Cartridge advice

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Ant
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#1 Cartridge advice

Post by Ant »

want abit of advice
For the first time ive got a decent budget for something nice
Im looking at buying a pair of new cartridges for the jvc and the air bearing lenco. I want to have a pair of new carts for the first time in ages rather than buying second hand.

The jvc is used pretty much every day so ive settled on a vm540ml for it, the lenco, not used so much.

Ive a budget that i can stretch up to about 800 quid for that one.

Im considering the jico seto hori at the top end of the budget, but the lack of meaningful user reviews is kinda putting me off. The eat jo no5 is a consideration, but it looks like a rebodied ortofon to me.
I dismissed the vm760slc as it appears to have worse distortion performance than the 540. Not paying 400 quid more for that.
Theres also the at33 sa which looks good.
Theres the dynavector dv20x2h on the air bearing arm which will be sold on once a replacement is sourced, a new dv is the 'standard', thats what will be bought if no alternative springs out

Has anyone got other alternatives for me to look at?
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Ant
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#2 Re: Cartridge advice

Post by Ant »

Oh and it want it to have a line contact stylus of some sort, microline, shibata ect
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izzy wizzy
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#3 Re: Cartridge advice

Post by izzy wizzy »

I've just been reading a similar thread here https://hifihaven.org/index.php?threads ... 10x5.6370/

I had a similar choice recently and got the Hana SL but I don't think it's your kind of thing from what you've said as you preferred the Dynavector and that could be very hard to beat.
Ant
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#4 Re: Cartridge advice

Post by Ant »

i havent got my hana sl any more, great cart, i just liked the dv better.
I just dont trust reviews and internet opinions, they are like arseholes, everyones got one, and theres bound to be some shit in there. would much rather consider the opinion of someone on here who ive known a long time, and met in person
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Ali Tait
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#5 Re: Cartridge advice

Post by Ali Tait »

Benz Glider.
Ant
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#6 Re: Cartridge advice

Post by Ant »

Ill have a look at the glider, id kind of discounted it as its over the budget, and i didnt like the silver or the gold i had years ago. Dunno if theres a house sound
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#7 Re: Cartridge advice

Post by JohnG »

A friend who is using Idler Drive TT's has borrowed my Dyna DV20X H in the past was impressed with it attempting to buy it.

They also have a Ortofon K'b since and now use a Audio Technica AT-F7 as there daily Cartridge.

I am receiving very favourable reports about the F7, but due to COVID am yet to listen to it.
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#8 Re: Cartridge advice

Post by Ant »

I already have a dv20x2h on the deck, and have had an at-f7 previously, the fall back plan is to buy a new dv20 if nothing else piques the interest.
The f7 is a good cartridge, the at33sa is what im considering from the at range as they dont do a high output mc.
As a secondary consideration, Ideally id want a high output cart, as if nick can fix the cole lcr phono stage, id want to use it with that. And that no longer has the s&b step ups for mc as it killed them when it blew up. So its mm only if it can be fixed.
Im having a replacement mains tx made for it by toroidy, as nick found it was knackered, the lcr modules look ok as far as he can test them without the ht, but could still break down once the thing is powered up. So the tx is a little bit of a punt as the lcr transformers are still unknowns. But, if the are buggered, the transformer would still be useful as the mains tx for another valve phono stage build, so it wouldnt be dead money.
But as the mofi studiophono is mm and mc its not the end of the world if i end up with an mc
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Ali Tait
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#9 Re: Cartridge advice

Post by Ali Tait »

Ant wrote: Sun Sep 06, 2020 5:04 pm Ill have a look at the glider, id kind of discounted it as its over the budget, and i didnt like the silver or the gold i had years ago. Dunno if theres a house sound
Nick has one and likes it. I do too. I’ve heard it on several occasions and it gets most of the way to my Gullwing, which makes it good VFM imo.
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Nick
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#10 Re: Cartridge advice

Post by Nick »

My only worry ant is it's a bit exposed.
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#11 Re: Cartridge advice

Post by Ali Tait »

Aye that’s a good point.
vinylnvalves
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#12 Re: Cartridge advice

Post by vinylnvalves »

It’s always a challenge buying a new cartridge, what sort of compliance is needed for the linear tracker, I would imagine it wants a highish compliance cartridge. Which may rule out some options.
I have just gone through this getting a cartridge for the 12” Mission arm I am fitting, I have ended up with the VM750, as it’s compliance is just about spot on, ( and it cost less than a spare stylus- with only 20 hrs of use).
The only advice I can give is from what I have owned. Ortofon MC’s are dry in the presentation, but analytical. I had a Dynavector 17D2 on my rock and loved the sound, more dynamic than the Ortofons, however when I got the 17DV3 it sounded flat, I gave it 50 hrs before moving it on, maybe I didn’t give it long enough. Had an AT OC9 ML probably a mk2, that sounded nice from what I remember on an LP12
All these cartridges have been on medium/heavyweight arms, the Zeta, Ittok and the Mechanic.

A friend of mine has a Nagoaka MP500 ( I think) swears it’s the best cartridge he has owned, not heard it personally.. he like brass band music.

You mentioned the EAT cartridge, there is one for sale with low hours.. search on HIFI shark.
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#13 Re: Cartridge advice

Post by IslandPink »

vinylnvalves wrote: Sun Sep 06, 2020 6:59 pm
The only advice I can give is from what I have owned. Ortofon MC’s are dry in the presentation, but analytical.
Apart from the SPU ! :)
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vinylnvalves
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#14 Re: Cartridge advice

Post by vinylnvalves »

I don’t think the linear tracking arm could cope with an SPU, but fair point. I should have qualified, ones I have owned, which are the affordable end of the range.
Ant
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#15 Re: Cartridge advice

Post by Ant »

Not big on ortofons, the 2 ive liked were the sl15 (spu in a normal body) and the original red mc10 which was based on the sl20 which was in turn based on the sl15. The rest i tried (rondo red, mc 25fl and mc 30) i found flat, dead and not to my taste. Which is why i havent shortlisted any ortofons, and was mildly put off of the eat jo no 5. Look at the top of it where the black bit is, and its the same as the top of an ortofon quintet range cart. Had the at150sa which has been superceded by the vm750 for a long time and its still one of my favourites.
I keep coming back to the v magnet at carts, i put the old at440mlb back on the jvc yesterday and it was like everything was right again. Its why i was looking at the 760slc, but having found a review which measured the 540 and 760, and found it had objectively worse distortion performance than the 540, albeit with a more extended top end, i ruled it out. A 750sa for the linear arm and a 540ml on the jvc would be a sensible pair of purchases. Or another dv20.
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