Monday, March 16, 2020

Our Man in Japan - JP


The title is a tribute to James May's series on Amazon Prime. I've been a fan of this classically trained musician turned TV presenter, author, and journalist since his Top Gear UK days.👍

However, this blog entry isn't about carsreverse engineering or fine wine. It's about the other man in Japan.😄



JP in Akihabara


The man is John Piro. Right before the COVID-19 outbreak, he chronicled the Japanese audio hobby scene to share with us. This came as a timely follow-up to my Tokyo adventure almost half a decade ago.





JP's view of the basement from the escalator in early 2020


As I saw it in late 2015


The former Noguchi stall in the basement is now occupied by General Transformer Sales Co. Ltd or Gtrans. Based on this, we can conclude that Power Max is the transformer manufacturer formerly represented by Noguchi and now distributed by Gtrans.


Gtrans still has speakers and amplifier kits but the inventory is not as extensive as it was before


Finemet and regular type Power Max transformers are still available but less models are stocked. Most Finemet models are now made to order.


The auto-former volume control at the bottom shelf reminds me of a Teramoto I wired for a friend.


Much less Hashimoto models, only a handful of old stock Tamura and no more Tango


But there's some good news. The recently reorganized ISO (ex-Tango ISO) transformer company is distributed stateside by TubeUSA.


Take note, Gtrans is only open Tuesday - Saturday


 Another source of transformers across the street from Tokyo Radio Department Store under the rail road tracks is Kasuga Wireless.


Kasuga Wireless has their own line and can also supply any Hashimoto model within a day's notice.







I still have a pair of KA6625ST OPTs waiting for an amp project. 😊

More audio stores in Akihabara











JP's Jazz Kissa adventures





 





Shibuya Swing



HMV 157 gramophone in the middle


Western Electric 22 horn + Eltus TA 4181 woofer inside the WE753 style cabinet


RCA Theater Amps 

But according to their website they also use an Eltus custom modified Altec 1567 preamp + Altec 1569A power amp
Turntable: RCA 70D
Tonearm + Cartridge: Eltus modified Western Electric 5A + 9A
   

Left: Western Electric WE555 field-coil compression driver
Middle: Field Coil Power Supply
Right: Eltus 596 field coil super tweeter


JP's Souvenirs







Thanks JP for the virtual tour! Glad you and Patricia got home safe!🍻





Sunday, March 1, 2020

Early Stereo Era MM and MI phono cartridges

Front: Shure M3D
L > R: Pickering 380, Stanton 371, Empire 888, Shure M7D

In the early 2000s, I spoke highly of the Shure M3D and M7D in retro cool tonearms and cartridges. Being an inveterate collector, I've acquired a couple more early stereo phono cartridges that came with turntables and tonearms I purchased in the ensuing years. I'm revisiting the two Shures in this long overdue follow-up and will compare them to a few more cartridges from the dawn of the stereo LP era.

The cartridges were evaluated in my main system and also in my audio playground. Turntables used include the Garrard 401, Gates CB77 and Sony TTS2500, fitted with the Audio Technica 1501-II, Fidelity Research FR64fx, FR54 and Grace G565 tonearms.

Shure M3D and M7D


Shure M3D

These two models were engineered from the same blueprint. While the M3D was manufactured to closer tolerances, the less stringently built M7D was marketed towards budget-conscious listeners. If forced to split hairs, I'll admit to hearing more refinement, better stereo separation, slightly better resolution and extension in the frequency extremes from the M3D. But in all honesty, I'd much rather enjoy their music-making abilities.

Shure M7D

The key attribute of this cartridge design (which sadly Shure veered away from until they completely exited cartridge manufacturing in 2018) is its lifelike presentation of the midrange. I stand by my earlier assessment that these are the moving magnet equivalents of the Ortofon SPU.

Empire 888


I'm not sure if the stylus in this cartridge body is an OEM or a generic replacement. But I deemed it was fair enough to include it in this survey since it tracked like a champ at a moderate 2 grams of Vertical Tracking Force (VTF) and subjectively, it offered a very smooth and probably the most extended treble response in this group. Even if this cartridge seems to already be shying away from a tonal balance that emphasizes the midrange, the tinge of midrange warmth was still most welcome!

Empire 888

Bass quality is very much in keeping with the overall character of this cartridge which is clean and well defined. In spite of this cartridge's very refined character, it lacks dynamic contrasts especially at micro and macro levels. I find myself cranking the volume control up for it to boogie but I still end up wanting more. Resolution of detail is at par with others in this survey while the slow transient response across the audio band, keeps it behind the others in this survey

Pickering/Stanton 371 and 380 


Based on this ca. 1960 catalog pages, the 371 and 380 were marketed simultaneously by Pickering/Stanton. Despite both being Stereo Flux-valve (moving iron) designs, these stablemates sound diametrically opposed.

Stanton 371 + gray mono LP stylus
see reader comment below

 Except for the 4 gram minimum VTF, I thought I found a cartridge from the dawn of the stereo era in the 371 that would appeal to 21st century standards of neutrality, transparency, detail and resolution. There was a striking presence and immediacy from this cartridge. However, as I went through my favorite LPs, I detected peakiness from the upper midrange to lower treble which gave that fake analytically transparent vibe. Soon the upper midrange glare became very fatiguing, especially with  female vocals. Further listening also confirmed a rapid roll off in response above that peak, which prevents the listener from getting a true sense of air and space. 

Stanton 371 + red stereo stylus
see reader comment below

A reader below called my attention to the fact that the gray stylus I used in my original evaluation was intended for mono LPs. So I ordered the red stylus from Gary at V-M. However, the same tonal shape I noted above remains with slightly reduced glare and peakiness. 

Pickering 380

My long time hamfest/radio show buddy, Larry R. clued me in to the 380 after reading my original article eons ago. This cartridge is not easy to set up due to its weird body shape. Fortunately, I had some threaded spacers and screws, which came with my Stanton 500. This facilitated installation on a modern IEC/SME type head-shell. Using an original red stylus tracking at 3.5 grams, this sounded warmer, smoother and sweeter than the M3D/M7D. The midrange is spacious, airy and the 3-dimensional presentation is quite beguiling, even more SPU-like! Mid to upper bass definition is at par with the two Shures. However, it rolls off earlier and doesn't possess as much heft and weight. In spite of its excellent handling of micro and macro dynamics, transient response is a tad slower. 

Coda


The Pickering 380's 3-D midrange and refinement were definitely alluring. But if I were forced to choose between the 380 and the M3D/M7D, I'd sacrifice a bit of midrange refinement in favor of the better bass extension and dynamics offered by the two Shures. Although the Stanton 371 tried to leap far ahead of its time, to my ears, it had fatal flaws. On the other hand, the Empire 888 was forecasting what was to come, for better or worse.


On another note, I'm happy to report that even after 20 + years, not one stereo LP from my collection has been harmed by the 2.5 to 4 gram VTF 😱 by my favorite stereo cartridges! 😁




Friday, February 14, 2020

Fotofox Contax (Kiev) RF to Leica Thread Mount Adapter


While shopping for a Contax RF inner-bayonet type > Sony E/NEX-mount adapter, I came across this Fotofox adapter which claimed RF coupling on Leica Thread Mount (LTM) compatible camera bodies. 

The Good

Canon P + Fotofox CRF + Zeiss Opton Sonnar

At about $60 landed in the USA, the Fotofox is a lot more affordable compared to the more deluxe Amedeo or Kipon equivalents. I'm glad to report that my gamble paid off. My Contax/Kiev RF mount 50mm lenses - Zeiss-Opton SonnarJupiter 8M & Helios 103 - mounted successfully on my Bessa R, Canon P and 7s bodies.

Bessa R + Fotofox CRF  adapter + Jupiter 8M

LTM>M + Fotofox CRF adapter + Helios 103

 By adding an LTM to M adapter, the Fotofox adapter functioned just as well on my Leica M6 below.

Leica M6 + LTM>M + Fotofox CRF adapter + Helios 103


Using the appropriate adapter, the Fotofox also mounted the aforementioned Contax and Kiev 50mm RF lenses to my Fuji X-E3 and Sony A7II.👍

The Bad

Left: Jupiter 12 + Right: Zeiss Sonnar 135mm f4

Sadly, my efforts to make it work with my Kiev RF mount Jupiter 12 and Contax RF mount Zeiss Sonnar 135mm f4, were all in vain. 😔

The Ugly


Zone focusing is out of the question since there's no distance scale and no infinity lock/stop either. 😏


Sample Pics


Canon P + Zeiss Opton Sonnar 50mm f2
Ilford FP4+ in Rodinal 

Canon P + Zeiss Opton Sonnar 50mm f2
Ilford FP4+ in Rodinal 

Canon P + Zeiss Opton Sonnar 50mm f2
Ilford FP4+ in Rodinal 

Bessa R + Helios 103
Ultrafine eXtreme 100 in Rodinal + HC110

Bessa R + Helios 103
Ultrafine eXtreme 100 in Rodinal + HC110

Leica M6 + Jupiter 8M
Fuji Neopan 400 in Kodak HC110

Canon 7s + Helios 103
Ultrafine eXtreme 100 in 
Rodinal + HC110

Canon 7s + Helios 103
Ultrafine eXtreme 100 in 
Rodinal + HC110

Click here for more samples. 

 Is it worth 60 something bucks? Let your eyes decide.😊