- Μηνύματα
- 4.252
- Reaction score
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Απάντηση: STANTON 881S & 881S MK II (αφιέρωμα)
Υπερέχει η MKI απέναντι στην ΜΚΙΙ λέει κάποιος που μοιάζει να ξέρει:
"y edmaidel
..as I was Pickering's Sales manager during the period when the XSV-3000 was introduced, and then was the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Stanton Magnetics in the 90's just prior to its sale to a new owner in Florida.
Over the years, when both Pickering and Stanton were selling thousands of phono cartridges to consumers (in the era pre-dating the CD), telling the difference between a Pickering product and a Stanton product was often much like comparing Tweedle Dee to Tweedle Dum. That is until the XSV-3000 was introduced, when the current top of the line Stanton product was the 681-EEE.
The Pickering all but blew away the 681EEE, and most of the Stanton sales people were furious that Pickering really and truly had an infinitely superior product. That is, until the 881-S was introduced. And you're right: it was exactly the same item, though with cosmetic variations and the fact that Stanton cartridges were calibrated, and Pickering's weren't. (Though this led to an industry-wide condemnation of Pickering products as being "Stanton rejects" since they weren't calibrated, they were every bit as good as their Stanton counterparts in each and every respect.)
With the advent of the CD, Pickering's and Stanton's sales all but disappeared until the enormous popularity of the Stanton DJ business (which started in Europe) began taking hold in the U.S.
I rejoined the company (Stanton) in 1992, and despite an attempt to resurrect the consumer audio interest in phono cartridges, quickly realized that the DJ business was that which would sustain the company. The top of the line consumer (not DJ) product then was the Stanton Collector's Series, which was not only calibrated, but included individually run frequency response curves and a signed letter from Walter Stanton thanking those purchasing the product. Despite all this hoopla, the Collector's Series was identical to the Pickering XSV-5000, and yes, both were superior to the XSV-3000, but only marginally.
The current 881S-II, though it states that it has a "Stereohedron" stylus, in fact does not. This is a dirty little secret that the company won't admit to, as they still purchase the diamond tips they use on the stylus assemblies, and the prohibitively high cost of a Stereohedron stylus, in respect to the very limited sales of the product, made the substitution of an ordinary elliptical stylus tip mandatory. (This was done before I left the company in 1999.) Quite frankly, it's pretty difficult to tell the difference in sound between the two, but for the company to still actively promote it as having a "Stereohedron" stylus is quite simply dishonest.
The brush assemblies on Pickering and Stanton cartridges differ, and that used on the Stanton models is actually a little better than that used on the Pickerings, since, if the Pickering assembly (which snaps onto the outside of the stylus handle) is not carefully installed, it will indeed interfere with tracking, whereas that used on the Stanton, with a vastly superior method of connecting the brush to the stylus handle, doesn't elicit this problem. And, you're right: you must add one gram additional stylus force to the tonearm setting (as well as the same extra gram on the anti-skate setting) to offset the brush assembly.
While at Pickering, I introduced a pamphlet to explain the benefits of the Pickering "Dustamatic" Brush assembly, and that same pamplet was reproduced for the Stanton "Longhair" brush assembly. The brush does an excellent job of damping low frequency resonance in a tonearm, and also greatly improves tracking of warped records. And I've NEVER been able to "hear" the brush assembly, and think those who claim they do are certifiably nuts.
Of course, I could go on and on and on. That's all for now. Unless of course you want to hear more (and, believe me, there's lots more!)"
http://www.epinions.com/content_4351959172/show_~allcom
:107:
Υπερέχει η MKI απέναντι στην ΜΚΙΙ λέει κάποιος που μοιάζει να ξέρει:
"y edmaidel
..as I was Pickering's Sales manager during the period when the XSV-3000 was introduced, and then was the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Stanton Magnetics in the 90's just prior to its sale to a new owner in Florida.
Over the years, when both Pickering and Stanton were selling thousands of phono cartridges to consumers (in the era pre-dating the CD), telling the difference between a Pickering product and a Stanton product was often much like comparing Tweedle Dee to Tweedle Dum. That is until the XSV-3000 was introduced, when the current top of the line Stanton product was the 681-EEE.
The Pickering all but blew away the 681EEE, and most of the Stanton sales people were furious that Pickering really and truly had an infinitely superior product. That is, until the 881-S was introduced. And you're right: it was exactly the same item, though with cosmetic variations and the fact that Stanton cartridges were calibrated, and Pickering's weren't. (Though this led to an industry-wide condemnation of Pickering products as being "Stanton rejects" since they weren't calibrated, they were every bit as good as their Stanton counterparts in each and every respect.)
With the advent of the CD, Pickering's and Stanton's sales all but disappeared until the enormous popularity of the Stanton DJ business (which started in Europe) began taking hold in the U.S.
I rejoined the company (Stanton) in 1992, and despite an attempt to resurrect the consumer audio interest in phono cartridges, quickly realized that the DJ business was that which would sustain the company. The top of the line consumer (not DJ) product then was the Stanton Collector's Series, which was not only calibrated, but included individually run frequency response curves and a signed letter from Walter Stanton thanking those purchasing the product. Despite all this hoopla, the Collector's Series was identical to the Pickering XSV-5000, and yes, both were superior to the XSV-3000, but only marginally.
The current 881S-II, though it states that it has a "Stereohedron" stylus, in fact does not. This is a dirty little secret that the company won't admit to, as they still purchase the diamond tips they use on the stylus assemblies, and the prohibitively high cost of a Stereohedron stylus, in respect to the very limited sales of the product, made the substitution of an ordinary elliptical stylus tip mandatory. (This was done before I left the company in 1999.) Quite frankly, it's pretty difficult to tell the difference in sound between the two, but for the company to still actively promote it as having a "Stereohedron" stylus is quite simply dishonest.
The brush assemblies on Pickering and Stanton cartridges differ, and that used on the Stanton models is actually a little better than that used on the Pickerings, since, if the Pickering assembly (which snaps onto the outside of the stylus handle) is not carefully installed, it will indeed interfere with tracking, whereas that used on the Stanton, with a vastly superior method of connecting the brush to the stylus handle, doesn't elicit this problem. And, you're right: you must add one gram additional stylus force to the tonearm setting (as well as the same extra gram on the anti-skate setting) to offset the brush assembly.
While at Pickering, I introduced a pamphlet to explain the benefits of the Pickering "Dustamatic" Brush assembly, and that same pamplet was reproduced for the Stanton "Longhair" brush assembly. The brush does an excellent job of damping low frequency resonance in a tonearm, and also greatly improves tracking of warped records. And I've NEVER been able to "hear" the brush assembly, and think those who claim they do are certifiably nuts.
Of course, I could go on and on and on. That's all for now. Unless of course you want to hear more (and, believe me, there's lots more!)"
http://www.epinions.com/content_4351959172/show_~allcom
:107:
