more on cartridges...

your recommendations please, mm and mc, and where to buy...

thanks in advance...

 

Price?

 

oh...er...upto about 7k...

I mean few hunderd, say 300

 

What are you going to use it with? TT, arm, phono stage etc. Personally I like the Audio-Technica OCs but I reckon the 9 isn't really worth the extra over the 7 and the Dynavectors. But thats just me . Would you risk buying used? I've bought a few carts used and never had any problem but I can see why people wouldn't want to

 

I have a p2 and origin live arm.does a good job.

 

I've had a Goldring 1022, 1042 (By means of upgrading the 1022 stylus) Roksan Corus black, Sumiko blue point special, Dynavector DV20H, DV20Xl and now a Dynavector DV17DII. The DV 17 is better by far, I hate the idea of expensive replacements but there it is.

Japanese cartridges can be had online from places like www.audiocubes.com for good prices and many people rate Denons budget coils very highly.. They also carry a range of Audio-Technica coils that seem good value.

www.phono-phono.de is good for Ortofon and online bargains might still be around bettering even foreign retail prices.

Try the DV20H or 10X, it would sound good IMHO.

 

Yes the 103 seems to be highly rated, theres some users on here I think.

 

this looks interesting http://www.audiocubes.com/category/...ica_AT33PTG_Prestige_MC_Stereo_Cartridge.html

 

£300 isn't enough for a new Dynavector DV20HX,but should get you the 10x5,go well with Rega,if a slight overkill for a P2,maybe better to try a Heed Audio power supply.

 

Or look at those upgrade kits on ebay

 

I recently swapped in a Denon DL103 in place of the Rohmann. Despite the UK RRP being ten times less than the Ortofon it didn't sound like an almighty downgrade.

http://www.phonophono.de/ is a good place to buy carts.

-- Ian

 

Hi Ian (Data),

What are you using now? Haven't you used, if I remember, a Denon 103 & 304, various Ortofons including Rohmann, Kontrapunt B? Which one these did you like and what did you like about it?

With the Rega P2, how about the Denon 103 or 103R?

Try
www.phonophono.de or

2juki. Drop him a mail, he may be able to help.

http://stores.ebay.com/2juki

SCIDB

 

Carts I have owned in recent times

Have heard and highly recommend:

MM - Shute V15VxMR (but just been discontinued ) about £300
MC - Denon DL-160 (high output MC) about £100

Ok - ish Ortofon 510 II or 530 II not sure but in the £100 region

Good but vintage Orotofon VMS20E II

Leave alone NAS Tracer 1 (poor tracking)

Mantra's a good place to start.

If I had £300 to roll on a cart and weren't as happy with the budget Denon as I am, I think I'd be tempted by a Dynavector 10x5.

 

I use a dennon DL110 and am very happy with the sound, try mantra or purchasing

 

aw that's a shame about the shure, its a classic, was that story about fakes of the shure a load of tosh, too?

anyone know?

I avoid dynavector, I have had an accident with one and know 2 others, I think they are fragile.

Dean, the posh ortofon's I had a while back, but didn't use them enough to warrant keeping, so looking for a 'mid' ranger.

 

I don't know for sure whether there were any fake Shure carts - seems unlikely, but I did find this:

http://entertainmentdesignmag.com/mag/show_business_flood_fakes_coping/

Which suggests someting Shure make is being faked, but doesn't actually say what (microphones a more likely candidate I'd have thought) - also reading between the lines it isn't clear whether they are really talking about fakes or whether they are talking grey imports, which must be as big an issue for Shure as Ortofon, given that the rrp for the V15 was almost twice the US dollar price here in the UK.

If the Dynavectors are out then I'd go with a Denon - a few final tweaks at the weekend and the DL-160 really is on song now (eased back the VTF and bias a tad) and not only that, it is now the only cart I've had that has been able to run through the complete set of tracking torture tracks on my ERA III Obstacle Course test record, without cracking up (other than the V15). It tracks like a train in other words.

 

yes I do like the dv look, but after a few incidents of tip/cantilever reports, I will steer well clear.

That's a fascinating and scary article eh? wow.
with all the western stuff probably being made there, loads of probs.

I would've thought mixers complicated amps...qsc are really fiddly, are very hard to make for backstreet types

 

Hmm. Could it be a case of this stuff coming out of the same factories as the legit stuff, but maybe rejects (or even the real deal) going out the back door? The Shure carts weren't coming out of China though, but Mexico. Dunno if they have similar problems there.

 

well I can get a shure v15 mkv from hong kong...help, dunno who to trust after that article

 

Does the dealer have a good rep? I got mine from HK way back - but can't remember who from and it wasn't a fake.

I honestly think this is talked up by some companies because they are starting to realise that with the net we can see what's going on price wise in the rest of the world, but are unwilling (or maybe unable) to change there pricing structures.

PS. And I have to add that I wouldn't have thought faking phono cartridges would be the best way to make your fortune if you were in that line of business - unless it was something like a Koetsu .. there might be good money in that.