Boogie, rhythm and value.
Different stylus tip to the D42 (1042), but doesn't fall far behind it in listening enjoyment.
Much of the D42's character is still on board. Nicely musical.
Review By: Ppopp
The Gold Standard?
Goldring 1012x on Harman Kardon T55C turntable with Microrace tonearm.
Installation on head shell is simple, with the right care and tools. It requires precise alignment. weight, height, anti-skating. Use of protractor and digital balance for tracking pressure, highly recommended. All this to take advantage of the Stylus' capacity for precision tracking.
On Jazz : Kind of Blue, Miles Davis: While detail is excellent, there seems to be a bias towards the upper end of the frequency spectrum. Which may require lessening of Treble in your system. Sound stage is vivid. If well aligned, this cart brings detailed sounds of every instrument, clearly. Again, higher treble, crystal clear.
On, Classical: Bach's Mass in B Minor, Archiv DGG. Sound staging is palpable. Voices clean, clear, and sharp. Background instruments and strings meld smoothly with the voices. Bass blends well. Trumpets are high, without distortion. Soprano voices are not distorted even in the highest notes. Excellent!
On Electronic sound: Kitaro Silk Road. This is where the excellent tracking excells. Every note of every instrument comes to life. Sound staging so good you feel surrounded by the sound, Every note carries smoothly and blends, almost like being present. Again, the treble needs to be adjusted to allow a smooth blend of Bass and treble, without overpowering it.
Classic Rock: Donald Fagen, The Night Fly: I.G.Y. I used this record to calibrate my equipment. The Golding 1012gx is, so far, the most accurate, offering the best sound staging of this song I've heard in my system. ( as good if not better than Clear audio concept. and Clear audio Virtuoso on my Marantz TTs1) Again, the tendency towards the upper end of the spectrum requires modulating the treble. However, once this is done, the result is magnificent!
70's Rock: Dire Straits Brothers in Arms.. Clearly. this recording has been lauded as 'audiophile' quality in many circles. The Goldring 1012gx brings out every nuance of the recording. Sound staging optimal. The strong bass of the recording is blended well with the propensity of high treble, giving the sound a crystal edge, and a bouncy bass. The voice of Mark Knopfler is so vivid, it feels like he's in the room with you!
I would give this cart five stars if I didn't have to modulate the treble. Which is not a huge deal if you have a system that allows for frequency control. I prefer vintage equipment Pioneer SA-5800 amp, with Pioneer RG dynamic processor, RG2, and Pioneer graphic equalizer RG 300. Most modern systems give you even more control to make this cart the Gold standard!
Cheers
Review By: Art Zine
