Phono Cartridges - Your favorites and least favorites?
- Thread starter imajindat
- Start date
Sebastian
It’s Wool…
I’d say $1,000 USD or less.
I mean you have a tonne of options in that price range. What cart do you run right now? What kind of sound do you prefer? Warm? Analytical? Somewhere in between?
Caveat that it depends on what stage you have as to which ones will work but these are all pretty highly regarded MC carts in that range.
Hana - S MC Phono Cartridge
The world's largest online retailer of high-end audio, audiophile music, and accessories. We specialize in vinyl records and turntables.
www.musicdirect.com
Audio Technica - AT-OC9XSL Dual MC Phono Cartridge
The world's largest online retailer of high-end audio, audiophile music, and accessories. We specialize in vinyl records and turntables.
www.musicdirect.com
SnowmaNick
Well-Known Member
I really love my Hana EL at half that budget. If you are just dipping your toe in the MC water, it’s a great way to start.
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I’d find it very hard to look past the Hana SL in that bracket. I absolutely love that cartridge and looking at your amps manual it would support the ideal loading for it.
I will be using the AT OC9XML when my table comes back so too early to give any impressions on it!
HayesWeighsIn
Well-Known Member
So psyched for you, Mather! VPI + Soundsmith is supposed to be the magic sauce.
Thanks man me too, that's definitely part of the reason I went that way, they were kinda literally made for each other apparently, how could I not?
I agree with this, It’s a great cart.
Sebastian
It’s Wool…
@Mather I’m currently running the MasterTracker on my table. I don’t have any warmth or analytical preferences, just good sound.
Cheers to all for the recommendations! It appears that Hana is a favorite. Just need to decide between the EL and SL. I have a few months to decide. Need a new phone first.
Cheers to all for the recommendations! It appears that Hana is a favorite. Just need to decide between the EL and SL. I have a few months to decide. Need a new phone first.
kvetcha
Well-Known Member
There are three different Soundsmith carts you can get open-box from HiFi Heaven for under $1000. Worth a look:
Search Results for “Soundsmith” | Hi-Fi Heaven
hifiheaven.net
Angsty
Well-Known Member
One more vote for the Hana SL.
kvetcha
Well-Known Member
I have absolutely no idea..I assumed it was just stained but lord knows.
kvetcha
Well-Known Member
I have a buddy coming over for a listening session tomorrow but I'm going to keep the Black on for that JUST in case I fuck something up in the install and rip a wire or something. Don't want to jeopardize the session and I kinda want to give the Black a good final send off before I give it a long passionate kiss and then drop kick it straight into the sun.
Angsty
Well-Known Member
@Mather - may be an odd question, but I’ll ask anyway. Did you ever try the Bronze stylus in place of the Black on the 2M? I rather liked the Bronze on my VPI, although I had not heard the Black.
When I retipped my Hana SL, I went with a line contact stylus instead of the Shibata on the recommendation of the re-tipper and have been quite happy with the result.
“... the 2M Bronze is the more satisfying over the long haul, halving the difference between the Black's speed and resolution and the Blue's balance. In fact ... it is a mixture of all of these sonic virtues. It's fast, but not ostentatiously so; it turns information into music, and it does this because it is better balanced, neither leaning in one sonic direction or another. I would say that it represents not just the 2M line's sweet spot but also its musical core. ...” - Marc Mickelson, The Audio Beat
Edit: Added the quote
When I retipped my Hana SL, I went with a line contact stylus instead of the Shibata on the recommendation of the re-tipper and have been quite happy with the result.
“... the 2M Bronze is the more satisfying over the long haul, halving the difference between the Black's speed and resolution and the Blue's balance. In fact ... it is a mixture of all of these sonic virtues. It's fast, but not ostentatiously so; it turns information into music, and it does this because it is better balanced, neither leaning in one sonic direction or another. I would say that it represents not just the 2M line's sweet spot but also its musical core. ...” - Marc Mickelson, The Audio Beat
Edit: Added the quote
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I did actually on a couple of occasions, I've still got a almost brand new bronze stylus (at least I think I do, it's possible I gave it away, I can't recall). It sounded good for sure but I still preferred my Black. I kinda built the sound of my system around the Blacks sound so the Bronze just didn't hit the same notes both literally and figuratively for me. But I don't have the same hatred for the Bronze that
-looking around accusatorially-
SOME PEOPLE around here have... I'm sure it'll find it's way back onto the table again at some point.
I’ll put my hand up to that. Fucking howler monkey of a cartridge screaming at me!