Your Favorite Cartridge Maker(s)? (pick three)

Re: margins/pricing, I definitely think that is part of it. The 2M Red is a terrible sounding cart IMHO and way overhyped.

 

After fifty years of playing with various carts I decided to try the Nagaoka MP-110 a couple of years ago. I finally found myself listening to the music instead of the cart. IMO the Nag gets out of the way of the music and lets the music come through. I know this is my final cartridge. Try it, you'll like it.

 

My dealer set up a shootout with a wide variety of cartridges, and the Benz LP-S MR came out on top. It was so clear in that particular system, everyone in the room agreed - and it was not the most expensive cartridge in the test.

This was three years ago, so a number of advances may have been made in the other lines since then. But at the time, it wasn't much of a contest.

I'm not inclined in any particular direction in terms of brand - it just sounded that good.

 

That is an amazing endorsement Eyedok. I am a not-young person who values experience and you may have just pushed me to buy the MP-110 sooner rather than later. Thanks!

 

With all the cartridges I have had it would have to be Denon for value and sound and Dynavector for sound.

I had an Audio Technica OC9 and I loved it, but the output is just a bit too high for my head amplifier.

JG

 

Actually, Dynavector wasn't in the shootout I referenced - how would you characterize the sound quality?

 

Which NOS version of the Empire line would you look for?

 

I picked Denon and Ortofon with no hesitation, and then changed my third vote from Koetsu to Audio Technica as I have more experience with the latter.

Not that I'm really drawn to anybody's moving magnets, but I find my OM20 pretty boring. Fortunately, the world's oldest audio company is in a position to be everything to everybody - for some people it's 2M reds, for me its SPUs, high end LOMCs, and nice tonearms. I'd really like to try a Cadenza series some time.

With Denon, it's about their passion to keeping the old flames burning with the 103 and 103R, as well as cool looking (faux) gold-plated SUTs, but I'm sure I'd enjoy their higher compliance MC's as well if I had a place for them.

I'll concede most Audio Technicas are a tad bright for me, but I generally like the cut of their jib. Very high value at all price points. And hey, sometimes bright can be a good thing. I paid >$300 for an OC9/ii, and it sounded incredible on my VPI Classic.

 

I suspect Ortofon does well for the reason Grado used to (and that's why Grado is on my list): it offers some carts with good specs at a modest price. Back when I was playing Grado cartridges, that was the role of the MCE1+/ZTE1+ etc. etc. models--very wide specified frequency response, low specified distortion, and cheap. Hard combo to beat.

Nowadays, I hew pretty strictly to Shure--V15Vx-MR for the most part, with stock LP and 78 and custom 78 RPM styli; occasionally the M97 model for certain combinations of old and worn. The tracking prowess is part of it; also, I prefer the Shure house "sound" to the rather harder Stanton school. Grado sounds very nice but does not tolerate warps at 78 RPM especially well.

Choice no. 3 is a cheat--not really a "cartridge" as such, although in its day it served the same function: the Edison diamond disc reproducer. All mechanical, and for its time quite possibly the most amazing audio transducer on the face of the planet.

Hmmm...there was a variant, designed for the Edison long-playing diamond discs (up to 20 minutes per side at 80 RPM), that was intended for a groove a little bigger than half the size of an LP microgroove. I wonder what that would do with a modern stereo LP?



Of course, it would pick up only the vertical modulations...

 

Good question. For me, it would have to be one of the better "chunky" style - something like a 600LAC, an LTD750, or an 800UFR. I never was much of a fan of the "blob-on-a-clip" style - the 2000, 4000 and their many clones - although they sounded fine. Just something about that design seemed...well, imprecise. I own an EDR.9, but it's awaiting a retip; I've never heard it, but it's hard to imagine it sounds drastically better than my LTD400/S500ID combo.

Cheers,
Larry B.

 

No idea, but it makes me want to have friends with Lyra, Van den Hul, Kiseki, etc. who have their cartridges perfectly installed and aligned in great systems and have wonderful record collections and a bottle of great whisky and call me up to come listen to Toscanini or Mehta and drink Scotch. Sigh...
I like my Ortofon a lot. I have liked the two Shures I have owned. My dad's Pickering was sweet back in the 60s. I heard a Decca once and it was lovely.

 

Mine would be :
Sumiko
Ortofon
Grado
And I prefer MC over MM cartridges.

 

I expect you're right, but I don't have any experience with their lower end products.

 

Denon
Dynavector
Grado
Nagaoaka
Ortofon
Sumiko

Carts currently in use.

 

I started with a red, switched to a blue and then a black. Each one sounds good until you hear one that sounds better. They have a nice upgrade path that is easy to follow for somone just starting out.

 

Sumiko, Grado, Denon/Ortofon/Shure

Three is a 3-way tie but I selected Denon on the poll because I was limited by the requirements.

 

I went with Denon, Dynavector, and Rega. Ortofon would be a close tie for third place really. The 103, especially the Zu version, is a killer. The 20x2L is ridiculously good in the right setup and is where I'd like to go from my Exact when I upgraded my table. I picked Rega because the Exact and the new P3 or RP6 sound way better than any plug and play setup should sound. Infact the Exact is so good I'd take it over any of the 500 dollar cartridges I've heard regardless of table.

 

Lyra and XLM.
And the original Shure M3D.

 

Benz Micro
Dynavector
Van den hul

These are my favorites though I also like (and own) Miyajima which is not listed here.

Scott

 

Ortofon, the first proper cart I used was a VMS10, over the years I've spent time with most of their MMs, not tried any of the 2Ms yet though, I still have OM bodies and keep an OM10/20 mounted, with MCs I started with their MC10 and went all the way up to the MC3000, last year I dug out my 30 year old MC30 Supreme and have been really enjoying it ever since. Some of their lower end offerings may lack refinement, but generally Ortfons are reliable, keenly priced, readily available and at their best superb sounding carts.

Van den Hul, my current main stereo cart, I like how they sound, I'm amazed how one man finds the time to make them and to offer great after sales service as well, I just wish I could afford the top end ones.

Miyajima, for me the best choice for mono, I'd happily buy again, I haven't heard their stereo offerings, but they are interesting as well, just a shame the UK prices went up so much, but as a Hi-Fi fan I'm used to that.

I currently own and have owned lots of other brands, funnily enough the one make I've never got on with is Audio Technica, I know many people who love them and I'm sure they will do very well in this poll so I'm happy to accept I've not heard the right ones or maybe they just don't have the sound I like.

 

AT, Denon and Ortofon I currently own two of each brand.

AT=150MLX & 14sa
Denon=103 stock & 103r modified w/hardwood body
Ortofon=OM 10 & Concorde w/OMP 40 stylus

 

The sound is neutral, fast and a great tracker. At around $1,000 I would expect that. Surface noise is the lowest of any cartridge I have ever owned.
Also very relable. There are plenty of reviews, just google it and see for yourself.

 

Yah, I thought about putting Miyajima in the poll... and Music Hall and EMT as well. Empire, I just flat missed, probably 'cuz they went out of business/got bought out back in the '80s.

But, sadly, the poll functionality only allows for a max of 25 choices.
.

 

I think Miyajima is currently beating both Cartridge Man and Decca, that's the trouble with only 25 choices, there's always going to be one or two you wish you'd changed.