Expensive MC's, are they worth it?

[Floyddroid]

A really good discussion this.

I always remember something Tom Fletcher (Nottingham Analogue) told me a good few years ago: "spend more on records than record players".

He told me the same thing. Trouble is i spend a fortune on both ha ha. Great bloke though and a miss to the industry. An absolute gentleman. Like Les Wolstenholme and Bill Beard an absolute pleasure to do business with.

[User211]

The best cartridge I have owned is a Transfiguration Orpheus which I still have.

It is a shame, I think. It doesn't do the format any good. If the performance of that cartridge was available for £150 vinyl would be a far more realistic format. Never mind the phono stage LOL.

[dimkasta]

I have both MM and MC cartridges. My friends also have a variety of cartridges ranging from cheap MMs to expensive high end MC stuff.

And yes there is a difference. And in most cases it is not subtle. You have to go really high on money for diminishing returns to kick in. All is relevant though.
Money has different value for different people. And different people have different music tastes with different levels of recording fidelity and different systems.
Only you can decide what works for you.
No forum thread is going to give you a certain answer.

Just go out and listen to stuff.

[Floyddroid]

I have both MM and MC cartridges. My friends also have a variety of cartridges ranging from cheap MMs to expensive high end MC stuff.

And yes there is a difference. And in most cases it is not subtle. You have to go really high on money for diminishing returns to kick in. All is relevant though.
Money has different value for different people. And different people have different music tastes with different levels of recording fidelity and different systems.
Only you can decide what works for you.
No forum thread is going to give you a certain answer.

Just go out and listen to stuff.

Good reply.

[plastic penguin]

I know I'll get slagged off for this, but there's only so far you can go with a cartridge. If you're pushing the limits of your table, a better cart will improve things... up to a point.

With my budget Pro-ject I wouldn't go any higher up the chain than my ClearAudio Concept cart IMHO.

[Simon_Nottingham]

I know I'll get slagged off for this, but there's only so far you can go with a cartridge.

I doubt you'll get slagged off. A £2,000 cart on a budget Pro-ject through £500 worth of amp and speakers would be silly. You need to spread the cash about. But there is an argument (which makes sense to me) that the first part of the chain (i.e. the cart) is the most important part; though may would argue that the deck & arm are the key part.

Ooh, it's not easy is it?

[Bigman80]

I know I'll get slagged off for this, but there's only so far you can go with a cartridge. If you're pushing the limits of your table, a better cart will improve things... up to a point.

With my budget Pro-ject I wouldn't go any higher up the chain than my ClearAudio Concept cart IMHO.

What would you go to if you had a SP10 or PLC-590 ?



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[AlfaGTV]

What's considered "expensive"?

To most of my friends that would mean, say, my DL-103 at around £200.
On the other hand, my good friend who's into music would most likely consider my Benz LP-S "value" oriented compared to his Lyra Atlas!!!

That said, to me i i think there's a sweetspot in VFM and real gains in vinyl reproduction up to at somewhere around £1000.

I'd be very pleased with say a Benz Wood SL, Lyra Delos or possibly a Dynavector XX-2 MkII. From what ive heard at friends there are several very good alternatives at around that cost like ZYX and Transfiguration.
How much does one loose out on when compared to a DL-103 then? Hmmm... I'm spinning LPs using my Pink Triangle LPT/Technoarm\DL-103SA right now and i don't miss much.

And heres where my point comes in; Select your phono stage with much care and be prepared to spend some serious funds. A very good phono stage will lift any decent cart to a different level!
(And of course we could go on with the reasoning concerning both the deck and the tone arm too... )

[dimkasta]

I know I'll get slagged off for this, but there's only so far you can go with a cartridge. If you're pushing the limits of your table, a better cart will improve things... up to a point.

With my budget Pro-ject I wouldn't go any higher up the chain than my ClearAudio Concept cart IMHO.

I wouldn't be so quick to put such psychological limits to turntables.
I have seen cheap turntables sing very nicely with nice MCs.

If money was not an issue, I would upgrade my cart over my turntable without hesitation

[walpurgis]

I have seen cheap turntables sing very nicely with nice MCs.

So have I.