best MM cartridge...

thanks to all for your responses!
being an analog newbie, I greatly appreciate everyone's input...

I can't believe nobody mentioned the Cartridge Man MusicMaker III or the Classic.

I certainly second the motion on the Reson Reca; I'd also add the Ortofon Super OM40 (and if the newer Ortofon 2M Black is better than the OM40, long their top MM cartridge, it will be excellent indeed).

I myself use the Reson Reca with a Rega RB-250 with full Origin Live mods and the Ortofon Super OM40 with a Signet (= Audio Technica) XK50 rewired with Cardas. Both are on a Technics SP-10MKII-P with DIY 20 kg Corian-MDF-birch plywood base.

I, too, have long heard about the superiority of MC cartridges, but once I put this rig together, I liked it so much, it defused any urge to upgrade. Of course, YMMV.

Regards,

Joel.

the AT closes in on the music maker and betters the linn

03-09-08: Jlamb
...cheapo phono pre I picked at a TV repair shop for $25 new. I have an AR ES-1 on the way w/Linn Basik LVX arm and K9 cartridge.

I encourage you to sit still with the K9 and get to know it before you start a quest for the perfect cartridge. Live with it and get a frame of reference. It'll help you understand what you want.

In my opinion, the only thing you need right now is a better phono preamp. Whatever your $25 unit is, it can't be doing justice to any cartridge. Phono stages are often overlooked by folks just getting into vinyl. There's a tendency to think "that little black box can't be doing much, so I'm not gonna spend much on it." Some of us need to learn things the hard way. I know I did. Phono preamps make or break a cartridge. Avoid the stuff under $150 (NAD, Parasound, Musical Fidelity, Music Hall). Of course, you have to decide what you can afford, but if you can strecth to $500 for a used piece, I think you'll be surprised how good that K9 sounds. I'm a big fan of tubes. In my opinion, a few units that stand out in this price range are: Bottlehead Seduction, Pro-Ject Tube Box SE, AES (Cary) PH-1, Wright WPP100c and WPP200c.