Best cartridge you've never heard of: the Audio-Technica AT33PTG/II

No way. AT USB ****tables (might Google for vids where people modify/fix them) run the cable from the tonearm through their ****ty PCBs and even if you select the phono output to use your phono preamp, the precious low-level signal from the cartridge will be degraded.
I consider any tonearm straight to SUT/MM phono/ MC head amp cable-equipped turntable to be a must for the ultimate sound quality.
And I have experienced the 120 lp mush myself. Not good!
Basically, if you do not want the analog record's 3d, you should not have jumped into the vinyl world, which is several cans of worms by itself.

 

Have you ever personally owned a 1240? Or checked out the reviews from owners?

I think the phono pre will have more to say about how it sounds than the 1240..... the 1240 is no 120, two different levels of quality. I don't like the 120 that much, and I've owned / tried it too.

 

I have experienced the 120Lp USB or whatever they call it myself as well as owned an ol' good Sl-1200, and I have serious doubts that in any of their USB TTs AT has done anything in a different way. Will check for mod/fix videos for 1240, if you wish.
The problem with these new AT USB TTs is - you cannot have a clean not-degraded signall off your cart since it is passed through their ****ty PCB's components anyway. So a quality preamp after the mushy chain element will do not much. You know, the bottleneck, and "your chain is as good as your worst element in it".

 

LOL, don't do it on my account!

Just my opinion.... that and $1.50 might get you a cup of coffee

 

I am not that well versed in English language-based (the UK, the USA, Canada, Ausatralia or New-Zealand) idioms, as far as I understand, it just means, "for what is worth"?

 

The 1240 is a little cleaner, but the signal still goes through a switch and then through a L-C filter before the RCA outputs. Not sure what value the inductor is, they are both small SMB parts, but AT says the capacitor is 100pF, so that will be included in the cable/preamp loading for the cartridge. The capacitance won't really have any impact on the frequency response if using a LOMC cartridge, but I wouldn't want a cheap SMD capacitor in the signal path if using a good cartridge and preamp (note that many good preamps are built with SMD parts, so that's just my own bias ).

It does make you wonder why the engineers felt the need to include the filter, presumably to filter some of the RFI from all the digital processing inside the chassis.

Below from a thread here in SHMF land ...

 

You nailed it....

Plus, I don't know what a cup of coffee costs in Russia, nor the exchange rate! Actually these days, sadly $1.50 can even get crappy coffee these days in the US.... the original saying actually said a "nickel"

 

This is true.

Now, whether you'll hear the additional capacitance..... It depends of course. We spend a lot of time on paper on this topic in forums, and base it all on rules of thumb about "maximum capacitance" in the cable / preamp chain, and its not always the issue some expect it might be using these "accepted" rules of thumb when you actually play the cartridge, and compare.

 

I mean, if one wants to realize the joys of the 33ptg/ii and the equals, why mess with anything lesser than a 1200 series? A clean MC phono / a SUT or headamp +MM phono pre still are the must. Otherwise, it has no sense IMO. Just difficult to hear the upgrade qualities.
And it is "for what it is worth", of course, my bad.
The coffee must be around $1.50 too in a cafe, but considering the modal salary for 2019 being, what, $300, Росстат назвал самую распространенную зарплату в стране makes the discussion, well, sad and sad.

 

Without saying what turntable is the minimum (note I own an SL-1200G, SL-1200M3d, two SL-1200MK3's and an MKii - and many more TT's ) ----- let's just say with what I know today and with the 1240, and if I were still running it --- I probably would opt for something like an AT-540ml before getting the PTG33ii.

So we're not in complete disagreement, and why my response above I hedged a little, but still think with a good phono pre for MC it would be possible to get good sound on the 1240 / PTG33ii combo. But it wouldn't be my first choice.

 

I do not like preventable compromises, and this case is shouting it is, isn't it?
My probably hard tone with regard to the compromises and sound quality are born from the fact I am a hobby artist/producer/engineer, and having some equipment allowing to monitor/record in analog and dedicated 10+ years to this hobby allows to judge about the sound degradation caused by different things.
I do love analog-cut vinyl, tape and DSD128 as keeping the 3d, timbres and space intact, FWIW.

 

OK, great, thanks for sharing your opinion.... not sure we're resonating 100%, but we've both made our points! Cheers.

On this vein, I've found there is no better teacher than experience, actually trying the component in question though.

 

Yep. I'm definitely hip to the 1240 being Super OEM.

I've also heard some say that the MC stage of the Ultraphono is not very good, but as always others results may vary. The stage works very well with my 740ML and I'm positive it will be great with the 33PTG. I'll post my opinions when I get some time with it.

 

I agree.

 

Fair enough, and as one who has never actually *tried / experienced* the Ultraphono personally in my system, I'll keep an open mind and await your thoughts. Like I said, there are exceptions....

 

That's actually false as everything sounds very "hifi" if you will with this turntable, cartridge and phono stage combo. I'm of the personal opinion that the table is a bit further down the list for "most important component".

 

And that's what I had, was the 740ML. Now I want the next step in performance which I surely believe I will get with this 33PTG.

 

The 740ML is a very good cartridge - same stylus as the 540, but the 700 series body gives it a slight edge.

Bottom line - the AT33PTGii is a fine cartridge - you've seen my opinion of it earlier in the thread. Note I also own the AT33ev, and AT33Mono. I am a big fan of the 33 series, it is probably the best bang for the buck going in MC these days, bar none.

You've good taste and a "sweet spot" patron!

PS - the 33PTGii is what is currently on my SL-1200G. It keeps ending up back on that table, it's a great cartridge.

 

Thank you sire! Have you also heard the AT-OC9XML? That's the one I was comparing the 33PTG with.

 

No.... I own both the OC9/mlii and OC9iii, but haven't tried the newer line of OC9's!

OC9 is another cartridge series I like a lot for bang for the buck --- I cleaned up on both on Ebay (the iii and ml/ii), there was a seller last year clearing out AT inventory, and got both for obscene prices. Got two of each!

I have the OC9iii right now on my Pioneer PL-70Lii, and the OC9Ml/ii is on my Kenwood KP-9010/1100 right now too.... another great bang for the buck MC from AT.

I'm certain the XML continues on that tradition, might even be better. @Davey I believe bought the XML, I think he has the OC9iii too.

 

Nice. I'm hoping that AT will come out with another MC series with microlines since the ones they have are sold out from their site; I got the 33ptg from Amazon. I can't ever see myself going with anything less than Microline no matter what the specs are. Anyways thanks man, excited to hear it and let you all know!

 

Amazon........ be discerning of course........ convince yourself the cartridge is new, never opened, never handled....... I could go on, from experience it's of course possible to do just fine, and it's also possible to be surprised.

I received an AT-440mlb a couple of years ago from Amazon that was *missing* the stylus, and another cartridge that was clearly used, dust bunny on the stylus! Just be discerning and accept no less than new.

 

My apologies, I have one more question. I'm not huge on frequency response, so the 33 has a response of 15-50,000 Hz while the OC9XML is 20-47,000 Hz. I know specs aren't EVERYTHING, but which one is supposed to be better spec and/or soundwise?

 

Are you a bat by chance??

 

That spec tells you nothing because you cannot hear out to that range. No human can. I do not know how old you are but most people lose the ability to hear out to 20Khz as they age. A typical 60 year old male, for example, is not even going to be able to hear to 15K.