Advice needed on MC cartridges
I’ve an Ortofon Black 2M cartridge on my VPI Classic 2 turntable, It’s a moving magnet type cartridge with a Shibata stylus and cost about $700 when purchased. I could easily be wrong, but am under the impression that the Ortofon 2M Black is about as good as it gets with MM cartridges and if I wished to upgrade I’d need to be thinking about moving into a MC, moving coil, type.
So I’ve been trying to learn something about moving coil cartridges and what differences or improvements in sound quality might be obtained by using one. My integrated amp, a Luxman 507uX Mk2, has a built in phono stage and can play either type,
Generally speaking, how much more would need to be spent on a MC cartridge before a noticeable, or significant improvement, might be heard in sound quality over the Ortofon 2M’s performance? What improvements in performance might you obtain using one a better quality MC over the Ortofon 2M Black? And third, what MC cartridges might you recommend that would fit in performance and budget wise with a system composed of the above equipment plus Magico A3 speakers. My other equipment is a Marantz Ruby CD/SACD player and a Shunyata Denali Hydra power conditioner.
I’ve never heard a MC cartridge in use so would be interested in following your advice and recommendations to see if I can find a dealer or someone that might be able to demo one so I can hear what the differences might be in performance. Thank you for any responses or suggestions
Mike
I've listened to the Hana quite a bit in a friend's system and that is a good suggestion. I recently picked up a third turntable and part of the package was a MC pickup - a Goldring Eroica LX (low output) that I had planned to swap out for something else - until I listened to it a bit. Very nice and worth considering - in the sub $1,000 bracket. |
I have the van den Hul MC One Special which I put in quite a while ago replacing a $500 japanese MM cartridge. Huge improvement in detail and depth of sound but when I put in a phono stage instead of using the MM/MC adjustable phono stage in my preamp, the quality improved substantially. I wonder what the difference is between the VDH Frog and the MC One Special other than the price being double - the pictures look very similar except the Frog is green. The stylus of van den Hul's last very long due to their design, and I was thinking of a Frog the next time my stylus goes. There isn't much detail about the differences on van den Hul's web site. |
Jmarin, appresiate your recommendation. Wspohn, the Hana cartridges seem to be getting a lot of good reviews here. Thanks for yours. Sokogear, I’m wondering too how much difference there would be between two high quality cartridges with that much difference in price. I’ll really need to find a dealer somewhere that has both types, so I can hear what the differences may be. I am willing to spend the money to get a significant improvement in sound. But I’m not guessing there would be that much improvement over the $700 Ortofon Black 2M MM cartridge I already have and MC ones, perhaps the Hana ML for example, which is a fine MC from what people here are saying, but costing only only a few hundred more. Especially if MC cartridges are already generically more expensive. I’m speculating there may be some differences in sound quality one might prefer, but that might not translate to the amount of improvement maybe a Frog or equivalent model could deliver. Mike |
I have the 2MBronze , and a Benz Wood SL and a Charisa Audio Ref1. (Also the A3s) The two MCs are a significant step up over the Ortofon. Cartridges are one the Big Three: Microphones, Cartridges, Speakers. They are transducers and make the most difference in sound. Having said that I am unlikely to go the MC route in future - mainly for cost reasons. Not only do they cost more but the stylus cannot be replaced. A phono stage based on an LCR network (eg Vida or Allnic) is where you will get better value for money, because of the longevity - though to be fair they will not make as much difference as a cart upgrade. |
@skyscraper its been mentioned in this thread already a couple of times, but I'd like to throw my recommendation behind the stylus upgrade for the 2M Black - the LVB 250 (boron cantilever with the same Shibata stylus). Don't overlook this option or think that it will be only a minor upgrade - it's profound. Everything gets better. Soundstage, focus, detail and other objective parameters like greater quietness in the groove and increased composure. But there is also something far more important - timbral quality, natural balance and realism make great strides forward (and the stock 2M Black was pretty good). Along with this is an innate ability to present the musical picture without highlighting/spotlighting. For instance you feel like you can move your focus anywhere so easily - listen to the bass player in the background while a soloist is going gangbusters in the foreground. I'm hearing new things in old favourites, everything sounds so musical and communicative. The LVB 250 is for sure a great cartridge for not crazy money. The medium compliance and high output means it won't put stress on tonearms and phono stages like a low compliance/output MC and you'll be more likely to extract its best (from less than the best turntable/arm/phono). I'm using mine on a Technics 1200GR with a Parasound JC3jr phono and it sounds superb. |
