View Single Post
Old 9th Nov 2022, 9:23 pm   #80
Techman
Dekatron
 
Techman's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Lincolnshire, UK.
Posts: 4,985
Default Re: Ceramic and Crystal cartridge specs.

Some interesting thoughts regarding the mounting position of the crystal element. However, the question we have to ask ourselves is what affects the actual vertical compliance of the cartridge, is it the position of a piece of crystal deep within the cartridge or is it the physical mechanics of the stylus shank and its rubber coupling component? I think we probably know the answer to that one, but certainly interesting to note this difference nonetheless.

It's as Edward says (and also others as well as myself) the 'flip-under' stylus was designed for stereo compatibility, regardless of whether the internal element of the cartridge was stereo or mono. A bigger debate is the compatibility and vertical compliance of the TC8S with its stiff metal shanked stylus, just the same as the mono element version - and the answer to that one is "not a lot".

The bottom line is whether you'd risk your best and most valuable record on any of these early cartridges that may well have 'hardened up' rubber parts anyway due to age. Even the later high output version of the X5 can be criticised for its lack of compliance due to its rather inflexible plastic shanked stylus.

I suspect that the original X1 cartridge was designed to be stereo compatible, but then BSR improved on it, so 'bigged up' the later model (X2 & X3) as being the latest thing in being kind to your stereo records. It still makes you wonder though, how they could ever have justified the TC8S as being a genuine stereo compatible cartridge, was it that they just didn't care or perhaps they didn't want to go to the expense of altering all the tooling from the manufacture of the old mono only TC8. As has been said, the X1 was probably a new design to replace the old TC8 (and I would add the 'S' suffix to that) and that it was using the new stereo compatible design of 'flip-under' stylus and recommended for use playing stereo records rather than the TC8S, which I seem to think was already coming under criticism due to its lack of compliance.

Last edited by Techman; 9th Nov 2022 at 9:39 pm. Reason: Added bits.
Techman is offline   Reply With Quote