27-Nov-2021, 16:03
Four and a half years since I last posted here - what on earth have I been doing?
One significant change I should have mentioned in early 2019: I upgraded from a 440 Pro to a 1000 Pro. Probably not news to anyone who's seen my signature in the intervening time. Very happy with the upgrade, which was made possible by a member of this site wishing to go the other way. Apart from any sound quailty differences, I do like the more substantial and sculptural casework of the 1000 Pro, and the remote is a complete joy to use.
The main reason for this post, though, is because I've just changed my phono cartridge. Not something I was planning to do, but the original Wilson Benesch Ply on my Circle turntable sadly came to grief: the combination of a nude stylus with no guard and regular dusting in the area meant it was only a matter of time before the inevitable disaster befell - I'm surprised it lasted so long (many years!). So the next question was what to replace it with.
To cut to the chase, after a bit of deliberation - and helpful advice from @cubbington, thanks! - I bought a Hana MH which on paper looked like a good match for the tonearm and has been very well reviewed. (Breaking one of my rules, I didn't listen to it before shelling out.) The MH has a healthy nominal output of 2 mV which means there's no worry at all about noise from the phono stage. Having fitted it and done a quick/rough set-up, I must say it sounds astonishingly good - a big improvement over the Ply. It sounds both more detailed and slightly sweeter in the treble, and has better balanced bass, if my aural memory is anything to be relied upon (probably not!). Suffice to say, I'm very happy with it.
One significant change I should have mentioned in early 2019: I upgraded from a 440 Pro to a 1000 Pro. Probably not news to anyone who's seen my signature in the intervening time. Very happy with the upgrade, which was made possible by a member of this site wishing to go the other way. Apart from any sound quailty differences, I do like the more substantial and sculptural casework of the 1000 Pro, and the remote is a complete joy to use.
The main reason for this post, though, is because I've just changed my phono cartridge. Not something I was planning to do, but the original Wilson Benesch Ply on my Circle turntable sadly came to grief: the combination of a nude stylus with no guard and regular dusting in the area meant it was only a matter of time before the inevitable disaster befell - I'm surprised it lasted so long (many years!). So the next question was what to replace it with.
To cut to the chase, after a bit of deliberation - and helpful advice from @cubbington, thanks! - I bought a Hana MH which on paper looked like a good match for the tonearm and has been very well reviewed. (Breaking one of my rules, I didn't listen to it before shelling out.) The MH has a healthy nominal output of 2 mV which means there's no worry at all about noise from the phono stage. Having fitted it and done a quick/rough set-up, I must say it sounds astonishingly good - a big improvement over the Ply. It sounds both more detailed and slightly sweeter in the treble, and has better balanced bass, if my aural memory is anything to be relied upon (probably not!). Suffice to say, I'm very happy with it.
Roon (Mac Mini), Wilson Benesch Full Circle, Expert 1000 Pro CI, Kaiser Chiara
Warwickshire, UK
