advertisement


MM cartridges around £100

J

James Evans

Bedroom Bodger
Hi

I've had a nagging feeling for quite some time that I just don't enjoy listening to vinyl in my setup. A room and system change around has confirmed this - I prefer spotify through a chromecast audio (running optical into Dynaudio xeo2). I felt this with the previous setup as well, and even when I had a Trilogy 906 here. Current setup is: Project debut 3 (with acrylic platter and speedbox s), 2M blue, CA CP2 phono stage. As the nagging feeling was there with the trilogy as well I'm discounting the phono stage for now. The deck would be expensive to change (but could well be the weakest link), so that leaves the cartridge. I find things a bit sterile and lifeless, no bounce and get up and go.

Any pointers?

Cheers, James
 
not sure about your budget...the 2m blue is close on £200, so I don't think you'll find what you seek for half that?
That said, AT are the people who make the worlds most fun cheaper MM's IME, and Goldring's 2100 comes well reviewed at £125.
I'm assuming here that you've gone through the arm/cart set up with a fine tooth comb?
Tracking force, arm height (VTA) and cart/pre amp matching all have a large effect on sound quality.
 
Turntables have the distinguished provenance of being mostly responsible for 'bounce and get up and go'; tonearms to a slightly lesser extent, with cartridges last.
 
Rockmeister said:
not sure about your budget...the 2m blue is close on £200, so I don't think you'll find what you seek for half that?
That said, AT are the people who make the worlds most fun cheaper MM's IME, and Goldring's 2100 comes well reviewed at £125.
I'm assuming here that you've gone through the arm/cart set up with a fine tooth comb?
Tracking force, arm height (VTA) and cart/pre amp matching all have a large effect on sound quality.
Click to expand...

I just fancied something different to try out to be honest but don't have the cash to go higher than the blue at the moment. I've played around with setup and fair bit although not VTA as there's no options there on the debut. The trilogy had loads of different loading options and to be honest with the 2m blue I never really found they made much difference. The cartridge is the easiest thing to swap out, but as you say Craig, it may well just be the budget deck at fault.
 
have a glance at your arm, with the stylus resting in the groove of an LP...is it parallel to the record surface? If it looks down at the back, then you'll be getting a duller, warmer sound than the maker intended. Raising the arm is possible by buying plates that go between the arm base and the deck.If its ok, then a different cartridge will suit your problem.
The project is a fine deck and I couldn't disagree more with Craig's post if I were paid! Sure, a Linn sounds 'bouncy' so if you have a few thousand spare try one. Otherwise it's always transducers (carts and speakers) that make the biggest difference to sound changes in a system, ESP, when we are discussing hundreds of pounds.
An AT 95e costs just £25 at Coolgales right now ...https://www.coolgales.com/product-category/analogue/cartridges/?filters=order-price.
...try one and see. You may be quite surprised!?
 
Nagaoka MP110 is around that price range. I've used various Nagaoka cartridges over the years and always found the sound very engaging. Nice richness to the presentation with excellent midrange performance, hard to better it at that price point. Also, as a bonus I found them to be very silent in the groove, so the pops and clicks on my used record buys were not as audible compared to other cartridges I have used.
 
James, some years ago I was stunned at how good the Nagaoka MP500 sounded. It stood it's ground with some big name MC carts I had at the time. Such a lovely presentation full of detail and a slight warmth. Superb. So I'd try to pick up a lightly used one of those or get the most Nagaoka you can for your bucks.
 
Think it’s sold?

It’s a while ago now but I really liked Rockmeister's suggestion, the Goldring 2100: big, bold sound, wide soundstage. Moving iron. Made by Nagaoka, I believe.
 
Sorry James, I wasn't implying that the Pro-Ject is a poor deck. Perhaps I should have asked you to elaborate upon 'bounce and get up and go'. If you were closer, I'd loan to you a 1965 original Thorens TD150 with same Ortofon 2M fitted such that you might come to a similar conclusion with benefit of experience, namely that the turntable is the tree, the cartridge merely the tinsel on.
 
I really don’t think the cartridge is to blame, the 2M blue is excellent and there is little or nothing cheaper that will better it IMHO, I’ve had one sounding superb on a Rega P5. The debut is a little bland and lacking in expression in my experience and I’d say that’s your real week link. Save up a bit, buy a used mid level Rega deck and put the 2M blue on that... sell your Debut to recoup some funds.
 
Craig B said:
Sorry James, I wasn't implying that the Pro-Ject is a poor deck. Perhaps I should have asked you to elaborate upon 'bounce and get up and go'. If you were closer, I'd loan to you a 1965 original Thorens TD150 with same Ortofon 2M fitted such that you might come to a similar conclusion with benefit of experience, namely that the turntable is the tree, the cartridge merely the tinsel on.
Click to expand...

No problem Craig, I'm under no illusion the project is anything other than a budget deck. I suppose with nearly £600 invested in it (deck, cart, phono stage, etc...) it's frustrating that I'd rather listen to something that cost £15. In terms of elaborating on get up and go, I'll not try and describe it in sound terms as I'll no doubt make a ham fisted attempt at that, the real measure is engagement, and when listening to vinyl I just find myself switching off from the music and getting up to make a brew, or picking up a book, or just wandering off around the house. It was the same with the Trilogy phono stage in place, just a better and more expensive type of lack of engagement ;)
 
linnfomaniac83 said:
I really don’t think the cartridge is to blame, the 2M blue is excellent and there is little or nothing cheaper that will better it IMHO, I’ve had one sounding superb on a Rega P5. The debut is a little bland and lacking in expression in my experience and I’d say that’s your real week link. Save up a bit, buy a used mid level Rega deck and put the 2M blue on that... sell your Debut to recoup some funds.
Click to expand...

That's the other, but potentially lots more expensive option. I figure a spare cart is always handy, so I may see what I can pick up relatively cheaply to compare against the blue, and then save up for the deck.
 
misterc6 said:
+1 for the Shure M97x but I think it's now above the suggested £100.
Click to expand...
I just checked. Amazon UK have them at £103 delivered so with a bit of sniffing around I think you'd get one inside the £100.
However as others have said the OP already has a half decent cartridge. His £100 would get him a Thorens 150 in decent condition, and that's a better deck all round.
 
stevec67 said:
I just checked. Amazon UK have them at £103 delivered so with a bit of sniffing around I think you'd get one inside the £100.
However as others have said the OP already has a half decent cartridge. His £100 would get him a Thorens 150 in decent condition, and that's a better deck all round.
Click to expand...

Not with the MK11 'ball bearing counterweight' arm it isn't....dreadful thing. The basic deck is fine once balanced properly and if in a good plinth, but it, and a good arm, will be well over £100 quid surely?
 
Nothing wrong with the golf-ball arm, is that the one you mean? As for "a good arm", it depends what you mean. There was one that someone built here, in an aftermarket plinth, the total spend was £250-300. He tried selling it here, no go, it went through Ebay for £140 and it was stunning. The parts were worth more. However that's DIY bits for you. Take a Rega 3 and buy all the goodies, then try to get back 1/3 of what it owes you by selling it as a going concern.

I would put a golf-ball arm TD150 against anything modern up to £1000. That's what it would cost now.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.


advertisement


Back
Top