A not too expensive MC cartridge for classical music

[mscili]

Wow, thanks, this is a lot of helpful information and advice. Of course going in many different directions...

Somehow, the question going through my mind now, for those who know both the the Hana SL and the AT-33PTG, would be... What do you think is less good on the AT (or on the Hana) and makes you choose the other one? Sometimes speaking about limitations (and not about qualities) can result in clearer understanding of the exact point we are focusing on. Of course it's pretty clear that both cartridges are good products, it's just about trying to go for the "best" option for what I'm looking for.

I know that my system has other limitations (in some ways maybe the amplifier, in other ways for sure the loudspeakers), but I have to start somewhere, and since my present cartridge is really an "emergency solution", it makes sense to start from here.

Again many thanks to everyone!

[Avinunca1]

Hana, without a doubt. Excellent value for money. They could put a fancy label on the front, pack in a funky box and they could get away with charging double.

Is it still such good value though. It went up in price some 25% almost overnight. I was going to buy one when they were £440 or so.

[RobbieGong]

Loved my mm 2M Black which I found to be superb for a balanced but detailed sound with great timbre, texture of instruments, horns are as lifelike as anything.
It caused me to try my first mc, it's bigger sibling the Quintet Black which I find has the same great attributes of the 2M Black but even better, more transparent and even more refined - an excellent cartridge that wont be going anywhere soon
It's been called 'an audiophile bargain' at £649 but might be out of your budget. I got lucky and paid a lot less for mine

[rdpx]

A friend of mine just bought a Hana SL and he is extremely happy with it, judging from the progressively more delirious texts I have been receiving today.

[DSJR]

Prices of audio gear are going to rocket in the New Year as the drop in Stirling value works its way through. So much gear and component parts are imported from the far east and the US. Sad, but true for the likes of us. Maybe the very Top End won't suffer as the seriously wealthy who buy their audio toys from the likes of KJ W1, have enough of a wealth buffer to accommodate it.

[struth]

Will help the secondhand market price when selling though, within uk. And maybe overseas too. Pound has maybe been over valued anyways, and its gonna get cut.

[hifi_dave]

Is it still such good value though. It went up in price some 25% almost overnight. I was going to buy one when they were £440 or so.

Yes, it is, when you consider build, performance and sound. It's still on the bottom rung pricewise for moving coil cartidges and could easily sell for 1K if packaged more exotically.

The Pound v Yen is not good at the moment, so prepare for anything Japanese to leap in price. Similarly with anything from Europe. Just had an Absolute Sounds price list through and the rises are depressing.

[DSJR]

Even before this, cartridges like the 10XV have gone up so much in price, yet production costs would have been written off decades ago (IV to V was mounting plate size more than anything else). Liked still, but it used to be the same price of the DL110, had already increased to £255 in 2002 or so, when the DL110 was still £79 or so, and is now five hundred quid (really? - http://www.audiot.co.uk/products/dyn...idge-5108.aspx) and performance is similar level and certainly no better than a DL110 in my experience.

[mscili]

I'm back... With a Hana SL at home, for a one week trial period! Incredibly nice service from the audio shop where I bought the used Rock Reference last year.

Up to now, I have been listening to it way too little to express any comment, but a new question comes to my mind: it wants "more than 400 ohm" on the preamplifier input. Ok, that makes me curious to know with which phono stage and with which settings you think this cart gives its best...!

I'll post my impressions about it soon.

Thanks a lot!

Marco

[Jimbo]

Good to have a dealer who will allow you to try an MC cartridge on trial, not many of them round here!

Will be interested in your assessment of the Hana SL as it has been on my radar for sometime, however I think the AT33Ptg would probably suit my system better. Good luck matching loading etc with your phono stage.