Phono Cartridges - Your favorites and least favorites?

duke86fan said:
my current is an ortofon 2M blue.. but whats more important is when I upgrade I'll either have an exact or a mastertracker.... but I could buy either without a cartridge and get a hana
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You likely will need to spend a bit more to really make an improvement over your current table. In the mean time an AT VM95SH or ML is a solid choice. The Hana’s are excellent values for moving coils, however, the VM95SH is the equal to the Hana SL. I have both those cartridges and can attest to that. The VM95SH will set you back a couple of hundred bucks but could be a noticeable improvement over the Blue. If you want a lot better turntable, save your money for something like a Denon 3000NE, Music Hall Stealth, or one of the better Technics. If you upgrade, better to do it once than several incremental steps.
 
duke86fan said:
yeah i have planned to do a big upgrade first.. hence why I mentioned the moving to a P3/6 or mofi deck or like you said a music hall stealth beforehand
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If I were to replace my current table/arm with a current production model - I would give serious consideration to the Denon 3000NE. Deals like the one below get you a nice moving coil to try with a big discount for the cartridge. The below example gets you up to an $1100 cartridge for $500 with the table. Pick the Quintet Black S combo for that deal. Cartridges can have a lot of markup....

www.safeandsoundhq.com

Denon DP-3000NE Premium Direct Drive Hi-Fi Turntable with Pre-Installed Phono Cartridge

Denon DP-3000NE Premium Direct Drive Hi-Fi Turntable with Pre-Installed Phono Cartridge This is the flagship premium direct drive turntable from Denon®. Solid construction and S-shaped tonearm deliver detailed, resonance-free music. And the dark ebony natural wood veneer makes it a beautiful...
www.safeandsoundhq.com www.safeandsoundhq.com
 
duke86fan said:
dumb question.. but when is it considered worth it to move to moving coil instead of moving magnet... I'm tempted by the audio bug and though I don't have money yet I do plan on buying a good table and cartridge and wondering myself whether once I get a job should I go moving coil or not
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My personal rule of thumb is to not let the cartridge cost exceed the turntable cost. That would likely happen with a Hana SL/SH on a U-Turn Orbit.

I don’t believe that MCs universally sound better than MMs. Bob’s advice on the AT VM95SH is solid as an upgrade option over the 2M Blue. Even though it can be purchased for about the same cost as a 2M Blue, it is an upgraded stylus.

Is your phono preamp in the U-Turn or in a Music Hall phono preamp?
 
Angsty said:
My personal rule of thumb is to not let the cartridge cost exceed the turntable cost. That would likely happen with a Hana SL/SH on a U-Turn Orbit.

I don’t believe that MCs universally sound better than MMs. Bob’s advice on the AT VM95SH is solid as an upgrade option over the 2M Blue. Even though it can be purchased for about the same cost as a 2M Blue, it is an upgraded stylus.

Is your phono preamp in the U-Turn or in a Music Hall phono preamp?
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Agreed :)
 
Angsty said:
My personal rule of thumb is to not let the cartridge cost exceed the turntable cost. That would likely happen with a Hana SL/SH on a U-Turn Orbit.
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as i was saying.. i was going to wait until I buy a new turntable first


Angsty said:
I don’t believe that MCs universally sound better than MMs. Bob’s advice on the AT VM95SH is solid as an upgrade option over the 2M Blue. Even though it can be purchased for about the same cost as a 2M Blue, it is an upgraded stylus.
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that advice seems pretty good and I might think about it... i mostly got nervous because of compatibility with my current tonearm I dunno if the VM95 is a supported cartridge on the turn... i feel fine with my uturn rn... i mostly am just feeling upgradeitis...

Angsty said:
Is your phono preamp in the U-Turn or in a Music Hall phono preamp?
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in the music hall..
 
duke86fan said:
as i was saying.. i was going to wait until I buy a new turntable first



that advice seems pretty good and I might think about it... i mostly got nervous because of compatibility with my current tonearm I dunno if the VM95 is a supported cartridge on the turn... i feel fine with my uturn rn... i mostly am just feeling upgradeitis...


in the music hall..
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Honestly, if I were in your position I would hold off on a cart "upgrade" and push towards a turntable upgrade and ride out the included cart (quoting @TrainFan73). Even if you need to save a bit longer, it'll be a better upgrade path, both in quality and cost. Just my opinion of course, I know how hard the upgrade bug can bite ;)
 
duke86fan said:
as i was saying.. i was going to wait until I buy a new turntable first



that advice seems pretty good and I might think about it... i mostly got nervous because of compatibility with my current tonearm I dunno if the VM95 is a supported cartridge on the turn... i feel fine with my uturn rn... i mostly am just feeling upgradeitis...


in the music hall..
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Apologies on missing the bit that the turntable upgrade would be first.

I asked about the phono because a few people here have upgraded their phono before the U-Turn turntable.

I used a 2M Blue with a VPI Traveler, but initially felt it was restrained when playing it with a Parasound phono. With the same turntable and cart, the sound came alive with a Sutherland Insight.

The point being, the turntable is not always the weakest link in the audio chain. You might want to inquire of the U-Turn forum what their experience has been, too.
 
Angsty said:
Apologies on missing the bit that the turntable upgrade would be first.

I asked about the phono because a few people here have upgraded their phono before the U-Turn turntable.

I used a 2M Blue with a VPI Traveler, but initially felt it was restrained when playing it with a Parasound phono. With the same turntable and cart, the sound came alive with a Sutherland Insight.

The point being, the turntable is not always the weakest link in the audio chain. You might want to inquire of the U-Turn forum what their experience has been, too.
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True, true, when I had my Orbit the phono pre-amp was first, then the amp. It can also depend on budget and opportunities, meaning, if a great deal comes along for "insert separate here", you go with the flow :)

Vin_001.jpg
 
I know the Nagaoka 200 has a pretty rabid following, but just curious if anyone's compared to a 2M Bronze or carts in that range? Thinking about offloading my 2M Bronze and getting a MP-200 or MP-300 imported while the yen isn't great.
 
ngower said:
I know the Nagaoka 200 has a pretty rabid following, but just curious if anyone's compared to a 2M Bronze or carts in that range? Thinking about offloading my 2M Bronze and getting a MP-200 or MP-300 imported while the yen isn't great.
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All I can say is it’s going to be a very different experience.
 
ngower said:
In what respects?
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I had a 2M Bronze and actually liked it, but it’s very sharp, analytical and, for lack of a better word, CD-like.

I have not heard the Nagaokas but know that they have a character that’s more classically ‘vinyl,’ so maybe more relaxed and warm.
 
kvetcha said:
I had a 2M Bronze and actually liked it, but it’s very sharp, analytical and, for lack of a better word, CD-like.

I have not heard the Nagaokas but know that they have a character that’s more classically ‘vinyl,’ so maybe more relaxed and warm.
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This is my second Bronze so I’m familiar with their sound. Also have an OC9XEN which I’m enjoying. It’s between the Grado Opus 3 and the MP-200 as a fun, warmer (without being comically fat and full) sounding cart. I might just bite the bullet on the 200 and if it turns out not to be my jam I could probably get a good chunk of my money back
 
I’ve got an MP-500 that’ll be mounted soon. Reviews to come, although I’ve spent much of the last few years with the Shure v15 series so no comps with the Bronze.
 
I spent a few days with a 2M Bronze and I own a Nagaoka MP-300. There is a difference but I liked both on my VPI Traveler. The Bronze has a fine line stylus and was a bit more analytical than the MP-300, which can be a benefit in some systems.

Ultimately, I did not buy the Bronze because I already owned the MP-300 and a 2M Blue. The 2M Blue came bundled with the turntable. Had the 2M Bronze been bundled instead, I probably would not have purchased the MP-300; I would have been satiated by the Bronze.

Today, I use a Hana SL on that table with the MP-300 as backup.
 
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