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Best cartridge options for around $200.



I need to send my Benz Glider to get re-tipped. I want to purchase an inexpensive cartridge for the interim and to use as a backup. I am looking for suggestion somewhere in the $200. price range. I can't spend a lot right now what with the re-tip and other obligations. I was thinking about maybe a Clearaudio Concept but am looking for other suggestions. My turntable is a Clearaudio Innovation Compact with Universal arm.
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schubert
7,386 posts
 
Great, but a 103 is over $200 while the Denon 110 is about $120 , had the Denon house sound and will smoke a Shure or Grado and has a more refined treble that the AT's.
tanathen78
25 posts
 
Comet supply has the 103 for what you are looking to spend I believe. It takes awhile to break in ,keep that in mind as well.
johnnyb53
3,510 posts
 

01-15-13: Schubert
Great, but a 103 is over $200 while the Denon 110 is about $120 , had the Denon house sound and will smoke a Shure or Grado and has a more refined treble that the AT's.

If my DL-160 is any indication, the DL-110 has an excellent tonal balance and its dynamics are bold and colorful, but not subtle. Nor would I say that it would smoke a Grado Gold unless you're only listening to certain aspects while ignoring others.

As for it having a more refined treble than an AT150MLX, dream on. As I said, if you can get the scratch together to pick up an AT150MLX for $325, it is *well worth* the extra money. It routinely retrieves micro dynamics the DL-160 doesn't even hint at. Yet it also has better tracking, wider bandwidth, and more transparency. I.e., better in every way.
schubert
7,386 posts
 
Well of couse it depends on what arm you have and what you listen to.
On my Rega 2 and SonyPS-X7(a sleeper TT) with the classical music I listen to, the DL-110 is more coherent than the "mid-ranging" Grados and bright At's .Less hi-fi, more music. YMMV
johnnyb53
3,510 posts
 
I don't care what the arm and system matching is, the DL110/160 do not have as refined a treble as the AT150MLX. The HOMC Denons have a decent tonal balance and good macro-dynamics, but simply don't operate at the same level of resolution and detail extraction of the AT150MLX. If the AT sounds bright, it first of all needs the proper capacitive match (100-200 pF), and also benefits from resonance control. Once I wrapped my SL12x0 tonearm with Teflon pipe thread tape, the presentation became very linear with no loss of resolution. The AT150 wasn't bright; it was revealing undamped resonances elsewhere in the signal chain. It's part of what comes with a higher resolution transducer.
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