What cartridges do you have and/or have used?

I have been through a few cartridges both MM and MC. I usually am running one and have one for backup. I am currently using a Dynavector XX-2 and have a Lyra Dorian as my backup. I have also used a Grado Sonata and a Sumiko Blue Point Special EVO-III.

 

I started getting back into vinyl about 5 years ago.

In that time I've had two real turntables, a Pro-ject Xpression III and now a Rega P5. Cartridges for those tables were, in order:

Sumiko Pearl that came w/ the Project. This cartridge is a piece of crap.
Denon DL-110, which I liked quite a bit, but sold to purchase:
Ortofon 2M Blue (bought used), which I also liked quite a bit, but sold to purchase:
AudioTechnica AT150MLX (bought used), which is a great cartridge and is back on the Xpression III but rarely gets used these days
Dynavector DV20X2L (bought used), which is an amazing cartridge and is doing main duty on the P5 in daily use

I also picked up an AT95e to put on my old ****ty plastic Onkyo turntable from the 80s for bedroom use a while ago and it's a really nice budget cartridge.

I should really sell that AT150MLX....it's too good to be sitting around not getting usage.

 

Currently use a NOS 1980 MM Ortofon M20FL 'Super'.

Love it. Sounds wonderful.

For me it just sounds right! No thinking involved.

 

AT95, AT440mla (still have it on an SL1200), Ortofon 2M Red, 2M Blue (current in use cartridge on my RP6), Denon DL-110 and DL-103. And lastly a Grado xf3 that I had on the first turntable (an old Rotel) that I bought myself.

 

+1. Worst cartridge I've ever owned.

Some others I've used.
Shure M95ED
Shure 97(?)
Shure V15 Type III
Grado 8MZ
Grado Ref Platinum 1
Grado Ref Sonata 1
Ortofon 2M Black
Dynavector DV20x2L

 

Shure M91ED, OEM and with Jico SAS - Great cart but what the heck are the compliance specs?
Shure M95ED - Great cart, more neutral than the 91
AT440MLB - Decent cart, I couldn't handle it long-term
AT33PTG/II - Current cart
Denon DL-103 - Current cart, forgiving in nature for both recordings and pressing but kinda missing in details
Denon DL-103R - Excellent cart more refined than 103, sold it, probably shouldn't have

 

Ortofon M20fl Super
Ortofon M20E Super
Audio Technica AT20SS
JVC Z1S (Jico SAS)
A&R P77 (Jico SAS)
EMT TSD15 SFL
Shelter 501 II
Dyna 17D3
Denon 103 (Uwe Ebony body)
Benz Glider (original 1mV)

Of these I largely prefer the MM/MIs over the MCs.

 

Instead of just posting lists, which is meaningless, I'd like to see some mini-reviews comparing them instead.

 

OK mini reviews on what I've had:

Sumiko Pearl — the treble was so rolled off it sounded like a blanket was placed on the speakers. There was decent separation, but nothing special. This is a piece of crap and I'd avoid it.

Denon DL-110 — this is a really good performer, especially when loaded at 1k vs 47k. It throws an enormous soundstage and is pretty good across the whole frequency range, but I seem to remember it being a little bass shy in my system.

Ortofon 2M Blue — not as big of a soundstage as the DL110 that it replaced, but it was a lot more punchy and dynamic. It seemed to bring more bass. In the end, I decided it was almost TOO bombastic and too punchy, and sold it.

AudioTechnica AT150MLX — Tracks like a champ, even across the spectrum, nice soundstage, great separation, lots of detail retrieval. A really solid performer. I was in love with this until I heard my Dv20X2L.

Dynavector DV20X2L — This cartridge just does everything right. Tracks better than the AT150MLX, brings a lot more bass and a ton of detail across the whole band, creates a huge soundstage and low surface noise. I can't imagine replacing this.

 

I'll start...

Currently using:

On my Thorens TD-124/SME 3009 unimproved:
1984 Grado Signature 8MR with MCZ stylus, loaded down to 24k (IIRC)
Very lush mids and plump bass; exceptional soundstage depth and layering. A very beautiful sounding cartridge.

On my Dual 1019 and Dual 1219:
Shure M97xE
Fussy about proper capacitive loading (can sound dark/congested when not optimized at around 250-300pF), but very honest and neutral. Presentation is smoooth, with wonderfully meaty mids and plump bass, and unstressed top end. Detail is very good for a $100 cart, and tracks flawlessly (although QC issues are widely reported). Stereo separation and imaging depth is so-so.

On my resto-modded Acoustic Research AR-TX (early AR-XA):
1981 Grado G2 with 8MZ stylus, loaded down to 14k
Comparable in quality to the current Silver/Gold. Even when loaded down, I am finding this model to be unusually lean/bright for a Grado. Excellent soundstage depth (like most '70s-early '80s Grados), but I'm struggling with the leanness. I want to stick with a Grado on this table, and will probably try swapping this out for my spare '90s ZC+ (= to a Green) with the 8MZ stylus upgrade and see if I prefer the presentation.

Other carts I have experience with:

'70s Shure M91ED
I prefer this with the OEM Shure stylus, but like it a lot with the JICO SAS too (which is unusual for me). Great warm, meaty sound (which I prefer), nice high-output punch too. Imaging is very good, but not as good as my Grados. The cheap EVG-branded elliptical (made by JICO) is a great budget replacement stylus.

Denon DL160 HOMC
Now out of production, this was one step above the popular DL-110. I never could get this one to sound natural in my system; the stereo spread was exaggerated and too wide, and the mids/bass were very lean. I played around with resistive loading and just couldn't get it dialed in where I wanted it. It did have a wonderful openness and top-end air that my MM and MI carts don't have.

Stanton 681EEE-S with JICO Shibata
I really wanted to like this, but it was way too bright. I've never heard a 681 with its native stylus, but I suspect it had a more pleasing presentation. I tried it a few times with an OEM light-tracking conical, and that sounded excellent.

Shure V15 Type III
Another well-regarded classic that I'd love to be able to experience with a good OEM stylus someday. With a JICO SAS it sounded too forward and lacking in energy. Oddly enough, with a cheap EVG elliptical, it was much more fulsome and also a more exciting listening experience.

Shure V15 Type IV
This one sounded great - very neutral and natural - with the OEM stylus, but was very boring/uninteresting with the JICO SAS "upgrade."

 

Shure M35X
The king of the cheap conicals! A great choice for beater records, old 45s, and vintage mono LPs. Supposedly very close internally to the V15 Type V. An especially good performer when paired with high-mass arms. I've heard these referred to as a good (and much cheaper) alternative to the Denon DL-103 (which I haven't heard yet). Spend $35 and try one! You can put an N78S stylus on it and enjoy your 78s too.

Audio Technica AT440mla
This was my entry point into "good" cartridges, and it opened my ears to what could be possible with vinyl. It tracked exceptionally well, but it was way too bright and its mids were very lean, so I eventually moved on. If you want a more edge-of-your-seat listening experience, this one's for you. I never got to the point of playing with the resistive loading, which might have changed the equation for me...

Denon DL-102 mono HOMC
A great and classic 'speciality' cartridge (introduced in '62), but really needs a massive arm to work well. I used it with a 12" Rek-O-Kut 160 arm, which was enormous.

 

My first proper turntable in the early 70s Thorens TD160 a Shure M75Ed, then Ortofon VMS30.
Then Linn time my new Sondek with Basic arm an AT moving coil then Azak, Azaka, Klyde now with a Naim Aro tonearm, oh yes had an Ittock in between.
Then a Goldbug Mrs.Bryer on the Aro and an early Kiseki.
Then Orbe time the beautiful GoldBug with a Rega 250, an AT33PTG what a great cartridge for the price, Now a Koetsu Black with SME v.

 

I ran Sumiko BPS and EVOIII on my VPI HW-19 for 20 years, excellent cartridge at the price. Traded up to a Scout 2 last summer and after a short stint with the old BPS EVOIII I traded up to a Sumiko Blackbird. I love the sound and it is a nice improvement over the BPS but at great expense... I wish I had more experience with different carts but that is an expensive game! I would like to try a LO MC some day.

 

Im using an AT95E on a Numark TTUSB my setup is dwarfed by the monster tt's and carts you guys have

 

I picked up an old gold body with an NOS stylus for $50 on ebay. It kicked my Shelter 501 to the curb. It was an easy decision. This cartridge presents detail in such a natural way. Very extended and clean highs. The midrange is rich & smooth with great weight but very textured and dynamic. Deep bass and a HUGE soundstage. I honestly can't get over how good it is. Not good for the money good, just plain good.