Turntables, Arms & Cartridges

Top dog in Shelter's 'Legendary' MC pick-up range, the Model 9000 – like the Lyra Etna SL [HFN May '18], also from Japan – is a pristine example of modern moving-coil design. Comparison with the latter goes only so far however, because while both track like troopers through the maximum 80µm groove pitch, clearing the +18dB test (315Hz lateral cut, re. 11.2μm) without skipping, the Etna SL keeps to 0.5% THD while the Model 9000 nudges up closer to 2%. However, while both achieve this at, by MC standards, a modest 1.8g downforce, only the 9000 offers the medium/low 14cu compliance typical of a 'heavyweight' design destined for use in medium/heavy effective mass tonearms. Otherwise, the 9000's output is generous at 730μV (re. 1kHz at 5cm/sec into 100ohm) and the channel balance good at 0.3dB –

the 9000 will work well into phono stages offering 60-65dB gain. The 9000's frequency response is usefully extended but also shows some extra 'zing' in the mid-treble/presence on lateral cuts (+0.5dB, left channel; +2.5dB, right), suggesting that images focused front and centre in the soundstage will have a little more edge and brilliance than those on the far left and right [see Graph 1, above]. There's less emphasis in the high treble, and less sensitivity to surface noise, but as the VTA is slightly high at 28o, some adjustment of rear arm height might be useful in tweaking the 9000's tonal balance. Even if the lateral and vertical responses are not entirely mirrored, there's clearly much better symmetry in the linearity of the 9000's mechanism with distortion <2% up to 1kHz with both L+R and L–R cuts. Finally, the 15-20% peak at 15kHz is also a reflection of the 9000's extended response [see Graph 2]. PM