MM or HO MC Cartridge Choice-Input Please


Hello All. It’s time to (incrementally) update my phono chain to take advantage of the assumedly excellent phono stage in my Shindo Partager preamplifier. My table is a humble Rega 3 with the stock Elys2 MM cartridge. I am willing to invest $3K in upgrading the whole phono chain, and I would start off with the cartridge. I’ve gotten some suggestions in a prior thread, and am trying to choose between:

Dynavector 20X2 HO

Dynavector 10X5 HO

Clearaudio Virtuoso V2 Ebony

Hana SH (or EH or MH)

Benz ACE

I also thought about contacting Soundsmith and seeing what they would recommend. Finally, I should note I have a Quicksilver step-up transformer (SUT) and could always go to a LO MC cartridge. I’m just a bit worried that once I go to LO MC I might start second guessing the Quicksilver, feel that I need a better SUT, and then all my money goes into the cartridge and the SUT and I’ve got nothing leftover to upgrade the table. For that reason, does it make sense to stick with a MM cartridge? I would like to spend no more than $1000 on the cartridge.

Thanks in advance, Michael


mjschwartzman
I know you are asking about carts...but it might be helpful to know about your shortlist of TT upgrade ideas...cart /tonearm synergy etc.  walgreenslistens

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My best bets for new cartridges in this area are

 

Jico Seto Hori 

and

Acoustical Systems Fideles

While Linn is a company that elicits strong emotions from people in this hobby, I think there is a lot of value in their analog hierarchy. Table is the cornerstone of the analog system, then tone arm, and finally cartridge. I would add a corollary and put the phono stage right after tone arm, and once everything else is right then commit fully to the cartridge.

It is my experience you get a higher level of reproduction using something like one of the new Audio Technica OC9 cartridges or perhaps the ART9 on a fundamentally superior table and phono stage over a $2000 or more cartridge on a less capable turntable and arm.

Since you are using the onboard Shindo MM phono stage then a SUT makes the most sense. Mike Sanders has been building quality gear for decades, I would expect his selection of transformers for his step up would be quality pieces. Start with what you own in that area, make a meaningful upgrade in turntable, and once that is complete then select the level of cartridge you can afford.