Technics SL1200MK2 Cartridge Discussion
Skip the Shure it's a dud on the SL1200, My friend bought one with all the hype and then turned around and bought the Audiotechnica ML440a (notice the 'a', better version) which made the sure sound closed in and broken. The shure is really boring and dull on top. Build quality on the shure looks top notch and the aluminum box it came in is premium but they didn't spend the money on the cart. I owned a SL1210 M5G at the time and was looking for cart options and went with the Shelter 501 MkII, but I did try the Shure on my table also. |
I have had an SL1210 M5G for about a year now. I've used it with a Shure M97xE with occasional switches to an Ortofon OM10, followed by an upgrade to a Denon DL-160 mounted on a Sumiko shell. Three months later I added the KAB fluid damper and everything got that much better. The Sumiko headshell is a good investment regardless. The extra weight improves the mass/compliance ratio with the Denon and most modern carts, it's more rigid and non-resonant, the lead wires and clips worth $20 alone, and it has adjustable azimuth, which helps dial in soundstage and imaging. The Denons are noticeably better than the Shure M97xE--more linear, better frequency extension at both ends, tighter bass, cleaner treble, and smoother yet more dynamic everywhere. Add the KAB fluid damper and you can "hear the room." Denon+Sumiko headshell+fluid damper has turned my Technics into a 3D sonic virtual reality machine. On top of all that, the Technics tonearm plus fluid damper will easily track a record with 1/2" warp fluctuations in the outer track. Nice to know if you're a thrift shop bottom feeder like me. Concerning the rising prices on the AT440MLa, the sub-$100 price was a sale price on a $240 cart. LP gear still offers it at $99.95 athttp://www.lpgear.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=LG&Product_Code=ATC05&Category_Code=A3. |
02-27-08: CytocycleHear hear! Finally someone who agrees that the Shure is dull as dishwater. For $60-80 I'd rather have a Grado Black or Green. At $100 I'd look at the AT440MLa, the Ortofon 2M Red, the Grado Blue, the Sumiko Pearl. At $140 and $180, the Denon DL-110/160 are really hard to beat. Another thing I don't like about the Shure--I've seen a frequency graph on it, and it rises to a peak output at 100 Hz and then gradually trails off in amplitude from 100 Hz on up to its HF limit. You have to keep overall capacitance low (<150pF) to have much treble at all. This corroborates my experience: The Shure is particularly sensitve to 100-150 Hz resonances, such as in-room footfalls and thumps transmitted up through the Technics' structure. In other words, the Shure magnifies one of the Technics' weak points--resonance control in the 100-150 Hz range. This also kills inner detail and overall clarity. |
