Guest Y B Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 (edited) After posting a few pictures on the thread "Show Us Your Phono Stages and Phono Cartridges", for those who is interested, here I thought I would share my experience on the Apheta and Shelter 7000 on my RP8. I am not good at writing reviews but I thought I would give it a try. This is not so much a review but my experience with these two cartridges. Please excuse me with my poor grammar, the use of cliché audio jargons and the lack of creativity in writing. Setup By now I have had a total of 3 weeks spent with the Shelter, it now may have about 100 hours or more in my system. Setup is done with the Hi-Fi News Analogue Test LP. The setup has passed the Side A Band 8 test and failed miserably on Band 9 test. If I were to be super critical, the sound might have very slight distortion so I take it as a pass. On side B Cartridge alignment, it failed the first time on the Azimuth setting, sound came from centre towards my right ear. Fixed with a thin cardboard cut out as a shim to the cartridge and shell head on one side. All the rest seem fine. I have been trying all sort of settings but always come back to 100 and 47k, preferring a smoother presentation to a wider and deeper soundstage at the end and settled on 100 ohms. VTF 1.84g, gain 64db and resistance loading 100 ohms, raised 8mm on the Rega VTA adjuster, the centerline of the arm tube look slightly tilted when the cartridge touches a record, maybe about 5 to 8 degrees. A heavyweight Groovetracer Counterweight 150g, has replaced the stock tungsten weight 110g. Experience Shelter is a great all rounder but it really excels in the midrange and top end. Bass is also excellent but it's presented in a very different way to the Apheta's. Bass sounded a little sloppy at the very beginning but it quickly sort itself out. With Shelter, I often stopped from reading (I often put the music on and read at the same time) and listened to whoever that was singing, beguiled by their vocal performance and marveled at how beautifully done they were. I would sink deep into their music, thinking how wonderful this artist is. I enjoyed finding out all sort of qualities in a singer's voice which I have not realised before, this is very delightful and enjoyable with the Shelter. While the Apheta was at play on the other hand, I was often marveled by the sound, more on how a certain instrument is presented, where it was positioned. I was often surprised at how beautifully done it was. The soundstage was very 3D like, sounds would appear from behind my head, far left or right hand side, right in front of me just above my head or, deep into the space in between the speakers, but the speakers has now disappeared. It was like a 3D sound effect show. With the Apheta, I can't help but always put on an electronic or dance goodie I own. The more time I had with the Shelter, the more I realised it's magic. It's more refined and it conveys music and vocal subtleties excellently. When music needs to be gentle, quiet or sensitive, the Shelter delivers. Acoustic instrument sounds more real and more convincing, so is piano even on the limited CM8. Top end is always sweet, airy, and light, unless the music demands a screech, then it's a screech. Sweet, airy, gentle, soft and light, a few qualities I was looking for in Apheta and couldn't quite find easily. There is a sense of lightness, gentleness and poise Shelter have which are very delightful. Maybe this just shows how much a refined cartridge Shelter is. Shelter keeps me pulling out records with fine vocal performance like Beck's Sea Change, Jeff Buckley's Grace, The Walkmen's Heaven, Iron & Wine's The Shepard's Dog and Our Endless Summer Days, Radiohead, Grizzly Bears, Laura Marling, Lambchop, The National, Beth Gibbon & The Rustin Man, Tindersticks and the likes... Another great strength the Shelter has is the crystalline clarity, Lambchop's Kurt Wagner and Tindersticks' Stuart A. Staples both has their very unique "mumbling" style of singing, I often can't make out the lyrics they were singing, with the Shelter, I now can hear words easily. This is a big bonus! Apheta is by all means still a great cartridge, I still like it for a few tricks up its sleeves. By comparison, "Apheta is more like a street performer, it thrills you and wow you with its best tricks and leaves you wanting more, but it does not quite delivers what you really want at the end, and it does not do subtlety very well. It gives a tall and wide soundstage with each instrument and its position so clearly defined." Sounds like a review I read somewhere, that is because I finally agreed to it. Then again, Apheta is designed to be used with IOS, something I could not afford. Apheta will give you big slams with brutal force, leaving you amazed and stunned. I couldn't believe the CM8 could produce such slams but I felt it in electronic, dance, rock and bass heavy recordings, for example, Disclosure's Settle, The Black Keys' Brothers and El Camino. I could not finished listening to a whole album in one listening to the new Depeche Mode's Delta Machine 2LP. Too much high and low frequency constantly slamming with such force, Dave Gahan's vocal performance as fine as it is, was overwhelming and not enjoyable at the end, it all became too much and fatique. This is most evident in the song, Slow, which is one of my favorites on the album. Although I really like this album, I would play only 1 LP each time. On the other hand, Shelter handles this gracefully and poise. I still feel the force but not overwhelming. Bass attacks and decays in a way I have not experienced before and I love it. Special moments with the Shelter 1. The Walkmen's Heaven LP We Can't Be Beat starts with a guitar gently picked, it sounded so crystalline. Set against a very dark background. Hamilton Leithauser started singing softly, he has never sounded so sweet. When the drum finally kicked in near half way of the song, I can hear the skin of the drum vibrating, on my CM8s, this is very surprising. 2. Jeff Buckley - Grace. Mojo Pin starts with Jeff Buckley's gentle wailings, soft cries fades in from a dark background, guitar, cymbals and drums glide smoothly in and out of the air, it felt like they have just been freshly lubricated. 3. Totally captivated by Hellelujah, in the long take just before it ends, Jeff Buckley's voice has infinite sadness and free from restrains. 5. Lambchop - Mr. M Kurt Wagner is singing the lyrics not just mumbling! 6. Tindersticks The First Tindersticks Album. Stuart A. Staples is singing the lyrics not just mumbling! 7. Laura Marling I Speak Because I Can. Listening to Goodby England I feel sad leaving England too. I am obviously not from England and I have only been to London. I don't even like London after 3 visits. But at least for that few minutes, like Laura Marling, I too believe England could be a beautiful country to lie cold in, and I love her honest voice even more. Special moments with the Apheta 1. Disclosure - Settle. Bass slams like a maniac, it's deep and pounds right into my head. It transported me back to THAT club in the 90's where I was still dancing my head off at 10 am. Especially when I was listening to When Fire Starts to Burn and Latch. 2. The Black Keys - Brothers. Keeps it raw and rocking! That's how I like it! 3. Sound effects in electronics albums and bass slams hard in rock albums. Looks like the Shelter is going to stay and the Apheta would have to take a long break. It sounded like the Shelter does bass a lot worse than the Apheta, it's not at all, Apheta just have the extra "uhm" and make records which crave it sounds better, and maybe this is due to the limitation of the CM8s. With the CM8 now sold (though sounding better like never before), I am looking forward to hearing the 2 cartridges' capabilities with the new speakers. Finally, I would set aside the idea of integrating a SUT for now. Edited August 25, 2013 by Y B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
betty boop Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 nice work YB, sounds like both have lot going for them. and great been able to settle on a choice that is having you listening disc after disc great write up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Y B Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 Thank you Al, I am glad you enjoyed reading it. They do each have their own's strengths. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metal beat Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 Nice write up YB The different voicing of each cartridge gives legitimate reasoning to have two tables 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Y Posted August 25, 2013 Share Posted August 25, 2013 Good news & good work, you put a lot of effort in! Loading down should be nice if your system has good resolution & speed... 100 ohms probably best setting on the Moon 310LP. To get a wider bandwidth sound with more LF extension/warmth & HF 'air', use brass fixing screws (instead of stainless steel - the size is M2.5 machine screw, fine thread, if you can get them, it's worth the search). Let me know if you can't find any. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Y B Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 Thanks guys. Now I wish the RP8 can have 2 arms. > Owen, will try to hunt down the brass screws. Where might I find them, any idea? I am curious how they would affect the sound? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sligoriverblues Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 Man, kudos to you for some great LPs mentioned there, especially The Walkmen! So refreshing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Y B Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 (edited) I love The Walkmen and have all their albums on LP from Bows + Arrows on Ever since I heard The Rat. Edited August 26, 2013 by Y B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sligoriverblues Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 I think I play the Lisbon album most often. Great band. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Y B Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 I still can't decide, Lisbon or Heaven? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Owen Y Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 > Owen, will try to hunt down the brass screws. Where might I find them, any idea? I am curious how they would affect the sound? RS Online have these (these are nickel plated but sound OK)... http://australia.rs-online.com/web/p/machine-screws/4829732/ Or, I spotted these on eBay: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/25-x-M2-5-x-10-BRASS-PAN-HEAD-MACHINE-SCREWS-2-5mmx10-/261219590822?pt=AU_Fasteners&hash=item3cd1e6a2a6#shId (These have Pan heads, which are bigger than Cheese head & may be too big diam if used upwards in some carts with tight slots.) You may need nuts or different lengths. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
betty boop Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 am using brass as well YB ! am pretty sure were what my ortofon cart came with Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Y B Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 Great table Al, love the P9. Green eyes. Brass screws look cool. I often wonder how the Jubilee sounds. It was said to be a great match with P9? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
betty boop Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 thankyou YB, theres a lot of parallels in what you describe in the shelter with what have experienced in the jubilee. I see your word below and thats all jubilee ! "refined and it conveys music and vocal subtleties excellently. When music needs to be gentle, quiet or sensitive, the Shelter delivers. Acoustic instrument sounds more real and more convincing, so is piano even on the limited CM8. Top end is always sweet, airy, and light, unless the music demands a screech, then it's a screech. Sweet, airy, gentle, soft and light," same with your words below... "lightness, gentleness and poise" and that too just what jubilee is all about. but that could also just be the contrast of the apheta which I remember very much along the lines as you have written as well. some of this could be my arc phono stage too that I run and just love the mix of jubilee with that. I will say we seem to chase the same sort of attributes in vinyl. but yeah like yourself I also at times do look at the green paddock in the next field Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metal beat Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 (edited) Man, kudos to you for some great LPs mentioned there, especially The Walkmen! So refreshing Were you expecting Dianna Krall? Agree, refreshingly modern music Edited August 26, 2013 by turntable Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Y B Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 No Diana here but a few very sweet and mellow records I love listening to occasionally are Nick Lowe's The Old Magic, Richard Hawkey's Lady Bridge and The Nat King Cole Story. I like your taste in music too, turntable, many of those you posted in currently spinning electronic music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sligoriverblues Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 Were you expecting Dianna Krall? Agree, refreshingly modern music Hehe... Or a couple of 45s and a few 200 grams Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolster Posted August 27, 2013 Share Posted August 27, 2013 Great write-up and a good example of how different carts have different characteristics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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