Cartridge recommendation for the working class?

I had an MP110 once. I kinda regret selling it. It's a very smooth, enjoyable cart. If you just want to let your tunes envelope you, it'll do that very well - especially given the price.

 

I considered the Nagoaka as well and I'd still like to try one.

BTW, they're available mail order from Toronto for $190 CAD without the headshell

 

I'm still pissed Denon discontinued the DL-160. That was everything the 110 was, plus some.

 

Anyone know if the needle of the Nagaoka Mp110 can indeed be replaced with a MP150 or 200 needle without compromise? Are the electonics of this cart really the same in all versions (110, 150, 200)?

I have a Nagaoka MP110 since 2 weeks and it is a warm sounding cart, not shrill, just as other describe it. But it is not jaw dropping sound, just very good.

 

mine actually caused static....i thought it was just my table, or set up, etc....but not one static record has come off my table since i switched to a 2M Black...weird, i know...

 

I have the MP110 and have read on various forums that the higher model stylus are compatible with the 110 body. I'm thinking about moving up to the MP200 stylus next year when it's time for a replacement of my 110

 

Just pulled the trigger on an AT440mlb after lots of researching and reading up. I was a long-term Goldring 1012GX user but replacement styli are now stupid money. I bought the AT440mlb plus a spare stylus for a little more than a 1012 stylus! The AT is truly a no brainer IMHO. At half the price of the Goldring cart it wipes the floor with it, straight out of the box! Instrument separation, imaging, detail, bass & transient control, tracking and indeed sheer musicality are far superior to my ear. I'm using it on a modded Rega Planar 3/RB300 and I'm not experiencing any of the top end emphasis or 'glare', or the recessed mid-range that many others report. It's got to be the best bang for buck MM cartridge available out there at the moment, surely - absolutely superb!

 

I'm a Sumiko man too. they have been on the market so long they get forgotten sometimes. Perhaps used? The Blue Point EVO III is a great cart.

 

The EVO III is about the same price as the entry-level venerable Dynavector... I've never seen the two compared head-to-head.

 

Followup #2: got the DL-110 installed using the Stupid Protractors from Vinyl Engine.

I am currently spinning The Cars "Panorama" and it sounds so sweet! This time I installed the DL-110 with the included shim for additional mass. I did not realize this cartridge was significantly lighter than the Ortofon 2M Blue it replaced.

My Pro-Ject RPM 1.3 has some life in it yet!

Thanks to all for the recommendations! I am done with cartridges for now, but can anybody recommend a protractor? Something better than home-printed

 

If your home printed protractor is for your table and arm it should do fine for locating the needle and aligning the cartridge with the grooves. Now the real fun begins! Getting your VTA dialed by raising and lowering the tonearm until the image snaps into focus. Tracking force is important but usually not too critical, but getting the angle of the needle juuuust right is a big deal and has to be done by ear. Beware snake oil salesman, getting carts dialed is always a time consuming trial and error excercise in the end. If you trust your ears you can do it and obtain positive results for free.

 

I installed my first cart over the summer and picked up this protractor. I was going to use one that I had printed but I didn't have much faith in the accuracy of my ink jet printer. Wanting to do a proper job I sprung for this this one, it's a bit pricey but is well made and should last a long time.

Sleeve City Alignment Protractor

 

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I decided to jump in and purchase a Nagaoka mp-200. I'm super excited to set it up and put it on my Planar 2!

 

I was going to do the same, but the MP-110 was the same price as the DL-110, and the MP-200 was significantly more. I stuck with what I knew. Please be sure to follow up with your impressions of the MP-200.

 

Oh, I thought you were going to come up with one of the $30 to $60 models which also get good notices.

 

The Shure M97XE is my cartridge, it's nice and warm sounding. You need to let it break in for awhile and then it's really good.

 

The Shure M97XE is my cartridge, it's nice and warm sounding. You need to let it break in for awhile and then it's really good.

 

I once read about a guy who did a shoot out with a couple carts. Two involved were the M97XE and the DL-110. Also in the mix was that M97XE SAS. His final conclusion was M97XE<DL-110<M97XESAS. Funny though, he said the SAS barely beat the DL-110. Like trivial amounts. Interesting findings.

 

That 2M body is begging for a bronze upgrade. Pro-Ject really liked the 2M Red and included on those tables for a while. The Bronze is a winner IMHO and an easy and dramatic upgrade, moreso if you've spent time aligning the 2M already and don't look forward to doing it all over again for any other cartridge. I've played with the Bronze extensively and think it's wonderful.

 

What have you found to be the best set up for your Bronze? Tail up or down? Azimuth? Anti skate or no antiskate? I have a VPI scout - slight tail down, tracking force around 1.65- 1.7 (digital gauge is always more so it reads 1.84) and I need anti skate otherwise it will pull in quickly even with the wire twist.

 

why do you think the digital gauge is "more"? Are you comparing it to the to markings on a tonearm weight? if the digital gauge is calibrated, they are generally very accurate.

 

Not at the listed budget and really, does it make sense to put a Bronze stylus in a red body?

 

It's a unipivot tonearm from VPI. There are no tonearm markings. The scale is not at record height. It's actually a little higher. When you measure it for example it will read 1.85 but at actual record height it would be less.

 

Also with this tonearm, when you change the VTA you change the vtf.