Step up from an Ortofon Blue MC20?

I got a used (but extremely clean) Denon DP60L turntable that came with an Ortofon MC20.



Unfortunately, the shop didn't know how long the cart had been in use.

It's my first moving coil cart, and I rather like it. That said, obsessive, paranoid dork that I am, I want to replace it ASAP. I also happen to be getting a decent influx of cash in the next few days (not my tax return, ironically.) I've got roughly $700-$800 I could drop on a replacement.

I'd strongly prefer a shibata/microline type stylus, unless anyone thinks there's a cartridge that's good enough to justify trying something else. Thoughts?

 

Are you wanting to keep it to MC's? At the price your looking at it might be the lower end of MCs with the stylus shapes your looking for but there is Carts like Ortofons Quintet Bronze, maybe the Hana SL? That one has a very good rep, there is a thread on this forum about it.

Otherwise you have just about any/every MM cart out there to choose from, so could get the Stylus shapes your after and probably have some change.

 

If a 35-year-old TT is "very clean" - chances are it didn't see too much use. In that case, that MC 20 may be in a very god shape. If you like the sound of it - why not just keep it for a while? Inspect the stylus under magnification, if you can, and if it looks OK as far as length, angle, and cleanliness - keep and enjoy. You can always upgrade later, unless you simply have the itch.

 

If you like the cartridge but youre just afraid it might be a little worn then send it in for retipping abd repair at some place like soundsmith. It will save you lots of money and put your worries to rest.

 

Re-tipping can easily cost upwards of $400, so "saving a lot of money" should be taken with a grain of salt.

 

Thanks for the responses, y'all. I do like the MC20 quite a bit, but between not knowing how long it was on there and the $$$ influx, I have the itch to explore. I'll most likely keep the MC20 and have it looked at, maybe keep it as a backup if it's in decent shape.

Any recommendations on that front? I'm not married to the idea of MCs, necessarily.

 

The asking price at Soundsmith is 20% buildcost so if his cartridge indeed retails at 20 000$ then 400$ would be the repair price. Or have I misunderstood those sales pitches?

 

I think you have. I don't know of a single case of a re-tip costing less that $300 or above. If nothing else, there is precision labor involved, and that costs money. That's why people do not re-tip decent but inexpensive HOMC carts like, say, DL-110 - it's cheaper to buy a new one.

I will wind up re-tipping my Zu Denon DL-103. It only cost about $549, so, I can spend that on a new one, or have the old one re-tipped with a sapphire cantilever and a better than "conical" new stylus - for around $400-450. Clearly, for a little less than a new one, I will wind up with a superior cart after re-tipping.

 

I cannot honestly recommend carts I haven't heard, but Hana's get all the superlative reviews, and are right in your price range.

 

With the very expensive MC carts - there's always the option of trading it in to the original manufacturer for a new one. That way, if you really love the sound of your cart - you get the same thing. One thing to remember in re-tipping is that a re-tipped cart will never sound the same as original. It will be different, maybe better, maybe worse - your ears, as usual, will be the judge, but never the same. That's why I'm willing to experiment on under $1000 carts, but would probably want the original sound on the higher-priced ones, so would go the OEM trade-in route. "Luckily" - I do not own any above $1000 carts, so it's a moot point for me, for now...

 

Just to point out that unless things have changed the MC20 will have a trade value against a new Ortofon MC, although personally I'd get the stylus checked and carry on using it, the MC20 was a nice cart in the eighties and still is.

 

What is the idea of the 20% build price then?

 

The idea is to get you to send your cart in. Once they have it, they will take 3 weeks to quote you a price, and then you will be anxious to get it back already, so you will agree to the quoted price, and wait for the next 6 weeks to get it back...

A direct quote from Soundsmith:

"Sometimes the only way to determine the best method for restoration is to evaluate the complete status of the cartridge. I am unable to fully diagnose any cartridge long distance. Photos are not adequate as it must go under my microscope to provide you with rebuild costs. In such cases, an evaluation is suggested."

Need I say more?

Then, here's a link to his "nominal" pricing, where you will see that every price starts with the word "minimum":

Options for Cantilever and Stylus Shapes | Soundsmith

 

With regards re-tipping the MC20 wasn't a very expensive cart, I owned a MC10 and still own a MC30 Supreme, from my very hazy memory the MC10 was sub £100 and the MC20 sub £200 in the mid-eighties, they were good carts, but the bottom end of Ortofon's MC range, I'd guess the MC20 was equivalent to around £400 in 2018 money.

 

Which makes it a less than perfect candidate for re-tipping. For the price of it, you can get a better all-around cart of modern type and better performance. Ortofon MC-3 Turbo comes to mind - more or less HOMC version of 2M Bronze.

 

Yes, I'd use the MC20 while it still has some hours and then trade it in against another Ortofon MC, in the UK the MC20 has a £95 trade in value, assuming it's a MkII.

Ortofon Moving Coil Trade-In Scheme Explained