Last summer, I attended a gathering of audio DIYers and my friend Mark S. brought his neatly refurbished Rek O Kut B12GH with a 12" Jelco tonearm sporting an unusual but very familiar-looking phono cartridge.
The rest of the hifi setup consisted of an RC network (more info below), phono preamp + AVC by Dave Slagle connected to a Fi 2A3 amp by the late Don Garber, driving a pair of RCA LC-1As in Harry Olson cabinets. The music reproduced by this rig was captivating!
Sonotone 9TA
As soon as I got home, I searched for my Sonotone 9TA. If memory serves, I acquired this in the mid 90s attached to a ROK S220 tonearm mounted on a Thorens TD124-II. I remember plugging this turntable setup into the ceramic phono input of a stock Dynakit PAS 2 preamp and being quite impressed by its performance. That's why I kept it for further evaluation in the future.
Because of Mark, I can finally put it through its paces.😊
Please click to enlarge for specs + important info!
Due to the 9TA's unusual shape and light weight, I had to use spacers, choose a heavy head shell and add weights for it to balance on the Bokrand AS309 and other medium to high mass tonearms I tried it on.
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| Velocitone RC Network |
Sony VX-23P
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| Click here for Sony VX-23P specs |
The Sony VX-23P brings us to the Shure V15 Type III era of the 70s. From the very first LP I played, this cartridge displayed more extended frequency extremes + better detail retrieval ability than the 9TA. While it retained the liveliness of the 9TA, the midrange wasn't quite as vivid. It also lacked harmonic richness and air in the top end. On bright vocal recordings, sibilants tend to be over emphasized. Loading the Velocitone RC network down to 15K tamed but didn't completely ameliorate these issues.
Whether mounted on a conventional tonearm or the Gray clone, at least 4 grams of VTF was required to secure the VX-23P on the grooves.
After having been in this hobby for decades, it's been my experience that when the frequency extremes are extended, amongst others, something has to give and it's usually the midrange that ends up being compromised. To my ears, the Sony VX-23P is a good example of this phenomenon.
That said, Robbie Dupree sounded more vibrant and detailed tracked by the VX-23P compared to the 9TA. Still, I wished for a richer sonic flavor from the Sony. Perhaps I'm merely nitpicking...🤔
Panasonic EPC-09STAD
Generic ceramic phono cartridge
This is typically advertised on eBay as Chuo-Denshi, Crosley or Pfanstiehl P-188 for about $11/shipped. I didn't hear anything offensive but it also didn't stir me musically. IMHO, this can be skipped since the Sony VX-23P shows up on eBay for under $30 shipped. Better yet, be patient and save for a Sonotone.
Ceramics via AlNiCo Altecs + horns...
To make sure all bases are covered, I switched from the RCA 501S1s to Altec 414As in 3 cf vented cabs + Lycan 3R WP12024 horns fitted with Coral M100 drivers blended by my JEL N1600 XO.
...and ceramics on a Gray clone
I also pulled out the Realistic Mark 7 turntable from storage and mounted the 9TA and VX-23P on sleds for the 9" A-3 viscous damped tonearm.
After going through several more LPs in this setup while comparing the two cartridges, there was no doubt in my mind that the 9TA gave me the most musical satisfaction!😊
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