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Trying vinyl, need some help!

For the last month, I have been searching for a good cd player or transport and thought I had settled on a Mcintosh unit when I started looking and turntables. I found a Roksan Radius 5 with a Nima tonearm that was in my budget so I bought it.
Now comes the problem, the cartridge. There are so many to choose from and they are not cheap so finding one that would compliment the table/arm is a bit intimidating.
My Audio Research preamp has 2 inputs for MM, or I can purchase a dedicated MC preamp.
If anyone has any experience with the Radius 5 please let me know what you have tried.
drf24
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
@drf24 you can pay less to get much better quality if you will look for MM/MI cartridges made on peak of the MM boom (in the 70s). This is one of them with nude Shibata stylus tip.

Yes, the 100k Ohm option will open up the potential of almost any MM/MI cartridge, simply locate 47k Ohm resistors inside your phono stage and replace them with Vishay 100k Ohm resistors, it will take 15 minutes. Thanks to Raul and Lewm for this advice. 

There you go (you need two, select 100k ohm value): https://www.ebay.com/itm/Texas-Components-TX2575-Naked-Foil-Audio-Resistor-at-0-1-or-better-TX2352-v... 

drf24 OP
21 posts
 
@chakster Thanks again, ordering a set of the 100k right now. The SP-4 has 3 phono inputs, mine doesn't have the head amp option installed though. I can change one of the inputs to 100k and leave the other alone.
Found a few AT20SLa on ebay.
Thanks again for the info, very much appreciated!
mattmiller's avatar
mattmiller
1,497 posts
 
The Dynavector 10X5 High output MC $650! This is the best $650 cartridge you can buy imo. This will work very well with your MM phonostage. The dynavector sounds very lively and dynamic, itll make you want to stand up and dance or at least tap your foot!


Matt M

glennewdick's avatar
glennewdick
1,667 posts
 

If your just starting out I would not start by opening your pre-amp and taking a soldering iron to it (sorry chakster). stick with the proven and when you get comfortable then start experimenting. Most MM manufactures build for 47k ohms you would get more out of the MM cart by having selectable capacitance. MC you want selectable resistance (or as we say loading it).

I would also say as some others get a quality MC and add a Step up transformer or MC phono section. there are many out now for reasonable money (under$1k, even under $500) that will sound great.

the Dyna above is a good choice also look at the Audio technical carts they make many that are stellar performers for the dollar a few outstanding ones for under $500 (OC9 comes to mind).

chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
@glennewdick

Most MM manufactures build for 47k ohms you would get more out of the MM cart by having selectable capacitance. MC you want selectable resistance (or as we say loading it).

This is not true, nearly ALL top quality MM cartridges are made for 47-100k Ohm preamps and this stated in the manuals for all the best cartridges made by Grace, Victor, Audio-Technica etc. If you don’t know this plz just search online. Nowadays nobody cares about MM cartridges that much like it was the the 70s/80s.

I have had one of the best Dynavector (high output) and Audio-Technica MC ART-2000 wich is much better than OC9. They are good cartridges, but all of them must be re-tipped and that’s not cheap. All those LOMC require an expensive MC preamp or an expensive SUT. High output MC are sensitive to loading. This is all too complicated and much more expensive than a decent MM cartridge!

And as i said when you change 47k resistors to 100k resistors none of those MC will sound any better than MM cartridge. Instead of spending $500-1000 for a SUT or to pay extra for MC preamp, anyone can spend $36 for Vishay Naked Foil 100k resistors first.

Instead of paying $500 for retip anyone can use replacement stylus for MM cartridges for less with the most advanced cantilevers (beryllium) and diamonds like Shibata. Styli for the AT20SLa still available.

Also your MC cartridges are mid compliance, while the AT20SLa is a high compliance cartridge with much better tracking ability.

The MM cartridge is the FIRST THING to try if the budget is limited and also must have for anyone who still believe that more expensive MC is superior. It will be not easy to find a multi thousands MC cartridge to beat reasonably priced MM carts like Audio-Technica AT-ML170, Grace F14, Pioneer PC-1000 mk2, Glanz MFG-61, Victor X-1 or X-1II ... just to name a few. And the prices for all of them are $600-1500 even if they are NOS in the boxes. Garott Brothers still makes great MM cartridges, i believe SoundSmith MI cartridges are also very good for those who would like to avoid any used cartridges.

It’s easy to ignore all that SUT game and LOMC stuff, additional cables, very expensive high gain phono preamps etc. The high output MC are inferior to the LOMC in most cases.

So what is the reason you’re recommending an average MC cartridge to a person with $600 budget? And why not to upgrade the phono stage if it cost just $36 for the best audio resistors ever made and 15 minutes of soldering time?

There is a lecture of Peter Ledermann of the SoundSmith online, he could explain better why MC should be avoided, he’s the one who repaired many thousands of them. https://youtu.be/F65mODzn4Gk

I don’t understand all that hype about LOMC cartridges even with my own experience with some of the "very good" LOMC such as Zyx Airy, Zyx Premium 4D, Ortofon MC2000, Fidelity-Research FR-7f, PMC-3 ... and various HOMC cartridges.

It’s much easier to make your MM cartridge sounds great first (and it is sounds great) before investing serious cash for LOMC, then it’s easy to be dissapointed about the whole myth of LOMC, compared to some nice vintage MM and MI.


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