2. analog
  3. 156255-79729

MC Cartridge Ideas

I'am looking to get a low output cartridge and need your advise and recommendations on which ones to research.
The Price Range is $2000-$4000.
The Sound I'am after is excellent detail retrieval (match digital) with pin point and spatial imaging and most important of all Huge Bass (sub bass slam and low extension)

I know its a hard question as most will recommend one or the other as audiophile we don't necessary keep swapping cartridges, but may be you are an audio dealer - Ideally you would be selling 20-50 cartridges and a few in my price range. Based on my Sound Characteristics you might be able to say Cartridge A is $2500 and surpassed Cartridge B at $4500 in the area of detail retrieval but not with Sound stage.

That's sort of what I'am hoping to achieve from this exercise, some in depth advise.
As with everyone I would like to keep the spend low but really go to the upper extreme its definitely worth it compared to the offerings at the opposite end.
128x128kunalraiker
millercarbon's avatar
millercarbon
12,531 posts
 
I will ask Soundsmoth, but would prefer something Japanese.

Well then, I am truly happy with my Koetsu Black Goldline. The sound in my current system is to die for. https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/8367
Right in your budget range. Maybe even well below it if you do like me and find someone with a killer deal. Then if you trick it out with fo.Q tape, TC, PHT and ECT like in the pics, man you will for sure think you died and went to heaven.

To be more technically precise about it, there are no cartridges available new or used that will touch a Koetsu Black Goldline tricked out with all the above tweaks. None. En oh en eee. You could pay full retail for the Koetsu, plus the other stuff, you would be right at about $3200. Probably nothing under $10k in that league. Take it to the bank. Sign it. Cash it. Spend the money.

chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
Looking at your Opera Tonearm i think you can use a wide range of cartridges, but please make sure about effective mass of the tonearm, as i can see you can even swap the arm tube (longer is for lower compliance cartridges). There is a Dynavector KARAT on the image from tonearm manufacturer, this model with very short diamond cantilever must be excellent! I have DV KARAT-17D2 mkII , even previous model was great, i also tried 23RS Ruby and was very impressed. They are not very expensive. Maybe you can ask tonearm manufacturer why he decided to use Dynavector for advertising his tonearm online.  
kunalraiker's avatar
kunalraiker OP
45 posts
 

Looking at your Opera Tonearm i think you
can use a wide range of cartridges, but please make sure about effective mass of the tonearm, as i can see you can even swap the arm tube (longer is for lower compliance cartridges). There is a Dynavector KARAT on the image from tonearm manufacturer, this model with very short diamond cantilever must be excellent! I have DV KARAT-17D2 mkII , even previous model was great, i also tried 23RS Ruby and was very impressed. They are not very expensive. Maybe you can ask tonearm manufacturer why he decided to use Dynavector for advertising his tonearm online.  

I actually bought the turntable with the 17D3 Karat, but the cantilever broke a few years back.
It was an awesome combo and then I got the xx2 which improved on the bass.

Time to get a new cartridge.
Ag insider logo xs@2x
drrsutliff
858 posts
 
@Kunalraiker

The Koetsu RSP is absolutely beautiful in its presentation but its strength is in the midrange.  It provides more of a musical immersion than a digital like reproduction.  The Purpleheart is one of the most emotionally engaging cartridges I have owned.  Again not as crystalline a musical producer as the Windfeld Ti, but I have found myself so enthralled with some pieces I have ended quite a few album sides almost holding my breath as the music’s emotions peaked.  Each has a roll to play in my system.  Both of these are twice as difficult to mount and optimize their set up due to stylus location compared to the Ortofon IMO.
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
I actually bought the turntable with the 17D3 Karat, but the cantilever broke a few years back. It was an awesome combo and then I got the xx2 which improved on the bass. Time to get a new cartridge.

I see, new cartridge is always good idea. Compliance for KARAT series is 15cu but most likely measured at 100Hz like all Japanese carts?

If it was measured at 100Hz then when we convert it to 10Hz is will be about 27cu. 

For example Koetsu Black compliance is 5cu @ 100Hz (about 8.5 @ 10Hz) and this is very low, another heavier arm tube must be used for such low compliance cartridges. 

Here is more about tonearm/cartridge resonance

 


More to discover