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AT440mla, ortofon 2m red, or JICO SAS tip for mx97

Due to an unfortunate cleaning accident, my cantilever on my Shure mx97e was bent beyond repair. Now I am in a dilemma. I have a Fisher MT-6330 turntable Low Fi I know but I have made enhancements. It's a direct drive unit but has a unique 120 pole motor and a repectable 1kg platter. speed is DEAD ON. I have assembled a Janus mat (dynamat and cork); a 680 gram record weight (custom machined with 45 rpm adapter) and choice plinth mods to quiet it down It is well leveled Was aligned to perfection with a protractor from vinylengine; and overall sounded way beyond my expectations
It is christmas time and I am torn between 3 choices I can score a new model AT440mla for 99.00 or ortofon 2m red or 129 for the JICO SAS Stylus

HELP!!!
bc5k
bc5k OP
29 posts
 
Much appreciated... I know my low budget setup is no LINN or even a technics 1200 for that fact... But I have had good luck out of the fisher through more manual means... And best of all the price was right---FREE LOL... Beats my old technics sl-bd22 p mounter with a grado blue hands down... I am still looking forward to my stylus and I am pretty sure I will have good results even if the setup is a bit fiddly... Thanks for the vote of confidence Vinyladdict.
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vinyladdict
164 posts
 
Interesting. In that thread you even go so far as point out that, "71.4% is not 'near 80%'"; yet seemingly 71.4% is now 50%!

I have no problem with you not liking the stylus. I understand how some might prefer the smoother more laid back nature of the original. However, it takes all of 10 minutes of searching to indeed determine that there's no question that a vast majority do find the SAS an improvement, with the exception of the brush, over the original.
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fightingwords
86 posts
 
When I was looking around in the same price range, I looked at both the AT440mla and the 2M Red. Ultimately I went with the 2M Red, somewhat against my better judgement, because I'd heard the AT440mla more. However, I've loved the 2M Red. It has been a wonderful cartridge. At this point (just under 2 years) I would immediately replace it if it were damaged.

Its versatile, resolute, smooth, gets better with break-in, and seems to have a long life, but then again, the same is said for the AT440mla.

I think it's the objective of that price range to be a jack of all trades, and not super specific and theres a lot of overlap in the character of the different options. Makes the options not CLEARLY different at all.

That price on the AT440mla seems unbeatable though. If I had found one for $99 at the time, I would have bought it with out question.
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