2. analog
  3. 1238196412

Cartridge Upgrade for NAD 533

Hi Everyone!

Have a Music Hall MMF-9 at home with which I am very happy. It has the Goldring Eroica cartridge and I have it hooked up to a Jolida J9 tube preamp.

Got a used NAD 533 as a second table for work. It is hooked up to a Bellari VP129 which feeds into an Onix Sp-3 integrated tube amp. The arm is the RB250 that comes with Rega tables and the current cartridge is a Grado Black.

Can you suggest a cartridge upgrade that would improve the sound? My speakers are Advent classics (large). I'd be willing to spend about $200.00.

Thanks in advance.
catama
gadfly's avatar
gadfly
194 posts
 
I had an NAD 533 for a while. I modded the hell out of it. While the DL-160 was a good mate the 2M Red and Black beat it in solid presence, tone, and impact. The DL-160 sounded twangy and thin to me after having the Red and Black. Really can't get back into the 160 now.

It is as if the 2M carts were made for the rb250.

I saw in your earlier post you are going for the 2M so I thought I would throw a supportive boost in there.
.
catama OP
81 posts
 
Johnnyb53 and Gadfly:

Thanks for your input. I'm going to get the 2M blue.

BTW, Gadfly, what mods did you make to the 533? Someone suggested getting an acrylic platter. Did you do that? Did it improve the sound? What else can be done?
gadfly's avatar
gadfly
194 posts
 
Catama,

I used a glass platter which really made a nice difference.
I wound up using a thick rubber mat with cork dots.

After the mods I had rid the table of the WoW issues it had.
It also had a far better bass presentation and much better impact.

The final best 'mod' was the Ortofon Black.
I had the Red first. Really, the sound was better presented with the Black but I could have lived happily with the Red. The Blue has a nude stylus which is a better choice than the bonded Red.

I am sure you are going to like it.

reference: http://home.comcast.net/~omaille/audio/morgue/NAD533/NAD533.html
amediamonkey
1 posts
 
This thread is quite old, I hope some of you are all still alive and well!

Following the advice above, I have installed an Ortofon 2M Red on my NAD 533. It sounds wonderful, but I have a problem: The Ortofon cartridge is taller than the original, so the arm lifter does not go high enough to lift the stylus clear of the vinyl. I have found instructions on how to disassemble the lifter, mainly they say DON'T!. Does anyone have a trick to fix this before I start experimenting?

Thanks
oros's avatar
oros
43 posts
 
RB 250 arm lift adjustment very small Allan Head bolt holding the lift arm to the shaft.
Slacken it and raise the lift. bit fiddly and Bobs your Uncle.

Or if you cannot find the correct Allan Key stick a rubber strip or some cardboard with some light duty double sided tape on the lift arm as a temporary measure.

It is !.2mm.or 1.25mm Allan key.
More to discover