MC Cartridge: Elliptical; around 0.5mv; track 1.25-1.75; Affordable

chackster, everyone

thanks chackster for your help,

now that I have upped my budget, the Audio-Technica AT-ART2000MC is a choice

this one, seller says suspension is 'tight' 

https://www.ukaudiomart.com/details/649382460-audiotechnica-atart2000mc-cartridge-in-perfect-working-order/

is dried out suspension an issue for old cartridges/

advice?

Elliot, Basically this thread consists of you naming products you saw on the internet after suggestions were made by Chakster and others, with not much comment about whether you really want to buy it or can afford it or fit it into your system.  That is what I meant when I wrote, "Is this a question?"  My post came right after you posted a URL for a Jeff Rowland phono stage that your friend was going to give to you on longterm loan.  If that happened, what more do you need?  If you were to take possession of the Rowland, you would not be needing any SUT OR a pre-preamp.  So what is all this about?  "Channel separation" and "channel balance" are not a way to judge whether you will like the sound of a stereo cartridge.  And my general advice to you is not to buy a "vintage" phono cartridge, because aging, even in the box, does affect cartridge suspensions.  Chakster is a very experienced collector; he knows what he is doing and can get away with buying old cartridges.  I've done it too.  But I have also been "stiffed" once or twice.  I don't think you want to start out with a major disappointment.

My opinion is that HOMC cartridges are usually inferior to LOMC cartridges, MM cartridges, and MI cartridges.  HOMC is at the bottom of my totem pole.  But that is merely my opinion.  You need a phono stage, preferably one that has both MC (high gain) and MM (low gain) phono inputs, so you can play around with cartridges of different types until you find out what you like in your system.  Or of course you can use an MM stage plus or minus a SUT, to the same end.

thanks @lewm 

As I emailed to Elliott I wouldn't buy from the sellers with lower than 99% feedback score on ebay, especially if they can't even provide a high resolution image of the stylus tip. Also I wouldn't buy a used cartridge with stiff suspension. Wait for a perfect sample or just don't buy it. I remember i sold my ART2000 for about $650 but it was like new in the box with documents in mint condition, lightly used. I sold it after I bought something else (more expensive). 

I bought NOS Dynavector 23RS (MicroReach) in the box from ebay for about $450. 

Used cartridge must be perfect or it's not worth the money.  

lewm, chackster, thanks for the help.

lewm,

I am in a learning stage, there is a point, and you and others have been generous with your advice, so I link items to keep learning, possibly buy. Anything I learn helps me with the next thing I read about.

If two cartridges are highly recommended, I will go with better separation/balance specs, yes it has to sound musical/involving, but good separation makes a difference, one of the true advantages of reel to reel.

Luckily, I am 1/2 hr away from Steve at VAS, 1-1/2 hr away from Bill, and Bill knows Steve well, so I can buy a problem and have it fixed.

always looking for comments/advice about things I find that are interesting, or raise questions. I just got a lot of answers/advice in 1 response from you and 1 from chackster.

I am warming up to the idea of a SUT into my mx110z phono preamp rather than a separate phono preamp, as I love the tube phono in the mx110z, and it has two inputs. I would leave the shure/sas/boron on the long side arm, and put the MC ___? on the rear Acos. Then, when I play mono, off comes the mc, on goes the grado mono. Acos is a snap to re calibrate and the easiest VTA on the fly I have ever seen.

I am hoping someone has some experience with the Sony xl-mc series, just to know about them. Onlt thing I read is one person said his was a poor tracker.

As for dry suspension, chackster's answer fits my suspicion about old drying out. I ask Steve at VAS if he could work on a specific model cartridge I find tempting, before I write to the seller. He said avoid Dynavector Karat, often much wrong inside, and that he could replace suspension of the stiff AT ART 2000mc. 

So, if Chackster thinks the AT ART 2000MC is a worthy contender, combined with very good separation, and tight balance, advanced shaft/tip, Steve to fix it, it then comes down to price. 

And, if vintage suspensions dry out, maybe I want a decent price of one needing a new suspension rather than one as old but 'still good'.

I am not going in search of the holy grail, just trying to get and be smart with help here before I try something. 

by the way, the Roland is a bust,

sounded horrible, tubby bass, no involvement in favorite recordings which sounded wonderful again when played on his current preamp back to back.

he knew it had a problem, couldn't remember what, it might have been wrong resistors for his grace cartridge, ....

but it sounded bad on CD and Phono, so it's needing doctoring

It seems a shame, so I wrote to Jeff Rowland asking for a ballpark estimate to overhaul/upgrade it. 

I don't think I will use it, but perhaps have it fixed for my friend's birthday.