Nagaoka MP200 - smooth, warmish and tight
Ortofon 2M Blue - detailed and cooler
Audio Technica VM750SH - in between!
Ortofon 2M Blue - detailed and cooler
Audio Technica VM750SH - in between!
New Cartridge Suggestions
Ignore all those MC cartridges, you will have to re-tip them every 700 hrs. Watch Peter Ledermann lecture first (jump to 24:00, he will explain everything), then think about MM or MI cartridges with replacement styli. Pickering XSV-3000 with Stereohedron stylus is perfect and lower than your budget, normally $300-400 (depends on condition). And a brother of the Pickering XSV-3000 is Stanton 881s, just read this. |
Hanna buyers should watch factory tour first. Does not look very impressive, expecially their test equipment with destroyed Victor tonearm. Also their products they made before returned to the cartridge manufacturing business. Excel Sound - the manufacturer of Hanna, made so many cartridges for various different brands in the 70’s and in the 80’s, one of the best was mid 80’s Argent with Boron, Sapphire and Diamond cantilevers. |