cartridge recommendations

What cartridges upto £1k should I be listening to?

My front end is a Rega P9, RB1000 with Trichord Diablo PS and NCPSU. Looking for a very natural sound but a cartridge that digs detail from the grooves.

I'm currently using a Dynavector 10x5. Bought when funds allowed but reaching the end of its life.

 

I think many folks here favour the ZYX R100 variants. I do like the Dynavector XX2 MK2 but I now think it's getting on a bit.

 

Shelter 501 MK II.

 

A retipped (Expert Stylus) Karma

 

For under £1000 you could get a re-tipped Koetsu RED Signature with ease! but then you'd have to put up with a warm, fat, slow sounding 1980's MC.

On the sub-£1000 re-tip:

Shelter 901 - great, fast, dynamic open, musical
ZYX Airy2 - if you can find one - great
Ortofon - Jubilee
Linn Troika - is actually quite good, better than a 10x5

There are many...you just need a donor, and the new Expert profile is quite amazing. I have it on my Shelter 901, Red Signature and Lyra Clavis DC and it has transformed them.

 

robM - only if you put it on a warm, fat, slow sounding 1980's turntable.

I rate the Troika very highly - it is my choice of weapon. Slightly leaner and more incissive, delicate after the ES retip.

 

RobM is right .. this is a good suggestion ...expecially if you like the natural & uncolored ZYX sound
I suggest a listening if possible of the Grado Statement Reference 0.5mv. .. a bit less than the 1k but a great cartridge if you like human voices and woodwind sound

 

Dynavector 17D MkIII, and a nice weekend away!

 

You could do a lot worse than the Audio Technica AT33 PTG, I've got one in my 301 / SME M2-10 and love it and I've heard another in Rob Holt's P9/RB1000 where again it sounds excellent and way above it's price class. It's warmer and friendlier than the stereotypical lean and clean AT sound and to my ears sounds very balanced and nicely detailed. It's a very good tracker too. I'm happier with it that I've been with a cart for a great many years and will almost certainly just buy another when it wears out. The good news is that it's a lot cheaper than a grand, the bad that it's only available direct from Japan. The place I bought mine from, joynetmall.com, seems to have vanished from the face of the internet, but others have it. Mine was about £210 delivered, but that was before the value of the UK pound fell through the floor.

Tony.

 

Definately not to my taste.

Probably more to my taste; it would have to sound quite different to the OC9II though.

 

Hi Tony,

Regarding the super good AT33PTG .. could you tell me how many millimeters you can count from the stylus to the cartridge roof .. pratically the height of the cartridge from stylus to the top .. if you have a calliper it is easy

 

AT ART1 now that is a natural sound, but they are thin on the ground. Yes I suppose the 17D mkIII can sound bright, but it does a great job of demolishing the sound of CD and pulls a huge resolution from vinyl for the money. I love the ART 1 though, it came with my bargain find TT complete in its original box, it was worth more than I paid for the TT! I'm out of the running really to advise as I'm always broke, so lack the experience of a wide range. Just trying to help, my opinion is just on here as I thought it might be handy.

 

Well I don't especially like the OC9 and I actively dislike the 150MLX MM (sounds like a bag of tweeters to me) if that's any help. I thought Rob's P9 with the AT33 sounded very good indeed and I generally find the P9 a bit thin for my taste (I had the original version for a while), so it can't be an especially thin or weedy cart. It's certainly full-fat 'n' funky in the Garrard!

About 16mm.

Tony.

 

Hi,

How about the new Rega moving coil cartridge, The Apheta. I have never tried it but it looks an interesting device. It cost less than £878.89. Designed for the Rega so it may suit your tastes.

SCIDB

 

Thanks Tony!
Whatta pity ... I need not less than 18mm. cartridge tall or I have to add a thicker mat

Weird is so thin the 33PTG ... I thought my 15mm. tall Denon DL103R was one of the thiniest

 

Absolutely not - I had an ART1 in my system for a short time (not short enough) - it was like listening to early CD.

 

Arlequen - If you need a tall cartridge, I think the Ortofon PW(Windfeld) is pretty tall. A great sounding MC but not cheap. I use 2 (sorry) and is my favorite and betters my ZYX 4D (universe)

 

Hi YN , Not on my system fella. ...and I have a £2k cart at home too.

vive la difference. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, I do not present my contributions as fact and say as much.

I'm probably too busy enjoying the music, its fairly odd as its so subjective anyway, I had an £500 Ortofon Rondo Bronze that came on a TT and thought that really sucked yet other people love it including the magazines, I think its a very system dependent thing after all you are starting out with millivolts and a lot can happen further up the chain. I'd love to try a Zyx though I must admit.

 

Pass on the Rega cart. Very forward and not that sweet sounding.

 

You are absolutely right mate - everyone to their own. Sorry, I didn't mean to come across as purposely contradictory.