My current set up includes AT95E MM cartridge with a Systemdek/RB300, Heed Questar phono and Nait 5/flatcap with ProAc Tablette 2000 speakers. I know I'm probably raking over old ground here but can anyone recommend a cartridge upgrade for £250ish, or would I be better waiting a bit until I've saved more money and replacing the turntable instead. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
MM cartridge upgrade.
- Thread starter Paul T
- Start date
linnfomaniac83
I bet you can’t wheelie a unicycle!
Ortofon 2m bronze would work well with your arm/tt
rmsshipbroker
pfm Member
Or possibly go up the Audio Technica chain?
I use the AT440MLa (albeit in a Sondek/Ittok setup) and it's rather good for the money.
It would also leave you some spare cash to buy more vinyl.
Cheers
Steve
I use the AT440MLa (albeit in a Sondek/Ittok setup) and it's rather good for the money.
It would also leave you some spare cash to buy more vinyl.
Cheers
Steve
Depends on your longer term plans and budget. If you are planning to settle where you are, quality wise, then something like an Ortofon would give a decent lift.Or a Goldring 1042, Even a Grado Gold if you like something a bit softer sounding. But if you are more ambitious (or just think you'l have the spare cash at some point) then you could work through the whole set-up, turntable first. The more you avoid 'sideways' upgrades the cheaper it will be in the longer term, but we all do it....meander about and run round in circles. At least I do.
linnfomaniac83
I bet you can’t wheelie a unicycle!
Well the 2m blue is bloody good too and costs £160, I have seen the bronze for around £250 on ebay recently, in fact I'm very tempted to stick one on my rega deck.
1000RPM
pfm Member
A couple of years' back I had a very similar system - Systemdek IIX / RB250 (rewired and tecnoweight), Heed Questar, Naim 32.5/140.
I used budget AT carts, but for treats I dropped in a DL110 which made the system sound very grown up indeed - detailed and refined.
Arkless Electronics
Trade: Amp design and repairs.
I reckon you would get a massive improvement from a cartridge upgrade!
Unfortunate the choice is very restricted compared to what it once was...
Personally I find MC cartridges to be vastly superior (in general) to MM but there seems to be a bit of a lack of good cartridges in the £100 - £250 range these days... quite a few budget MM's around and plenty of mega bucks things from the likes of VDH, Lyra, Sumiko, Benz etc but a bit of a Hobsons choice in between. No budget(ish) "giant killers" like the AT OC-5 anymore.....
So, I can't give any specific recommendation but I would say that, IMHO, folks seem to be expecting far too much from cheapish MM's these days.... it often surprises me as to how high end a system is being used with say a AT95
It is a bit of a worry for me that my soon-to-be-unleashed-upon-the-world mods to the Cambridge Audio 640P (watch this space) may not get used with cartridges capable of showing it's true abilities..... IE anyone who can afford a Lyra or some such will probably already have a very expensive phono stage and those wanting their 640p modding may only be using a budget cartridge anyway.....
Time will tell... I'm hoping that, on the other hand, it will sell by the bucket load to those who, by getting a very good phono stage cheap, can then use the saving to buy a really good cartridge!
Unfortunate the choice is very restricted compared to what it once was...
Personally I find MC cartridges to be vastly superior (in general) to MM but there seems to be a bit of a lack of good cartridges in the £100 - £250 range these days... quite a few budget MM's around and plenty of mega bucks things from the likes of VDH, Lyra, Sumiko, Benz etc but a bit of a Hobsons choice in between. No budget(ish) "giant killers" like the AT OC-5 anymore.....
So, I can't give any specific recommendation but I would say that, IMHO, folks seem to be expecting far too much from cheapish MM's these days.... it often surprises me as to how high end a system is being used with say a AT95
It is a bit of a worry for me that my soon-to-be-unleashed-upon-the-world mods to the Cambridge Audio 640P (watch this space
) may not get used with cartridges capable of showing it's true abilities..... IE anyone who can afford a Lyra or some such will probably already have a very expensive phono stage and those wanting their 640p modding may only be using a budget cartridge anyway..... Time will tell... I'm hoping that, on the other hand, it will sell by the bucket load to those who, by getting a very good phono stage cheap, can then use the saving to buy a really good cartridge!
linnfomaniac83
I bet you can’t wheelie a unicycle!
I reckon you would get a massive improvement from a cartridge upgrade!
Unfortunate the choice is very restricted compared to what it once was...
Personally I find MC cartridges to be vastly superior (in general) to MM but there seems to be a bit of a lack of good cartridges in the £100 - £250 range these days... quite a few budget MM's around and plenty of mega bucks things from the likes of VDH, Lyra, Sumiko, Benz etc but a bit of a Hobsons choice in between. No budget(ish) "giant killers" like the AT OC-5 anymore.....
So, I can't give any specific recommendation but I would say that, IMHO, folks seem to be expecting far too much from cheapish MM's these days.... it often surprises me as to how high end a system is being used with say a AT95
It is a bit of a worry for me that my soon-to-be-unleashed-upon-the-world mods to the Cambridge Audio 640P (watch this space
Time will tell... I'm hoping that, on the other hand, it will sell by the bucket load to those who, by getting a very good phono stage cheap, can then use the saving to buy a really good cartridge!
Yep, in my experience rega p2/3 would easily show the benefit of a good cart upto around the £250-300 mark.
I would be interested in hearing your modded CA 640 P. how much are the mods likely to cost?
Hello Paul T,
I have recently been looking into cartridge replacements and my system has the same or similar components to yours.
I have the Heed Questar phono pre-amp, with Naim Amplification (Naim 122X Naim Nap 150X - Naim Flatcap 2X). My turntable is a LP12 Sole Subchassis with AO modified Rega RB251 tonearm, ProAc 2000 Tablette speakers.
My previous cartridge was an Ortofon 2M Blue. IMO the sound was detailed, articulate, lively. However my preference is for a warm sounding tone with musicality and realistic soundstage.
Having looked into suitable cartridge replacement I am temporarily using a Nagaoka MP-11 Boron, it has the Boron cantilever. I bought the cartridge used just to try it to see if I liked the Nagaoka sound. I'm really enjoying the MP-11 Boron, it's the best MM cartridge I have tried so far. It's extremely musical, warm sounding and great midrange. I've not noticed any loss of detail at all, in fact due to the improved musical image it seems I am hearing more. I have no listening fatigue at all with this cartridge and also as an added bonus surface noise is almost completely eliminated.
As a suggestion you may want to consider the Nagaoka MP-200 as an option. I've only read good things about this cartridge and is therefore one that I am considering when I need to change. But for now the MP-11 Boron stays and I am enjoying my record collection more than ever.
By the way, I am really enjoying the Heed Questar too, one of the most analogue sounding pieces of equipment I have heard in ages (if that makes sense).
Thanks
samz
Arkless Electronics
Trade: Amp design and repairs.
That's something that is still undecided as yet.... The mods are basically complete on the two donor units sent in by PFM members but I'm still doing a few last minute experiments to try and get the best sound and VFM for customers combined with a decent profit margin for myself.... Believe me, it's much easier in many ways designing money no object stuff than designing down to a budget.... You can't just throw money at a problem at this price point!
What I will say is that it will be more than the initial purchase price of the 640p but considerably less than £200. Quite a wide range I know..... Oh go on then I'll say about £120.... but that is kind of a "me thinking out loud" figure rather than anything that is yet set in stone
I may well offer further upgrades as an option to customers who have already taken the initial step but obviously the law of diminishing returns applies strongly here!!
Anyway, if the first few to take me up on it report back to you all that it's easily as good as a :insert name of respected £700 phono stage here: then I hope it will become popular.
I recently switched from an AT-OC5 to an Ortofon 2M Bronze, after a pretty decent length audition at my local dealership. I've also heard the Black so I definitely know my upgrade route.
Paul T, see if you can get a dealer to demo a small selection of carts. This is what I did.
I would maybe suggest a radikal movement if you dare to sell the current TT, amp and PSU maybe phonostage
This should bring funds for a new Brio-R amp, maybe Fono and a RP3 or RP6(massive improvement vs your existing) w/Elys2 or Exact depending on resell value of above.
You could even sell yours speakers( meaning sell the lot) and go for some cheaper ones, as an example some old Rega Ela or later R3 will perform very different to your speakers so maybe too radikal a move but an affordable one?
voila a complete Rega setup
I'd really suggest the other way round :
keep the nait5/psu - better than the rega's.
keep the Tablette - Though Rega's are fine for the money (former rs1's myself) proac's will expose improvements better
keep your arm and PSU (or possibly swap it for a stageline to match to flatcap)
buy a better turntable or a better cart if you decide to keep it.
In conclusion , no need to turn to a one-brand set-up when you have more performing partners , in spite of what sellers and marketing may tell you to dwindle your pocket !