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VPI Scout with Grado Master - but what next?

I've got an old original VPI Scout with a wood body Grado Master HO MM cartridge on it. I'm using the phono stage in my McIntosh C2200 tube preamp, and pushing the whole thing with a McIntosh MC402 solid state amp. I listen to Jazz mostly.

The Grado Master is about eight years old now, so I'm starting to shop around for a replacement. I had a Grado Sonata in it originally but it was pretty thin and boring sounding and didn't track very well - the Master has been a really wonderful cartridge. However it's a lot better with Jazz than it is with Rock. Rock, even excellent 1/2 speed master recordings, sound forward and lack slam.

So I'd like my Rock to...well rock, but jazz is my main thing, and I'm worried that if I buy a Dynavector or Soundsmith based on recommendations from folks who listen to Rock exclusively, I'll wind up with my Steely Dan bringing down the house, but Leroy Vinnegar sounding like Jack Bruce and a stack of Marshalls. This would be bad. Anyone
lemoco
dodgealum's avatar
dodgealum
1,404 posts
 
I would suggest you consider an Audiotechnica OC9MLII. This cartridge is somewhat of a sleeper and few people use it on the Scout, preferring instead the Dynas. However, in my view this combo is superb and the OC9 can be gotten relatively cheap. It is a great compliance match for the original JMW9 arm and the sound is spectacular--superior, in my view, to the 20XL and 20XM I owned and rivaling the XX2MKII I also used for a time. Find a used one and give it a try--I doubt you will want to let it go.
stringreen's avatar
stringreen
6,468 posts
 
Photon is right....VPI tables need a solid connection to the center of the Earth...the better the connection, the better the sound....however....I agree with your evaluation of the Grado .
stereo5's avatar
stereo5
6,388 posts
 
I had a Dynavector DV 20X cartridge on my Scout and loved it both for Rock and Jazz. It worked very well with the JMW arm. I had bought mine used and the suspension started to collapse so I only had it in my system for a couple of months. I used it a lot in those couple of months and really enjoyed the sound. Due to cost constraints, I bought a ZU/Denon DL103 cartridge and although I like the sound, it wasn't anywhere as engaging as the Dynavector. I do not play very many records now.

You will love the Dynavector on both rock and jazz, your music will really come alive.
lemoco OP
7 posts
 
Thanks everyone. I'll look into some mass or a shelf to isolate the TT first, and then have another listen. Any specific recommendations would be much appreciated. I actually had a Graham Slee Era Gold phono stage, but opted for the tube stage in the McIntosh as it has a much blacker background and is much more laid back.

One of the reasons I chose the Grado Master was the high 5Mv output. Looking at the Dynavector MC and the Soundsmith MI cartridges I worry about 2.5mv output requiring too much gain. To be honest I rarely turn the thing up past 4 but I like a lot of reserve power so I came keep the gain down low. Does the difference in output - 2.5mv vs 5mv - really impact the gain?

Thanks Again
lemoco OP
7 posts
 
Thanks, I appreciate it.
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