Cartridge recommendation for the working class?

Good to know. Thanks for that!

I can certainly up my budget, but I didn't think it was worth it for this TT. If it's this difficult for me to pick a cartridge, it'll be even harder for a new TT

 

The specs on that at7v look good and a nice price too, might get this to replace the stock on my lp120

 

I know dats right.

 

One point.
Its good to match to relevant arm
But....
If you like what you hear, you may a
Denon, fan!
Go for it .
Also , price is no guide.
A M97XE will to my ears sound as good as a cartridge costing more.
You ears decide. Not what many
Greedy manufacturers overcharge!
I was once in your shoes!
And yes its a pain , that you have to
Buy on faith.
Ortofon very overpriced in my
Opinion!

 

I have and really enjoy a Dynavector 20x2H, if you can swing the 10x5 I'm sure you'll be happy with it. Otherwise my previous cartridge would be my recommendation, Denon DL-110.

 

Another vote for the sure M97xe.

My carts:
AT33 E,
AT33ptgii
ATOC9,
Dynavector 10x5,
Goldring 1042,
Roksan Corus Black,
M97xe with Jico sas
M97xe stock
Demon 103

I keep my old table the Pioneer pl530 around with the M97xe stock stylus just exactly for 80's rock and new wave. To my ears it rolls a touch of the over processed sound of that era and sound much more realistic. Love that cart. I don't own a 2m anymore but I've spent a lot of time with both the 2m black and the blue. They are great carts. If price was no issue the Goldring 1042 would be my choice. In your price range my number 1 pic is the M97xe.

 

And I'd throw the lighter tracking M44G into that mix as well at $70. The bonus is that you can turn it into a 44-7 by using that stylus, and vice-versa. All three punch well beyond their price points.

 

My 110 came with an extra plate to add some weight to the headshell, not sure its needed in my case, I think the Rb300 arm on mine is about 12g.

Going from the 2m Blue to the Denon DL110, I am starting to think the 2m is overpriced also, I never did feel the 2M was money well spent (in my limited experience) but the 110 I have no regrets in purchasing it - just seems to be a much better sounding cartridge IMO. My first cartridge upgrade was 2M Red and I now know what a poor tracker that one is, plagued with IGD on that one.

 

the Denons and Shure,s are reasonably priced , excellent sounding
Cartridges that are very popular.
The Denon speaks for itself,
How long in production?
Price is a problem for a mate of mine.
If it's too cheap he won,t buy it.
He buys on price if maybe he wants a cartridge on £250 price bracket.
Yet he may hear sonething he liked, but then he sees the price.
You said you liked the Denon.
Nice cartridge. Ok in your arm.
Maybe reconsider.
The Denons and Shure,s of this world
Have soul baby!
Ortofons can be a little
Polite, I did like the 520.

 

Same here... I (ignorantly?) ignored the shim thinking I didn't need it, but it might've been worth a try since my tonearm is considerably lighter than yours (8.6g vs. 12g). I am very tempted to get another DL-110.

Around here, the DL-110 is about the same price as a new 2M Blue. I honestly can't say much bad about the 2M Blue, I am just curious to know what else is out there and there's no better way than to try something myself. For all I know, I'll go back to the 2M Blue when my exercise is done.

 

I was having some issues with IGD (don't think it was setup because i was using the PnP version of the 2m Red) and I just wasn't happy with the sound any more. I ran an Ortofon OM10 in a Concorde for about a year or 2 and always thought it was a bit bass shy. I stupidly went to the 2m Red thinking it would be better, but they're basically the same cart. I read tons of forums trying to find a nice warm budget cart, and the Nagaoka was the one that kept coming up and people that use them seem to love them. Know I know why

 

Shure M97xe. The key is to give it sufficient break in time. After 100 sides the highs and dynamics emerged and it is one the finest MM carts I have owned. I also have several vintage with NOS styli Pickering, Ortofon, Stanton, AT, Shure and Grado carts and this one holds its own against them. By far the best value MM cart out there.

 

Love your title. In the 70's I was making 2 dollars an hour and paid almost $80 for a Shure V15 Type III cartridge. My wife almost popped her cork.

 

AT-7V is great. On my Pioneer PL-41A, it's the best vinyl sound I've heard so far. Good synergy with a Vincent PHO-8.

 

I don't have specific cartridge recommendations, but I would suggest using a local turntable dealer to install your cart (if you have one in your area). A lot of carts these days require precise set up so for me having an expert install my cart is a priority.

 

I was going to say a similar thing. Between the AT440, Shure M97xe and the 2M Blue, I think they all sound about the same.

I use the AT440 on one deck and the 2M on another. I love both of these carts. I haven't used the Shure in a while. I don't like the brush due I can't see where I'm dropping the arm.

 

I found the same to be true. Maybe not 100 sides, but quite a while. I thought it was awful at first and then liked it when it broke in.

 

Priorities, man

 

Agreed. I do have a dealer with a proper protractor and stylus pressure (force?) gauge, but at the same time, I'd sure like to learn it myself.

 

Likes bright rock; wants a laid back sound

 

The biggest thing I would say is that make sure the cart you get is a good match for your tonearm. I see people recommending a slew of random carts all the time without thinking about what tonearm they will go on. Those low-mass Pro-Ject arms are somewhat limited in what kinds of carts they can take, unless you want to start screwing around with headshell weights. As someone else mentioned, some of the Japanese companies measure compliance differently than the European or American companies, just be aware of that.

 

May seem strange, but not necessarily a contradiction. I have a whole bunch of bright sounding 80s jangle pop on vinyl, sounds pretty good with the "warm" Shure 35X, though I prefer to use my "main" cart most of the time, which has a brighter sound.

 

I agree, after a little time the Sure M97XE seems to "wake up" and really produce some nice full sound.

 

Good point. I have been paying attention and looking at what people are recommending vs what tables they're usung them with. I know, for example, I cannot use a Denon DL-103 with my tonearm without head shell weight.

 

Another thing to pay attention to is what your platter is made out of. Some Pro-Jects come with platters made of ferrous metal. Bad combo for an MC cart.

Good tool for compliance/tonearm mass:

Cartridge Resonance Evaluator - Vinyl Engine »