Vinyl Asylum: REVIEW: Grado ME+ Phono Cartridge by AnalogJ

Model:	ME+
Category:	Phono Cartridge
Suggested Retail Price:	$130
Description:	True Mono Cartridge
Manufacturer URL:	Grado
Manufacturer URL:	Grado

Review by AnalogJ ( A ) on December 22, 2003 at 15:16:53
IP Address: 152.163.253.3

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for the ME+

I have been toying around with trying a true mono cartridge after hearing a Lyra Helikon a bit over a year ago. While I could not afford a Lyra Helikon, I did have a fair number of mono LPs from the 1950s and 1960s I have bought within the last couple of years. After falling in love with the Grado sound with the borrowed Statement Sonata, I thought about budget ways to get a mono cartridge to try this concept out. My options were a Denon DL-102 or a Grado ME+.

I first tried the Denon, but discovered that the Denon only having two pins on the back would be a problem with the wire clips on the JMW tonearm. The JMW's clips are not open-ended, so they can't be stacked, something that was necessary with the Denon. I knew that Grado would make a true mono cartridge from their wood-bodied series, but I didn't want to spend that much initially for an experiment. On the other hand, the ME+ only comes stock as a 5.0mV version. Wouldn't that potentially cause the famed VPI/Grado hum problem? Well, talking with Harry Weisfeld and John Grado, the answer was an emphatic "yes." The hum problem was why Harry had had John Grado create a 1.5mV version of the Grado cartridges to be used with VPI (or Rega) tables. Harry loves the sound of Grados on his tables, but the high output cartridges present a problem. As good as the 1.5 versions sound on the VPI tables, the new Statement series sounds much better, according to Harry. They use a different wire and much less of it, resulting in a more open, dynamic, detailed sound. Well, that's all well and good, but that wasn't the ME+. Or was it?

After talking with John Grado and telling him of my dilemma, he offered to make me up a ME+ in a low output version using the wire in the Statement series. Hmmm....this could be interesting. I told him to go ahead and I ordered it through my local dealer (at the same time that I ordered the Statement Master, a cartridge I have also reviewed).

When I got it, even though I knew it wasn't a wood-bodied cartridge, how could I not be a bit disappointed comparing the look of the Master and the ME+. While the screws for the wood-bodied cartridges go right into the cartridge quite elegantly, the ME+ requires a screw and nut combination. Not quite as elegant or as easy to do.

The sound, as usual as with Grado cartridges, was stiff out of the box. It took 15 hours or so for it start sounding human. After about 30 or so hours, it really started to open up and sound quite natural.

I noted that whether it be the $130 ME+, the $500 Sonata, or the $800 Master, the essence of the music is the same. There is still that wonderfully expressive Grado mid-range. On top of that, I heard a coherence with my original mono LPs that I have never heard before. It may be a lack of phasiness, but music that had a flat soundstage with vague imaging suddenly made sense. I have an original 10" of the soundtrack to "Hans Christian Andersen" with Danny Kaye and Kaye's voice was clear and had passion and intent. Kaye's voice was focused, yet it was larger and clearer at the same time. I have a promo 45rpm to "Me and Mrs. Jones" by Billy Paul on Epic which has a stereo version on one side and a mono version on the other. While many mono albums have sounded fine to me through a stereo cartridge, this 45's mono version sounded thin, scattered and off in its rhythmic timing, as though the music's heart and soul were off. The stereo version was clearly better.

But not with the mono ME+. It was almost like focusing an SLR camera back and forth and suddenly hitting upon the exact focus. The music and presentation made sense like I have never heard it before. Everything, from the various instruments, background vocalists, and Billy Paul himself were on the same page for the first time in this mono version and I now think that the mono version is THE way to hear this song. The stereo version is good, but the mono version when heard with a mono cartridge communicates an intent I have not heard before. Of course, it's a wonderful Philly soul-type song to begin with.

I played an original NM mono of Julie London's "My Name is Julie." Wow, through the ME+, this was now as good a record to demo my system as anything I have. Julie's voice was huge, confident and communicative. Barney Kessel's guitar was solid, sure and musical. If the record is in great shape, which this one is, the background noise is non-existent. Ticks and pops will come through, but the surfaces are otherwises quiet, quiet, quiet. Sure, I don't get left and right soundstage, but I still get depth.

It's amazing that if the sound information is focused, there is an amazing amount of soundstage information. I played a 6-eye of "Ellington Uptown" and all the instruments sounded real and full-sized. Not for one minute did I miss a stereo presentation. The soundstage depth was layered and micro-dynamics were communicated well, so little bends and pushes by the soloists and orchestra were there.

Was this as good as the Sonata or Master? No. The mid-range is quite not as revealing as the Sonata and the whole cartridge's sound lacks the openness and detail of the Master, but on its own, it's very musical. For an experiment, I played an original mono of The Byrd's "Turn, Turn, Turn." Through the ME+, the LP sounded bright and, while dynamic, it didn't resolve all that well through the overly bright presentation. When I replaced the ME+ with my Grado Statement Master stereo cartridge and played the same album, the album still sounded bright, but I could hear the bass carve out its own place in the soundstage and I heard each of the group's voices individually. Interestingly, on "He Was a Friend of Mine," I heard the sound of the tambourine shimmer as it was about to be struck. I could actually visually the tambourine starting up and rushing towards the player's hand to be struck. It made it seem much more like I was actually experiencing the players performing the music before me.

So, in the end, I could see myself (and I will) get one of the wood-bodied Statement cartridges in a mono version. I don't want to short-change those records from the '50s and '60s as many of them were made with as much or more care than records from the '70s onward. I pulled out a Jonah Jones original stereo album on Capitol, an album I always thought sounded wonderful and does through the Master, and figure that the mono version can't sound any worse. Yet, the ME+ wouldn't certainly do it the same justice that a Master version of the same would. Still, at $130, I'm not making the biggest financial gamble of my life. If I ever wanted to sell it, could I not do it for $80 or so? Especially consider that the stylus is replaceable by the consumer for the same cost?

So, a note in the end after hearing an ME+, the Sonata and the Master in .5mV forms, I'd say that the Master is lowest level that gives me everything I can see that I would want from a cartridge. The Sonata is certainly a big step up in terms of detail from the ME+. Take away a veil from the ME+ and you'll get the Sonata. The Master, however, is WIDE open on all accounts. And yes, having a dedicated mono cartridge is definitely worth it if you are a fan of mono records.

Product Weakness: Perhaps not detailed for more high-ended aspirational systems.
Product Strengths: Focused, holistic, full-bodied mid-range. Overall very communicative and musical. Really makes music on mono records have more intention and focus. Also helps bring soundstage into more precise layers. A very good, budget way to get introduced to real mono records.

Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier:	Unison Research Unico
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	none
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Scout/JMW-9 tonearm
Speakers:	Castle Eden
Cables/Interconnects:	Discovery/VPI phono cable; Audioquest Type 4 speaker cable
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	Various
Room Size (LxWxH):	12' x 14' x 11'
Room Comments/Treatments:	Roomtunes Corner Tunes
Time Period/Length of Audition:	35 hours
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	Monster Cable 2500
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner

Product Weakness:	Perhaps not detailed for more high-ended aspirational systems.
Product Strengths:	Focused, holistic, full-bodied mid-range. Overall very communicative and musical. Really makes music on mono records have more intention and focus. Also helps bring soundstage into more precise layers. A very good, budget way to get introduced to real mono records.