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  1. #1
    Vinyl Junkie slate1's Avatar
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    Loaded up the KAB/Ortofon ProS30 on the SL1210MK5 last night...

    My initial impressions after a few hours comparing it to the KAB/Stanton Groovemaster II AE:

    - Ortofon has less bass "weight" than the Stanton.

    - Bass is much more "punchy" with the Ortofon.

    - The Ortofon seems less congested in the mid-bass; doesn't have that mid-bass "bloom" the Stanton does.

    - The Ortofon has clearly more extension in the highs and the highs are more detailed - more MC like.

    - The Stanton has incredible midrange; the Ortofon's midrange is quite transparent.

    - Soundstaging is better with the Stanton, but not by much.

    - The Stanton is the better tracker on test records, but I never heard any mis-tracking with the Ortofon on music.

    - Surface noise seems to be less noticable on the Stanton

    Both carts are excellent trackers and, quite honestly, both sound great - just different. The Stanton has more weight and slam to it and the Ortofon is more delicate sounding - more detailed.

    I'll post more details once the Ortofon is fully broken in - but my intial thoughts are that I'm probably going to enjoy the Stanton a bit more simply because of its midrange magic. It's just a chunkier sounding cartridge that just kills on rock records.

    Cayin A-70T Integrated w/ Gold Lion Tubes · PS Audio GCPH Phono Stage · Pro-Ject RPM-9.1 Turntable w/ Pro-Ject Ground-It and Pro-Ject Speedbox II · Dynavector 20X2H Cartridge · Usher Audio X-718 Monitors · Ultimate Cables C4 Interconnects & Speaker Cables

  2. #2
    Forum Regular royphil345's Avatar
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    Thanks for that update!!! Looks like I'm going to have to give the KAB / Stanton a try. Sounds like exactly what I've been looking for. Hope your new system gives you many years of enjoyment.

  3. #3
    nerd ericl's Avatar
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    Aug 2004
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    I guess you made your decision eh Slate?

    http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls....art&1136649007

    that was fast!

  4. #4
    Vinyl Junkie slate1's Avatar
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    Yep - spent a LOT of time this last weekend playing with both carts. The Ortofon is a great cartridge but I just like the more laid-back top-end and chunkier sound of the Stanton.

    If anybody sees this and is interested in the cartridge - mention you saw it on AudioReview Forums and I'll knock another 10% off and ship it for free. It's not a "bright" cartridge by any means - and would work wonders in the right system I'm sure. If you're looking for that MC magic in the highs and details but MM output levels it's perfect.
    Last edited by slate1; 11-10-2005 at 06:03 AM.
    Cayin A-70T Integrated w/ Gold Lion Tubes · PS Audio GCPH Phono Stage · Pro-Ject RPM-9.1 Turntable w/ Pro-Ject Ground-It and Pro-Ject Speedbox II · Dynavector 20X2H Cartridge · Usher Audio X-718 Monitors · Ultimate Cables C4 Interconnects & Speaker Cables

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