MM / MI cartridge

[SLS]

Interested in recommendations for good quality mm and mi cartridges around the £500-£1000 mark and merits - or reference to any threads already discussing.
Considering a dual arm set-up and have some ideas, but would welcome others views.
Purpose is to facilitate good rocking and bass (Radiohead / Massive Attack etc) on MM/MI and good mid and upper using existing MC, and extend cartridge life.
Many thanks

[Floyddroid]

To fly in the face of publick opinion which would be an Ortofon 2M black, i would asdvise listening to a Pickering MI cartridge giving your choice of music.:sofa:

[loo]

London Decca super gold with a pod, right on the money and you wont get more good rocking going on for your money:dance:
Paul

[Mike g]

Cartridge Man Music Maker - had one for a couple of months and I think it sounds great

[SLS]

Thanks for those recommendations.
I'm obviously not a committed audiophile as I have not got my head around paying £3k for a stellar MC cartridge. I have an XX2Mk2 that does a good job at just over £1k.
The Decca is not one that I had considered, looks an interesting left field option. Looks like a product that you have to try some time before they stick you underground.
The problem is having two tonearms of markedly different quality. That was my idea, but I'm going off it. My primary (arm and cart) is about £4k worth, the secondary I'm planning at about £1k to £1.5k.
The last recommendation was probably down my line of thinking, as the MM3 has a very sensible upgrade path (performance and money-wise) up to the MM Classic. I spoke to Leonard and he said try the MM3 first, with the isolation pad, and it is difficult to ignore someone who tells you to spend less on his products than more.
The Classic could probably act well as a main cartridge with the XX2Mk2 retipped as the secondary.
Or I could start a new thread asking for MC recommendations at £500.
Thanks again, any more suggestions welcome (SoundSmith?)

Re 2M, maybe aiming a little higher. Gave my son a Dyna 10x5, high output MC, option is to redefine as a loan and reclaim.

[walpurgis]

Or I could start a new thread asking for MC recommendations at £500.

ZYX R50 Bloom H, £500 (ish). Astonishing sound for the money!

[belloire]

either a clearaudio maestro or an audio note IQ3

both lovely carts :)

[Reffc]

ZYX R50 Bloom H, £500 (ish). Astonishing sound for the money!

:exactly:

I'm really enjoying what my 50H is doing with vinyl replay. It is a little less neutral (slightly fuller sounding) than the 2M Black but at around similar money is for me a stand-out in the lower-end MC stakes. You can spend twice the amount and get half the performance imho.

[Marco]

Hi Paul,

Sounds like more people need to know what the R50 is capable of! :)

Marco.

[Reffc]

Hi Paul,

Sounds like more people need to know what the R50 is capable of! :)

Marco.

I have been meaning to draft a review Marco once I've given it another 10 hours or more break-in. I'd like to get at least 50 hours on it before I draw detailed conclusions but for now, it's doing very well. It seems to be one of those analogue devices that's just "right". it doesn't draw attention to itself but seems to allow you to immerse yourself in the performance without those little niggles that almost always accompany many cartridges (if we're honest!). The areas where it seems to excel is in stereo image channel separation and bass authority (without being over-blown in any way...it remains taut). It wont pass band 4 of the infamous HFN test LP bias/tracking test, but few will. It does remarkably well on the 3rd band though. I have refrained from posting something in review terms as I supply these, but the offer is open for anyone else to pop over and spend a morning or afternoon listening on my system if they want to draft a review unless you are happy for me posting something? Sorry for thread hi-jack...just sharing thoughts.

[Marco]

Post away, Paul. People know that you're in the trade, and will make allowances for that. However, regardless of that, your views as an audio enthusiast are always welcome! :)

Marco.

[MCRU]

Interested in recommendations for good quality mm and mi cartridges around the £500-£1000 mark and merits - or reference to any threads already discussing.
Considering a dual arm set-up and have some ideas, but would welcome others views.
Purpose is to facilitate good rocking and bass (Radiohead / Massive Attack etc) on MM/MI and good mid and upper using existing MC, and extend cartridge life.
Many thanks

Hi,
I would suggest you outline what the cartridge is being fitted to and the rest of your system so as to get a better recommendation, they all have to gel together I think don't you?

[topoxforddoc]

If you want dynamics and attack from a MM/MI, then a Decca/London is high on your list. You’ll need a relatively heavy arm, a linear tracker like a Terminator T3Pro or a damped unipivot like a Hadcock to make it work best. You will also have to keep your records scrupulously clean with a wet RCM. Get these bits right and the Deccas are almost unbeatable.

If you want to dip your toe into the water, buy an used donor Decca Blue/Maroon or Gold and send it to John Wright (the current owner/designer of Decca London cartridges in Shropshire) for a rebuild and Paratrace tip.

Charlie
www.charlie-chan.co.uk

[walpurgis]

I have been meaning to draft a review Marco once I've given it another 10 hours or more break-in. I'd like to get at least 50 hours on it before I draw detailed conclusions but for now, it's doing very well. It seems to be one of those analogue devices that's just "right". it doesn't draw attention to itself but seems to allow you to immerse yourself in the performance without those little niggles that almost always accompany many cartridges (if we're honest!). The areas where it seems to excel is in stereo image channel separation and bass authority (without being over-blown in any way...it remains taut).

I agree, the R50 Bloom H improves with use, as it seems all ZYXs do. Even more noticeably, my R100 H 2 didn't sound right for the first 20 hours and steadily came 'on song'
after about thirty hours. It still has less than fifty hours use and now sounds superb.

I like your description of the R50 not drawing attention to itself. It's the only MC I've used which you just forget about and listen to the music. It has character, but seems to lack any colouration. A very rare thing. Oh, and the depth of image and ambience are world class.

[SLS]

David

The idea is to be a second arm on my Claro for under £1,000, less of possible. From comments received and a bit of searching, my current thinking is one of your Jelco 750D's and a Goldring 2500, apparently well suited. I was going to get in touch to ask whether the cable in the Jelco is OK or should be upgraded. If not, I will be in budget. Does the Jelco come with an external cable?

Regards, Steven

[MCRU]

David

The idea is to be a second arm on my Claro for under £1,000, less of possible. From comments received and a bit of searching, my current thinking is one of your Jelco 750D's and a Goldring 2500, apparently well suited. I was going to get in touch to ask whether the cable in the Jelco is OK or should be upgraded. If not, I will be in budget. Does the Jelco come with an external cable?

Regards, Steven

Hi
The jelco does not come with a tone arm cable but I have plenty for reasonable money as well as an account with goldring so I can put you a package together for the lot if that's what you decide to do. The Jelco is a cracking arm I have to say.

[SLS]

There is a Decca Gold knocking about that, from what I read, would go nicely on the Jelco 750D - and hit the £1000 budget.
The Jelco is also available in 12" for only about £50 extra, compared to £400 extra for my OL Illustrious.
But I assume someone will tell me to change the headshell, which will tip it over the budget. But when did anyone, or me in particular, ever stick to a budget.
Decca is collecting votes nicely.

[SLS]

David, is that a vote for the Goldring as well?
The football's finished and off to listen to some tunes.
At least I didn't have to go down to the Bridge tonight and freeze my --- toes off.
Speak soon.
Steven

[The Grand Wazoo]

Give the Decca a go!

[PaulStewart]

Hi Steven,

I think that the Decca is a great cartridge and will sound great on your TT, However to get the ultimate out of it, my feeling is it should be on something like a Haddcock, it's a marriage made in heaven. On the other hand, the Jelco/Goldring combo may work better for the intended user of the second arm :) and is a really great combination.

Cheers

[SLS]

I'm looking for an easy life on this one.
Hadcock's don't come up that often, there is one about
http://www.preloved.co.uk/adverts/show/109378604/hadcock-228-super-unilift-arm.html
and Bigears has a Decca for sale.
For its purpose, I would rather go for the Jelco/Goldring, not lead as my son has a habit of breaking things just by looking at them. Will be much easier to set up. David has the Jelco on a deal and it'll keep him in clean underwear for a few days.
This is a second arm and I have to resist the temptation to get something with an upgrade path.

[walpurgis]

my son has a habit of breaking things just by looking at them.

Perhaps a Decca may not be the best choice. All cartridges are fragile, but Deccas only take a slight knock to push the stylus up into the body, rendering them useless until rebuilt. I've seen a number like this. Not done by me I should add.

[Barry]

It's a myth that Deccas only work best in unipivot arms. Nor is it essential that damped pivot arms are used: the early Decca ffss arms were undamped. It was only the later Decca unipivot 'International' designs that were damped, simply because unipivot arms are best damped for stability.

I have used Deccas (of various vintage) in a variety of arms, damped and un-damped, unipivot and non-unipivot. Decca cartidges are not for the noviciate: they are somewhat cantankerous, need 'pampering' and an almost fanatical attention to their set up, and are the most variable of designs (due to the most part by their atrocious build standard and quality control).

Yet when set up properly and with a good sample, there is nothing to touch them as regards transient attack, speed, excitement and sheer listening joy and a sense of 'being there'. No, they are not the most tonally neutral of cartridges, nor do they have, overall, the flatest of responses; but the all-important mid range is the flattest of most cartridges.

Having been a Decca admirer, and user (inter alia), for many years, I would say "go for one", but please be aware of the many caveats associated with using one.