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Cartridge recommendation for Gyro SE/ SME 309 / AN M1Phono (buit in Oto SE Sig)

b36lbx

b36lbx

Well-Known Member
Hi all,

I'm looking for cartridge recommendation for the above combination. I've been running a Goldring 1042 + Technoarm A until recently, but just fancy an upgrade with the new arrival of the SME 309.
MC is also an option, as I can get an AN SUT if the improvement is worth the haste.

Many thanks
 
at 9.5gm eff mass, you're looking for a cartridge weighing between 6 and 14g. At the lighter end of that scale, a compliance figure of between 12 and 25 measured at 10=6cm/dyne (some japanese cart makers don't quote at that rate, check first) and at the heavier end, compliance of 11 to 20 will all be fine. Perfect in fact.
Given how good the arm is, and given you having access to an AN SUT, then a good MC is a must IMO.
Give us a hint of what kind of musical presentation you prefer (dynamic? Lively? refined? smooth? super detailed?) and we can hint at makes and models. Budget too if you can, because if you are below £500 then MM's still rule IMO.
The arm will take anything from zero to 5000 quids worth.
 
Rockmeister said:
at 9.5gm eff mass, you're looking for a cartridge weighing between 6 and 14g. At the lighter end of that scale, a compliance figure of between 12 and 25 measured at 10=6cm/dyne (some japanese cart makers don't quote at that rate, check first) and at the heavier end, compliance of 11 to 20 will all be fine. Perfect in fact.
Given how good the arm is, and given you having access to an AN SUT, then a good MC is a must IMO.
Give us a hint of what kind of musical presentation you prefer (dynamic? Lively? refined? smooth? super detailed?) and we can hint at makes and models. Budget too if you can, because if you are below £500 then MM's still rule IMO.
The arm will take anything from zero to 5000 quids worth.
Click to expand...
Thanks for your response.
It's mostly Jazz, Blues and Classical that I listened to, sometimes electronica and wave(probably about 15%), I'm a big fan of Nitin Sawney, Dead can Dance, Depeche mode.
As far as the budget goes, probably around £800 ish(not by a lot over) for the cartridge, SUT is not included in that is applicable.
 
Hana SL, or Benz Micro Ace L perhaps, seriously the Hana should sell for more, l have one on my Gyro, and have one on order for my tweaked Techie.:)

l think l like them.
 
If you like the 1042 then the Audio Note IQ3 would be an option.
 
thebiglebowski said:
If you like the 1042 then the Audio Note IQ3 would be an option.
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Hmmmm.....I fear the IQ3 would be too close to the edge of eff mass/cartridge weight
I noticed you use an AN S2L, have you tried any other cartridges apart from AN with it?
 
It’s a 1 ohm step up so only really works with the Io, the Io is going to be my long time cart now as I can’t see anything bettering it (unless a Gold or Ltd pops up)
 
thebiglebowski said:
It’s a 1 ohm step up so only really works with the Io, the Io is going to be my long time cart now as I can’t see anything bettering it (unless a Gold or Ltd pops up)
Click to expand...
Unfortunately the IO is way out of my price range, was looking at Ortofon Cadenza Red(5 ohm), not to sure if I'll work well with the 12 ohm setting on the AN S2L.
Do you have any experience with other SUT's manufacturers?
 
If you really want to go the way of the SUT you'll need to do a lot of research on cartridge matching. AS biglebowski says, forget the AN SUT because they are made for AN carts and the loading is fantastically low. More common SUTs that give x20 gain will tend to give you just over 100 Ohms loading. For example the Cinemag 1131 based SUT I have gives 118 Ohms loading, and the Hashimoto HM-3 I had in the past was similar.

Some people say that the loading of a SUT doesn't work in the same way as an active stage. I've found that it's not entirely predictable, but at the same time when I've tried carts that want loading higher than 100 Ohms with a SUT, its not been entirely satisfying. As with an active stage, I've found that I get HF roll off.

One match that I'd like to hear is a Transfiguration cart with a Hashimoto SUT; I've read a couple of people on the Wam say that this was a fantastic match. With the Ortofon that you are considering, I would tread a little carefully. I have heard a Cadenza Black into a Trilogy 907 and it sounded great, but then we tried my Hashimoto SUT into the MM setting of the same system and it just didn't work; all the dynamism and magic was gone.

So in conclusion I would say that great results can be had from SUTs, and I've no doubt its worthwhile when you get it right, but if you want an easy life I would stick with a good active stage.
 
I'm going to take back some of what I've said above about SUTs, because I'm currently running my Miyajima Takumi through my Cinemag 1131 SUT into an MM stage. This time, I'm not getting rolled off treble, and it is very clear and dynamic, as well as being more relaxed and natural than what I was getting through the active MC stage. I'm a bit puzzled by the variety of different experiences I've had with SUTs, and I wonder if they are so sensitive to things like positioning (away from PSUs, motors etc), RFI, and cable capacitance. I suspect the last of these is one of the most significant.
 
chris@panteg said:
I have a 309, my recommendations, Hana SL , AT33 ptg or AT33SA or a Benz micro ace perhaps .
Click to expand...
gx502 said:
+1 Hana SL for MC
Nagaoka MP300/500 for MM options
Click to expand...
Michael Fremer has a Hana Vs Quintet Black review on Analogue Planet, listening to both files, I prefer the sound of the first one(Quintet)
Mullard22 said:
I'm using an Ortofon Cadenza Bronze with my Gyro SE/SME 309. It's a great match.
Click to expand...
I'd agree if money were no object :(
 
Deco Audio kindly offered to send me an AN S1H and an Ortofon Quintet Black S for evaluation. Will post more details here after testing.
 
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