Great Cartridge for Graham Phantom

Transfiguration Phoenix (new version). List price is 2500-2700usd, it has many virtues of Orpheus to some extend. If you wanna get Orpheus but seems a bit costly, you should consider it. I use it with Graham Phantom currently.

Dear Jdolguin: There are many options with an outstanding quality sound reproduction not below 2.5K but below 1.0K, could you believe it?. Please read the next link:

Dear Adidio: With " that " kind of cartridge budget you could buy at least two very fine cartridges, please read the next link:

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?eanlg&1200430667&read&3&4&

Jim, like one Agoner told me: " " High end is who you are, not what you buy ".

Regards and enjoy the music.
Raul.

Jdolgin..regarding suggestions under 2500....I have quite a bit of listening experience to the Lyra Helikon.My friend had it for three years,and he is an avid music lover/vinyl collector(mostly Classical/jazz).It IS a fabulous cartridge!!!We had a discussion(friend and myself)about how even today(although he has the Titan-I)the Helikon could keep us both happy.Just opinion,but a really nice pedigree in that design.I really respect that cartridge!
I'd love to say that Transfiguration has a winner in this price range(and I'm sure they do),but I am only familiar with the amazing Orpheus,and the discontinued Tmper-V.
Best of luck

Dear Jim: Looking for what music you like and your priorities I think that you must to have/listen the B&O MMC2 that you can buy it new.
This cartridge is an outstanding performer and for its low price a real bargain.

You don't have to pay 4K+ or even 2.5K heavy dollars to achieve a stellar quality sound reproduction, this B&O one is IMHO a better quality performer that the Helikon or the Orpheus or Universe.

I respect the other persons that support the Helikon or other MC cartridges in this thread and I'm not saying that all these MC cartridges are not good because they are, what I'm saying is that the B&O is a little better than them and for a lot lot less money. Those people can't speak about maybe because they don't have know-how about because they don't have experiences in their audio system of B&O cartridges ( or other top MM ones. ) against the MC ones that they own today.

I can recomended many other cartridges but according with your preferences the B&O along the Nagaoka MP-50 are very good alternatives and I'm quite sure that you will be extremely satisfied with either or better than that ( for that low price ) with BOTH!!!

There are some sources for it: LP Gear, ElexAtelier, Sounsmith, PhonoPhono, etc, etc.

Please don't let that those low prices intimidate you. B&O/Nagaoka cartridges are real contenders to top MC cartridges and belongs to the very fine analog rig chain like yours. Don't lose the great opportunity that only a few can/could have with these kind of cartridges because there are only a few in new/original condition.

Regards, enjoy the music and remember: " High end is what you are not what you buy . "

Raul.

I have heard, in a friend's system, the Titan and Orpheus and Phoenix on the Phantom arm. All are very good sounding and a preference will probably depend on taste and differences in other system components. To me, the Phantom is a very well dampened arm, which means that it is very quiet, refined and presents musical detail, harmonic structure, etc., without exaggeration. But, on the other hand, a lot of systems (most audiophile systems these days) sound like midrange life and dynamics have been sucked out of the music, and for these systems, a livelier arm/cartridge might be helpful. In short, the Phantom can sound a bit dark and dynamically dull in the wrong system.

In my friend's system, I liked both the Orpheus and Phoenix cartridge because they have a bit of midrange "presence." Both sounded much better in this system than the Temper V, which seemed dynamically dull and boring. The Titan sounded a touch faster and more detailed than the Transfiguration cartridges, but it can border on analytical in some systems.

I use to own a Graham 1.5t (I now own a Vector/Titan) and I have helped with the setup of the Graham Phantom. I do appreciate the very convenient and simple adjustments of the Phantom. But, I do notice that there is some loose "play" in the jig for setting overhang/offset and the precise point for overhang is, at best, a guess because the jig does not account for differences in cartridge height. Therefore, I wonder if the Phantom would benefit from using other setup tools, like a Wally Tractor or Feickert.