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Grado Platinum3 and Goldring Eroica H phono cartridges; Herbie's Way Excellent II turntable mat By Herb Reichert

by onekey 2024. 3. 20.

Grado Platinum3 and Goldring Eroica H phono cartridges; Herbie's Way Excellent II turntable mat

Herb Reichert  |  Nov 22, 2022
 
 

In last month's Gramophone Dreams, I explained why doing any sort of empirical study of high-quality digital sources was extremely difficult. That any success I might achieve as a reporter would boil down to my ability to employ metaphors to describe a DAC's clarity and dynamic personality. Concocting metaphors for DAC reviews is risky because it assumes readers will be familiar with the sound of my amplifier and speakers and, ideally, with one of the DACs I'm using in the comparison. That's a lot to assume.
지난달 'Gramophone Dreams' 에서 저는 고음질 디지털 소스에 대한 실증적 연구가 극도로 어려운 이유를 설명했습니다. 기자로서 제가 성공할 수 있는 것은 DAC의 선명함과 역동적인 개성을 설명하기 위해 은유를 사용할 수 있는 능력에 달려 있다고 말했었습니다. DAC 리뷰에 은유를 사용하는 것은 독자들이 제 앰프와 스피커의 사운드, 그리고 이상적으로는 제가 비교에 사용하는 DAC 중 하나에 익숙할 것이라고 가정하기 때문에 위험합니다. 이는 가정하기 어려운 부분입니다.

 

When a reader is unfamiliar with the other components I mention, my exposition becomes abstract—useful entertainment if it's useful at all. That's why I believe strongly in comparing products under review to widely known and respected reference components whenever possible.

독자가 제가 언급하는 다른 구성 요소에 익숙하지 않다면 제 설명은 추상적인 설명이 되고 말 것입니다. 그렇기 때문에 저는 가능하면 리뷰 대상 제품을 널리 알려져 있고 존경받는 참조 구성 요소와 비교하는 것을 중요하게 생각합니다.

 

Fortunately, in the current era of ultra-fi headphones and with the global popularity of CanJams, most audiophiles can experience a wide range of digital sonics without buying anything. If I refer to the dCS Bartók, HoloAudio Spring, or Mytek Manhattan II, most CanJammers (and readers) will at least have had the opportunity to experience the sound these converters make. All are popular, single-box DACs representing a particular manufacturer's viewpoint.

다행히도 현재 울트라파이 헤드폰의 시대와 캔잼의 세계적인 인기로 대부분의 오디오 애호가들은 아무것도 구매하지 않고도 다양한 디지털 음향을 경험할 수 있습니다. 제가 dCS Bartók, HoloAudio Spring 또는 Mytek Manhattan II를 언급한다면 대부분의 캔잼러(및 독자)는 적어도 이러한 컨버터가 만들어내는 사운드를 경험할 기회가 있었을 것입니다. 모두 특정 제조업체의 관점을 대표하는 인기 있는 싱글 박스 DAC입니다.

 

With phono cartridges, it's harder. The sound of phono is a mélange of the many vibrating contraptions comprising someone's curated record-playing system. Each cartridge manufacturer has its own "house sound." Each model in a manufacturer's lineup sounds different. What's more, phono cartridges perform differently with different phono stages, tonearms, tonearm cables, turntables, and even record pressings.포노 카트리지를 사용하면 더 어렵습니다. 포노 사운드는 누군가가 엄선한 음반 재생 시스템을 구성하는 수많은 진동 장치의 혼합물입니다. 각 카트리지 제조업체마다 고유한 "하우스 사운드"가 있습니다. 제조업체의 라인업에 속한 각 모델마다 소리가 다릅니다. 또한 포노 카트리지는 포노 스테이지, 톤암, 톤암 케이블, 턴테이블, 심지어 레코드 프레싱에 따라 성능이 달라집니다.

 

The best any phonophile can do is listen widely: at audio shows, in dealer showrooms, at friends' homes. In lieu of that, or in addition to it, they can study reviews and scan hi-fi forums. If you are new to analog, start simple and cheap and try a variety of products to learn the ways that moving magnet, moving coil, moving iron, and "optical" cartridges sound different from each other.

오디오 애호가라면 오디오 쇼, 딜러 쇼룸, 친구의 집 등 다양한 곳에서 폭넓게 들어보는 것이 최선입니다. 그 대신, 또는 그 외에도 리뷰나 하이파이 포럼을 검색해 볼 수도 있습니다. 아날로그를 처음 접한다면 간단하고 저렴한 제품부터 시작하여 다양한 제품을 사용해 보면서 움직이는 자석, 움직이는 코일, 움직이는 철, "광학" 카트리지가 서로 어떻게 다른 소리를 내는지 알아보세요.

 

In that spirit, my hope for this month's column is to contribute my "two empirical bits" to the larger consensus on Herbie's way-effective turntable mat and two sensible-level phono cartridges: Grado's low-output moving iron Platinum3 ($400) and Goldring's high-output moving coil Eroica HX ($899).

그런 정신으로 이번 달 칼럼에서는 허비의 방식에 효과적인 턴테이블 매트와 합리적인 수준의 포노 카트리지 두 개에 대한 저의 '경험적 두 가지'를 더 큰 공감대에 기여하고자 합니다: 그라도의 저출력 무빙 아이언 플래티넘3($400)와 골드링의 고출력 무빙 코일 에로이카 HX($899)입니다.

 

Herbie's Way Excellent II Turntable Mat
When I began at Stereophile, I bought a used Technics SL-1200MK2 ($80 at a stoop sale). It came with scratches and a felt slipmat. Then, in GD9, I hot-rodded it by installing a stainless steel SME M2-9 tonearm and Technics's original-issue, 6mm soft-rubber platter mat (part number: SFTG172-01). With most turntables, I stick with whatever resting surface the manufacturer supplies, but whenever I use a direct-drive 'table, I have an urge to experiment with platter coverings. I've collected a good pile of turntable mats: With the Technics SL-1200 and my Pioneer PLX-1000, I've experimented with graphite, felt, three thicknesses of cork, plus various thicknesses of soft and hard rubber. I always come back to soft rubber, which seems to reduce groove noise and improve retrieval of detail.

스테레오파일에서 일을 시작했을 때 중고 테크닉스 SL-1200MK2를 구입했습니다(헐값 세일로 80달러). 스크래치와 펠트 슬립매트가 함께 제공되었습니다. 그런 다음 GD9에 스테인리스 스틸 SME M2-9 톤암과 테크닉스의 정품 6mm 연질 고무 플래터 매트(부품 번호: SFTG172-01)를 설치하여 핫로딩했습니다. 대부분의 턴테이블은 제조업체에서 제공하는 레스팅 표면을 그대로 사용하지만, 다이렉트 드라이브 테이블을 사용할 때마다 플래터 커버를 실험해보고 싶은 욕구가 생깁니다. 저는 턴테이블 매트를 꽤 많이 모았습니다: 테크닉스 SL-1200과 파이오니어 PLX-1000으로 흑연, 펠트, 세 가지 두께의 코르크, 그리고 다양한 두께의 부드러운 고무와 단단한 고무를 실험해 보았습니다. 저는 항상 부드러운 고무로 돌아왔는데, 그루브 노이즈가 줄어들고 디테일을 더 잘 살려주는 것 같았어요.

 

During my review of Music Hall's Stealth direct-drive record player, I experimented with a few of the softest mats in my hoard and stumbled on what, to me, feels like a long-term solution: the $88 Way Excellent II Turntable Mat from Herbie's Audio Lab (footnote 1), which was originally reviewed by Robert Deutsch in February 2016.

뮤직홀의 Stealth 다이렉트 드라이브 레코드 플레이어를 리뷰하는 동안 저는 제가 가지고 있는 가장 부드러운 매트 몇 가지를 실험해 보았고, 2016년 2월에 로버트 도이치가 리뷰한 Herbie's Audio Lab의 $88 Way Excellent II 턴테이블 매트(각주 1)를 우연히 발견하게 되었습니다.

 

As I installed it, I was impressed by this mat's grip on the surface of the Stealth's cast platter. I also liked how well this mat supported records, with just the right degree of sponginess to ensure full contact, with no gaps under the record.

매트를 설치하면서 스텔스의 주조 플래터 표면에 이 매트의 그립감이 인상적이었습니다. 또한 레코드판 아래에 틈이 생기지 않고 완전히 닿을 수 있도록 적당한 정도의 스펀지로 레코드판을 잘 받쳐주는 점도 마음에 들었습니다.

 

Comparing Stealth's stock mat to the Herbie mat, I observed that the Herbie mat played records with less noise, firmer rhythm, and a sharper but more relaxed focus. The perception of grain or haze in quiet passages was reduced, making images seem more vivid and distinctly outlined, voices in choirs less blended.

스텔스의 스톡 매트와 허비 매트를 비교한 결과, 허비 매트가 노이즈가 적고 리듬이 단단하며 더 선명하면서도 편안한 초점으로 레코드를 재생하는 것을 관찰했습니다. 조용한 구절의 입자나 안개에 대한 인식이 감소하여 이미지가 더 생생하고 윤곽이 뚜렷해졌으며 합창단의 목소리가 덜 섞여 보였습니다.

 

Herbie's Way Excellent II mat has made Music Hall's Stealth ($1649) my new reference record player for auditioning moderately priced phono cartridges.

Herbie's Way Excellent II 매트로 인해 뮤직홀의 스텔스($1649)는 적당한 가격대의 포노 카트리지 청음을 위한 새로운 레퍼런스 레코드 플레이어가 되었습니다.

 

Grado Platinum3 Moving Iron
Since I first heard it, I've described Grado's wood-bodied Timbre Series Platinum3 moving iron cartridge—a midprice member of the wood-bodied Timbre series—as a poor man's Koetsu because in my system, and in a friend's, it produces lush, spacious, color-saturated sound (footnote 2).

처음 들었을 때부터 그라도의 우드 바디 팀버 시리즈 중저가 제품인 플래티넘3 무빙 아이언 카트리지를 '가난한 사람의 코에츠'라고 표현한 이유는 제 시스템과 친구의 시스템에서 풍성하고 공간감이 풍부하며 채도가 높은 사운드를 만들어 냈기 때문입니다(각주 2).

 

It might be more accurate, though, to describe the low-output Platinum3 as a prudent person's Aeon, in reference to Grado's $6000 low-output Lineage Series Aeon3, which I described in GD39, or maybe as a thrift-shop Epoch, referring to Grado's $12,000 flagship low-output cartridge, the Epoch3, which was reviewed in the May 2020 issue of Stereophile. I've compared the Platinum3 to the Aeon3 in my own system on the Dr. Feickert Blackbird turntable with a Thomas Schick tonearm, and I've compared it to the Epoch3 in my friend's system. To my ears, these three cartridges seem like three distinct levels of price and refinement of what I regard as the basic Grado sound, a sound best demonstrated in Grado's low-output cartridges and best described as darkish, morgue quiet, glass clear, and (bass- and spacewise) big. And fun.

하지만 저출력 플래티넘3를 GD39에서 설명한 Grado의 6000달러짜리 저출력 리니지 시리즈 이온3를 참조하여 신중한 사람의 이온이라고 표현하거나, 스테레오파일 2020년 5월호에서 리뷰한 Grado의 12,000달러짜리 플래그십 저출력 카트리지 에포크3를 참조하여 중고품 가게의 에포크라고 표현하는 것이 더 정확할 수도 있습니다. 저는 닥터 파이커트 블랙버드 턴테이블에 토마스 쉬크 톤암을 장착한 제 시스템에서 플래티넘3와 이온3를 비교했고, 친구의 시스템에서 에포크3와도 비교했습니다. 제 귀에 이 세 가지 카트리지는 제가 생각하는 기본적인 Grado 사운드, 즉 Grado의 저출력 카트리지에서 가장 잘 드러나고 어둡고 영안실처럼 조용하며 유리처럼 맑고 (저음과 공간감이) 큰 소리로 가장 잘 묘사되는 사운드를 가격대와 정교함의 세 가지 수준으로 구분한 것처럼 보였습니다. 그리고 재미도 있습니다.

 

All three low-output Grados are designed to generate 1mV into a 10k–47k ohm load, which means users will need a phono stage that can supply moving coil–level gain (60dB) into a moving magnet– type load (47k ohms). Neither of my tubed phono stages—the Tavish Design Adagio and the SunValley phono equalizer—could do that. Fortunately, Kitsuné HiFi's KTE LCR-1 MK5 and Parasound's Halo JC 3+ phono preamplifiers, and Rogue Audio's Pharaoh II integrated amplifier were available to me. I used all three for this report, but the Rogue's excellent phono stage got extra time because the Platinum3 made it sound especially radiant and high-class.

세 가지 저출력 Grados는 모두 10k-47k옴 부하에서 1mV를 생성하도록 설계되었으므로, 사용자는 무빙 코일 레벨 게인(60dB)을 무빙 마그넷 유형 부하(47k옴)에 공급할 수 있는 포노 스테이지가 필요합니다. 제가 사용하는 튜브형 포노 스테이지인 Tavish Design Adagio와 SunValley 포노 이퀄라이저는 이 기능을 지원하지 못했습니다. 다행히 키츠네 하이파이의 KTE LCR-1 MK5와 파라사운드의 헤일로 JC 3+ 포노 프리앰프, 로그 오디오의 파라오 II 인티앰프는 사용할 수 있었습니다. 이 리포트에는 세 가지를 모두 사용했지만, 특히 플래티넘3의 사운드가 빛나고 고급스러웠기 때문에 로그의 뛰어난 포노 스테이지에 더 많은 시간을 할애했습니다.

 

As part of Grado's Timbre Series, which includes the $275 Opus3, $600 Sonata3, $1000 Master3, and $1500 Reference3, the $400 Platinum3 is offered in high (4mV) or low (1mV) output, with a mono version at both output levels. While the Master and Reference cartridges are equipped with boron cantilevers, the Platinum3 uses an aluminum tube, which Grado's website describes as a modified version of their four-piece OTL cantilever technology. While the $12k Epoch3 uses pure gold wire for its coils, the Platinum3 uses ultrahigh-purity long crystal (UHPLC) oxygen-free copper.

275달러의 Opus3, 600달러의 Sonata3, 1000달러의 Master3, 1500달러의 Reference3를 포함하는 Grado의 팀브 시리즈에 속하는 400달러 플래티넘3는 고출력(4mV) 또는 저출력(1mV)으로 제공되며 두 출력 레벨 모두 모노 버전이 있습니다. 마스터 및 레퍼런스 카트리지에는 붕소 캔틸레버가 장착되어 있는 반면, 플래티넘3는 알루미늄 튜브를 사용하며, Grado의 웹사이트에서는 4피스 OTL 캔틸레버 기술의 수정 버전이라고 설명합니다. 12,000달러짜리 Epoch3는 순금 와이어를 코일에 사용하는 반면, Platinum3는 초고순도 장결정(UHPLC) 무산소 구리를 사용합니다.

 

The Platinum3's wide, heavy (9gm) body is made of Australian jarrah wood, which looks hip and exotic, but its low-slung widebody-ness makes it dang near impossible to see where the stylus tip is, or where it might land as it approaches the record surface. Even cleaning the needle is tricky. I found this constantly disconcerting. John Grado, who designed the Platinum3 and builds them by hand, believes it's worth it; he says, "The woodbody cartridges track tremendously. We found the balance fore and aft relative to the center of gravity to be a contributing factor for this stability."

플래티넘3의 넓고 무거운(9gm) 바디는 호주산 자라 나무로 만들어져 힙하고 이국적인 느낌을 주지만, 바디가 낮게 기울어져 있어 스타일러스 팁이 어디에 있는지, 레코드 표면에 접근할 때 어디에 떨어질지 알기 어렵습니다. 바늘을 청소하는 것조차 까다롭습니다. 저는 이 점이 계속 당황스러웠습니다. 플래티넘3를 디자인하고 수작업으로 제작하는 John Grado는 그만한 가치가 있다고 생각합니다."우드바디 카트리지의 트랙킹이 엄청나게 뛰어납니다. 무게 중심을 기준으로 한 앞뒤 균형이 이러한 안정성에 기여하는 요소라는 것을 알게 되었습니다."라고 말합니다.

 

I used the Platinum3 to play scores of records from every genre in my collection. I learned that, unlike the more expensive and controlled-sounding Aeon3, its response felt slightly tipped up at the frequency extremes. The Platinum3 makes big bass, deep space, and lots of sparkle, but that's because the 2kHz-centered presence region seems recessed. This slight "smiley" response lends a feeling of warmth and soul that lets a record like the Walker Brothers' 1978 Nite Flights (LP, Music On Vinyl MOVLP 1356) hold my attention through both sides—but it also makes the dynamics hit softer. Playing "Pipeline" on the Ventures album Surfing (LP, Dolton BLP-8022) made me wish for the smack and ping and raunchy-reverb twang I get playing it with the $349 Denon DL-103 moving coil. I tried several similar '60s recordings, and the Platinum3 did not do raunchy guitar sounds with anything resembling the grungy presence of live. I don't see the 3 as the ideal 1970s Led Zep and punk-band tracer, but I promise it will make you happy playing 1980s dance, electronica, and indie tunes. It was made to play Yello, Kraftwerk, and Grace Jones.

 

저는 플래티넘3를 사용해 제 컬렉션에 있는 모든 장르의 음반을 재생했습니다. 더 비싸고 제어된 사운드의 이온3와 달리 극한 주파수에서 응답이 약간 기울어진 느낌이 들었습니다. 플래티넘3는 큰 저음과 깊은 공간감, 그리고 많은 반짝임을 만들어내지만, 2kHz 중심의 존재감 영역이 움푹 들어간 것처럼 보였기 때문입니다. 이 약간의 '스마일' 응답은 워커 브라더스의 1978년작 'Nite Flights'(LP, Music On Vinyl MOVLP 1356)와 같은 음반을 양쪽에서 모두 집중할 수 있게 해주는 따뜻하고 소울풀한 느낌을 주지만 다이내믹이 더 부드럽게 다가오기도 합니다. Ventures 앨범 Surfing(LP, Dolton BLP-8022)의 "Pipeline"을 재생하면서 349달러짜리 Denon DL-103 무빙 코일로 재생할 때 느껴지는 타격감과 핑, 거친 리버브의 트위스트를 원하게 되었습니다. 비슷한 60년대 레코딩을 여러 개 시도해 보았지만, 플래티넘3는 라이브의 지저분한 존재감과 비슷한 거친 기타 사운드를 만들어내지 못했습니다. 플래티넘3가 이상적인 1970년대 Led Zep과 펑크 밴드의 트레이서라고 생각하지는 않지만 1980년대 댄스, 일렉트로니카, 인디 음악을 연주하는 데는 만족스러울 것입니다. 옐로, 크래프트베르크, 그레이스 존스의 음악을 재생할 수 있도록 만들어졌습니다.
Footnote 1: See the photos at Herbie's website.

Footnote 2: Grado Labs, 4614 7th Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11220. Tel: (718) 435-5340. Web: gradolabs.com

 
What the Platinum3 does best is rich and articulate. It played Modern Jazz Quartet (MJQ) & Guests' Third Stream Music (LP, Atlantic SD 1345) with uncanny true tone, high-tactility instrumental textures, and move-my-mind momentum. Its presentation was the kind that sucks you in. It made MJQ flow and glow like a Koetsu, generating a full, resonant field of sound that made my solid state electronics sound like tubes.
플래티넘3의 가장 큰 장점은 풍부하고 명료한 음색입니다. 모던 재즈 콰르텟(MJQ) & 게스트의 세 번째 스트림 뮤직(LP, Atlantic SD 1345)을 기묘한 리얼 톤, 촉감이 좋은 악기 질감, 마음을 움직이는 추진력으로 재생했습니다. 그 프레젠테이션은 당신을 빨아들이는 종류였습니다. MJQ가 코에츠처럼 흐르고 빛나며 공명하는 음장을 만들어내어 제 솔리드 스테이트 전자기기를 튜브처럼 들리게 만들었습니다.
 

What the Platinum3 does well that the Denon DL-103 and Ortofon's 2M Blue do not do is reproduce opera and early classical music with ease, elegance, and dramatic subtlety. On Theatre Music Vol.5 (The Double Dealer • The Richmond Heiress • The Rival Sisters • Henry The Second • Tyrannic Love) by Henry Purcell (LP, Éditions de l'Oiseau-Lyre Decca DSLO 561), the low-output Grado portrayed the harpsichord of The Academy of Ancient Music with warm, realistic tone and superfine textures. Countless times, I've been annoyed by the hashy blur and acidic brittleness of reproduced harpsichords—none of that happened with the Platinum3. Similarly, it played the soprano voices of Judith Nelson and Emma Kirkby (and others) with exquisite heart-melting tone. As I listened, it was impossible to imagine another cartridge being better suited for playing this beautiful recording. When the DL-103 played Theatre Music, the same tones felt compressed and slightly harsh. The Grado seemed endlessly open.

Denon DL-103과 Ortofon의 2M Blue가 하지 못하는 것을 Platinum3가 잘하는 것은 오페라와 초기 클래식 음악을 쉽고 우아하며 극적인 미묘함으로 재생하는 것입니다. 헨리 퍼셀의 극장 음악 5집(헨리 퍼셀의 이중창 - 리치몬드 상속녀 - 라이벌 자매 - 헨리 2세 - 폭군의 사랑)에서 저출력 그라도는 따뜻하고 사실적인 음색과 매우 섬세한 질감으로 고대 음악 아카데미의 하프시코드를 묘사했습니다. 저는 하프시코드를 재생할 때 발생하는 급한 블러와 산성으로 인해 짜증이 날 때가 많았는데, 플래티넘3에서는 그런 일이 전혀 없었습니다. 마찬가지로 주디스 넬슨과 엠마 커크비 등의 소프라노 목소리도 마음을 녹이는 절묘한 음색으로 재생했습니다. 들으면서 이 아름다운 녹음을 재생하는 데 이보다 더 적합한 카트리지는 상상할 수 없었습니다. DL-103으로 극장 음악을 재생하면 같은 음색이 압축되고 약간 거칠게 느껴졌습니다. 그라도는 끝없이 열려 있는 것처럼 보였습니다.

 

The Platinum3 plays rock well—but differently, more like a vintage Quad ESL electrostatic than a Cerwin Vega party speaker. It doesn't punch out the beats or get the grit like a DL-103 or Audio-Technica's AT-VM95E moving magnet, but its top three octaves are infinitely more resolved and conspicuously more refined than when played by those cartridges.

플래티넘3는 록을 잘 재생하지만, Cerwin Vega 파티 스피커라기보다는 빈티지 쿼드 ESL 정전식 스피커에 더 가깝습니다. DL-103이나 오디오테크니카의 AT-VM95E 무빙 마그넷처럼 비트를 펀치하거나 그릿을 얻지는 못하지만, 상위 3옥타브는 해당 카트리지로 재생할 때보다 훨씬 더 해상력이 뛰어나고 눈에 띄게 더 세련되었습니다.

 

If your system leans toward dry or gray sounding, Grado's Platinum3 could be a great alleviative. If your taste in music runs toward acoustic jazz, ambient, or classical, the Platinum3 could save you from spending $4000 on a fancy-pants MC. It's that good.

시스템이 건조하거나 회색 음색으로 기울어져 있다면 Grado의 플래티넘3가 큰 도움이 될 수 있습니다. 음악 취향이 어쿠스틱 재즈, 앰비언트 또는 클래식을 좋아한다면 플래티넘3를 사용하면 고급 MC에 4000달러를 지출하지 않아도 됩니다. 그만큼 훌륭합니다.

 

Goldring Eroica Hx Moving Coil
Sequence is everything. After playing Grado's Platinum3 for three weeks, the first thing I noticed about Goldring's Eroica HX moving coil—before I started playing it—is how lean, lithe, and Lululemon-svelte its lightweight Pocan body appeared. Compared to the lumber-truck Grado, the Eroica HX is about half as heavy (5.5gm), half as wide, with twice the output voltage (2.5mV), and more than twice as expensive ($899).

순서가 전부입니다. 그라도의 플래티넘3를 3주 동안 연주한 후, 골드링의 에로이카 HX 무빙코일을 처음 접했을 때 가장 먼저 눈에 들어온 것은 가벼운 포칸 바디가 얼마나 날씬하고 가벼워 보이는가 하는 점입니다. 에로이카 HX는 목재 트럭인 그라도에 비해 무게는 절반(5.5g), 폭은 절반, 출력 전압은 2배(2.5mV), 가격은 2배 이상(899달러) 더 비쌉니다.

The Eroica HX is a moving coil design that outputs 2.5mV into 47k ohms: It's a moving coil cartridge that acts like a moving magnet cartridge. Goldring's website (footnote 3) says, "The demanding nature of moving coil designs often prevents a clear upgrade path for vinyl enthusiasts. With the Eroica HX, turntable owners can enjoy the greatest gains in performance of an MC cartridge without the hassle of a system-wide upheaval."

에로이카 HX는 2.5mV를 47k옴으로 출력하는 무빙 코일 디자인입니다: 움직이는 자석 카트리지처럼 작동하는 무빙 코일 카트리지입니다. 골드링의 웹사이트(각주 3)에 따르면 "무빙 코일 설계의 까다로운 특성 때문에 바이닐 애호가들은 종종 명확한 업그레이드 경로를 찾지 못합니다. Eroica HX를 사용하면 턴테이블 소유자는 시스템 전반을 바꾸는 번거로움 없이도 MC 카트리지의 성능을 최대한 활용할 수 있습니다."라고 설명합니다.

 

I presume Goldring means a user will enjoy a cartridge that exhibits some of the sonic pleasures associated with a low-output moving coil without the added costs of a step-up transformer, headamp, or full-service MM/MC phono stage with 60dB+ of gain, and without the uncertainty of setting the load optimally.

골드링은 사용자가 스텝업 트랜스포머, 헤드앰프 또는 60dB 이상의 게인을 갖춘 풀 서비스 MM/MC 포노 스테이지의 추가 비용 없이, 그리고 부하를 최적으로 설정하는 불확실성 없이 저출력 무빙 코일과 관련된 음향적 즐거움을 선사하는 카트리지를 즐길 수 있다는 의미로 해석합니다.

 

The HX's fraternal twin, the $899 Eroica LX, is a genuine low-output moving coil cartridge, with fewer turns of fine enameled-copper wire wound over Goldring's signature iron-cross armature.

HX의 이란성 쌍둥이인 899달러의 Eroica LX는 골드링의 시그니처인 철-크로스 아마추어에 미세 에나멜 구리선을 더 적게 감은 진정한 저출력 무빙 코일 카트리지입니다.

 

I rarely use numbers to assess audio, but this group of sums, provided by Jon Jeary, Goldring's chief engineer, seems worthy of contemplation: "The HX uses 256 turns of 20-micron wire per channel whereas the LX uses 64 turns per channel of 30-micron wire. The tip mass of the HX is not too badly affected, because the extra mass due to the added windings is located close to the pivot point. We find the effective tip mass by directly measuring the resonant frequency of the cantilever/diamond/ vinyl interface. So, there is a compromise in sound quality between the HX and LX, but this is offset by the HX's ability to work with the existing MM phono stage."

저는 오디오를 평가할 때 숫자를 사용하는 경우는 거의 없지만 Goldring의 수석 엔지니어인 Jon Jeary가 제공한 이 수치는 충분히 고려할 가치가 있는 것 같습니다: "HX는 채널당 20미크론 와이어를 256회선 사용하는 반면, LX는 30미크론 와이어를 채널당 64회선 사용합니다. 추가된 권선으로 인한 추가 질량이 피벗 포인트에 가깝게 위치하기 때문에 HX의 팁 질량은 크게 영향을 받지 않습니다. 캔틸레버/다이아몬드/비닐 인터페이스의 공진 주파수를 직접 측정하여 유효 팁 질량을 찾습니다. 따라서 HX와 LX 사이에는 음질에 타협이 있지만, 이는 기존 MM 포노 스테이지와 함께 작동하는 HX의 능력으로 상쇄됩니다."

 

 

Reading from the instruction/specification sheet provided with the Eroica: The equivalent tip mass of the HX is specified at 0.4mg vs 0.35mg with the LX. The HX's internal inductance is specified as 130µH vs 12µH in the LX. The internal resistance of the HX is specified as 35 ohms vs 8 ohms for the LX. The output of the HX, at 2.5mV, is five times that of the LX.

에로이카와 함께 제공된 사용 설명서/사양서에서 읽어보세요: HX의 등가 팁 질량은 0.4mg 대 LX의 0.35mg으로 지정되어 있습니다. HX의 내부 인덕턴스는 130µH 대 LX의 12µH로 지정되어 있습니다. HX의 내부 저항은 LX의 경우 35옴 대 8옴으로 지정되어 있습니다. HX의 출력은 2.5mV로 LX의 5배입니다.

 

I do not have an LX version to compare the HX to, but I can tell you whether Goldring's high-output cartridge sounds more like a moving coil than a moving magnet and if, or how, the HX sounds different from Ortofon's similarly priced ($699) 2M Black moving magnet.

HX와 비교할 LX 버전은 없지만, 골드링의 고출력 카트리지가 움직이는 자석보다 움직이는 코일처럼 들리는지, HX가 비슷한 가격(699달러)의 오르토폰의 2M 블랙 무빙 마그넷과 어떻게 다른 소리를 내는지, 또는 어떻게 다른지 말씀드릴 수 있습니다.

 

But first, because I can't resist, let me compare the sound of Goldring's Eroica HX to the Grado Platinum3 described above.

하지만 우선은 거부할 수 없으니 골드링의 에로이카 HX와 위에서 설명한 그라도 플래티넘3의 사운드를 비교해 보겠습니다.

 

 

Listening through Rogue's Pharaoh II integrated amplifier, the listening-feel differences I experienced were most likely caused by the different styli in use: The Goldring uses a nude Gyger II stylus; the Grado uses a proprietary elliptical. For many years, I favored cartridges with aluminum cantilevers and forgiving, elliptical styli, but nowadays I get excited by the turbocharged, dynamic performance of unforgiving, uber-detailed, line-contact styli like the Gyger II. Reviewing has made me more resolution conscious.

Rogue의 Pharaoh II 인티앰프를 통해 들어본 결과, 제가 경험한 청취감의 차이는 사용 중인 스타일러스가 다르기 때문일 가능성이 큽니다: 골드링은 누드형 가이거 II 스타일러스를, 그라도는 전용 타원형 스타일러스를 사용했습니다. 수년 동안 저는 알루미늄 캔틸레버와 부드러운 타원형 스타일러스가 장착된 카트리지를 선호했지만 요즘에는 Gyger II와 같이 섬세한 라인 컨택 스타일러스의 터보차저와 역동적인 성능에 흥미를 느낍니다. 리뷰를 하면서 해상도에 더욱 신경을 쓰게 되었습니다.

 

The first thing I noticed when I played Theatre Music with the Goldring was how much more dust and debris the Gyger II excavated from the grooves. The second thing I noticed was how much brighter and more sharply focused the Eroica HX played. The Grado enhanced and emphasized the throaty beauty and dynamic extremes of soprano tones; the Goldring made me savor the sonorous textures of tenors. The Goldring also set the instruments farther back on the stage and distinctly connected the echo from the recording-venue walls to the harpsichord and vocals. The beauty of this natural reverb is in how it allows us to locate the performers in space within tangible virtual walls and how it communicates the force of performers and their instruments.

골드링으로 극장 음악을 연주했을 때 가장 먼저 눈에 띄는 것은 Gyger II가 그루브에서 먼지와 이물질을 얼마나 더 많이 파내는지였습니다. 두 번째로 눈에 띄는 것은 에로이카 HX가 얼마나 더 밝고 선명하게 재생되는지였습니다. 그라도는 소프라노 음색의 목가적인 아름다움과 역동적인 극단을 강조하고 향상시켰고, 골드링은 테너의 질감을 음미할 수 있게 해주었습니다. 골드링은 또한 악기들을 무대에서 더 멀리 배치하고 녹음실 벽에서 하프시코드와 보컬로 울려 퍼지는 울림을 뚜렷하게 연결해 주었습니다. 이 자연스러운 리버브의 장점은 실재하는 가상 벽 안의 공간에서 연주자의 위치를 파악하고 연주자와 악기의 힘을 전달하는 방식에 있습니다.

 

Moving coil phono cartridges convey the sonics of reflective room boundaries better than moving magnets do. The Goldring Eroica HX showed these room-measuring effects more distinctly than the Grado Platinum3. The Grado revealed more saturated tones and excavated a larger performance space, while the Goldring delivered a more factual account of the size of the space and the dynamic energies occurring within it.

무빙 코일 포노 카트리지는 움직이는 자석보다 반사되는 공간 경계의 음향을 더 잘 전달합니다. 골드링 에로이카 HX는 그라도 플래티넘3보다 이러한 공간 측정 효과를 더 뚜렷하게 보여주었습니다. 그라도는 더 포화된 음색을 드러내고 더 넓은 연주 공간을 발굴하는 반면, 골드링은 공간의 크기와 그 안에서 발생하는 역동적인 에너지를 더 사실적으로 전달했습니다.

 

 

On the cover of M•A Recordings' Whisper (M090A), Taiwanese pipa player Peiju Lien has a faraway look in her young eyes, as, seated in a wood chair against the stone wall of a church in Italy, she cradles her Chinese lute. As I listened to "Falling Snowflakes Dotting the Verdant Trees," the first track on this stunning 45rpm record, it seemed I was hearing the stone floor, the stone walls, the wood body of the pipa and its metal strings, and the spirit of the composition transduced by Lien's faraway mind. The pipa's strings sound a sharp pluck followed by a hollow instant then a long decay; the Goldring HX MC let me see the energy coming at the microphone from the pipa and reflected from the wall. This was faraway-China dreaming and pure scintillating sound.

대만의 비파 연주자 페이주 리엔은 이탈리아의 한 교회 돌담에 놓인 나무 의자에 앉아 중국산 류트를 안고 먼 곳을 바라보는 듯한 표정으로 M-A Recordings의 Whisper (M090A)의 표지를 장식하고 있습니다. 이 멋진 45rpm 음반의 첫 번째 트랙인 '푸른 나무에 내리는 눈송이'를 들으면서 돌바닥, 돌담, 비파의 나무 몸체와 금속 현, 그리고 리엔의 아득한 정신으로 전달되는 작곡의 정신이 들리는 것 같았습니다. 비파의 현은 날카롭게 찢어지는 소리와 함께 공허한 순간을 지나 긴 쇠락으로 이어졌고, 골드링 HX MC는 비파에서 마이크를 향하는 에너지가 벽에서 반사되는 것을 볼 수 있게 해주었습니다. 이것은 저 멀리 중국에서 들려오는 꿈결 같은 순수한 소리였습니다.

 

This ascent into the higher reaches of phonographic reproduction was powered by a group of modestly priced components: Music Hall's Stealth direct-drive turntable ($1649), Goldring's Eroica HX high-output moving coil cartridge, and HoloAudio's KTE LCR-1 phono stage ($1198–$1398). For the sake of accurate reporting, I played both sides repeatedly, trying to find a fault, trying to notice what I wanted to be more or better; but all I noticed was the crystalline sound of plucked pipa strings and the beauty of the reverberation.

음반 재생의 높은 경지로 올라갈 수 있었던 것은 합리적인 가격대의 컴포넌트 덕분이었습니다: 뮤직 홀의 스텔스 다이렉트 드라이브 턴테이블(1649달러), 골드링의 에로이카 HX 고출력 무빙 코일 카트리지, 홀로오디오의 KTE LCR-1 포노 스테이지(1198~1398달러) 등이 그것입니다. 정확한 리뷰를 위해 양쪽을 반복해서 연주하면서 결점을 찾고 더 나은 점을 찾아보려고 노력했지만, 제가 느낀 것은 비파 현의 결정적인 소리와 울림의 아름다움뿐이었습니다.

 

 

The gutsy, focused, high-texture character of the Eroica HX cartridge steered me toward Bach's organ music and the MM input of SunValley's SV-EQ1616D all-tube phono equalizer. At first, I played my usual, always-enjoyable Bach Organ Favorites, Volume 2, with E. Power Biggs (LP, Columbia MS 6748). It sounded Biggs-glorious. I followed that with Walter Kraft's more stoic J. S. Bach: Organ Music Volume IV (one of a 3-LP box set, Vox SVBX 5444). The Goldring-SunValley combination played this spirited 1964 recording with a crisp, well-organized sureness that showed organist Walter Kraft to be a skilled Bach interpreter.

배짱 있고 집중력이 뛰어나며 질감이 풍부한 Eroica HX 카트리지의 특성은 저를 바흐의 오르간 음악과 SunValley의 SV-EQ1616D 올 튜브 포노 이퀄라이저의 MM 입력으로 이끌었습니다. 처음에는 평소 즐겨 듣는 바흐 오르간 모음곡 2번, 2집을 E. Power Biggs(LP, Columbia MS 6748)로 재생했습니다. 빅스답게 훌륭하게 들렸습니다. 그 다음에는 좀 더 금욕적인 월터 크래프트의 J. S. 바흐: 오르간 음악 4집(3-LP 박스 세트 중 하나, Vox SVBX 5444)을 들었습니다. 골드링-선밸리 콤비는 1964년에 녹음된 이 음반을 선명하고 잘 정리된 확신으로 연주하여 오르가니스트 월터 크래프트가 숙련된 바흐 해석가임을 보여줬습니다.

 

 

Goldring vs Ortofon 2M Black
When I replaced Goldring's Eroica HX with Ortofon's venerated 2M Black moving magnet, the first thing my Falcon speakers revealed was a slight change in texture, like pouring out fluid of lower viscosity. The air from the pipes on Walter Kraft's organ seemed denser and more humid. The pace of playing seemed slower, the mood darker.

골드링의 에로이카 HX를 오르토폰의 유명한 2M 블랙 무빙 마그넷으로 교체했을 때 팔콘 스피커에서 가장 먼저 나타난 것은 점도가 낮은 액체가 쏟아져 나오는 듯한 약간의 질감의 변화였습니다. 월터 크래프트의 오르간 파이프에서 나오는 공기가 더 조밀하고 습한 것처럼 느껴졌습니다. 연주 속도가 느려지고 분위기가 어두워졌습니다.

 

Most likely, having listened to the Goldring first colored my perception. My mind had adapted to the apparent speed of the Goldring's presentation. I think so because only a week before, with the same turntable and phono stage, the 2M Black sounded fast and dynamic.

아마도 골드링을 처음 들었을 때 제 지각에 색이 입혀진 것 같습니다. 제 마음은 골드링의 연주 속도에 적응한 상태였죠. 불과 일주일 전만 해도 같은 턴테이블과 포노 스테이지에서 2M Black은 빠르고 역동적인 사운드를 들려줬기 때문입니다.

 

A few records into the next day, Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli seemed to be listening very closely to the sound of his piano as he played; I admired how precisely measured each keystroke was. His finger control seemed supernatural. The record on the Stealth was Claude Debussy: Images I/II and Children's Corner (LP, Deutsche Grammophon Stereo 2530 196), and the sound of each note was crystal clear. When the "Images I & II" side finished, and I went to flip the record, I realized: The Ortofon 2M Black had reanimated itself. Its heartbeat was strong again, its expression clear, bright eyed, and beautiful. On the "Children's Corner" side of the record, the air between notes had a vibrant, electrified presence.

다음 날 몇 곡을 녹음한 아르투로 베네데티 미켈란젤리는 연주하는 피아노 소리를 아주 세심하게 듣고 있는 것 같았고, 저는 건반 하나하나가 얼마나 정밀하게 측정되는지 감탄했습니다. 그의 손가락 컨트롤은 초자연적으로 보였습니다. 스텔스의 음반은 클로드 드뷔시: 이미지 I/II와 어린이 코너(LP, 도이치 그라모폰 스테레오 2530 196)였는데, 각 음의 소리가 맑고 선명했습니다. "이미지 I & II" 면이 끝나고 레코드를 넘기러 갔을 때 깨달았습니다: 오르토폰 2M 블랙이 다시 살아났다는 것을 깨달았습니다. 심장 박동은 다시 강했고, 표정은 선명하고, 눈빛은 밝고, 아름다웠습니다. 음반의 '어린이 코너'에서는 음과 음 사이의 공기가 활기차고 전기가 통하는 듯한 느낌이 들었습니다.

 

With Goldring's Eroica HX, Michelangeli's crystalline notes hit harder and sounded bigger and crisper, with shorter decays. His rhythms sped along in a super-engaging fashion. With the Eroica, pace, timing, and force dominated my impressions. The Goldring played with superior tactility and transient impact compared to the Ortofon.

골드링의 에로이카 HX를 사용하면 미켈란젤리의 결정적인 음이 더 세게 부딪히고 더 크고 선명하게 들리면서 더 짧게 쇠퇴했습니다. 그의 리듬은 매우 매력적인 방식으로 빠르게 흘러갔습니다. 에로이카는 속도, 타이밍, 힘이 제 인상을 지배했습니다. 골드링은 오르토폰에 비해 뛰어난 촉감과 순간적인 임팩트로 연주했습니다.

 

In sum
The high-output Goldring Eroica HX generated its excitement via clarity, resolve, and balance. Electrically, it presented as a moving magnet, but its sonic character was that of a moving coil. I found it more detailed and sharply focused than my reference moving magnet, the Ortofon 2M Black. While the HX gave off an air of British refinement, I enjoyed its PRaT, jump, and big dynamics most.

고출력 골드링 에로이카 HX는 선명도, 해상력, 밸런스를 통해 감동을 선사했습니다. 전기적으로는 움직이는 자석처럼 보이지만, 음향적 특성은 움직이는 코일처럼 느껴졌습니다. 제 레퍼런스 무빙 마그넷인 오르토폰 2M 블랙보다 더 섬세하고 예리하게 초점을 맞췄습니다. HX는 영국적인 세련미를 풍기는 반면, 저는 PRaT, 점프, 큰 다이내믹스가 가장 마음에 들었습니다.

 

In contrast, the low-output Grado Platinum3 played one record after another with beguiling, natural beauty backed by an uncanny quietness that felt much like Grado's Aeon3. It played records with a deeper, wider, more scenic spaciousness than the 2M Black or Eroica HX. In my system, the Platinum3 delivered more tube-like glow and sparkling inner detail than any cartridge I've heard at anywhere near its modest price.

이와 대조적으로 저출력의 Grado Platinum3는 Grado의 Aeon3와 매우 흡사한 기묘한 정숙성을 바탕으로 매혹적이고 자연스러운 아름다움으로 레코드를 연달아 재생했습니다. 2M 블랙이나 에로이카 HX보다 더 깊고, 더 넓고, 더 아름다운 공간감으로 레코드를 재생했습니다. 제 시스템에서 플래티넘3는 적당한 가격대의 어떤 카트리지보다 튜브 같은 광채와 반짝이는 내부 디테일을 더 많이 전달했습니다.

 

When I returned to streaming digital after 30 days of pure analog, it felt like nothing was real. Every track seemed ersatz and lacking flavor. Eventually, my brain re-adapted to the ways of invisible files, and I enjoyed them again, enough to get me to the next month-long analog oasis.

30일 동안의 순수 아날로그 스트리밍을 마치고 디지털 스트리밍으로 돌아왔을 때, 아무것도 진짜가 아닌 것처럼 느껴졌습니다. 모든 트랙이 밋밋하고 풍미가 부족해 보였습니다. 결국 제 뇌는 보이지 않는 파일의 방식에 다시 적응했고, 다음 한 달 동안의 아날로그 오아시스를 즐길 수 있을 만큼 다시 음악을 즐겼습니다.


Footnote 3: See here. Goldring, Armour Home Electronics, Woodside, 2 Dunmow Rd., Bishop's Stortford, Herts CM23 5RG, UK. Tel: +44 1279 501111. Web: goldringusa.com. US distributor: Fidelity Imports. Email: info@fidelityimports.com Tel: (609)369-9240.