Shure M44-7 Stanton Pickering 380 Empire EDR.9 Harman Kardon Citation I

L: Empire EDR.9; R: Pickering/Stanton 380, pics borrowed from the web.

Old MM/MI Cartridges: Shure M44-7, Pickering/Stanton 380, Empire EDR.9

Review: Harman Kardon Citation I (with Overview of the tubed Citation Series), Part I

A Great Horn System
Talk Vinyl: Vintage Cartridge and Preamp Classics

HiFi Basics IV: Re-Visit The Past

Letter from NYC (62) 2017 (1)

!Addendum (10/28/17): Citation I, Part II and Part III had been published. These record recent, extensive action against other preamps.

Heard in NYC but article finished in HK. This is a major article, but it took so long because most of the article was accidentally erased just prior to publication and I had to re-write the whole thing. Ah!

As a result of my relatively recent re-discovery of Empire 2000 series cartridges (here), I have been experimenting with older-design MM/MI cartridges. As I had been a long-term user of Shure (V15II-V), I started with the SC35C (here), and now the M44-7. Concurrently, my analog guru Andy L had also embarked on his own old MM/MI cartridge journey (to complement his downstairs horn system; see below), which took him to the Pickering/Stanton 380.

Mind you, even more than me, Andy had been there (the MM/MI era) before! We share the similarity that we had been mostly MC users in the recent decades (exclusively for me; though Andy had always used the MI Decca).

Three Vintage MM/MI Cartridges

• Shure M44-7 Along with the Stanton 500, this must be the DJ cartridge of choice, and has been in production for the longest time. Quite the opposite of its stablemate SC35C, it tracks lighter (1.5-3 gm) and has much higher compliance. Mine is a vintage "gull wing" body. I then got an old original Mexican Shure stylus from the 80's and a Pfanstiehl 4759-D7. The output is very high at 9.5 mV, enough to overload some phonostages, so beware. The Shure M44-7 was actually what re-kindled Andy's interest in old MM design, though he now prefers the Pickering 380 (below). 

• Pickering/Stanton 380 The history of the Moving Iron Pickering/Stanton 380 is quite complicated, and it has a cult following. Info on the web is quite piecemeal; google and read the Audiokarma and Audioasylum threads for some basic info. Andy generously let me play with one fitted with a red stylus and I tracked it as per Andy at 4 gm. This is a heavy (14 gm) cartridge with a low compliance stylus and so will likely do better in a heavier arm, which I lack. Output is even higher than the M44-7, as high as a whopping 15 mV, so overload is even more of a concern.

• Empire EDR.9 While surfing Ebay for M44-7 needles I came across an immaculate specimen of this (with an extra stylus) and bought it on a whim. Google for a lot of scattered info (start perhaps with the vinylengine and audiogon threads). This MI cartridge was quite expensive in its days but the light body actually looks cheaper than the 2000 series; it looks like plastic but a French post says Carbon-Aluminum. This is a light cartridge which also tracks light (1 gm), and output is 4.5 mV. It can track Quad LPs but I am not into that. The engine is MI, and the LAC (large area contact) stylus is Shibata. The frequency response reaches an amazing 50k Hz.

Overview: Harman Kardon Citation Series (tubed)

Many moons ago (I think it was the early 90's; through the historic Audiomart) I started buying tubed vintage gears, like Eico and Citation. The Citation I to V were tubed products, designed by the legendary Stuart Hegeman just prior to the solid state era. I bought the Citation I and V in very good condition. A decade later in HK I chanced upon a cosmetically challenged but highly original II (which no one wanted). Have never had or heard the III (tuner) and IV (preamp, usually acknowledged as the lesser cousin of the I, but there are dissenters, like Jim Fosgate [see comment section below for link]). Here is a great original brochure on the tubed Citations. There is a lot of info on Citation "upgrades" and modifications on the net. As you know, I am conservative on this issue. I appreciate someone like Jim McShane (his classic and long running Citation Page) who keeps many units alive and offers selfless advice, but I don't think one should turn these classics into "super-units", as advocated by many other modifiers.

Citation I (original manual) This has always been regarded as top drawer vintage. No less a figure than Bob Carver used to service/upgrade this (see this very interesting cached link, particularly regarding the MC mod). This is a monster, built like a tank and with a total of 9 tubes (4 x 12AX7; 5 x 12AT7).

Over the years, I had fired up my bone stock unit from time to time. But, for some reason, I have never taken to it and preferred my modern preamps. This time though, things turned out a bit differently. It happened because Andy L wanted a vintage unit that could handle most of the pre-RIAA equalizations, and there are few units better equipped for this task than the Citation I. I fired mine up with CD and LP and was quite taken by the sound it produced in my current horn system. I didn't play with the equalization curves but I was instantly convinced by its rightness, even with the line input. Why the difference between now and then? Read on...

Citation V I bought this together with my I, and I have never regretted it. As a matter of fact, I regard the Citation V as one of my favorite vintage amps. I used the 7581 tubes and got really great sound. No, it did not have the ultimate bass control, nor the subtlety of Western Electric (or Motiograph), BUT it is certainly one of the best and most powerful 6L6 class amps that I have heard. It balances power and refinement, and it is suitable for amps from efficient horns to reasonably efficient modern loudspeakers. It is a little sweeter than its stablemate, the II. This is a sleeper. Go to the Jim McShane Page for more info.

Citation II In HK, in the late 90's, I chanced upon a cosmetically challenged but functionally great unit, which I bought for a song. It is utterly amazing, powerful and quite refined, even with Yugo KT90 tubes (haven't tried the current variants). If you want to use genuine KT88, Jim McShane has an easy resistor mod that will keep your valued tubes running longer. IMHO, this amp is absolutely tops and it is a shame that many boutique/garage operations had pilfered the world class transformers for their own (lesser) amps. Go to the Jim McShane Page for more info.

As an advice, don't buy an extensively modified Citation unit. Judiciously restored, yes; "upgraded", NO.

Equipment Used:
Analog: Audio-Technica AT-PL120
Preamp: Harman Kardon Citation I
Amp: Wavac MD-811
Loudspeakers: YL 4-way horns

Sonic Impressions

• Shure M44-7 From the word go, my old specimen performed flawlessly. The 80's Mexican stylus sounded just a little better than the generic Pfanstiehl. It is bold and dramatic, yet a little smoother (particularly at the top) than its stablemate SC35C (but with less grunt in the bass). It plays music of all genres equally well, and I cannot think of a modern MM cartridge that can do the same (Ortofon 2M Red and Black sound good, but lack drama). Overall, except for hard rock, I'd give the nod to the M44-7 over the SC35C, but I reserve the right to change my opinion later. It's that close.

• Pickering/Stanton 380 I tracked the red stylus as per Andy at 4 gm. It performed absolutely marvelously in my system. As Andy L had indicated, this is a cartridge that can play everything well. It has a unique smoothness allied to good resolution, certainly more refined than the Shure's, but with less perceived jump factor despite its very high output. The only drawback is a slightly reticent treble, which may actually be the character of the red stylus, as Andy's gold stylus seemed a little more sparkling (see below). 

• Empire EDR.9 This is a completely different beast from the two cartridges above. Although it retains the Empire smoothness (a la 2000 series), its sound is amazingly modern, closer to MC's. BUT beware, This cartridge is VERY sensitive to VTA. At first I got a very lean sound, but proper adjustment proved rewarding. Another Empire winner.

• Harman Kardon Citation I In contrast to my previous attempts, this time around this preamp sounded very fine in my horn system, partnered the above cartridges flawlessly, and revealed their different characters. This is what I call transparency. Its performance with digital is also beyond reproach. Why the difference this time? Read on.

Andy L's Wonderful Horn System

Andy's "Downstairs System", used for "casual listening" of old LP's, has remained much the same as last reported. Current Iteration:

Cartridge: Pickering 380 black body with D3807ATG stylus in gold color

Turntable: Walker Proscenium Gold Signature 

Preamp: Conrad Johnson Premier 2

Amp: Canary CA 300 w/Western Electric 300b reissued tubes

Loudspeakers: 4-way - JBL 075 ring radiators, JBL  2440 compression drivers with 2390 horns and baffled lenses, Altec 515b woofers in Altec A7 cabinet, Entec SW-1 active subwoofers.

Crossovers: JBL LX-5 and diy 7000Hz with L-pad

Interconnects: Monster Cable Interlink Reference A, Magnan Type Vi

Speaker cable: 16, 18 gauge zip cords, WE solid-core wires

With Conrad Johnson Premier 2 As reported before, the system was quite listenable and easy on the ears. Although I have not mentioned it before, I have always been bothered by something in the lower midrange/midbass - a lack of cleanness or resolution or perhaps speed. I suspect this had actually led Andy L to regard the system as "not good for classical", which I agreed with, UNTIL...

With Citation I We swapped in the Citation I and I was dumbfounded by the change. Whatever bothered me before with certain music just completely vanished. Not only did all the pop and jazz LP's retained their flavor, we even started playing one classical LP after another, and all were well rendered. My clarinet player friend Paul was mightily smitten by Richard Stoltzman's Tashi performances, now sadly neglected. The Stravinsky was my favorite, with bite and pizzaz. Hey, with one component change, this is no longer just an "easy listening" setup, but one capable of rivaling the "Upstairs System" (see link above) in classicals! I also felt Andy's 380 (with gold stylus) is a little more agile in the leading edge (than the red stylus in my setup), but this could also be a factor of his superior TT/arm (my Audio-Technica is not ideal, as detailed above). However, let it be known, with extrapolation, the difference is not that great and the red stylus is still a great one.

Thoughts on the Horn System with Altec 515 I confess to never liking the Altec 515. It does not go deep enough, but Andy ameliorates it with a subwoofer, which is exactly what I'd do, but that is what many "purists" would refuse to do. Despite its nominal efficiency, I have actually never heard it sound proper with a SET amp. Rather, the two previous setups which sounded better to me both employed higher powered amps: a full Altec system driven by a push-pull amp (McIntosh); and a rare successful 3-way electronic crossover, employing also massive PP amp for it. Andy's system (with the Citation I) is so far the only one I have heard that has the system driven well by a low-powered SET amp. Importantly, I think Andy's system taught me something about this famous/infamous driver. I think, what I have always disliked about this driver boils down to its cabinet coloration (I personally don't think the original A5/A7 cabinets are for home use; not much one can do short of draconian measures) and coupling with the midrange driver. The Citation I is obviously a great deal cleaner (less colored) in this critical crossover range than the massively capacitor coupled CJ.

Thoughts on Conrad Johnson I really cannot say much. I am going to do an Overview one day. I just think they are now on the wrong track. The Premier 2 is one of their older products, but I personally prefer their simpler and earlier PV series. Adding massive capacitors is not a solution (though one taken shared by other manufacturers, like BAT).

HiFi Basics IV/Food for Thought

• HiFi Basics IV - Revisit the Past Again and again, my re-visits to things I had once left behind taught me a lot. Don't over-interpret this. By leaving behind, I mostly mean putting aside - if it is really crap, I'd have sold it, not put it aside. This is much like life. Whether wisely or not, we take detours, and we learn from our meanderings. Fortunately, with hifi, we can easily "make up the lost years", whereas with real life, one more often than not cannot do that: there are loved ones who we only later realized we had under-appreciated; there were opportunities we missed that would never come back. We play the same piece of music or watch the same movie, or re-read the same book, over and over, and each time we learn something new - this is because we have matured and progressed. As some sage said, time is wasted on the youth. But I say, we are never old enough, or not given the chance to be. No matter how smart you are, the world is not really "at your fingertips", and we all make mistakes, even simple ones! So, while it is essential that we hone our ability to judge, we must also reflect back on the correctness of the judgements we had made in the past or in haste. I have seen a lot of audiophiles who have never kept a single extraneous component, because they are so sure of their A/B judgement, but who ultimately had to completely upend themselves. There is really not much progress and no single piece of gear is omnipotent, and some take time to reveal their secrets. I shall write much more on this in my HIFi Basics series. Watch this space.

• Vintage Preamp - A Reflection It is important to clarify what I mean by vintage preamp. The Citation I is actually a latter-day "vintage" that straddles the transition from tube to solid state. Perhaps for this reason, it has a neutrality that appeals to me now, particularly with my horn system. Citation I - My Feelings Now and Then So, why has my perception of Citation I changed? I mulled over this, and I can only come up with this: My previous use of the Citation I were with conventional, less efficient loudspeakers, not with horns. My super efficient horns brought out the best in the Citation I (and vice versa). I cannot remember clearly, but I know I never like to suffer slow vintage equipment. My YL horns are super-fast, and don't suffer from this. Vintage preamps are perhaps only for very efficient loudspeakers of their days, not for modern loudspeakers, which make them sound slow (they are).

Letter from NYC 2012 (23): More is Less, Less is More, More or Less

click pic to enlarge: all in a family; top, my new Thorens TD-309; bottom, my reference Thorens TD-124

Letter from NYC 2012 (22): More is Less, Less is More, More or Less
Talk Vinyl: Empire Cartridge redux and Mono vinyl replay (Denon DL-102)

In the last article, I touched upon the importance of feelings in our evaluation. Without honing our skills in evaluating the correctness of our feelings (for they can be incorrect) we cannot begin to talk about "less is more". Here, I assume you know your feelings well.

Less is More?
When it comes to hifi, this much used adage more often than not is less a genuine realization than a mental state. When it comes from the mouth of someone who is simply fed up or in self-denial, it is not the quite the same as when it comes from someone who has done and seen much (no one can claim to have done or seen it all). I am not implying anything, nor trying to be glib, but I do believe "less is more" is more credible when coming from someone who has wandered in the wilderness of hifi for a long time, not from someone who is a mere internet researcher.

Just to quickly toss off some of MY takes on "Less is More":

• Less tubes, less components, less maintenance.Single Ended Triodes While I take pleasure in many vintage equipment, when it comes to simplicity and ability to ease oneself into the music, SET (properly matched with efficient speakers) reigns supreme. Well, in general, that is, and there is one exception...

• Less setup pains.Western Electric (WE)Sonically, nothing else comes close. I think you can hook up anything to real WE and be mesmerized. WE confounds and repudiates. Think of it, I don't usually like interstage transformers, but there are rare examples that I like, as implemented in WE (and perhaps by Wavac). I like push-pull less than SE, but WE is another story...in a way (not monetary unfortunately) it is "less is more" because the rest of the chain becomes not so important, such is WE's overwhelming excellence.

• Less (no) Digits, More Music.Vinyl There is so much garbage written about analog replay by digital nerds, particularly those CAS people. If you do it right, going vinyl is so much easier than getting good CAS sound. Almost any of the plug-and-play entry turntables shall trump an expensive CAS setup. Class A Benchmark or even Weiss? They pale, bleached out of life, when compared with a reasonable and inexpensive vinyl setup! For a song (indeed not much more than some CAS software!!!!) one can start with the Project RPM1.3 (my review here). A little more shall get you the wonderful Clearaudio Concept (my review here and here). I only mention these, because they are plug-and-play and any newcomers can get instant gratification. Lack of software? This is another nonsense perpetrated by the anlaogphobes. In the western countries, one can easily source many used LPs with a little effort, and the new vinyl catalogue is more extensive than one thinks. And then there is always the internet for those who live in less convenient locations. Why not listen to both?

• Less Components We are not talking about "Straight Wire with Gain" here (some even think no gain is better, not me). Although it is not always true that the simpler the circuit/layout the better, in certain areas it is generally true. Well-implemented Fullrange and Concentric loudspeakers, which use less drivers or crossover components. Surprisingly, Surface Mount components when well done (think Linn, Primare).

That was digressing. When I started to write, I meant to tell you some recent experiences of Less is More:

• State of the Empire As ususal in NYC, in the early morning I listened to My Casual Listening Station, which now has my Empire E/III cartridge in it. This really is a damned fine cartridge! The vinyl replay through the humble setup gave my main system a run for its money. Even my 2000Z with replacement stylus is not bad! More money does not really buy you more cartridge!

• Mono Playback I finally have a proper arm for my Denon DL-102 mono cartridge. The arm on my humble new Thorens TD-309 turntable supports the DL-102 beautifully. Finally, I get all the details and gone were the bloated bass when mounted previously in my Technics SP-1200 arms. More report on this turntable later. The mono cartridge plays stereo wonderfully too.

Letter from NYC 2011 (20): Empire 2000E/III 2000Z

pics of E/III: R, original stylus; L: replacement

Letter from NYC 2011 (20): State of the Empire
Vinyl Talk: Empire 2000E/II and 2000Z

Introduction 物極必反
The Chinese saying loosely means "Order shall unravel itself when it has reached Extreme". And so it proves in most arena of human activity. Audio is no exception.

Audio has undergone dramatic changes in recent years. While some (like CAS) are nominally progressive (as digital vs analog is regressive), perhaps even more look back for their inspirations. Witness the flowering of flea-powered SET amps and hi-efficiency loudspeakers. So, is it time for the MM again?

MM or MI in the World of MC
For three decades or more, the MC cartridge has dominated the high-end. It is not hard to see why. For a long time, the trend in audio, under the banner of resolution and neutrality, has mostly been towards an ever more explicit treble mostly without comparable improvement in the midrange. The MC, with its innate penchant for lighting the treble, fits the bill perfectly.

This is not to denigrate the MC. With more powerful magnets, fewer coils, lower impedance and all, for the modern audiophile the MC has arguably reached its Golden Age, when incremental improvements become more difficult to come by. There is only one catch; they are mostly so expensive that they are out of reach to most people. No wonder there is an MM renaissance of sort. There are two parts to the equation:

More new high quality Moving Magnets and Moving Irons are now being made In the September issue of TAS, when asked what is the biggest innovation in LP playback in the last ten years, Harry Weisfeld of VPI says: "...The rebirth of moving-iron and moving-magnet cartridges. When done right (Soundsmith, Grado, Ortofon), they can be wonderful, and young people can afford them and enjoy music. If its just us old farts buying $4000 moving coils, this business is doomed..." Although I believe he has a point, and I can attest to the quality of some of the current MMs (from the humble Ortofon Red to the more upmarket Clearaudio Virtuoso), it is the second part of the equation that is more intriguing.

Revival of old vintage MM cartridges One of the more interesting thing about the information explosion is the re-appraisal of vintage audio equipment. I of course have long belonged to the crowd who respect and use vintage equipment. It helps that mass magazine writers like Art Dudley writes a lot about vintage equipment (in his case mostly in analog). When it comes to vintage cartridges, the advocates have always been there, though less vociferous than those interested in other sectors. This is understandable, as the cartridge is fragile and stylus of finite life. It shall always be a minority sport, and better that way.

Empire Cartridges
As much as Shure or Stanton, one of the important players in the MM era has been Empire. Their turntables were used in transcription and the Troubadour series have always been coveted by collectors (here is some good info). No less than Harry Weisfeld of VPI cites Empire as influence, and indeed his current best-selling Classic turntable is said to have derived inspiration from Empire.

When it comes to cartridges, Empire had a long history and made many. Surviving documentation is scanty and there is much confusion on the internet, especially when it comes to replacement styli.

Old timers have likely had some experience with Empire, and I am no exception. In the late seventies and early eighties, before I got serious in hifi, I had been an Empire user, first the 2000E/II, then III, then the 2000Z before switching to Shure V-15 (my stint started with the Type II and ended with the IV). As I wasn't wearing my audiophile hat then, I don't quite remember why I switched my allegiance.

Empire 2000E/III
One of the most well known Empire cartridge series was the 2000 (Info on 2000 and 4000 series from Mantra Audio; vinylengine database), and I was a partaker of that experience. I think everyone agrees they are very musical cartridges. The trouble, again, is the confusion regarding replacement styli (read the vinylengine thread).

Recently, my friend icefox, one of the 食客 of my Shidi, told me that in one of their debauchery sessions an NOS Empire 2000E/III shone when matched with a Fidelity Research step-up. This piqued my curiosity. As recent as a couple of years ago, I had last listened to it as part of the bedroom system on my Pioneer PL-10. Sweet, but I had never thought of re-installing it in my main systems.

Back into the Arms of...吃過番尋味 This is like taking it up with an old girlfriend whom one has almost forgotten about! My particular 2000E/III surprisingly still has an intact suspension and works fine, even if I had stored it without any protection to the stylus! Must have been a sturdy built. Installing it in my systems was an eye-opener.

Round 1; vs Benz Micro Silver I installed the Empire 2000E/III in my early morning listening Casual Listening Station , which has undergone minor changes:

Analog: Audio Technica AT-PL120 with Empire 2000E/III
Digital: Meridian 506-24
Tuner: McIntosh MR-71
Preamp: ARC SP-9
Amp: Sunfire 300; Elekit TU-8300
Loudspeakers: Martin Logan Source

This is the system I use at a low level every morning in the wee hours, before I can blast my big horns. If you have read my previous report, you shall see that the Empire 2000E/III replaced the previous Benz Micro Silver, a high-output MC. Well, the findings are favorable. An even-handed performance that lacks nothing in either resolution or tonality. Good soundstage, solid images. There is little question the massed strings have more body. The Benz in comparison is more hifi-ish, whiter perhaps (as I am using electrostatics) though it plays out with a more exciting PRaT.

Round 2: vs Koetsu Black and Denon DL-102 Next I tried out the Empire on the Day-to-Day gig, which I had just written about in the previous post. This time the equipment used was as follows:

Analog 1: Clearaudio Concept/Koetsu Black
Analog 2: Technics SL-1200/Empire 2000EIII
Preamp: Shindo Monbrison with MM and MC phono inputs
Amp: Wavac MD-811
Speakers: YL Acoustics 4-way horns

This was made easy due to the similar construction of the Audio Technica and Technics; the arm geometries are close enough to allow for a simple swap. After quickly re-balancing and setting the counterweight I was in business. Comparison of the 2 gigs through the same phono section was enlightening. The Clearaudio/Koetsu has somewhat higher resolution and, again, more pacey, but the difference was not as big as you think. On the other hand, the warmth of the Empire was quite alluring; it makes images just seem more anchored on the ground, and certainly the feeling of massed strings is enhanced. Considering the difference in price the Empire did an outstanding job, and depending on preference it is not hard to imagine some might prefer the Empire outright. Comparison with the Denon DL-102 shall be made in the next installment.

Round 3: Aftermarket replacement stylus Given the great performance I decided to order a generic aftermarket stylus for myself as well as Shidi. There are a few variants for the styli I believe. Mine was I think a Pfanstiel "Polished Elliptical Diamond .0003 x .0007", made in Switzerland, labelled 4237DEC. I listened to this only on the Casual Listening Station. The sound is definitely not as rich and nuanced, though not nearly as bad as some description on the net, but it ceratinly does not quite measure up to the original. The most unusual thing is that the output is quite a bit lower and I have to crank up the volume. Can anybody tell me why?

2000Z
The 2000Z was an upgrade to the E/III at the time, and I had used it for a long time. Read the 2000Z 1976 review in Gramophone. My specimen unfortunately suffered from deterioration in the suspension. I also ordered a generic replacement stylus and soon put it into action in the Casual Listening Station. As it uses the same frame as the E/III, it was just a matter of swapping the bodies.

The replacement stylus I think is another Pfanstiel ".2 x .7 Elliptical Diamond", labelled 4239DET, but made in Japan. This one seemed a better replacement than the E/III, and I was rewarded by a sound that was quite similar to the E/III with the original tip. It is staying on my AT turntable.

The other day I took the AT turntable with the 2000Z to a friend's house. He uses Audio Note M5, Audio Valve EL84 monoblocks (8 per channel) and Sonus faber Electa Amator I. Even with the AT's built-in phonoamp, he was surprised to find the sound at least on par with, if not surpassed that of his digital source, the capable Meridian 508-24. Such is the magic of Analog!

Conclusion
I am most impressed by my re-acquaintance with the Empire 2000E/III and 2000Z. It leads me to think, as our equipment improve, we should sometimes re-hear some of our forgotten toys that are lying around. The Empires have fine musicality and excellent resolution. In a modern system, they don't sound dated, indeed can compete with many a more expensive cartridge, especially if you are tired of the treble zip of some MCs.

If you already have one lying around, and the stylus is good, you should give it a second chance, but the situation becomes more complicated should you need a new stylus. If you don't have one, I don't think you should go out and buy just a body.

Last thought, I think the 2000 series is good enough to warrant a re-tip with a better stylus. maybe one day...