Turntables, Arms & Cartridges

Exotic glue notwithstanding [see boxout], Analog Relax’s elliptical diamond is precisely aligned on the end of its alloy tube cantilever to achieve a 23° VTA. Compliance is low at 10cu but within the expected range for a 10g MC destined to track at a 2g recommended downforce in medium/high effective mass arms. Tracking is sufficient if not super-secure, achieving 60-65µm via the left/right channels and just letting go at the penultimate +15dB groove modulation (re. 315Hz/5cm/sec) at 1.5% THD. Analog Relax quotes a high-ish 15ohm coil impedance for the EX300, suggesting a generous number of 6N copper turns and this, in conjunction with the potent fixed neodymium magnets, fuels its higher-than-specified 0.62mV output. This very compatible result is complemented by a very tight 0.09dB channel balance and excellent 35dB midband stereo separation.

The specific resonances and damping properties of the alloy tube cantilever are revealed in an extended, if gently downturned stereo HF response [dashed trace, Graph 1] and in the relatively high HF distortion, reaching ~20%/19kHz, also on the stereo cut [–8dB re. 5cm/sec; dashed trace, Graph 2]. However, compared with most pick-ups equipped with alloy cantilevers, the EX300 offers a sufficiently strong treble allied, in this instance, with a subtle bass boost (+0.8dB/20Hz). There’s a slight asymmetry in the MC generator seen here in the 1-2dB dip in presence band output on vertical (L-R) grooves versus lateral (L+R) cuts [red vs. solid black trace, Graph 1]. This will be heard in the slight prominence given to centrally-focused images over instruments and performers ranged to the left and right of the stereo soundstage. PM