Tír Na HiFi

Some cartridge reviews / suggestions ...

https://blog.discogs.com/en/best-tu ... tridges/

An interesting read some very good information in there.

Lots of great info all round, thank you.

Tell me, do people have multiple carts on the go that they chop and change, or just stick to one at a time?

Diapason wrote: ↑Sat Oct 10, 2020 5:28 pm Lots of great info all round, thank you.

Tell me, do people have multiple carts on the go that they chop and change, or just stick to one at a time?

One. There's a case for a second cart if you have a lot of (old) mono LPs but that entails resetting VRT, weight etc every time. Easier to have a second TT or one TT that can take two independant arms

Yep, makes sense. Ta.

Diapason wrote: ↑Sat Oct 10, 2020 5:28 pm Lots of great info all round, thank you.

Tell me, do people have multiple carts on the go that they chop and change, or just stick to one at a time?

I have the following cartridges which I bought over the years. All in good working condition

Sumiko Bluepoint Special (used)
Supex 900 (used)
Linn Trak (used)
Denon DL304 (new, unopened which I got for half price a couple of years ago)

I currently use a Dynavector 17D3, but when that goes I will be using the Denon DL304 (new, unopened) because I couldn't afford another Dynavector 17D3 which is now called the Dynavector 17DX (around £1,250).

I don't chop and change at all, I leave well enough alone.

Diapason wrote: ↑Sat Oct 10, 2020 5:28 pm

Tell me, do people have multiple carts on the go that they chop and change, or just stick to one at a time?

Personally I got my first decent turntable in 1975 (Connoisseur BD2) and it had a detachable head-shell. I used the cartridge it came with (Shure M55D) and eventually replaced it with a Shure M75ED and after that a Grado. I was able to do this myself because of the detachable head-shell. I never had two cartridges on the go at at the same time. (I found changing the cartridge stressful in that I was afraid I might damage it). I later moved to a Linn Axis and I could no longer change the cartridge myself since it did not have a detachable head-shell. (I was not happy removing the arm from the deck). If I needed to change the cartridge it would be because I was buying a new one and I would get my dealer to change it.

If I wanted to experiment with multiple cartridges I would get a deck with an arm that had a detachable head-shell.

[I am probably not that much into hi-fi and changing stuff in that I tend to buy stuff and keep it for ever. I have had one integrated amp, 4 pre-amps and 3 power-amps in over 40 years].

James

One per turntable!

The process of swapping out and aligning etc is a bit cumbersome even if you have an alignment jig etc. Even if you have removable headshells (as one of mine does) the reality is that often cartridges are different heights and that means you've have to adjust tonearm height as well as counterweight.

I don't have much experience with MM carts, but there's a vintage audio technica AT450 which I think is very good but is gone hard to get. I think the B&O high output carts like the MMC6000 and MMC20en are excellent value, but are not "cheap" and will work very well into a MM phono stage. I have a Denon DL110 but I think these are not that cheap either. To be honest, I think I would stay cheap and cheerful on this until you are sure you want to stick with it and then it might be worth a bigger investment.

Fran

Thanks again everybody, things are slowly starting to take shape in my mind.

First up: cheap (ish) and cheerful is a must. I'm not going down a rabbit hole of new phono stages or SUTs, etc. LOMC is out.
Second (potentially heresy): on some level, I'm trying to fix a specific problem here, and I'm letting that steer the decision somewhat.
Third: apparently having a Rega TT makes everything a little bit more of a pain in the hole. Unless you're buying Rega cartridge.

I'll tell you what, you can really while away the hours reading about cartridges. I'm reading a lot and building a short-list that's becoming increasingly long. I've spent a lot of today reading about the Audio Technica VM540ML, which came from nowhere on the back of a suggestion on a Facebook Rega group. It's the right kind of price, is meant to track superbly (a lot of people reporting this cart fixed ongoing IGD and sibilance problems) but is meant to be a pig to install. Still looking anyway.

Diapason wrote: ↑Mon Oct 12, 2020 3:46 pm I've spent a lot of today reading about the Audio Technica VM540ML, which came from nowhere on the back of a suggestion on a Facebook Rega group. It's the right kind of price, is meant to track superbly (a lot of people reporting this cart fixed ongoing IGD and sibilance problems) but is meant to be a pig to install. Still looking anyway.

As I mentioned previously, it is important that the cartridge and tonearm are matched....

Low Mass Tonearm + High Compliance Cartridge
High Mass Tonearm + Low Compliance Cartridge

The Rega RB330 is regarded as a low mass tonearm and the Audio Technica VM540ML has low dynamic compliance (10cu), you need to be getting a cartridge around the 15cu mark to match it.

An analogy... you don't put real bouncy springs on a heavy goods vehicle and you don't put real stiff springs on a Toyota Aygo. Hope this makes sense!

I also notice that the output of the Rega Elys 2 is 6.8 - 7.2mV whereas the Audio Technica VM540ML is 4.0mV.