Sansui SR222 MK 2 turntable arm compatibilty with Goldring IGC900 cartridge?

Londonman

Londonman

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I've just joined this forum and I was hoping someone here could help me given I'm rediscovering the joy of playing records again. My Sansui SR 222 Mk 2 was bought from new (78?)) and has all but outlived me:-) And to my delight it still works like a charm (new belt and a bit of oil!) with its matching Sansui AU317 amp and equally aged Tangent RS2 speakers. They say if you're happy with the sound then it's all good and that's the case up until the stylus/cartridge issue.
I have the turntable's original Ortofon ff15mk2 cartridge but the stylus is knackered and of course long unavailable. So a friend has given me his equally aged 80's Goldring IGC 900 cartridge but it too will need a stylus. From what I read this is an amazing cartridge but I'm reluctant to fork out for a shibata (which I understand is closest to its original, long gone IGC stylus) if the compliance issue (low which I'm lead to understand means the stylus mount is not very springy) means it simply won't work well on my turntable arm which is the original that came with the deck way back when?
Maybe I'm reading too much but as an old fart rediscovering this joy, I'm learning as much as I can! So maybe someone on this forum can help with this query?
Many thanks and a happy new year! Joss
 
The Shibata (or any modern line-contact) stylus will give you a better sound than a cheaper alternative, so if you can still get a Shibata stylus for the G900, that's what I would do. As to compliance, it's unlikely to be a serious problem. Your SR222 has a low-medium mass arm, assuming you have the original headshell. This means that if the arm mass is too low, it's easy to add a bit of extra mass in the form of a small weight, or a change of headshell for a heavier one. You'll need a test LP with a set of resonance tracks, and check that the arm/cartridge resonance is somewhere between 8 and 14Hz, ideally 11Hz. If the resonant frequency is above that, add a small amount of bluetack to the headshell and rebalance the arm, and test again. In the unlikely event that the resonant frequency is too low, that indicates excessive mass, which is a lot harder to deal with, but I can't see that being the case.
The only proviso I can think of is that adding mass to the headshell will require the arm counterweight to go further back, and you could possibly run out of adjustment. Unlikely, but possible. The answer to this is again bluetack on the counterweight to make that a bit heavier. Once you have the arm resonance correct, you can replace the bits of bluetack with something more permanent, perhaps a small shim of brass or lead.

None of this is critical, just get the arm resonance at 11Hz +- 3 Hz, and you'll be fine.

Hope this helps

S
 
Oh thank you so much. That's wonderful and so readily and comprehensively explained. Good to know that this beautiful cartridge may well work out. I do have the original Sansui (which seems very light) and a heavier, titanium headshell somewhere should the need arise and a friend who's a record dealer from whom I can blag a test record so that's all good. Now to go shopping for that Shibata stylus:-). Many thanks again and all best wishes from London. Joss
 
It is hard to find the data BUT .......One of the later SR222 variants is listed as 15 grams effective mass on the Tonearm database. Now that puts you in the medium compliance area.... Ortofon FF15 is Dynamic Compliance: x 10-6cm/Dyne....this is suited to a higher mass arm than yours .The Goldring is hard to find but the static is listed and approx conversion to dynamic gives between 25 to 30 which is high. That too is outside the best for your arm which would work best with a cartridge of around 20cu.
 
You can certainly get a replacement stylus for the Goldring, which should work fine in your SR222. Or for less money, you can get a replacement Ortofon stylus for the original cartridge. I think people put too much emphasis on arm/cartridge matching/resonant frequency. I used a Denon 103D in an SME 3009 arm for many years and currently use an AT 760SLC cartridge in a Linn Ekos arm, neither of which would be described as an ideal match but both of which have performed admirably with no issues.
 
Thanks again everyone for all your invaluable input. And as ever it all changed when I realised the cartridge I was given wasn't the Goldring G900 IGC but the G900 SE Mk 2...Duh..So another question since googling hasn't revealed much, is this the same cartridge body as the IGC 900 or a totally different beast? I've been using it happily with a blue aftermarket shibata (which I was told fitted both the IGC900 and IGC920) but out of curiosity I'd just like to know. And would the sound be significantly different with just the stylus making the difference? Sorry if I'm asking inane questions here but I am discovering the real joy of music again thanks to all of this...
 
The 900 series all had the same bodies, and were sold with a different stylus at different price levels. This has been a common thread throughout Goldring cartridges, that a common body could be upgraded by buying an upgraded stylus. Oher manufacturers did much the same, given that the high cost in a cartridge, especially a MM cartridge, is the cantilever and stylus.
 
Ah thank you so much! Then all is well with the world and I can continue to enjoy my beautiful sounding system without feeling I'm missing something:-)
 
Oh I'm not having a good hi-fi day;-( I changed the stylus to the elliptical one in the G900 to give the shibata a rest but shocked by the empty sound by comparison, I reverted back (doing all the right balances etc) and for some unknown reason the volume has dropped and the sound is now tinny to say the least. I checked the wires on the headshell and all appear to be in order, the stylus is aligned and not fluffed up, and the headshell is snug. Still much quieter and less vibey so I swapped the cartridge for my original ortofon and the volume is back to normal. Could some knowledgeable person help please:-)
 
Whoops! Sadly, this is a case of 'who knows!' It most likely a poor connection somewhere, possibly the headshell, but impossible to say at long range.

When swapping cartridges, I would much prefer to mount them in individual headshells, then swap those, rather than remove and reinstall in the same headshell. Far less chance of breaking something.

S
 
Absolutely, they are in seperate headshells. After I'd changed around the stylii in the goldring and back again, I took the whole headshell off and tried the ortofon. I just wonder whst I could've done to affect the volume/sound in the goldring to such an extent, just by swapping the stylii?
 
OK, in that case, it's possible that the spring contact inside the headshell socket on the arm wasn't making good contact. Try the Goldring again, and see if the volume is still low. If now OK, just put it down to that. If still low, then check/replace the headshell wires. It should only be low in one channel, as it's pretty unlikely both channels have the same fault at the same time. If it is still low and in both channels, that's a bit if a mystery.
 
Thank you for all your input - honestly it is so much appreciated!! And I dug out my original Sansui headshell (back from when I bought the deck in ahem, 1977) and despite the fact that the wires aren't shiny gold, it was so much easier to attach to the cartridge than the ones I laboured over back in December when I attached the G900 to a pretty, shiny new headshell, complete with golden wires and lo and behold its back to the right volume in the ancient sansui part. Admittedly a wee bit muddier (no doubt the 50 year old wires have had their day....) so now I know. You were completely right in your prognosis and I'll invest in some better (well new!) headshell wires and I do hope problem solved.... No more 'shiny' for me:-)
 

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