EMT tables were built for studios, at least in the earlier days. Radio moderators used the so called Tondosen carts (TSD…) on the Ortofon or EMT arms. After about 3 month of intense radioplay they changed the carts which was an easy procedure as  no parameters had to be changed.

As an old story tells EMT changed the connection from SME to EMT diamond, so the radio moderators couldn’t take the Tondosen out of the studio and use them at home. Whether it is true or not today as the standard for most tonearms is the SME connection you need for old Ortofon and EMT tonearms. When you focus on Tondosen or look for carts coming with diamond shaped connection it is not an easy approach.

Regarding EMT you will find the traditional philosophy using only Tondosen as they provide the neutral approach EMT was always favouring.I have many Tondosen. Nevertheless with the possibility using modern Phono Pres with my R-80 I started experimenting with other carts, modern ones like the Ortofon A90 or the EMT JSD 6 Lzi. I also use the “old Neumanns” and Bakelite Mono EMTs on my Ortofon and SME I arms by mounting a heavier weight on the Ortofon 309.  In Japan I found a FR-7f with EMT bayonet, a very rare cart.

For two of my five Denons I am using special diamond headshells. One is the ZU Denon 103 which is mounted into a Dusch TDU. The other one, the 103 anniversary, I put into a headshell made of ebony wood. The distance to the fixed connecting pins is such small that I had to solder on a really tiny area.  I had to be very cautious that the pins don’t get too hot. Otherwise it might have destroyed the fine soldering of the inside coils.

I am very happy about the result. The sound is gorgeous going via a Neumann SUT to the EMT JPA66.