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Romy the Cat wrote:

1) High electrostatic or whatever other reason make the cartridge very prone to collect dust. 2) Exceedingly hard-reading with slightly overly prominent leading-edges of the phases. This demands VERY high quality of electricity to handle the transient speed of the leading-edges. 3) Very minor dynamic disorientation during orchestral crescendo. It is not auditable at 90dB sensitively and SS PP (I have good 90dB sensitive speakers) but it is auditable at 110dB and SET. Formerly I did not observe it but with new version of Macondo/Melquiades do experience it. I do not know if it is because the 6-chennal Milq is more dynamic or because my Shelter got worn. 4) Slight deficiency in amplitude of color. 5) Minor depersonalization of the upper mid range. It might be hoe to the fact that I tend to run my Shelter relatively hard loaded. 6) Very high sensitively to the quality of surface.

The Decca London Reference appears ideal.  I am probably going to buy one of these. Romy, you are free to borrow it if you wish to listen to it; just do not break it. 

The question now for me is what second tonearm is appropriate.  Any suggestions. It will need to be neutral; maybe the Schroeder or the AirTangent? I rather like the linear tracking tonearm.  When I have heard it, the sound was complemented nicely.

Romy the Cat wrote:

StarBoy made an interesting case with his proposal of that Sound African cartridge. The case is substantiated as he uses SPU along with 901 and then he went for Mantis. StarBoy might be right and the Mantis is good cartridge but I was looking more feeling about the Mantis performances and I did not get from them neither with other Mantis users nor with Mantis manufacturer. The level at wish I expected the stand was made was not there. The Mantis guy and this internet Co.  need to keep working…

I do not believe it.  I think it is a very good MC cartridge, like Jan Allaerts or ZYX, but probably still thin, inner detail, and no connection to Sound.  Why else would people who are buying it appear so unable to describe what they hear.  I was really disappointed in Vinyl Engine.  However, I did send a long letter to the maker of the Mantis with very specific details about my experience with cartridges, what is lacking, and what I hope to achieve, asking him to describe where his cartridge may fall in this field.  I will see what he says.

Romy the Cat wrote:

Where the case was made very strongly and a very serious level was the case about the Otophone Jubilee.  At this point I did not read any reviews and have seen only technical specification. Two people who pitched to me this cartridge very intelligently and very knowledgeably and informed descried to me the Jubilee specifics, the specifics in the areas that I would like to hear about. It sounds to me very interesting and at this moment the most convincing.

PS If you come by to listen, I do smoke cigars also, so be prepared to enjoy a good smoke with the music.  THAT is why I have three air purifiers running!

Regards,

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