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78 Spinnin' - Cartridge?

I've decided to spin a few of my ma-in-laws 40's and 50's 78 records when she is here in June - Sinatra, Cugat, Crosby, etc.. The old Grado cart I had bit the big one awhile back. What are folks using for semi-casual 78 listening these days? Casual, meaning I want them to sound decent but not at a cost of more than, say, $150-200.
4yanx
rwwear
2,873 posts
 
Shure's 78 cartridge can be had for not a lot of dough. I'm not sure exactly what I paid for mine but it wasn't much. Shure also makes a 78 stylus that will fit their other cartridges.
dopogue
1,773 posts
 
I have three 78 carts --a Grado MC+, a Stanton 881S with D827 stylus
assembly and a Shure N78 stylus I've tried in various Shure bodies up to the
V15VxMR. They rank in that order. The Grado is by far the best sounding
despite costing only $80, but has lower output than the others and doesn't
handle warps as well as the Stanton. The Stanton is better than okay, a little
more brash sounding than the Grado, and will track anything. The Shure, in a
word, sucks. There's a lot of music in those 78 grooves, and the Shure finds
little of it. I've actually had two of these things because I thought the first one
had to be defective. It wasn't. Good luck. BTW, my primary 78 player is a
refurbed Empire 298 with the stock Empire arm, tracking at 3-4 grams.
goliverjr
102 posts
 
Check The Needle Doctor for several choices around $95-$125.00. I was looking not too long ago.
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