Thread: EMT tsd15

I finally got around to placing an order for a new cartridge and look what showed up today...



It's cool how they bolt it to the case:



One more:



It's a crazy looking cartridge with a nude body and attaching it to my headshell was interesting. There's not a whole lot there to work with but this particular cartridge has been around since 1965 with only a minor change back in the 70's so I guess when something works right there's no need to change it for changes sake. I like that.

I loved the Lyra Delos that I have. It had a lot of energy and was very precise and accurate. I've been having an issue with distortion coming through and after about two months of tweaking and re-doing my whole set-up, as well as sending my table back to my dealer it was determined that the main root of the distortion was the shape of the stylus. My dealer sent me a Van den Hul Frog to try out and the distortion wasn't any better. It may have been a little worse due to the shape of the stylus which allowed it to get deeper in the groove.

It was when I listened to the Frog that I realized how forward and harsh the Delos was in my system. I have an email that I shared with Steve that I'll dig up and post when I find it that compared the the Delos to the Frog. My dealer told me that with the super fine line shape of the EMT stylus that the distortion was virtually nonexistent. So after much debate whether it was something that was just in my head and maybe I should deal with it without buying something else, I decided to bite the bullet. I was busy with work today and got in a 30 mile bike ride so I didn't mount the new cart until about an hour ago. Initial reaction is good. I played a problem record and the distortion issue was basically gone. That makes me very happy. I'll update once i get some more hours on it.

NICE!!!!!!!! been making it since 65 with only minor changes, i never knew that, very cool. you know i like old school. lol.
big congrats doug!!!!! use it in good health
and let us know how it sounds asap!!
oh btw that looks very big is it the pics? would it fit on my ortofon headshell?? lol!!!

Congrats Doug ! I wish you many hours of audio bliss.
The TSD15 is one of the finest cart money can buy imho.
Mine gives too much bass energy on the big Harbeths in my room and this is the only reason why I am selling it ( and replaced it by a Delos ! Funny how the things goe...). Besides this problem on the Harbeths, the TSD15 was the most refined cart I ever had when used on my Wilsons....


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Congratulations Doug! All this TT and cart stuff is still new to me. Okay, no wisecracks I am happy for you.

Originally Posted by Petro85

NICE!!!!!!!! been making it since 65 with only minor changes, i never knew that, very cool. you know i like old school. lol.
big congrats doug!!!!! use it in good health
and let us know how it sounds asap!!
oh btw that looks very big is it the pics? would it fit on my ortofon headshell?? lol!!!

Thanks Steve. I'll let you know how it sounds when I get some more hours on it. I think it might just fit on your headshell, but you have other things you're working on at the moment right?

Originally Posted by Jerome W

Congrats Doug ! I wish you many hours of audio bliss.
The TSD15 is one of the finest cart money can buy imho.
Mine gives too much bass energy on the big Harbeths in my room and this is the only reason why I am selling it ( and replaced it by a Delos ! Funny how the things goe...). Besides this problem on the Harbeths, the TSD15 was the most refined cart I ever had when used on my Wilsons....

Thank you Jerome. It is funny how things go from one set-up to another. I think the added bass energy might be welcome with my DeVore's, I'll let you know. You definitely have the right word when describing it, "refined."

Originally Posted by joeinid

Congratulations Doug! All this TT and cart stuff is still new to me. Okay, no wisecracks I am happy for you.

Thank Joe. No wisecracks here buddy, it will happen eventually. When it does, it will present a whole new rabbit hole for you. I think I have my table and now my cart set for a long time. Might work on the phono stage eventually...

Congrats Doug. I don't know nothing about them but congrats anyway coz I like your set up and trust your ears. Play some Kiss Alive album !!!

Originally Posted by BlueMcIntosh

Congrats Doug. I don't know nothing about them but congrats anyway coz I like your set up and trust your ears. Play some Kiss Alive album !!!

Thanks Paul. I like my set-up even more now!

I was a huge Kiss fan back when I was (much) younger. I always enjoyed their earlier stuff and that "Alive" album was one of my favs. That all seems like another lifetime now...

Doug, enjoy the new cartridge. The EMT is a great piece and with the right phono stage will give a big musical soundstage and presentation of your music.
I am not familiar with the spec's of your phono stage but hopefully it will work well with the low output but high impedance of the EMT.

The Shindo phono stage does not work well with that type of cart but I may try it with an Auditorium 23 step up in the near future. Look forward to hearing your impressions soon.
Congrat's and long live vinyl.

Doug...congrats on the new cartridge. Keep us updated on how it sounds as you get more listening time on it. Enjoy it buddy!

Congrats Doug! Hope the new cart addresses the distortion and then some! Happy listening my friend!

Originally Posted by NOLG4EVR

Doug, enjoy the new cartridge. The EMT is a great piece and with the right phono stage will give a big musical soundstage and presentation of your music.
I am not familiar with the spec's of your phono stage but hopefully it will work well with the low output but high impedance of the EMT.

The Shindo phono stage does not work well with that type of cart but I may try it with an Auditorium 23 step up in the near future. Look forward to hearing your impressions soon.
Congrat's and long live vinyl.

JJ,

I have the T2 SUT. Awesome with the TSD15.


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Originally Posted by NOLG4EVR

Doug, enjoy the new cartridge. The EMT is a great piece and with the right phono stage will give a big musical soundstage and presentation of your music.
I am not familiar with the spec's of your phono stage but hopefully it will work well with the low output but high impedance of the EMT.

The Shindo phono stage does not work well with that type of cart but I may try it with an Auditorium 23 step up in the near future. Look forward to hearing your impressions soon.
Congrat's and long live vinyl.

J.J., you should give the A23 step up a shot. In fact, my dealer told me that I should seriously consider it as my next investment. He said it takes the EMT to the next level.

Originally Posted by cmalak

Doug...congrats on the new cartridge. Keep us updated on how it sounds as you get more listening time on it. Enjoy it buddy!

Thanks Cyril, I'll keep you updated.

Originally Posted by socfan12

Congrats Doug! Hope the new cart addresses the distortion and then some! Happy listening my friend!

Allen, even with the limited listening I have with it so far I think the distortion issue has been taken care of.

Congrats Doug. A Classic cart for sure.


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I use mine with a a23 sut and it is fantastic. I really love this cart.

Tell me what is up with the Vespa shop mug in the photo?

Originally Posted by Cucumber_jones

I use mine with a a23 sut and it is fantastic. I really love this cart.

Tell me what is up with the Vespa shop mug in the photo?

It's just a Starbucks coffee cup from a series they did a few years back.

So I have a few more hours on the EMT and while I still have a ways to go before it's fully settled in I'm loving what I hear so far. This thing is so smooth it's ridiculous. Smooth and rich and musical while at the same time accurate and precise. There's no forwardness at all and it tracks like a champ. No bad tracking distortion issues whatsoever. It's a keeper for sure.

Originally Posted by dlb2

So I have a few more hours on the EMT and while I still have a ways to go before it's fully settled in I'm loving what I hear so far. This thing is so smooth it's ridiculous. Smooth and rich and musical while at the same time accurate and precise. There's no forwardness at all and it tracks like a champ. No bad tracking distortion issues whatsoever. It's a keeper for sure.

awesome doug!!! now you gotta go back to the delos for a day and see whats different.

hey doug i forgot to ask whats the tracking weigh with that cartridge?

Originally Posted by Petro85

awesome doug!!! now you gotta go back to the delos for a day and see whats different.

Oh I know what's different.

Originally Posted by Petro85

hey doug i forgot to ask whats the tracking weigh with that cartridge?

2.5 grams



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Originally Posted by dlb2

So I have a few more hours on the EMT and while I still have a ways to go before it's fully settled in I'm loving what I hear so far. This thing is so smooth it's ridiculous. Smooth and rich and musical while at the same time accurate and precise. There's no forwardness at all and it tracks like a champ. No bad tracking distortion issues whatsoever. It's a keeper for sure.

Great description. I feel the same way about the emt.


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Originally Posted by Petro85

hey doug i forgot to ask whats the tracking weigh with that cartridge?

Originally Posted by Cucumber_jones

2.5 grams

That's it. Thanks Chris.

I ordered a brinkmann table a couple of years ago. They by accident included their EMT Ti cartridge. Like a dummy I told them and gave it back without a listen. But I did own a Roksan Shiraz, what a great cartridge that was.

ha your a better man than i. i once ordered a $300 guitar online from a very large company and they sent me a $2000 taylor by accident. i kept it.lmao!!!!

Originally Posted by Petro85

ha your a better man than i. i once ordered a $300 guitar online from a very large company and they sent me a $2000 taylor by accident. i kept it.lmao!!!!

Hello, FBI, I know this guy that...

Originally Posted by dlb2

Hello, FBI, I know this guy that...

haha!!! dont worry taylors are too twangy for me, i sold it off pretty cheap to a friend. bad juju with that guitar if i kept it.lol.

Bearing in mind that I am a completely biased importer of EMT, I love this cartridge! Nothing has the mix of incisive musicality that they do.

I recently took a photo of an XSD15 that I have had made into a print for the office.

We're all a little biased in our own way Neil, nothing wrong with that. Nice pic!



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Thanks!

Doug,

i was intending on mentioning the Audio Exklusiv P. 02, but looking very closely at your signature, it seems you might already be aware of it!, but just in case:

emt audio exklusiv

From another EMT TSD15 owner to another, beautiful table and cartridge from a purely synergistic standpoint, as my disability hasn't allowed me to enjoy LPs as much since 2011, I've just loaned the Amadeus GTA - and said phono-stage along with an AudioMat Arpege 10 Reference and a pair of cheap Dayton's to my younger brother whom loves them.

Another fine phono-stage to my ears that deserves more attention, is the Heed Audio Quasar, which I've heard over the years, but seeming that at the time a dealer friend and ArtK found that their cheaper version called the Questar sounded even better with MM/MIs to which I was accustomed to at the time, so went with it before moving on to said EMT TSD 15 and P. 02, yet the all but brief memories remain.

Just a thought, as you had mentioned looking into phono-stages, rather late to the party, then never, I'd say.

Thanks Oscar. I'll probably hold on to my Chinook for while. I think it's a pretty fantastic phono stage if I do say so myself. What I'm planning on doing down the road is adding an A23 SUT into the mix. I've been told that using it along with the MM side of my phono stage will bring even more improvement to my system.

Originally Posted by dlb2

Thanks Oscar. I'll probably hold on to my Chinook for while. I think it's a pretty fantastic phono stage if I do say so myself. What I'm planning on doing down the road is adding an A23 SUT into the mix. I've been told that using it along with the MM side of my phono stage will bring even more improvement to my system.

Run don't walk and get the a23 sut. I love mine.


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Originally Posted by Cucumber_jones

Run don't walk and get the a23 sut. I love mine.


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Can you tell me what kinds of things you hear differently?

And how are those new speakers of yours?

Originally Posted by dlb2

Thanks Oscar. I'll probably hold on to my Chinook for while. I think it's a pretty fantastic phono stage if I do say so myself. What I'm planning on doing down the road is adding an A23 SUT into the mix. I've been told that using it along with the MM side of my phono stage will bring even more improvement to my system.

Your welcome Doug,

And it seems to me you've made an even better choice in pursuing the A23 SUT, in this case it's all about Synergy..........., great taste by the way.

Originally Posted by dlb2

Can you tell me what kinds of things you hear differently?

And how are those new speakers of yours?

I am not great a reviewing stuff. All I can say is read the online reviews about the emt and they are accurate.

My new Auditorium A23 Homage LM755a's are magical. I am super happy wit them and will be selling my Super 8's soon. That said the devore are really really good.




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Originally Posted by Cucumber_jones

I am not great a reviewing stuff. All I can say is read the online reviews about the emt and they are accurate.

My new Auditorium A23 Homage LM755a's are magical. I am super happy wit them and will be selling my Super 8's soon. That said the devore are really really good.




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Very nice room Chris,

But your gear isn't placed upon a Box Furniture Stand/Rack, my oh my............, of course I'm merely joking, but beautiful system you've there.

Originally Posted by Kt77

Very nice room Chris,

But your gear isn't placed upon a Box Furniture Stand/Rack, my oh my............, of course I'm merely joking, but beautiful system you've there.

Funny you say that. My next upgrade will be an auditorium homage sut upgrade from my regular a23 sut.

I have a curious three year old son. The box rack would leave every thing exposed to his curiosity. When he is older I will buy the box rack for sure. Funny enough I was on their webpage just yesterday taking measurements to decide which one I would get.


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Originally Posted by Cucumber_jones

Funny you say that. My next upgrade will be an auditorium homage sut upgrade from my regular a23 sut.

I have a curious three year old son. The box rack would leave every thing exposed to his curiosity. When he is older I will buy the box rack for sure. Funny enough I was on their webpage just yesterday taking measurements to decide which one I would get.


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I knew there was one in your future, and staying in line with the tried and true, and quite musical items from the likes of Tone Imports and the successful shops that carry their gear along with Devore's aren't bad company to be in.

I can say this aloud, there might only be a hand full of shops carrying their wares, along with the WTL and Dynavector cartridges, but from where I sit, they're doing the music lovers a grave service, and deserve the following they've gained over the course of the last 6 or so years. Maybe it's a collective whole?, but there's a Synergy thing going on here, there's no denying that..........., once again, great taste/ear, and I'm so glad all our children are grown, now if I'd get our 21 year old daughter married, and out of the house.............., the wife could then have her own little media room.

Kids, you've to love 'em.

For the record. I have bought all my, shindo, devore, emt, auditorium a23 unheard. No demos at all. I read lots, figured out what I was looking for. And then spend lots of time talking with dealers and JH. I don't have a dealer anywhere near me. Sadly.


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Originally Posted by Cucumber_jones

For the record. I have bought all my, shindo, devore, emt, auditorium a23 unheard. No demos at all. I read lots, figured out what I was looking for. And then spend lots of time talking with dealers and JH. I don't have a dealer anywhere near me. Sadly.


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Chris,

Well that makes what you've done, all the more impressive, as I've been trying my best to get a few friends out to hear both Devore and Shindo gear for themselves, as I love what both do with the notes more then most other brands, regardless of price, but I'm biased as to what I hear as a certain, how does one put it! " purity " or " correctness " that some components gloss over.

Once again, job well done.......

Hello,

So which version of the EMT TSD-15 is recommended to use with the A23 transformers? The LZ (low ouput and low impedance) version or the standard?

thanks,
Bill

Fantastic cartridge! As well as the A23 sut, it also mated very well straight into my Primare R32 sounding excellent at both 100 and 50ohms. This is a music lovers cart, for those who have been there and done that, and now just want to enjoy the music in a creative and vivid manner. I traded mine for a EMT JSD-6 which is still yet to arrive (I know it's in my signature but not here yet). I'll report back how it compares to the TSD-15 once it arrives.

Cheers James

Is there any particular break-in time for this cart?

I just purchased an EMT TSD-15 SFL and the A23 SUT w/ new .5M A23 ICs and unfortunately I have to say it's not knocking me out yet. I only have about 5-10 hours on it though...

I have a WTL Amadeus MK II and I was using an AT 150MLX cart. The EMT is a little faster and more dynamic, but it seems a little more forward and less pleasing smooth than the 150MLX. I listen to a lot of jazz and certain horns seem more strident and fatiguing to listen to compared to the AT cart.

I know WTL users tend to enjoy the TSD-15 with their TT's but it is a very light weight arm complience wise, so I'd experiment with Silicon levels in the tub to assist in matching. Aim for more silicon than you had with the MM. Your previous cart technically was more suited. In my experience, SUT's tend to expand the size of the presentation sometimes giving the listener the perception of slightly less meat on the bone. This could come across as more forward than your used to. The cartridge will most certainly settle down and open up. Give it time and add a little more silicon.

Thank you! I will try more damping with the silicon.

The cartridge should open up more as you put more hours on it. Also, you've added three new pieces to the puzzle and each will need time to get acclimated. Personally the SUT, while being a worthwhile piece of gear, is a very subtle change. Like was stated above the music seems more open and expansive but not the day and night difference that some guys expect when adding a piece of gear.

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