VAT and shipping. How do you like them apples? Ortofon? Pro-ject? Rega? VPI? Clearaudio? Van den Hul? I see prices from Tonar and Pro-ject €35, to $100 up to $300. That is not just ridiculous, it's a rip off.
As you can see in the picture, I'm not a perfectionist. I just like round numbers. You don't need to get it to 0.01 gram precisely. The VTF is a ballpark number. It's a range with a recommended value that is thought to be the optimal compromise between tracking and wear. A scale is just to make sure you are within the range. The rest is done by listening. And this cartridge has played 6 lp's so far. It hasn't settled in yet. It's still a bit strident.
My other purchase. I finally got myself a USB microscope. Simply plug it in my phone, load the app and focus. Hey! Look here! I said focus! Yup, that's the hard part. It's a bit clumsy but it works.
Still hard to see it's a Shibata. But it's easier if you look at it BEFORE you mount it. Duh.