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Manticore mantra advise

Greetings fellow Mantra fans.

Years ago I heard an LP12 play a couple of songs at a Linn dealers and I was underwhelmed. Memory sticks of it having a straight jacket like grip on the music. The Mantra is much more laid back sounding.

I've had mine for years. Originally with a RB300 and now a different Mantra with a Musician Arm. Suggested cartridges to go with the Origin Live/Rega arm:

Plenty of recommendations already. I had a Rega Elys in my Mantra/RB300 and it was a big step up from an AT110E. Much richer and organic. I can't remember the system having any particular foibles such as harsh treble. More recently on my current Mantra/Musician deck I've upgraded from an AT110E (good budget all rounder, noticeably better than AT) to the much lauded AT 440mla. I'm afraid that this cartridge does have the treble brightness/harshness of it's predecessor (AT440). A couple of weeks ago I installed (58 quid) an Ortofon 2m Red. Seems to be in the same ball park as the AT440mla (now much more expensive) BUT I am listening to records a lot more. Much less treble glare, violins and trumpets don't seem screechy or glare much, only occasionally. Rhythm might be better.

Remember the hierarchy source first principle. Rather than spend hundreds on a cartridge spend it further up the hierarchy. Well, looks like you have started to do this be getting the Rega arm souped up by OL. A new power would probably be a good option. As a previous poster suggested, the Mantra probably could have a bit more muscle/oomph at times. I get that feeling when I listen to a U2 album, wanting to turn the volume much higher to get some oomph. My guess, without listening I concede, is that the Heed Orbit power supply (mentioned on hi-fi forums a bit recently) would be the best option. A Hi-Fi Review article last year gave both it and the Hercules good marks. But the Orbit seemed to inject more 'oomph' into the sound.

I had my Mantra serviced a couple of years ago by a local dealer. No problem as it is a pretty standard bouncy deck.
 
When I got my Mantra it had sat in the shop in Peterborough for a while, so they set it up for a demo against a MF NuVista CD player/amp/Kef speaker. Same album, Mantra sounded better. It wasn't just me who noticed: there was a young lass who had just started working there on a Saturday. She couldn't believe and old TT sounded better than a nice shiny new CD player...:rolleyes:
 
Turn up U2? Glutton for punishment methinks :) Probably the compression in the mix and LP cut...
 
Hi,

I purchased Marmite's Mantra ages ago and am just getting around to getting it going again. It has a RB250 on it, any suggestions on a cartridge? I have a Naim XS/Kudos C1 setup which is great but very neutral so perhaps something on the warmer side of neutral with the real vinyl sound. Probably look to spend about £200 - 250 as probably will upgrade at some stage to a LP12/Ittok or Spacedeck or similar. Probably use a stageline as I have a flatcap 2x with one side unused

Alternative is I have a Goldring 1022 with a broken stylus that never worked properly, I could replace it with a 1042 stylus. Anyone tried it on a Mantra?

Finally, does the Mantra use a standard cover? I would prefer a transparent one rather than the smoked one

Thanks in advance for your help

Waz
 
Apologies for digging this one up but thought it might be of interest to other Mantra users here.

Bought mine new in '88 – mahogany plinth with green on/off button and RB250.

In about 1990 Manticore released the MB5 off board power supply which I duly ordered. I sent the deck off to deepest Biggleswade to have the PSU fitted. After a couple of weeks Doug contacted me to say he was ready to send the deck back. I was due to visit friends in Huntingdon the next weekend so I asked Doug if I could pick up the deck en-route. He said this would be no problem.

I arrived at the workshop at about 11am on the Saturday that we had agreed. We chatted for a while about the turntables and Doug's other projects before Doug decided he would modify the bearing on my deck to the latest version and duly fired up his lathe!

After he'd finished, he double checked the turntable's set-up and threw a spare belt into the box. Time was now getting late and after another cuppa, a bit more chat, and trying to persuade Doug (unsuccessfully) to take payment for his extra work I headed off.

I can only add to what's been said here – awesome bloke and a real gent. I wish him well.

The Mantra hasn't been used for a couple of years since I acquired a Roksan Radius 5 (high WAF) but I have just had a new arm board made for a Manticore Musician arm which is on it's way. The two decks will duly go head-to-head. Watch this space...
 
eighties_boy said:
The Mantra hasn't been used for a couple of years since I acquired a Roksan Radius 5 (high WAF) but I have just had a new arm board made for a Manticore Musician arm which is on it's way. The two decks will duly go head-to-head. Watch this space...
Click to expand...

Watching!
 
Well, 'eighties boy' posted earlier this month that he was really enjoying his Roksan Radius - so I guess that's your answer as to which he chose to keep.
 
I've still got a Mantra, but its underneath a pile of Lenco's , with a slate 401 plinth to stop them all escaping LOL
 
Doug was a real gent and very easy to deal with both as a retailer and a private customer, I sold my Manticore a few years ago but always remember it as a well made simple suspended deck capable of a great deal.
 
I bought a Mantra just over a year ago for £200 and then decided to strip and sell it when I got an LP12. It came with an RB300 and AT31e cartridge which I sold for £175 and £80. Cant sell the deck though after listing it on ebay 3x times, last time with a starting price of £50. Will probably just get a cheap arm and use it as a spare now.
 
I purchased Manticore Mantra with a stock RB300 arm and Ortofon 510 cartridge a little while back as a TT for my second system, it cost me £145 (it came complete with the original packaging) and am really surprised at just how good it sounds. I would agree that it isn't that far off an LP12 (my main TT). Certainly for the money it is a real bargain.

I can confirm that the RB300 does seem to work really well with the Manticore, it certainly does on mine. Whereas when I tried an RB300 on my LP12 in the early 1990's it was not a combination I could live with and I quickly swapped the RB300 for an Ittok which I'm still using (listening to it right now in fact).

So it may be that the RB300 works on some suspended sub-chasis TT's and not others or that the dealer simply didn't know how to set-up an LP12 to accommodate an RB300 in my case.

The power supply that's built-in to the Manticore looks pretty basic, I may change to an off-board power supply in due course. Something for the future perhaps, if I can find a recommendation that doesn't cost more than the deck did (he said hopefully).
 
The rb300 is about the best arm you can put on a mantra but not really good enough for an LP12. I also tried my rb300 on the LP12 and wasn't impressed at all.

I also had an old arcam P77 cartridge which impressed me on the rb300, the mantra/rb300/p77 produced a really nice warm analogue sound.
 
Not sure but I think you may be able to use the valhalla psu board in the mantra but don't hold me to it.
 
I bought a Mose PS for my Mantra and it worked well, unfortunately (for the Mantra) I discovered idler drive and it sits at the bottom of a cupboard.

The point I'm making is it'll work with Valhalla, or Mose(Hercules) or any other 110v 50hz power supply.

Its massively underrated at the price they fetch at the moment, often less than a Planner 3 .

I got my brothers Mantra Basic + Stilton P77, kept us both happy for years :)
 
It's good to revisit this thread again, although in my earlier post I see I made an error - when I said former, I mean't latter with regard to the 3 studs vs ring on the subplatter. The ring was the improved version.

I'm constantly amazed at how under-appreciated is the Mantra, especially when you consider the prices secondhand Rega Planar 3s and LP12s go for, not to mention it's most direct price competitors, the Linn Axis and Pink Triangle LPT. At the end of its life it was an expensive bit of kit - well over a grand with the offboard PSU and Manticore Musician or Magician onboard. Only thing I don't like is the lid - probably a Logic DM101 cast-off.

Oh, and those arms are some of the best kept secrets out there. They took up where the Datum II and Datum S left off, and were even better. The Musician used bearings said to be at least as good as SME IV standard, and had decent wiring too. The Magician had even tighter toleranced bearings and, if memory serves me correctly, silver wiring. Even the standard Musician is good enough to meet and even beat a good Ittok, never mind an Akito or RB300. It was a total bargain new (sold way too cheaply) and perhaps even more so these days. In fact there's something of the GB tools Zeta about it - Zeta lite? - even the effective mass is on the high side. If you come across one, whether a Musician or the blingy Magician, don't hesitate.
 
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