Shure, Audio Technica, or Ortofon Carts?

Unless your hearing is severely limited in the high end of the spectrum avoid the 2m Red.

 

So it's just a little bit too bright?

 

Breathtaking!

 

I've recently upgraded from an OM10 to a 20 and the difference in sound quality is significant. More detail all round and the bottom end is more defined to my ears.

 

That's exactly what I'm looking for in a cart, a nice and defined low end.

 

To the OP:

The best option, which I would love to have but don't at the moment, is a turntable with a universal headshell. This will allow you to easily swap carts whenever you want with relative ease and figure out what you like best, and what carts sound best with what records.

 

Another vote for the Shure M97XE, can't be beat for $80/and it's as good as or better, IMHO, than my AT 440ml
Neutral (not dull at all as other have suggested, just neutral), low tracking force, minimal IGD. A material step up from other mentioned Shure cartridges but still affordable.

 

I would enjoy that, but I personally would rather mount the carts myself, because once you learn something like that, it sticks with you. And I don't mind switching headshells whenever I want to play a different album.

 

I think you guys are talking about the same thing. A universal headshell (aka bayonet or SME style) is the standard headshell that's been used on the vast majority of S-shape tonearms over the years. Mount and align several cartridges on a few of those and then swap headshells until your heart's content. Just don't forget to reset the tracking force.

 

Would Technics or Ortofon be a nice headshell to get (any known problems with them)? I do like the looks of both of them in plain, good old-fashioned black.

 

You still have to mount and align the carts yourself. Even carts that come premounted on headshells are not going to be aligned to your particular TT.

 

Another thing: the whole bright/dull cart debate is highly subjective. Depends on your ears and your system.

 

I prefer the sound of the Ortofon SH-4 over the regular Technics headshell. It seems to be less resonant or more rigid than the Technics shell. To me, the soundstage always seems a little less "congested" because of that. All IMO, of course. Now depending on the compliance and weight of a particular cartridge, the lighter weight Technics might be a little better in some circumstances. But so far, in an all things being equal setting, the SH-4 has consistently come out on top for me.

 

I mounted my bronze to one of my tables with an Ortofon SH-4 and it sounds great. At $30 it's a steal.

 

I might buy 2 of the Ortofons, because I might get 2 carts, The OM10 and the M44-7 (one for clarity and richness, the other to track ruined records and give worn records some new life), I think I will get them because they sound great and look the part as well.

 

Options are a good thing to have and they can also keep you from second guessing your equipment when problems arise.

 

That is why I'm going for those 2, they are upgradeable, using better styli, and I do have some records that are kind of dead and/or are scratched badly and need an iron horse of a cart to track.

 

Just one last question, do the M44-7 and OM10 have any IGD problems?

 

in order

Shure
Ortofon
Audio Schmeckmica

 

What a sweeping generalisation. How can the OP pick the bones out of that?

 

My OM10 had some IGD issues, the OM20 has none. I can't speak for the M44-7.

 

Depends on whether you play aggressively cut records. In that case, yes. Any cart that has with a basic conical or elliptical stylus is going to have IGD on certain aggressively cut records.

 

Any conical stylus will produce distortion due to the "pinch effect" when playing inner grooves, regardless of how perfect your setup and alignment is. How bad it is depends on the size of the conical, how much wear it has, and the type of music and how "hot" it's cut. The OM10's elliptical will definitely be better but still not perfect. Because the stylus on the OM10 is "bonded" and not "nude", there can also be some error in how the stylus is attached to the cantilever and - long story short - that can lead to increased distortion due to less-than-ideal alignment. The Shure stylus is also bonded but, IMO, that doesn't matter as much because it's a conical.

From Audio-Technica:

 

So, should I instead go for the 2M Blue, because it has a nude stylus, and will have less distortion?

 

It's still an elliptical stylus, and won't tame all IGD on certain records. If taming IGD is important to you, the cheapest cart that will do that is the AT440. You need a cart with a fine line, microline, or shibata stylus (or other fine profile) to really tame IGD completely on aggressively cut records. I would caution you that you really need very clean records with this cart to sound optimal, if you don't have a record cleaning system (Spin Clean at a minimum, vacuum based system ideally) then I would just buy a cheapo $20-40 cart and call it a day, and learn to live with IGD.

If you do get the 440, and want something to use with play worn or badly pressed records, you could get something like a Shure 35x. IIRC this tracks at a lower VTF than some of Shure's other DJ type carts, so less wear and tear on record per play. I plan on trying one out eventually.