GerardG
KBO
This past Monday an Acutex 412 LPM (NOS) I ordered from an Italian EBay vendor arrived. I purchased it at 50% off and after reading other forms about Acutex and already owning a rebadged Piezo YM-320, and finding it to be a gem, I was anxious to try it and soon had it mounted to a head shell and spun an LP on my mid-seventies Yamaha YP 701.
From the first needle drop this cartridge blew me away. Bass? This cart is a base monster! All the words that describe a good cartridge come to mind. The clarity, depth and separation of the 412 is stunning. Even with my somewhat diminished middle aged hearing I can detect subtleties from my albums I’ve not heard before. This cart is as detailed as my Empire 245 but without the fatigue that accompanies that particular offering.
The cart at a teensy 4g mass was a challenge to balance on the Yamaha but a Stanton head shell with an added 2g mass did the trick. All week I’ve listened to one recording after another just to hear what this cartridge can do. Oh, BTW, this Acutex was the first unused cartridge I’ve ever bought. And, what a good choice it was!
From the first needle drop this cartridge blew me away. Bass? This cart is a base monster! All the words that describe a good cartridge come to mind. The clarity, depth and separation of the 412 is stunning. Even with my somewhat diminished middle aged hearing I can detect subtleties from my albums I’ve not heard before. This cart is as detailed as my Empire 245 but without the fatigue that accompanies that particular offering.
The cart at a teensy 4g mass was a challenge to balance on the Yamaha but a Stanton head shell with an added 2g mass did the trick. All week I’ve listened to one recording after another just to hear what this cartridge can do. Oh, BTW, this Acutex was the first unused cartridge I’ve ever bought. And, what a good choice it was!
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