Best Cartridge for $1000-$1350?
Victor X-1II with Beryllium Cantilever and Shibata stylus tip can be found NOS for the price you have mentioned. It's a killer MM cartridge (especially in NOS condition) that will put any MC to the dust. This is top of the line cartridge from JVC / Victor. https://audio-heritage.jp/VICTOR/etc/x-1ii.html |
@deanshias you can't read japanese ? lol Specifications JVC/Victor X-1II (mk2) or X-2 Type: moving magnet Stylus: (DT-X1II) 0.15 mil square NUDE SHIBATA diamond tip. Dynamic Compliance @100Hz = 12cu (EQUAL to 20cu @10Hz) Output: more 3mV (1kHz, 5cm/sec) Channel balance: less than 1.0dB Channel separation: more than 25dB Impedance: 2.2k ohms (1kHz) Load: 47 to 100k ohms Tracking force: 1.5g (+/- 0.2g) Frequency response: 10 to 60,000Hz Weight: 7.5g |
The Hana SL at 5g is right at the edge of a good match with that 16g effective tonearm according to Vinyl Engine: https://www.vinylengine.com/cartridge_resonance_evaluator.php?eff_mass=16&submit=Submit The Hana SL has a 20 * 10-6 cm/Dyne dynamic compliance which puts it’s resonance around 8 Hz. Should be a good match as far as compliance goes. |
