ARCHIVED FORUM -- March 2012 to February 2022READ ONLY FORUM
This is the second Archived Forum which was active between 1st March 2012 and 23rd February 2022
Hello Everyone!
I work for Soundsmith in their international marketing dept. I hope I am not breaking any forum rues about these things?
As Soundsmith is the only resource for newly-manufactured Moving Micro Cross (B&O) cartridges, we are always concerned with public outreach and helping to clarify issues pertaining to compatibility of models to tonearms, performance issues, and the like.
I wanted to offer myself as contact for any questions regarding our B&O replacement cartridges, as well as other products that might be of interest, such as our new 1/2" adapters for B&O carts and our new wooden headshell for SME mounts.
Please feel free to contact me here, as I hope to be a useful resource to BeoWorld members interested in our products and in all things analog-related!
Kind regards,
Chris
Nice to have you here Chris!
I've had (and have) a ton of B&O carts - Mostly MMC2 which are nice but also have an SMMC4 that is as good or better than than the MMC2 so have been really pleased.
I guess I haven't been to your site in a while since I seem to recall that last time I checked the recommendation was not to use B&O carts on other tables and tonearms with an adapter - If something's changed that's great since I have a high-end turntable in my main room and have always been curious to try out one of my B&O carts just for comparison to my typical MC carts.
Can you point us to the latest info regarding the 1/2 adapters for standard arms?
Thanks
Greg
Beocenter 9500, Beomaster 6500, Beolab Penta MKII, Beolab 5000, Beolab 3000, Beolab 4000 MKI, Beolab 4000 MKII, Beogram 3300, Beogram 3000, 2X Beolink 7000 RDS, 2X MCP 6500
Hi Greg! Thanks for the kind words!
First, to address your inquiry regarding 1/2" adapters, here's a link to follow: http://www.sound-smith.com/accessories/soundsmith-wooden-headshell-and-half-inch-adapter
As you may or may not know, B&O also made 1/2" adapters many years ago to expand the potential market for their cartridges, and the Soundsmith adapter is essentially a reproduction of that adapter.
The issue inherent with the B&O compatible cartridges is one of compliance, as these cartridges are of fairly high compliance and so the mating arm should be more properly a low-effective mass arm (below 8g eff. mass). That said, I've been told (during last year's Munich show) of a small 'underground' of users mating high mass arms and high compliance cartridges - against all reasonable advice - and proclaiming this to be a magic combination. YMMV
Cheers!
Thanks Chris - My tonearm has an effective mass of 8.6g so I'll give it a try!
Nice to have you here!
Very cool - would be good to hear from you once you've tried it out! Let us know what you think of it!
Chris: Hello Everyone! I work for Soundsmith in their international marketing dept. I hope I am not breaking any forum rues about these things?
You could advertise on BeoWorld if you're serious about marketing
Lee
Really? I don't see any adverts on the site, so I assumed there wasn't a means. Would be happy to check out a rate-card and send it up the ladder to HQ for consideration!
Chris,
I have a question for you, since you work for a company that specializes in rebuilding B&O cartridges. I have two, an MMC 20CL and an MMC 4000. I am considering having one of them rebuilt. But, I don't know which I should choose. Do you have a recommendation?
And a follow up question, Of the cartridges that will fit a Beogram 4002, which was the top of the line cartridge available from B&O?
Thanks much,
Clark
I have had an SMMC20EN. A fine cartridge and clean detailed sound. They are very much hand made cartridges - I may be wrong but it would appear the SMMC20 range are the SMMC1-5 range put into a containing body. They are not as polished in appearance as the originals and are the wrong colour for the 4000 series decks. However they utilise more modern materials than the originals and have a very definite sound signature of their own. I think the digital generation will actually prefer them to the originals. They have allowed the Beogram to still be a valid choice and should be welcomed by all.
Peter
I've been in contact with Peter Ledermann and his advice was as follows:
"The 4000 was an earlier series, ending in the MC6000 as the top end. The later series included the 20CL, which was the last TOTL. Rebuild the broken/worn 20CL."
Er... Yes!?
Jacques