Inexpensive MM Cartridge


Hi All.  I'm helping a friend who has a late 1970's Pioneer PL12 turntable. The manual TT is in good working order, bearing and motor lubed, etc. We need a MM cartridge to mount on the stock S-shaped tonearm.  Budget is up to around $300.  Suggestions please!  Thanks, and Happy Holidays!
peter_s
The Nagaoka MP110 and Schiitt Mani is a incredible bargain for the money.
Dear @mr_m and friends  : I agree totally with you and your experiences about with the 881, I own the top 981 that’s hand calibrated and had same experiences than you and not only with Stanton but with any vintage top cartridges that I re-tipped as Technics EPC100CMK4 ( stand alone version ).
Btw, a gentleman that’s an Agoner and that owns the Lyra Atlas re-tipped too ( through VdH. ) that same cartridge model and guess what not only performed better than before but he posted that likes it more than his Atlas.

Don’t waist your time with that person that is not a true audiophile but a seller and he takes advantage of the high compliance of Agon but he is truly dishonest not disclose he is a seller and that’s why always try to dimish every other cartridges that he has not on sale and always comes with that bla, bla, bla of pictures, stylus shape, specs and the like but with no facts.

All what he knows about vintage cartridges he learned through the long Agon MM thread. Again he is not a true audiophile he are behind the money and nothing wrong with that if he disclose whom he really is.
His opinions always are 100% biased to what he has for sale and nothing else and that’s why he posted what he posted on Nagaoka and in other threads all what he post: sale biased.

I don’t care of him what I care is that he is a lier and he is spreading lies and for new comers with out experiences gaves untrue information: this is not fair for those gentlemans.

Any seller has the rigth to be a seller, just disclose it. Which the problem?

when there are other manufacturers/designers(sellers that post in Agon as: J.Carr, Atmasphere, PNB and even re-tippers as SS but all of them disclosed their status. They are honest gentlemans.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.


Seems like a good choice, it's a wonderful feeling to move on.

For others following:

The elliptical have the advantage of succeeding with less than perfect alignment. That is a reason they are good choice for someone without tools and skills. 

Many of us it seems have had darn good experiences with that Shure M97xe elliptical. Shure's also has the advantage of the brush, damped for warps and/or springy floors, and to pick up dust prior to the stylus.

The advanced stylus shapes need very careful alignment not only to perform to their increased potential, to avoid groove damage if improperly aligned.