Tenorel T2001ED

[hifitubes]

Anyone know anything about Tenorel T2001ED MM cart?

Specifications:

Type: moving magnet   
Output Voltage: 5.5mV   
Frequency Response: 15Hz - 45kHz   
Tracking Force: 1-3g   Mass: 7g
Channel Separation: > 25db   
Channel Balance: < 1.2db   
Load Impedance: 47k ohms   
Output Impedance:520 ohms   
Stylus Tip: elliptical   
Dynamic Compliance: 25x10-6cm/Dyne   

[GP49]

Tenorel was a brand apparently marketed out of the Netherlands (I know Richard says "Poland" but see below).  Almost certainly the cartridges themselves were actually sourced from the Orient.  Their top-line cartridge, the Tenorel MF-100, was identical to the Astatic MF-100 made in Japan and sold in the USA.  I don't remember who made it; possibly Nagaoka.  Whether Tenorel and Astatic, the MF-100 was quite highly regarded; the Terorel T2001 models were a lower-priced line but were similar in appearance. Astatic also sold lower priced MF series cartridges, theirs going down in price as the model number got higher: high to low, MF-200, MF-300, MF-400.  

Interestingly the Tenorel line had the same number of models as Astatic, with the MF-100 at the top and the T2001S (Shibata tip), T2001ED (elliptical) and T2001D (spherical tip) downwards.  I can't find enough photographs from matching angles to determine whether the T2001 models were the same as the lower-priced Astatics (note: this includes only the Astatic magnetic cartridges; there were dozens of Astatic crystal and ceramic cartridges, not under discussion here).

As if to confuse matters more (here's where the "Netherlands" reference comes from), here is an excerpt from Gramophone, November 1975:

Extended Tenorel range

 Following the launch earlier this year of the Dutch Tenorel T2001
 stereo magnetic cartridge, two new versions have been added to the
 range. The T2001ED has a nude elliptical diamond stylus for playing
 at 1-2.5 grams and costs £13 12 (incl. VAT). The T2001SD is fitted
 with a nude Shibata stylus and costs £21-87 (incl. VAT). The original
 T2001 now costs £6 -81 (incl. VAT) and can be upgraded within the
 range by a simple change of stylus. All models weigh 7 grams and
 carry a two-year guarantee.

Goldring apparently also imported these same cartridges under its own name, and several British
radiogram manufacturers (the most well-known being Ferguson) used these cartridges in the turntables
they supplied; as did Garrard in one of their British models (the Garrard 630) supplied with cartridge.

The Astatic MF-100 got excellent critical acclaim in the hi-fi press (for what that's worth) when it was introduced;
but there is only silence about their lesser models, as is typical with stereo/hi-fi magazines to the present day.  
There is a Consumer Reports article in which the Astatic MF-200 was tested and rated.  It is posted in the
Cartridges section with some comments about the Astatic MF-200 following it.

[richard]

That's good detective work, Gene! I suspect that you're right. I can't recall where I came across the "Poland" information.

A Lencophile in the UK bought a Tenorel stylus from me two or three years ago. These styli were probably so cheap for the aftermarket needle companies to purchase that they didn't bother to make their own knock-offs. I can't recall who the aftermarket company was of the stylus that I sold, but the needle sure looked like an original.

The buyer provided further information. It turned out that Goldring had imported Tenorel's cartridges, badging them as their own (a Goldring standard practice). Thus, the Tenorel needle that I sold him was a perfect replacement for his Goldring cartridge. He also discovered that his Tenorel cartridge was the same as his Goldring. I have no doubt that it's a decent cartridge: Goldring has not been a purveyor of second-rate products.

Whether a specific cartridge is worth using depends on whether good needles are available for it. People constantly come up with cartridges from the past made by the smaller manufacturers (who usually were in Japan, not Poland). As usual, given the needle situation, I wouldn't bother with a Tenorel, myself. This cartridge and styli have a "Japanesey look" to me, but that doesn't mean much.

The world is littered with the carcasses of orphaned cartridges.

[Khai]

Thank you guys .... i'm so thankful i found this article.
I have a catridge with only a T at the front and i was looking for sometime for a needle, the current needle is still good but i like it so much that i thought i need some spares ... unexperienced with this i always thought the T stands for Teleton ... now i know ....

Khai

[Lynnot]

Tenorel was a brand apparently marketed out of the Netherlands ....

... and I can confirm that there used to be quite a lot of them arround in Holland, marketed as cheap replacement cartridges. I tried one, a T2001ED. Did not like it at all.

Rgds, Tony

[Wout]

Apparently, Tenorel was a Dutch import/export company located in Bussum.
They probably imported the cartridge from Japan although the cartridge body says "Made in Holland".
The 2001 family was a MI design with resemblance to the Goldring 800/820 but with different electrical specs.



Richard's Polish connection comes from Unitra Fonica who manufactured the 2001 series under license of Tenorel or imported them.
They produced the MF-100/101/102/104/105.

Unitra MF-100:


And the license:


I don't think these got anything to do with the Astatic MF-100.

[richard]

My brain hurts.

[richard]

Khai,

A number of people acquire turntables with cartridges that are either partially or completely orphaned. That is, cartridges, even good ones, for which the manufacturer no longer offers an excellent stylus, the manufacturer is out-of-business, aftermarket styli are available but they're bad, etc.

You haven't told us where you're located. In my best American stylus directory, only one Tenorel replacement stylus is shown. It may have been well made, but it was not one of the best ones. This directory is from 1987. An even more elaborate European directory from a year later also listed only one Tenorel stylus.

Often, even if one owns a nice old cartridge, it is better to replace it with a different cartridge for which good styli are available, especially styli that are suitable for your own arm and your listening preferences.

[Paul]

The MF100 and 200 were made by Mitachi Corporation and look like no relation to the tenorel (as Wout said  ).

[Khai]

Thank you.
Indeed, the tenorel i have is used on a Marlux turntable (also a speciality of the Benelux countries i think)

Richard
I'm based in Rotterdam/NL
you are right there are not many source for replacement for tenorel needle
Again you are right, i found out that a AT95E would also be worth a try and the price is even less than the needle for the tenorel .
Thanks
Khai

[Lynnot]

the tenorel i have is used on a Marlux turntable ...

That's how I got mine, too.