Cartridge Recommendation - Rega RP6

Hi,

I recently discovered that the stylus on my Rega Exact cartridge is bent. So rather than replace the cartridge with another Rega Exact (even though I receive a 20% discount off the price of a new cartridge), I have decided to upgrade my cartridge and would appreciate any suggestions. There are not a large number of hi-fi stores in my area, so demos are out of the question.

I am running a Rega RP6 with an RB303 tonearm (stock standard with the RP6), Rega Elicit R amp and Monitor Audio Silver speakers. With the Elicit R, I am limited to MM cartridges; however, I believe that I can run a high output MC cartridge through the MM input. My music tastes are varied, with vinyls ranging from Otis Redding, to Simon and Garfunkel, Cold Chisel, Fireigber, Van Morrison, Eagles, Bee Gees, Steve Nicks, Fleetwood Mac etc.

Cartridges I have been considering are:
- Ortofon 2M Black (although some people state these are overrated)
- Nagaoka MP-500 (apparently selling for more than they are worth)
- Goldring 2500
- Dynavector 20X2H (high level output MC, which I believe will work on the MM input of the amp)
- Grado Refefence Platinum 2

I am not tied to any of the above cartridges, so any feedback or recommendations are most welcome. If you could also include your reasoning for certain recommendations that would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Gareth

 

I cant say from experience as i too have an Exact except only on a P3 - 24 but i would add the following based on other threads ive seen, Benz Gilder high output or Dynavector 10x5 and i believe Denon makes a number of high output MC carts but i am not familiar with the variations however i believe its the DL110 HO. Does your current Exact still play, and by bent i assume you mean the cantilever? Which way is it bent? Maybe just get a stop gap cart (theres a near new Elys 2 for $165 on ebay au right now), wait till the new P6 comes out then trade in or sell your old RP6 and get a new P6 which will probably have an option to buy with the new $1,000 ish (AUD) Ania MC, you will also need to get the new Rega Fono MC stage aswell, so it all depends on your budget.

You could probably get $1,200 (maybe a bit optimistic) for your RP6 if you sell privately and i reckon the new P6 will be somewhere in the order of $2,500 AUD, plus hopefully theres some sort of discount when bundled with the Ania cart and $500 ish for the MC phono stage.

Given that you were prepared to spend $1,300 on a DV 20x2 and you could potentially get $1,200 for the RP6 thats $2,500 that you can use to buy the new P6 meaning you have to spend $1,500 to get the Ania cart and MC phono stage. Yes it doubles your original budget but you are also getting a new TT, cart and phono stage and you have a few more months to save up. Of course you could just buy a 1K plus cart now and upgrade the P6 at any time but i do want to see how this new Ania cart sounds before i buy anything else, even if it has an elliptical stylus profile.

I personally will be buying this analogue front end when it all comes out (god i hope its soon) as long as the price is around $3,500 $4,000 all up for everything and assuming the Ania cart is good.

Good luck.

 

Either the DV 17D3 or the XX2Mk2 would be very nice.

 

The DV 20x cartridge slays the others handily. You'll need to put 2mm to 3mm worth of spacer(s) under the tonearm before mounting this. The Grado has a wonderful midrange and warm sound but cannot match the DV in other respects. The 2m Black is not going to be anywhere near as warm as the Exact was, nor will be the Goldring.
-Bill

 

Happy Dynavector 20x2H user here. Yes, it works fine with an MM phono stage.

 

I like the 2M Black on my RP6, but get plenty of warmth using it with Mac tubes.

 

I have a Hana SL on my RP6. Sounds fantastic to me. The detail (not brightness) really impressed me. Hi-hats sound much more accurate to my ears. They make a higher output version, too.

 

Big fan of the Audio Note IQ3 here. I've heard it on a variety of Rega tonearms, including the RB303 -- with unfailingly musical results.

There is a lot of information on this site about this MM cartridge. Do a search. I believe there is also a thread here wherein our host, Mr. Hoffman, expresses his admiration and affection for this cartridge.

Good luck.

--David B.

 

Thanks for all of the recommendations thus far.

Given everyone's feedback and based on reviews that I have subsequently read, I am deliberating. Between the Dynavector 20x2H/L and the Hana SH/L.

I hadn't planned on buying a separate phono stage, but a few people have suggested that the integrated phono stage in the Elicit-R is not doing my system any justice. In the case that I do buy a phono stage, I will then go with a LOMC.

I haven't been able to find any reviews directly comparing the 20x2 and the Hana S, only that I have been able to find one comment from a guy who owned both cartridges and preferred the Hana. Does anyone have thoughts on which cartridge is better.

Also, given that the Hana is approx $500 cheaper than the Dynavector 20x2, I could put this $500 towards a phono stage. Any thoughts on a phono stage for either cartridge? I've been thinking of the Rega Aria, Dynavector P75 Mk3 (perhaps would suit the 20x2 if I go down that path), or a Primare R32 (there is a used one for sale for $700 in apparently mint condition). Any thoughts on a phono stage?

Thanks,

Gareth

 

I have been happily running the Dyna 20XH with my Rega P5 through a Graham Slee Era Gold V MM phono pre.

 

Just another option: You could also consider a Denon 103 with a step up transformer into your MM stage. It would need a couple more small things to make it work ideally on the 303 (heavier mounting hardware and counterweight).

Some people like to claim the 103 doesn't work on the Rega arm, but its the only combo I've run where I've had no desire to upgrade.

 

That's definitely an acquired taste in my experience. Use of that cartridge, as good as it was historically, today just doesn't float my boat. It is nice, but nothing like the DV, and the cost to optimize for it is a double whammy for it IMO.
-Bill

 

Interesting. It's the most balanced cart I've run with my associated gear. Fleshy, full, never sibilant or splashy. I've not used a Dynavector (and at the price of the 103's, I can't imagine I will - spending that much money on a wear item doesn't sit well with me).

 

The phono stage in the Elicit is excellent. You will get a very nice upgrade in tracking ability from the DV 20xH and not have to upgrade the phono stage, which would be quite expensive to improve upon. I think the 20xL / P75 in PE mode is a bit better, but it doubles the cost. The Rega and 20xH combination will really warm up the Monitor rather thin sound and deliver a whole new level of detail in the process. You will need to raise the tonearm by at least 2mm to install any aftermarket cartridge. You can easily get 2 to 3mm by just using flat washers, or you can go all out and buy the proper Rega spacer. If you use washers, you need to find some that are absolutely flat, machined or well pressed, rather than just stamped from sheet metal stock like most "flat" washers are. I don't hesitate to use them but I hand select each one of them if I do. The Rega stainless spacer takes all of the guess work out of it.
-Bill

 

Well, the 103 has a very flat response but it doesn't have much LF extension at all from my experience, and the top end seems to not have the detail as does the mids. Yes, it isn't a super expensive cartridge, but the cost of a good phono stage and or transformer really makes use of it or any other LOMC cartridge much more expensive. I went through a lot of those when I was using Denon cartridges and it took many tries to find suitable partners, and many dollars. Maybe that was just my tastes, but I found each step, each component had a trade-off and I finally just ditched the whole Denon thing, table and all. I have a DV now on my Rega and I have used low and high output variants with excellent results. I have a nice step-up device that I made using Cinemag transformers, and a I also have a couple of preamps with nice MC stages in them and so I can use the LOMC carts without such frustration now. I recently swapped in a 301 that I got on trade for grins and it didn't last but a day. Horses for course and all that...
-Bill

 

This is the cartridge I'm using on my RP6 after an in-home audition from Warren Jarrett. I used to have a Goldring 1042 that I loved, but which sadly, lost it's life, at a rather rowdy party back in the day.

 

Curious if the OP has an update on this process. I too am looking for a new cartridge to replace the Exact 2 that came on my RP6. I'm giving serious consideration to the new Rega Ania for the ease of setup, but I'd go Dyna or 2M Black as well. Phono stage is a Manley Chinook, which should handle everything except very LOMC. Thanks!

 

I’ve listened to a friend’s RP-6 with a Dynavector 20xl quite often and find it to be an excellent combo in a very nice system. The sound is full, detailed and has lots drive. Tones and timbre seem very well done. Everyone hears things differently and has different priorities but I don’t think anyone could claim it was a poor match! Good luck with your search.

 

consider the Audio Technica ART 9. Priced along side the Dynavector DV20X2L which I have, the ART9 sounds much better in my system, and many favor it over more expensive cartridges.
Another recommendation would be the Ortofon Cadenza Red. The Ortofon weighs 10.7g and do not know if the RP6 can handle a cartridge that weighs that much- I was not able to find any specs for the table or tonearm about cartridge weight range.
Since I am in consideration of a Rega table myself, it would be nice if they could give this information.

 

The Ania gets rave reviews; worth a go? Love Olias of Sunhillow by the way. Shame my original copy is rather noisy

 

I have a Planar 3 with the 330 arm, so this is also applicable to the new P6. You will need to purchase Rega's tungsten counterweight to use a cartridge that heavy. Rega's love Dynavectors and Ortofon's are also used a lot. Using a Dyna 20xH on mine and it is lovely.

 

Same here, this is a good thread. I recently dug my AR ES-1 with Audioquest 404B cartridge out of the closet after 15 years. It sounds pretty good, except on loud, complex passage during which it seems a bit congested and "edgy". I'm not sure if my issue is the receiver I'm playing it through and I need a separate phono stage, or if the cartridge/stylus are just old. I've likewise been looking at all the cartridges mentioned here, but this is the first I've heard of the new Rega Ania. I'm not sure how well the Ania would match with my arm(Audioquest PT-5) and table.

 

I have an RP6. The RB303 arm can handle a wide range of cartridges. I have tried the Rega Exact 2 (MM), Ortofon 2M Black (MM), Dynavector 20XL (MC), the Dynavector Karat 17D3 (MC), the newer Rega Ania, and the Rega Apheta 2. To my ears, the Dynavector Karat 17D3 was the best sounding cartridge on the RB303 tonearm, but the Rega Ania was right up there too.

Note that my RP6 also benefits from the Groovetracer subplatter and main bearing upgrade, a Rega white belt, and a Rega Tungsten counterweight. My RP6 is sitting on an HRS platform, which itself is sitting on a heavy, acoustically inert, solid hardwood mid-century cabinet. The turntable is also located a little over two feet away from all other components, it’s power supply (TTPSU) is as far away from the TT as is cable allows, and the phono preamp is at least a foot farther away than that. Silence and black backgrounds are the result.

From the Rega web site, the Apheta 2 cartridge weighs 6g, which is typical for all Rega cartridges (both MM and MC). The RB330 arm has an effective mass of 11g which rega considers low mass. In practice, the RB303 and the new, slightly better RB330 work extremely well with a wide range of cartridges. The Dynavector Karat 17D3 at 5.8g and the Ortofon 2M Black at 7.2g both work superbly well on the RB303 and RB330. Rega’s cartridges sit below the middle of that range at 6g, but AFAIC the Dynavector 17D3 is a better sounding cartridge on either arm than Rega’s own Apheta 2.

The Rega Exact 2 is a perfectly creditable cartridge, but adding a 2mm shim or using a really thin platter mat opens up a world of great, non-Rega MM cartridges including the Ortofon 2M series. My own experience and hearing told me that to my ears, the 2M Red is only equal to the Exact 2. Get up to the 2M Bronze or Black to really find out how good the RB303 or 330 tonearm can be. Step up to the Dynavector 20XL or, better still, the 17D3 to find out how much better still the RB303 and 330 tonearms actually are.

You’ll have to decide for yourself if shimming the tonearm base to accommodate cartridges that are taller than Rega models makes a positive difference in sound to your own ears. I’m using the Dynavector 17D3 in the stock RB303 arm and to my ears it sounds perfect. I tried the steel, 2mm shim, but the sound seemed to be thinner to my ears, so I removed the shim. I also tried the plastic Rega shim, but didn’t like it because it was too difficult to evenly tighten in place. A slight difference in light torque when shimming can very slightly throw off the tonearm’s alignment, which in turn can cause a small azimuth problem and/or general cartridge alignment difficulty.

I’ve always used Baerwald alignment on Rega turntables when using non-Rega cartridges. Sounds best to me. AFAIK, Rega cartridge/tonearms (three-point mount, automatic alignment) use Baerwald alignment. I uses the Dr. Feikert alignment gauge for all non-Rega cartridges.

The foregoing experimentation was a bit expensive and I realize it’s not for everybody, so I hope this helps.