MC Cartridge advice please

[Audio Al]

Any opinions on a MC Cartridge

Budget £350

I will be using it with a Tech 1200 , upgraded arm ( not sure what one yet )

A CA 640p Jez Arkless modded phone stage

:)

[Tarzan]

Denon DL103R:)

[freefallrob]

I haven't had that much experience with LOMC, but a I can say the Goldring Eroica LX LOMC is very good indeed and matches the Rega RB type arms very well.

[walpurgis]

I haven't had that much experience with LOMC, but a I can say the Goldring Eroica LX LOMC is very good indeed and matches the Rega RB type arms very well.

The Eroica LX is nice enough, but the DL-103R is significantly superior. I've used both alongside each other and the difference is there to be heard and as the Denon is cheaper than the Goldring it is a real bargain. I can't think of a low output MC that comes close at the price.

[Tarzan]

The Eroica LX is nice enough, but the DL-103R is significantly superior. I've used both alongside each other and the difference is there to be heard and as the Denon is cheaper than the Goldring it is a real bargain. I can't think of a low output MC that comes close at the price.



Go lovely with the Croft Al:)

[The Black Adder]

I once had an Ortofon Rondo Red, that was a lovely MC cart. Pretty much bang on budget.

[vacdac]

Good call, I have one meself. However its perhaps rather arm dependent I feel, certainly more than any other of t' lomc's I'm currently running. IME. I couldn't really give it a strong reco' were the intention to run it on a Rega arm. Reason I say this is that on my previous Technoarm although blameless, technically correct & competent sounding it really was somewhat Meh in relation to all my other carts. With this arm I much preferred my budget AT F3iii & would have said this was the more capable cart, even if not to everyone's taste. However on my more recently added Jelly 750D it's really rather fine at its price point & runs my AT33EV fairly close....I've had to re-evaluate my thoughts as to its capabilities somewhat + my findings re comparing it to t' F3 have been reversed...good as this little budget bruiser can be/is IMV & even tho its better...as you'd expect on t' 750d, its now shown a clean pair of heels by t' Ortofon Rondo Red.

The AT OC9ml ii (Just bought another BNIB/NOS one of these fer a complete song, from LP Gear in t' USA:eyebrows:) is also very good on t' Jelly & I have the same fairly low level of damping dialled in for all carts I am currently using. My phono stage has been unchanged for 5 years too, so it's not further downstream eqpmt colouring my views re my carts.

BR

Chris


I once had an Ortofon Rondo Red, that was a lovely MC cart. Pretty much bang on budget.

[PaulStewart]

I reviewed the Eroica LX on Musucosis.co.uk last year. It's always been a cartridge I liked and I have always thought the Denon slightly veiled in comparison the review is HERE (http://www.musicosis.co.uk/?p=614)

[The Grand Wazoo]

Why don't you tell AoS members about your thoughts on the cartridge here Paul, at AoS, instead of trying to entice them off to your commercially sponsored blogsite?

[Audio Al]

Why don't you tell AoS members about your thoughts on the cartridge here Paul, at AoS, instead of trying to entice them off to your commercially sponsored blogsite?

Chris , it's a link to a review , what's the problem :scratch:
I went and read the review Paul , thanks

[PaulStewart]

Chris , it's a link to a review , what's the problem :scratch:
I went and read the review Paul , thanks

Yeah I was a bit confused by that, glad the review was of help. I've never pretended Musicosis is anything other than commercial but we try and keep the adverts unobtrusive.

Cheers

[The Grand Wazoo]

Perhaps my PM will clear it up Paul.

[walpurgis]

Here's a recommendation.

I'm just trying out my newly arrived Ortofon MC15 Super II. It sounds lovely!

I bought it off eBay for £73 and it is in mint condition. I bought it out of curiosity as I rather like the MC25 FL I've been using recently and wondered how good this might be. It's very musical, transparent with loads of ambience and depth, bass is all there, so is the top end and it tracks well. No top end nasties either.

Got a bargain I reckon.

[Stratmangler]

I love what my Sumiko Blue Point Special Evo III does - only downside is that it is not a cartridge for the faint hearted as it's a nude design with no stylus guard either.

http://www.turntableworld.co.uk/departments-c49/cartridge-zone-c5/cartridges-mc-c15/sumiko-blue-point-special-evo-iii-high-output-moving-coil-cartridge-p628

[Audioman]

Here's a recommendation.

I'm just trying out my newly arrived Ortofon MC15 Super II. It sounds lovely!

I bought it off eBay for £73 and it is in mint condition. I bought it out of curiosity as I rather like the MC25 FL I've been using recently and wondered how good this might be. It's very musical, transparent with loads of ambience and depth, bass is all there, so is the top end and it tracks well. No top end nasties either.

Got a bargain I reckon.

I wouldn't say it's that good and considering what it cost new when in production I wouldn't call that a bargain. I traded it in for the MC25FL and would consider that a big step up in SQ. The problem is that Ortofon and Japanese cartridges (excl Denon) have been jacked up in price so much since the economic downturn that relative prices to current product can be misleading. For example I paid £210 for an ATOC9 II late 2008 and soon after it was over £400 and now over £500 for the new version.

[Dingdong]

Maybe put a wanted add in the classifieds. Maybe someone has something nice sat in the cupboard.

I've just picked up a very nice Transfiguration Temper V that I know the history of for a quarter of the list price and it's really rather nice. Very nice indeed.

[walpurgis]

I wouldn't say it's that good and considering what it cost new when in production I wouldn't call that a bargain. I traded it in for the MC25FL and would consider that a big step up in SQ. The problem is that Ortofon and Japanese cartridges (excl Denon) have been jacked up in price so much since the economic downturn that relative prices to current product can be misleading. For example I paid £210 for an ATOC9 II late 2008 and soon after it was over £400 and now over £500 for the new version.

Not quite sure what you're saying. What else in this kind of condition and giving this kind of sound quality is there second hand at the price? Not much.

I didn't say the MC15 Super II was as good as the MC25 FL, which itself is not as good as other cartridges I use, but it's lovely all the same. The MC15 Super II has the typical Ortofon MC sound and is nonetheless very nice and displays no nasties at all. It is certainly better than the older SL15E, MC10, MC20 and the like. It is a decent sounding MC.

I think we are all aware of the leap in prices for foreign products, but I don't think that has any bearing on my observations as I was discussing a used item sold in the UK.

[Audioman]

Not quite sure what you're saying. What else in this kind of condition and giving this kind of sound quality is there second hand at the price? Not much.

I didn't say the MC15 Super II was as good as the MC25 FL, which itself is not as good as other cartridges I use, but it's lovely all the same. The MC15 Super II has the typical Ortofon MC sound and is nonetheless very nice and displays no nasties at all. It is certainly better than the older SL15E, MC10, MC20 and the like. It is a decent sounding MC.

I think we are all aware of the leap in prices for foreign products, but I don't think that has any bearing on my observations as I was discussing a used item sold in the UK.

It cost £120/130 new so in my opinion £73 is quite a bit for nearly 20 year old cartridge. I suppose it reflects the inflated prices on the used market. I can't deny it was a competent cartridge for it's original selling price otherwise I wouldn't have bought one. Certainly better than the Goldring 1042 which only cost a little less at the time. I'm sure Ortofon charge considerably more today for similar quality. If you compare it to current new prices it is good value providing it is genuine very low mileage/unused.

[walpurgis]

It cost £120/130 new so in my opinion £73 is quite a bit for nearly 20 year old cartridge. I suppose it reflects the inflated prices on the used market. I can't deny it was a competent cartridge for it's original selling price otherwise I wouldn't have bought one. Certainly better than the Goldring 1042 which only cost a little less at the time. I'm sure Ortofon charge considerably more today for similar quality. If you compare it to current new prices it is good value providing it is genuine very low mileage/unused.

I agree, £73 seems dear in comparative terms. But if you go back far enough there was a time when you could buy a new Decca London or Ortofon SL15E for less than a Denon DL-103, which was dear back then. Bearing in mind that twenty years ago the MC15 Super II cost a third of an average working man's weekly pay, the price I paid was good in material terms.