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Pls Recommend Grado Green vs. Red P-Mount for Me?

I have a Technics SLBD-5 (belt-drive) turntable and only use it to play records that will probably never be available on CD, which means a few hours of play per year, is there any reason for me to purchase a $110 Grado Red P-mount instead of just a $60 Grado Green P-Mount?

After a recent incident (my only other recent Audiogon thread, if you're interested) that took 8 months to solve (the cause was a defective Audio-Technica cartridge from a mail order dealer) I am reluctant to purhcase another cartridge online. That leaves me with only one local source of a P-mount cartridge - Grade. (Who else makes quality P-mounts anyway? Ortofon, Audio-Technica and Grado as far as I can see.)

Thanks for your advice.
toxrtp
crem1
672 posts
 
Grado sells quality products; the differences between the cartridges are most probably one is "hand selected" meaning a few more quality checks versus fewer or none for the other. Go with the Grado , remember that company invented the modern cartridge. Great value for the money.
stringreen's avatar
stringreen
6,470 posts
 
You really shouldn't be afraid of the quality on=line suppliers. AudioAdvisor, MusicDirect, etc. If you just have an occasional need for vinyl, then anything will do. The P-mount requires an adapter (it may come with the cartridge - youd better inquire) so that it can be mounted in your tone arm.
toxrtp OP
6 posts
 
Tes, Crem1 but which Grado? Worth the extra $50 for the Red? Both are the "upper 10" of their production, but the Red has a more completx, supposedly better stylus.

Stringreen, I didn't mean to disparage online vendors at all. Just that, since I got a defective cartridge online already, I figured I'd avoid having to return another via mail if it was defective. My tone arm only accepts P-mount cartridges, which limits my choices of brands as I indicated.
piedpiper
753 posts
 
Tox,

sounds like you're simply missing a headshell. The Red is a little more transparent and with a smoother top end; worth it IMO, except that you're putting it on a pretty humble table that will not help the cartridge do its job very much.
toxrtp OP
6 posts
 
So, to repeat the question once more, it is worth it, then, to pay extra for a Red P cartridge, vs. a Green P in such a humble TT?
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