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which cartridge to buy? so many...

i upgraded my realistic radio shack special with a rega planar 2 and grado gold about 5 years ago. the gold has had it and its time for a new head, im running the rega into a counterpoint sa7 pre to 2 antiqueaudio lab tube mono blocks into a pair of NHT super two's, and mainly listening to rather loud rock music. i'm looking for cartridge under 300, considering rega elys, sumiko blue point, maybe another grado- any suggestions?
bean151
sdcampbell
2,136 posts
 
The Shure V15VxMR -- the "Rodney Dangerfield" of high-end phono cartridges -- is an excellent cartridge and can be purchased new for about $275 from Garage-a-Records and Jerry Raskin's Needle Doctor. I have owned many cartridges, and the V15VxMR holds it own against many more expensive models.
twl
3,251 posts
 
An Audio Note IQ-2 is a OEM version of the Goldring 1042, and can usually be found for less than the Goldring. If you could find a inexpensive step-up transformer for around $100 or less, you could get a Denon DL103R low-output MC cartridge, and really get cookin'!
Another possibility is the Audio Technica OC-9, if you could find it sufficiently discounted, or the Ortofon X5-MC.
And don't forget the Denon DL-160 as a possibility. It is high output.
psychicanimal
1,738 posts
 
For the money, the Ortofon X5 is really hard to beat ($115 from Hong Kong). For rock music you might want to try a Stanton, too.
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