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Cartridges - what have you owned and your opinion

Saw this on audiocircle and thought it may be fun to list some cartridges that you have owned and lived with and your opinion of them.
These are not reviews, just your observations of how they sound in your system.

Dynavector XV-1 - owned this since the turn of the century and my favorite cartridge of all time. Mainly due to its ability to sound natural and un hifi sounding. Slightly loose in the bass, and naturally detailed in the higher frequencies with nice dynamics.
- I load at between 100 and 250ohms and track at 2.05 grams. Currently getting rebuilt for the 3rd time.

Lyra Helikon - very detailed cartridge which tended to float from note to note, but ultimately a little too leading edge for my tastes so sold it a few years back.

Audio Technica OC9-II - closer sounding to the Helikon than the cheaper price should allow. The OC9 has terrific transparency and detail, but also smooth. Somewhat lean bass and incredible bargin for the price. Ultimately connects with my head more than my heart.
I load at 25 or 50ohms and track at 1.75 gms.

Denon 103R - another great cartridge, which in direct comparison to the OC9 sounds a little grey and grainy especially in the higher frequencies. But and a big but, it connects with the heart and has a very nice ripe bass with lovely mid range. lower treble can be a little etched. Overall a great little cartridge that is very musical and to the heart

Benz Ruby 2 - don't really have anything positive to say about this cartridge - grey, grainy, undynamic and unmusical.

Koetsu Rosewood - lovely musical sounding cartridge. Not as transparent as some cartridges, but has a nice robust sound which is quite pleasing to some mediocre recordings. Tracks adequate, but not as well as my other cartridges. Another cartridge which plays to the heart.
- Hates being loaded into a high primary transformer load of say my EAR 834 - 40 ohms. Impedance loading sounds nice around 100ohms.
downunder
robdoorack
63 posts
 
Here's just the ones I can remember right now:

Grado FTE +1
Shure M91ED
ADC XLM
Fidelity Research FR1 Mk. 3F
Blue Point Special
Audio Technica OC-5
Audio Technica OC-7
Audio Technica OC-9
Sumiko Talisman S
Lyra Evolve 99
Denon 103
Dynavector 10X4
Dynavector 10X4 Gold H
Clearaudio Aurum Beta S

I also have a Denon 103D and 103R, a Shibui, and a NOS FR 1 Mk. 3F that I haven't gotten around to using yet.
lewm
12,610 posts
 
I've owned a great number of cartridges, but I will stick to 3 that I've owned over the last 10 years and have used in my current system. First was the Benz Glider. I don't recall which version I had. It was "nice" but rather mechanical sounding and uninvolving, which led me to seek out another high output MC, and I chose the Transfiguration Elite. The Elite was superior to the Glider in most ways, but it still lacked that certain something, the goose-bump factor lets call it. At this point I became convinced that I had to (1) spend more money, and (2) try a low output MC. I had read over the years about the lushness of Koetsus and how the Urushi retained that lushness but with better top and bottom definition, so that's what I bought. I've been very happy with it. It does occasionally raise goose bumps. I'm thinking now about other MCs that might be even better. Back in the good old days, I was very fond of the Grado TLZ, which I still own. I haven't heard it in years, but my sonic memory tells me it was superior to the Glider, at least.
stringreen's avatar
stringreen
6,393 posts
 
Best...Dynavektor XV1-S, Benz Ebony LP, Benz Ebony High Output

Not the best...Grado Sonata, Koetsu Rosewood, Onyx

Not even close...ADC, Sure, Lyra, Stanton, Ortofon, etc.
fap
32 posts
 
G'day all, quite a few MM's over the years, from way back Shure M91ED, Grace F9 (sadly never set up optimally), numerous budget MM's, and more recently Ortofon Super OM's (quite 'in your face' but engaging) , M97xE's (my present favourite with optimal capacitance and resistive 'loading') and recently an Ortofon 2M Red, very nice but a little too 'euphonic' to me. Regards, Fap.
koegz
317 posts
 
downunder, i bet you broke the cantilever all 3 times. i owned one and broke it twice. never again an expensive accident. now own a air tight pc-1 as long as i had the dynevector xv-1 twice. sounds as good maybe even better with out the hazard trap. in between had the shelter 9000, did not like very much, took long to break in and it had an edge to it. would concider new pc-1 supreme or a goldfinger v2 if the change bug over takes me.
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