WTD: Your best MM cart /suggestions for £ 100'ish

[Idlewithnodrive]

Hello chaps,your help needed

As experts in the obscure, esoteric, giant beating cart arena, this should be right up your street

I've been looking for quite a while now for a DL-160 cart, with no joy, so maybe time to consider something else.

So, I'm looking for a DL-160 type MM cart for about £ 100 or so.

What I like about the DL-160 -

Tracks well
Very even handed, not harsh / bright
More 'musical' than 'hi-fi' but still fairly detailed
Kind to second hand LP's

So has anybody got or happy to suggest anything suitable ? It's getting a bit critical now, as I recently wrecked my main DL-160 and am now using my mid mileage spare.

If you guys can't suggest something special for the money, nobody can

[Bigman80]

If you can stretch to a Goldring 2100 (just over £100) you won't be disappointed. It's a phenomenal cartridge and the best MM I've heard. Also there as a technics mm on here recently. I believe that will be tough to beat.

Sent from my EVA-L09 using Tapatalk

[walpurgis]

If you like the DL-160 (as I do), you would probably enjoy a vintage Grado. They have a simliar degree of 'musicality' and are a little easier to come by.

I have a Grado F1+ that I use now and then. It's a lovely sounding cartridge.

[mad-moon]

+1...I'm using a Grado prestige series, on one of my shells......very nice cart...

If you like the DL-160 (as I do), you would probably enjoy a vintage Grado. They have a simliar degree of 'musicality' and are a little easier to come by.

I have a Grado F1+ that I use now and then. It's a lovely sounding cartridge.

[Arkless Electronics]

+1...I'm using a Grado prestige series, on one of my shells......very nice cart...

and for an opposite view... I briefly tried a Prestige Black many years ago. It lasted about half an hour before I removed it for resale... one of the worst cartridges I've ever heard..... Lets just say there was no possibility of anything sounding harsh

Vintage Grado's are MUCH better.

[gerlando]

Denon DL110;
Nagaoka MP-110.

[Geoff101]

Hi Mike,
Was it you that I previously offered a couple from my collection to?

[Idlewithnodrive]

Hi Geoff,

No, that was speakers and at the time I couldn't get over to pick them up, due to silly work commitments

[Geoff101]

OK - in that case I have the following:

Arcam (A&R) P77 Mg - this is effectively new having played only a few sides on the original stylus - £100.

I've got a box full of old Grados without stylus. They have various markings but I think are basically all the same and equivalent to the current entry level Prestige. I don't think these are worth a lot.

Shure M44-7, M55E, M75ED, M91ED, M95ED - various Stylus, some original NOS, some used, some new aftermarket.

Ortofon VMS20 - used stylus which I need to clean and check.

AT91, AT105 - both used stylus but cleaned up and look ok under 100x

Technics EPC-290C - new aftermarket stylus.

[Idlewithnodrive]

Thanks for that Geoff.

I must admit to not being a great Shure fan; I've not owned one that I really like yet and they are too confusing / too many derivatives.