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seek mc cart recommendation for Townshend Rock III

I'd be very grateful for advice: I have come into a small windfall of cash and am looking for a mc cart for the Rock III, with damping trough at the headshell end of a Rega RB-300, into a Heed Quasar phono pre (system details below). I am currently using a Grado Ref Sonata and would like to retain some warmth and especially natural musical timbre but improve detail retrieval and especially tracking. I have about 3000 albums, mostly aquired used, so I want a cart that is very quiet in the groove. I listen to all types of music except classical and opera, but especially 50s & 60s jazz, 60s-70s rock, and some folk.

I am considering the following but because of location will have no chance to audition any:

EMT TSD-15
Ortofon Cadenza Bronze
Dynavector XX2-mk ii
Benz Wood SL or SM (or even the Ref Silver or Copper)
AT33EV (I know this is in a lower league, but I hear it is very good)

A longtime Rock user tells me it works very well with carts with line-contact styli.

I would be grateful to hear whether the Ortofon would be too dry, after listening to the Sonata for years, and whether the AT33EV would sacrifice a lot in comparison to the others. Also, am I missing any obvious choices in this price range?

Thank you in advance!
System: Walker reference turntable controller powering the Townshend Rock, Heed Quasar phono pre, Don Allen tube linestage, Don Allen 807 SET, GR-Research Paradox 3 floorstanders.
adamay
manitunc
795 posts
 
I am currently using a Ortofon Kontrapunkt B which is the precursor cartridge to the Cadenza and find it to be very quiet in the grooves, nicely warm and dynamic and with good detail. I also used to own a Rock III and found that you could use many high energy cartridges with very good results. I particularily liked my Monster Alpha and Genesis models, so ZYX cartidges, which are made by the same company, may also work well for you.
dover
2,243 posts
 
I used to sell Rock's many years ago and had very good results with a good MM, often better than mid priced MC's. Have you considered something like the Clearaudio Beta or Virtuoso MM's.
adamay OP
11 posts
 
Thank you both. Yes, I've thought about the Clearaudio Maestro. Could you say why a good MM may be better than a mid-priced MC in this table/arm?
dover
2,243 posts
 
Hi, yes, the reason being is that MC's can put a lot of energy into a tonearm. The Rega 300 arm is excellent for the money but not up to a good MC. A MM will generally put less energy into the arm and sound more relaxed, more natural.
I know many people who ran cartridges such as Sumiko Blue Point and Audio Technica MC's in mid priced arms and generally upgraded again within 12 months. Sometimes in audio less is more.
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