Sumiko: The Pearl vs The Blue Point

[eleiko]

Cartridges really do make a difference! I swapped out the Sumiko Pearl for the Blue Point on my Thorens mk166 table and heard it for myself. The Point's tone is silkier, smoother, and the mid-range wider. I got the Blue Point on Ebay used (albeit lightly) for $115, saving myself the $135 more a new one would cost retail. The Pearl sounded so bad compared with the Denon mc I had before that I stopped listening to my record collection. A newbie wouldn't know the difference, which is the curse of being exposed to any high-end product - you want it and you won't be content without it. But now I'm content, and that weak link is no more.

[Woochifer]

Cartridges really do make a difference! I swapped out the Sumiko Pearl for the Blue Point on my Thorens mk166 table and heard it for myself. The Point's tone is silkier, smoother, and the mid-range wider. I got the Blue Point on Ebay used (albeit lightly) for $115, saving myself the $135 more a new one would cost retail. The Pearl sounded so bad compared with the Denon mc I had before that I stopped listening to my record collection. A newbie wouldn't know the difference, which is the curse of being exposed to any high-end product - you want it and you won't be content without it. But now I'm content, and that weak link is no more.

I think cartridges are easily one of the most overlooked components in any audio system. I think the cartridge is at least as important as the turntable or tonearm. After years of just switching out the stylus with the Ortofon OM series, I swapped that 15-year old cartridge body for a Sumiko Black Pearl -- big mistake. The Black Pearl has a nice fat sounding midrange, but the highs are very cutoff and it has a lifeless sound overall. The Ortofon could sound somewhat thin in the midrange and occasionally had sibilance in the highs, but the overall detail and dynamics with that cartridge were excellent and with several albums in my collection, easily bested the CD versions for those albums.

I'm now looking for something that can give me the liveliness of the Ortofon, but with better refinement overall. But, I can't wait to swap out that Black Pearl for something better.

[eleiko]

I think cartridges are easily one of the most overlooked components in any audio system. I think the cartridge is at least as important as the turntable or tonearm. After years of just switching out the stylus with the Ortofon OM series, I swapped that 15-year old cartridge body for a Sumiko Black Pearl -- big mistake. The Black Pearl has a nice fat sounding midrange, but the highs are very cutoff and it has a lifeless sound overall. The Ortofon could sound somewhat thin in the midrange and occasionally had sibilance in the highs, but the overall detail and dynamics with that cartridge were excellent and with several albums in my collection, easily bested the CD versions for those albums.

I'm now looking for something that can give me the liveliness of the Ortofon, but with better refinement overall. But, I can't wait to swap out that Black Pearl for something better.

"A lifeless sound overall" is how I'd describe the Sumiko Pearl. The Black Pearl you had is cheaper than the Pearl, so I can just imagine the shortcomings of that piece.

[hifitommy]

Cartridges really do make a difference! I swapped out the Sumiko Pearl for the Blue Point on my Thorens mk166 table and heard it for myself. The Point's tone is silkier, smoother, and the mid-range wider. I got the Blue Point on Ebay used (albeit lightly) for $115, saving myself the $135 more a new one would cost retail. The Pearl sounded so bad compared with the Denon mc I had before that I stopped listening to my record collection. A newbie wouldn't know the difference, which is the curse of being exposed to any high-end product - you want it and you won't be content without it. But now I'm content, and that weak link is no more.
i hope i dont burst your bubble but the bp just does not have the top and bottom capabilities of other comparably priced carts. i have an original that was actually a pmount that i got an aluminum block mount from one of the vendors. it eliminated the pmount adaptor and it is an alum block with a set screw to anchor the cart and threaded holes for mounting.

anyway, the top was compressed and bright, the bottom thubby and not extended without the block. the block extended both extremes but never freed the cart form the aforementioned limitations. the midrange however is gorgeous and images like a Maryland Farmer (MF).

the pearl and bpearl were never a consideration due to others' recommendations. that has proven itself by more reports like this one.

a shure m97xe from garage-a-records.com will prove to be a better choice or an AT440ML from the same vendor.

i recommend keeping the bp for reference and that can prove to be fun in the long run. having extra carts on hand can be a good thing if you get ham fisted and break a stylus. also, the music keeps on coming when that happens, just change carts.

[eleiko]

i hope i dont burst your bubble but the bp just does not have the top and bottom capabilities of other comparably priced carts. i have an original that was actually a pmount that i got an aluminum block mount from one of the vendors. it eliminated the pmount adaptor and it is an alum block with a set screw to anchor the cart and threaded holes for mounting.

anyway, the top was compressed and bright, the bottom thubby and not extended without the block. the block extended both extremes but never freed the cart form the aforementioned limitations. the midrange however is gorgeous and images like a Maryland Farmer (MF).

the pearl and bpearl were never a consideration due to others' recommendations. that has proven itself by more reports like this one.

a shure m97xe from garage-a-records.com will prove to be a better choice or an AT440ML from the same vendor.

i recommend keeping the bp for reference and that can prove to be fun in the long run. having extra carts on hand can be a good thing if you get ham fisted and break a stylus. also, the music keeps on coming when that happens, just change carts.

Tommy: I'm well aware that there are better sounding cartirdges. The blue point special probably sounds better than the bp - though I've never heard it - and the offerings from Koetsu I'm sure tops them all. No matter, I'm now satisfied and look forward to playing vinyl again. Besides, I'm not willing to pay several hundred dollars for a super-high end cartridge. Even the bp retail was too much ($250). Explain what you mean by "images like a Maryland Farmer." I live in Md. - your parallel does not compute.

[hifitommy]

is a slick euphemism coughed up by lou rawls in 'street corner hustlers blues' from th live album. he said it so he could suggest MF as in mother-(which we all know is half a word). back in '66, you couldnt get away with using words like that on records or public performance.

back to the sound of the bp. i did not get rid of mine but got an at440ML for $90 from j and r music world. today, the place to get one of those is garage-a-records.com for $90 delivered. if your thorens has a detachable headshell, i might try to get another headshell and swap them back and forth now and then. i enjoy several cartridges that way and none acquires much wear because of it.

after owning the bp, i probably not go for a bps. it is the same cart with a more solid mount. i would think that some of its limitations would remain. dont get me wrong, i enjoyed my bp a lot for a long time, and the price you paid is more like its worth than the $250 list price.

do you have the pmount version or the blue bodied boxcar version? the boxcar sounds about like mine with the aluminum block mod.

[eleiko]

is a slick euphemism coughed up by lou rawls in 'street corner hustlers blues' from th live album. he said it so he could suggest MF as in mother-(which we all know is half a word). back in '66, you couldnt get away with using words like that on records or public performance.

back to the sound of the bp. i did not get rid of mine but got an at440ML for $90 from j and r music world. today, the place to get one of those is garage-a-records.com for $90 delivered. if your thorens has a detachable headshell, i might try to get another headshell and swap them back and forth now and then. i enjoy several cartridges that way and none acquires much wear because of it.

after owning the bp, i probably not go for a bps. it is the same cart with a more solid mount. i would think that some of its limitations would remain. dont get me wrong, i enjoyed my bp a lot for a long time, and the price you paid is more like its worth than the $250 list price.

do you have the pmount version or the blue bodied boxcar version? the boxcar sounds about like mine with the aluminum block mod.


Tommy: Probably the boxcar blue bodied version, judging from appearance. Truth be told, I have no idea what a P-mount is or an aluminum block model. My mechanical/eletrical engineering quotient is so low as to be unmeasurable and unmentionable. But I mention it anyway. Honesty IS my strong suit.

[hifitommy]

Tommy: Probably the boxcar blue bodied version, judging from appearance. Truth be told, I have no idea what a P-mount is or an aluminum block model. My mechanical/eletrical engineering quotient is so low as to be unmeasurable and unmentionable. But I mention it anyway. Honesty IS my strong suit.
pmount was a scheme of having the simplest possible mount for cartridges, likely to combat the ease of use provided by cd. the just plugged into the arm, they were all the same weight (supposedly), and the same dimension from back to stylus (supposedly), and many reeeeely cheeeeep TTs were sold with them in place.

the bp came with an adaptor that was really a piece of cheeeeep crap, styrene plastic that could EASILY crack. the vendor (cant remember the name right now) sold the aluminum block i described to improve the rigidity of the mount and it worked nicely.

time will pass and you will gain experience and thats what this hobby is all about. somewhere along the line, you felt like more is available from this passtime and just dropping in a silver disc that perhaps doesnt sound as good as the previous technology wasnt your bag.

YES, carts, arms, TTs, their bearings, and other factors all have distinct effects on the resultant sounds. welcome to the club. broaden your horizons and try audioasylum.com and some of the other forums around the net.

[eleiko]

pmount was a scheme of having the simplest possible mount for cartridges, likely to combat the ease of use provided by cd. the just plugged into the arm, they were all the same weight (supposedly), and the same dimension from back to stylus (supposedly), and many reeeeely cheeeeep TTs were sold with them in place.

the bp came with an adaptor that was really a piece of cheeeeep crap, styrene plastic that could EASILY crack. the vendor (cant remember the name right now) sold the aluminum block i described to improve the rigidity of the mount and it worked nicely.

time will pass and you will gain experience and thats what this hobby is all about. somewhere along the line, you felt like more is available from this passtime and just dropping in a silver disc that perhaps doesnt sound as good as the previous technology wasnt your bag.

YES, carts, arms, TTs, their bearings, and other factors all have distinct effects on the resultant sounds. welcome to the club. broaden your horizons and try audioasylum.com and some of the other forums around the net.


Thanks for the lesson. I've been on audioasylum. I've noticed that it's much more active than this site. There seems to be be more up-to-date posts. I should know more about hi-fi having been into it since 1971 (I still have the owner's manual to my long-gone JVC receiver). As I've said, all things technical escape my limited thematic apperception.

[RaphaelMabo]

I am feeling surprised when I read the comments here.
I recently swapped my Goldring 2200 for the Sumiko Pearl on my Thorens TD280 MkII turntable, and I love the sound. Goldring 2200 was analytical sounding, with a tonality on the bright side. Hard hitting bass and extended treble, very detailed and high resolution, dynamic and with good punch - but, it was a bit too sharp, too edgy, too hard and somehow it lacked organics and sweetness. I decided to try the Sumiko Pearl, just for fun - and now I will keep the Sumiko.

Sumiko is more forgiving to well played records. It tracks better and are not as sensitive to static electricity. With Goldring 2200 I hade numerous visits of the boys Mr Pop, Crackle and Noise. Since I mounted the Sumiko, those boys are not visiting my system, not to the same extent as before. They are much more silent, and allows the music to go through.
The Sumiko has lots of musicality and it touches my soul and makes my body moves.
It is more laid-back than the Goldring and the treble is a bit shy, midrange sweet and detailed, bass solid and firm but not hard hitting. Tonality is more on the dark side than bright. The interesting thing is despite it being a smoother and more laidback performer than the Goldring, it actually sounds more musical - or perhaps this makes it sound more musical. Music shines through, I listen more to the groove and the soul in the music than separate bits in the mix. Yes, the Sumiko is a "groovy thang". Not as analytical as the Goldring, perhaps not entirely "hi-fi correct" but it goes down to the heart and soul in the music and for me this is what it is all about - this listening to music thing.
Yes, my foot is tapping.

My system:
Thorens MM01 phono pre-amp, Alchemist Nexus amp, ALR Jordan Entry 2M speakers, Supra Ply 2 cables.