Fulton RS-1
The Robert W. Fulton-designed FMI 80 speakers left an indelible mark on my sonic memory, which inspired me to learn more about his audio products and activities. According to the Fulton RS-1 review in the September 1982 issue of Audio magazine, he was an advocate of the spherical stylus profile. Fueled by this post by the erstwhile editor and publisher of Sound Practices, when I saw a listing for a NOS Fulton RS-1 MC phono cartridges on eBay, I made an offer, which was gladly accepted.
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| Beryllium cantilever + nude spherical stylus |
As I suspected, and later confirmed by the seller who turned out to be a close associate of Fulton during the heyday of Fulton Musical Industries, the Fulton RS-1 was based on the Entré EC-15 body. However, instead of the aluminum cantilever + nude conical stylus supplied in the production version, my particular sample was fitted with a more exotic beryllium cantilever + nude conical stylus.
Although I've used the RS-1 on the dynamic-balance Karmadon 311 successfully, it didn't sound as convincing in the static-balance Bokrand AB/AS309 to my ears. Perhaps due to its medium to high compliance, the RS-1 performs best mounted on the aforementioned Karmadon 311, SME 3012 or the Stax UA3NL, tracking between 1.75-2 grams. Compared with the classic Denon DL103, the RS-1 projects a warmer midrange with richer overtones while delivering similar levels of detail resolution and extension at the frequency extremes.
Entre EC15x Limited
Except for the color, the EC-15x Ltd shares the same plastic body as the EC-15. I can't figure out the technical difference between the two models, (perhaps lost in translation?) but a Japanese Instagram account I follow prefers the sound of the EC-15x Ltd to the EC-15.
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| Chunky aluminum cantilever + bonded conical stylus |
However, the main reason I bid on this cartridge at Yahoo Auctions in Japan, was because it was described as "re-tipped with a spherical stylus on an aluminum cantilever." That's one step closer to hearing the original RS-1 as Bob Fulton conceived it. Fortunately, I belong to a minuscule minority of conical stylus lovers and was the lone bidder. Landed cost was below $100, inclusive of fees.
AFAIK, except for the RS-1 sold by Fulton Musical Industries, the entire product line from Entré by Soltear Acoustics was never sold in the USA. Therefore, Entré MC cartridges aren't easy to find stateside. To be able to bid in Japanese auctions, I opened a proxy bidding account with Buyee. Just as an FYI, since tariffs went into effect, I've refrained from buying overseas.
The EC-15x Ltd arrived at my doorstep double boxed 10 days after bidding ended. From the very first track, the distinct Entré sonic signature was immediately apparent. Except this time, the midrange was even fuller and richer than the RS-1. With the chunky aluminum cantilever, the EC15x Ltd + spherical stylus worked fine with all my 11" - 12" tonearms - AT1501-II, Bokrand AB/AS309, Grace G565G. Karmadon 311 and SME 3012 - tracking comfortably between 2-2.25 grams.
After going through several LPs, I was convinced that the beryllium cantilevered RS-1 adds a mild sheen to the top end - a quality I hear much more prominently from the boron cantilevered Koetsu Onyx and my Supex SD900 MkIV when it sported a ruby cantilever - that enhances detail. But to my ears, it's an etched detail I don't normally hear in a concert hall or jazz venue. This is probably analogous to why I also prefer images taken by vintage lenses mounted on my Fuji X-E3 and Sony A7II digital cameras. That said, the beryllium-ed RS-1 voices nicely with my cone tweeter-ed 12" RCA 501-S1 Bi-Axials.
Entré ET-100
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| Click here for Entré ET-100 specs |
I've been toying with the idea of DIY-ing an SUT box with similar switching facilities to the ET-100 so I can easily play with my tonearm and phono cartridge collection. But multiple pole switches aren't easy to find and the wiring can get complicated. So when this showed up on Buyee for about $300/all in, I bought it.
FWIW, contrary to what most people in the audio industry claim that newer is better, just like vacuum tubes, transformer design is a mature technology. That's why high quality vintage iron are sought after and cost top $$$s!
Even if to my ears the ET-100 didn't quite escalate to the same level of sonic transparency as the Finemet MCT-1 or Tamura TKS83, it wasn't that far behind either. Besides, if I didn’t have other SUTs to compare it with, I wouldn’t have known what I was missing. Since I'm averse to typical audiophile hair-splitting analysis of sound, I'd recommend this unit highly to music lovers whose top priority is enjoying music!
Using the 1997 Tamura Audio Transformer Catalog as reference, the 44mm Ø x 65mm dimensions of the ET-100 transformer are smaller than the 52mm Ø x 72mm Tamura TKS83. The dimensions match that of the Tamura TKS27 microphone transformer recommended by the late Uchida-san of April Audio for use with the classic Denon DL103. I owned a pair but regrettably unloaded it in the 90s to finance my TKS83s. It's reasonable to speculate that the ET-100 transformer were OEM'd by Tamura to Entré specs.
Although the technical specs are different, I'd like to think of the ET-100 as the spiritual replacement for my long departed pair of TKS27s. I remember preferring the sound of the DL103 via TKS27s over the TKS83s and the SPU sounding better through the TKS83s. So I let go of the TKS27s and used Altec 4722s with the DL103. Looking back, I kinda hear tonal similarities between the TKS27 and ET-100...perhaps I'm being sentimental because I really shouldn't trust my sonic memory from three decades ago.😊
Granted this unit wasn't abused, the high quality construction + materials belie the fact it was made in the 1980s. A heavy gauge chassis + beefy transformers = a hefty package!
Entré EC-25ST
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| Entre EC-25ST |
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| Entré EC-25ST fitted with a fresh nude conical stylus by VAS Audio 👍 |
When I arrived at VAS Audio to pick up my EC-25ST, some naked exotic high end MC cartridge (sorry, I forgot the brand 😉) was playing through the hifi system while Steve was setting up the EC-25ST on another tonearm. The moment the fresh conical stylus of the EC-25ST hit the groove, I told Steve, "That's the sound I like!" I couldn't wait to get home to hear it in my man cave...😊
In contrast to the mid to back hall presentation of the RS-1 and EC-15x Ltd, the EC-25ST delivers a closer to the stage perspective. The vivid tone colors and texture of vocals and musical instruments are rendered with three dimensional clarity while preserving detail from the softest pianissimo all the way to the climax of orchestral fortissimos!
Entré by Soltear Acoustics + Yoshio Matsudaira
According to this blog, website and forum thread, Entré MC cartridges were designed by Mr. Yoshio Matsudaira, who would later found My Sonic Lab. After an exhaustive research of Japanese audio and blog sites, so far, this blog post regarding the Tokyo Sound ST900 tonearm was the only one I found that mentioned Mr. Matsudaira's connections to Entré and Tokyo Sound.
Steve at VAS Audio has been in the audio biz for decades and has handled a multitude of phono cartridges. He didn't notice any technical similarity between the Entré and My Sonic Lab.
Just like NEAT and Grace/Shinagawa Wireless, Entré by Soltear Acoustics also vanished without a trace. If you have any relevant information about these defunct Japanese audio manufacturers, please leave a comment below. Thanks!
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