RobHolt
Moderator
- Joined
- Oct 23, 2004
- Messages
- 4,126
- Reaction score
- 12
About 18 months go I bought a couple of NOS Goldring G900IGC styli, with the intention of finding a spare 900 Series body. As luck would have it I managed to find a boxed 910IGC complete with sealed accessories and papers, with a claimed use of around 40 hours. Looks brand new to me using a small scope so I'm well pleased.
Styli are interchangeable within the range.
Always liked the G900 cartridges and Goldring were the first to use the Van den Hul stylus way back around 1980 when it first appeared.
There were three models, 900IGC, 910iGC and 920IGC. The first two are essentially the same thing but with different compliance while the 920 used the slightly less complex and expensive VDH Type 2 stylus.
I had all three in the 80s and remember the G920 being a real eye opener - it was substantially cleaner with less end-of-side distortion than anything I'd heard, including many expensive MCs. I happily used the range in both a Syrinx PU2 and Mission 774 arms.
Goldring eventually replaced them with the 1000 Series which were in fact simply a repackage in Pocan bodies. Times were changing and it became the fashion to tighten cartridge bolts to absurd degrees.
The original 1000 Series, which retained the VDH stylus profiles were good but never quite managed to equal the 900s IMO. The latest versions, using Gyger tips are even less good IMO though still fine the money.
So to the 900s.
Very light and quite high in compliance by today's standards - the 910/920 sit around 26cu which ideally needs a low mass arm. The 900 has very high compliance at 42cu but these are for lateral compliance, with vertical is clearly much lower, and arguably the more important to get right. Fortunately they are well damped, and I've found a 900 in a Rega arm is pretty well behaved, certainly if your phono stage properly conforms to RIAA.....
They weigh 4gm which is very light and only the old Ortofon OMs will be lighter. The smaller of the Michell TecnoWeight options balances perfectly on the RB1000 when right up to the pivot, which is just what we want.
Major benefits over previous models were a reduction in generator inductance (making them less load sensitive) much reduced tip mass and pushing the tip mass resonance out to 28-30kHz depending on model. Most MMs even today have it around 20k, hence the often seen treble peek followed by a fast droop.
Tracking on both 900/910 is about as good as it gets. The 910 equals the best of the rest while the 900 is out on it's own and the only cartridge I've experienced that will play any test record 'supertest' track and shrug it off.
It matters. End of side orchestral climax and loud vocals will strain the very best cartridges.
Each 900/910 was supplied with a response trace and calibration certificate.
The trace here shows +/- 1db limits 20Hz-20kHz - not bad for a cartridge!
So are they beautiful?
Well, I think these are some of prettiest cartridges produced, particularly the black, gold and racing green combo of the 900IGC. The cartridge looks and feels tiny in the flesh.
Judge for yourself form the pics below.
I realise this will mean nothing to many and bore a good few others, but there is precious little out there about this series of cartridges - so Google, please index for posterity
I won't describe the sound, other than to say I like it very much and that these are two of the best MMs ever produced IMO. Probably only the top Technics models are better if in top condition - many aren't these days.
Have a listen to some samples.
Grant Green:
http://www.mediafire.com/file/kpu1sb0rvqk0joy/Green G.wav
Gillespie:
http://www.mediafire.com/file/5yoavppia6t54o1/Gillespie G.wav
Crusaders:
http://www.mediafire.com/file/d11m35fuaaufcy9/Crusaders G.wav
Marley:
http://www.mediafire.com/file/a6jxt32993jis10/Marley G.wav
and now pics......
Styli are interchangeable within the range.
Always liked the G900 cartridges and Goldring were the first to use the Van den Hul stylus way back around 1980 when it first appeared.
There were three models, 900IGC, 910iGC and 920IGC. The first two are essentially the same thing but with different compliance while the 920 used the slightly less complex and expensive VDH Type 2 stylus.
I had all three in the 80s and remember the G920 being a real eye opener - it was substantially cleaner with less end-of-side distortion than anything I'd heard, including many expensive MCs. I happily used the range in both a Syrinx PU2 and Mission 774 arms.
Goldring eventually replaced them with the 1000 Series which were in fact simply a repackage in Pocan bodies. Times were changing and it became the fashion to tighten cartridge bolts to absurd degrees.
The original 1000 Series, which retained the VDH stylus profiles were good but never quite managed to equal the 900s IMO. The latest versions, using Gyger tips are even less good IMO though still fine the money.
So to the 900s.
Very light and quite high in compliance by today's standards - the 910/920 sit around 26cu which ideally needs a low mass arm. The 900 has very high compliance at 42cu but these are for lateral compliance, with vertical is clearly much lower, and arguably the more important to get right. Fortunately they are well damped, and I've found a 900 in a Rega arm is pretty well behaved, certainly if your phono stage properly conforms to RIAA.....
They weigh 4gm which is very light and only the old Ortofon OMs will be lighter. The smaller of the Michell TecnoWeight options balances perfectly on the RB1000 when right up to the pivot, which is just what we want.
Major benefits over previous models were a reduction in generator inductance (making them less load sensitive) much reduced tip mass and pushing the tip mass resonance out to 28-30kHz depending on model. Most MMs even today have it around 20k, hence the often seen treble peek followed by a fast droop.
Tracking on both 900/910 is about as good as it gets. The 910 equals the best of the rest while the 900 is out on it's own and the only cartridge I've experienced that will play any test record 'supertest' track and shrug it off.
It matters. End of side orchestral climax and loud vocals will strain the very best cartridges.
Each 900/910 was supplied with a response trace and calibration certificate.
The trace here shows +/- 1db limits 20Hz-20kHz - not bad for a cartridge!
So are they beautiful?
Well, I think these are some of prettiest cartridges produced, particularly the black, gold and racing green combo of the 900IGC. The cartridge looks and feels tiny in the flesh.
Judge for yourself form the pics below.
I realise this will mean nothing to many and bore a good few others, but there is precious little out there about this series of cartridges - so Google, please index for posterity
I won't describe the sound, other than to say I like it very much and that these are two of the best MMs ever produced IMO. Probably only the top Technics models are better if in top condition - many aren't these days.
Have a listen to some samples.
Grant Green:
http://www.mediafire.com/file/kpu1sb0rvqk0joy/Green G.wav
Gillespie:
http://www.mediafire.com/file/5yoavppia6t54o1/Gillespie G.wav
Crusaders:
http://www.mediafire.com/file/d11m35fuaaufcy9/Crusaders G.wav
Marley:
http://www.mediafire.com/file/a6jxt32993jis10/Marley G.wav
and now pics......
