New cartridge (cheaper!)

In the spirit of the recent new cartridge thread, I thought I'd launch my own. I'm after a new cart around the GBP500 mark to replace my Sumiko Blue Point No. 2, which (no matter how much I fettle) makes a nasty scratchy sound at certain upper-mid frequencies (most noticeably female vocals). I've also recently upgraded my CD player to the excellent Audio Synthesis DAX Decade, and it's left the record playing side in the dust in terms of resolution, imaging, subtlety, refinement, and tonal colour, and I'd like to bring my vinyl end up to snuff.

My deck is a Pink Triangle Export, which is a very lightweight suspended affair on very springy suspension and with a thickish acrylic platter. Arm is a Rega RB250 with Incognito rewire and Michell TechnoWeight. Phono stage is an EAR 834P (with volume control) straight into my ATC Active 20s.

The Sumiko is quite a sprightly, lightweight, agile-sounding cart, which I feel mates well with the slightly full, warm, lush sound of the EAR. Thus I want the new cart to have a similar tonality - i.e. neutral erring on the leaner side, and certainly staying away from the warm, full, woolly side.

That said, I think I want to stay away from the Sumiko Blackbird (although I am considering it), simply because I'd like to "play the field" as such, and hear what other manufacturers have to offer.

I had an Ortofon 520 Mk. II before the Sumiko, and it was comparatively awful. So flat and bright and sterile. This has put me off Ortofon somewhat, though I'm tempted to ignore this prejudice in the face of rather a lot of glowing praise for their midrange MCs (Rondo, Kontrapunkt, Rohmann, etc).

So, recommendations? Looking to spend GBP4-500, though I might be able to stretch to GBP600. At the moment, I'm leaning toward the ZYX R100H, Lyra Dorian, Dynavector DV17D3, or Ortofon Rondo Bronze. Anyone have any firsthand experience? Especially interested in those lucky enough to have compared them! I should get to hear the ZYX fairly soon, though (of course) not in my own system.

Cheers!
Dunc

 

Dunc

I recently upgraded from a Sumiko Blue Point Special Evo III to a Cartridgeman Music Maker III which has really elevated my vinyl front end.

The cartridge is a Moving Iron and can be used in a MM stage just like your High Output Sumiko.

The list price is £625.00 but Len Gregory (The Cartridgeman) sold me mine in June for £550 as I bought it from him direct.

This is a serious cartridge and is definetly worth putting on your shortlist!

Regards.

Andy

 

Not much cheaper! With trade in allowance a new Lyra Argo will cost me £599 and I am seriously looking at this option.

Having listned to the Lyra Dorian I could happily recommend it as a great all rounder, but it suffers when compared with the Argo. I also have very fond recollection of using a Denon (103?) which continued to be available at around £200.

The Dynavector is very good and I think I would be right in saying that Midland Audio Exchange have an ex-dem version at £299. I have heard this actual cartridge in a JPW Scout - very nice it was too!

I used to own a Pink Triangle Export and thought it excellent but it was stolen :grrr:. The best cartridge I utilised with this turntable was the Audio Technica OC9 in an Alphason HR100MCS.

 

The Music Maker III was on my list to start with, but I've since read that it doesn't like Rega arms, and is particularly sensitive in this regard. Can anyone confirm..?

The Argo would be great, but just a tad out of budget.

Hmm, that 2nd hand Dynavector looks tempting... May go that route and sell it on if I find something better...

How would you say the PT Export compares to your current deck? (What is your current deck, BTW? ) Do you agree that my best bet at this stage is to upgrade the cart? I get the impression the PT Export can support a much nicer cart than the Sumiko. Also, I'm hoping to one day get it serviced and upgraded to Anniversary status by Funk Firm, which should take it considerably higher still!

Dunc

 

I thought the Export was an excellent deck which could easily justify a very good arm and cartridge. I am currently using an upgraded Roksan TMS1 (a 1.5 perhaps?!) which is the best deck that I have heard apart from a JPW HRX at £11,000 which I listned to at Midland Audio Exchange whilst evaluating phono stages.

 

I've not heard the Argo, but as a Dorian owner, it's hard not to recommend it. The Argo is brighter, I believe. Jonathan Carr says the Dorian was a concious effort to engineer a slightly different sound, not as bright (not a phrase intended to be derogatory) The Dorian makes a lovely noise, is hugely more dynamic than a 103 which is what I moved from, and sounds like a much more expensive device than most of the opposition. I love it

 

Dunk, I decided to spend a little less. The best I could find in my budget (about £350) was the clearaudio virtuoso wood.

Some magazines/pundits rate it as the best cartridge short of Koetsu.

I don't know about that, but I'm pleased with mine, and like you use an 834P. You get to use the MM stage, which is a bonus too.

http://stereophile.com/phonocartridges/737/

My favourite cart around the £500 mark is the Benz Glider II. This is a great cart, nice and light for a PT turntable, and sounds ace with the 834P.

Cheapest place to buy them from is the states. Give them a dodgy old busted cart, and you get it for $600 - about £360 plus p&p and import.

The UK price is uncompetitive with that.

http://www.needledoctor.com/Benz-Micro-Glider-Cartridge?sc=7&category=1103

 

Ortofon V-series

Anybody heard of it? Just noticed it on the PhonoPhone site: http://www.phonophono.de/YOrtofon_MC_V-Serie1.php3?Kennung=

Doesn't seem to exist in the English-speaking world! The Valencia would be just about in budget - anybody heard of it?

Dunc

 

How fascinating. Nope never heard of them. Bizarrely according to Ortofon's own website neither have Ortofon .

Specs (I know you can't just go on specs) on the Valencia look very similar to the Kontrapunkt a and the Vienna similar to a Kontrapunkt b.

 

I'll bet they are the same as the Kontrapunkt range, just named differently for a different market?

Another vote for the Benz Glider L2.... now my turntable is behaving itself its just totally beguiling. Using an 834p too.

BTW Dunky - I've found Moishe's Bagel!

 

To be honest I doubt anyone here has actually tried all the carts mentioned and I think its a fairly safe bet that they are all excellent in their own way so I think it just comes down to tossing a coin so to speak. What ever you buy you will probably wonder if you made the right choice at some point- I have a Dorian and everytime someone mentions Zyx I wonder if they might be better (not heard one) so that will be my next cart purchase but only to satisfy curiosity as I'm more than happy with the Lyra.

 

Funnily enough Chris, I've just put a Dorian on my SME10/309-silver-wire/LFD phono in place of my Benz Glider II and I also use an 834P (Deluxe and with separate MC3 trannies for MC duty).

I think the Glider has a tad more air around the treble in hi-hats and brushwork but to my ears the Dorian midrange is more open and more insightful and the bass is much better. Drier, cleaner, weightier and just joins in the music much more. I think the dorian wins and is better value too but all IMHO etc.

 

It's such a shame that carts are a bugger to test drive. It would be great if a shop existed that could have them all in stock. TBH I think any £500 cart will be awesome compared to a £200, and they'll all sound great. Would like to hear the Shelter and the xyz, but they're a bugger to get hold of

 

If you scroll down to the bottom of the page and look on the left there's a union flag icon for the english pages

 

Just to say, i am using a Music Maker III with an RB250 (origin live wiring) no a Garrard 401 with an EAR 834P.
I am amazed at the detail and shear musicality of it. I am very in love.
But... i am saving for a Hadcock to finish my front end system off. It is true the Music Maker does not like the RB250 much, but it really does sing on uni-pivots. Or so Len told me (the cartridge man).