New mm cart required or repair possibly?

[Zoidburg]

So this afternoon my clutz of a wife has bent the stylus on my goldring 2500 cart so the cantilever is now pushed up to the body! :doh::doh:

I know I can get a replacement stylus for about £265 but is there any worth in looking to get it repaired maybe instead? If so can anyone recommend someone?

Alternatively are there any other mm carts out there worth considering around the £300 mark that offer similar performance to my goldring? The 2m orange springs to mind but I'd appreciate your thoughts on the less obvious as well.

Arm is the wand and I'm using a firebottle plus phono stage.

I'm now off to throttle the wife for the rest of the day!!

[struth]

Women and their dusters :doh:

Outfield choice... An at95e with a jico shibata stylus.... Very good and yould save a few quid for tunes too

[Jason P]

Goldring themselves do repairs - have a look on their website. Worth a try, may work out cheaper than a new stylus?

[walpurgis]

A stylus repair is likely to cost as much as a replacement.

I believe your phono stage works with low output moving coil cartridges. For the money you're talking about you could buy a Denon DL-103R MC, which would sound rather nice.

Or spending a bit more, a ZYX R50 Bloom H would sound wonderful.

[Zoidburg]

Thanks for the comments folks

My phono stage is mm only though so I can't go down the mc route (unless it a high output I guess).

Anyone used an audio tchnica at 150 at all?

[Zoidburg]

Women and their dusters :doh:

Outfield choice... An at95e with a jico shibata stylus.... Very good and yould save a few quid for tunes too

Thanks Grant,

Would your recommendation stand up well against the 2500? What sort of money would a jico stylus set me back?

[struth]

Thanks Grant,

Would your recommendation stand up well against the 2500? What sort of money would a jico stylus set me back?

not tried a Golding but it does quite well against my ortofon mc which is highly regarded. doesn't beat it but considering the outlay its surprisingly good imo..

not sure what it costs now but probably a little over £100 once you pay delivery from USA. alas It looks like there is a waiting list at moment for this one

http://www.turntableneedles.com/Audio-Technica-ATN95E-ATN3400-Type-JICO-Shibata-Stylus--our-Needle-710-DSH_p_3721.html

The hypereliptical version is cheaper by a fair bit and isnt quite as good but its a decent performer for its modest price. I dont have one but have tried one up against mine.

http://www.turntableneedles.com/Cartridge-AT95HE_p_3926.html

dl110 might be a decent stopgap too. there are some on bay at decent money http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Denon-DL-110-High-Output-Moving-Coil-Stereo-Cartridge-SUPERB-World-Shipping-/351580351522?hash=item51dbd26c22:g:NZMAAOSwEgVWSaj I

[karma67]

they are in stock here, http://www.lpgear.com/product/LPGAT95HE.html

i liked my at95 with the HE stylus although i think the denon dl-110 beat it.

[Zoidburg]

I might consider the denon as a stopgap until I can find a decent mm or decide on what to do with the 2500 at least.

[Zoidburg]

I've dropped an email to North West Analogue this morning enquiring about a possible repair (depending on price against a new stylus) so am looking forward to their comments.

[Zoidburg]

Just to put a final note on this thread I picked up a low hours Denon Dl-110 yesterday which I should receive later this week (in time for the weekend hopefully). It may not be the be all and end all of cartridges but I've never tried a HOMC before so in that respect it will be a new experience and something to look forward to with interest.

In the mean time I will be keeping my eye out for a bargain replacement stylus for the 2500 or possibly some other flavour of mm depending on what comes up in the classifieds.

[Zoidburg]

Well after less than a week giving the denon a shot I've decided its not for me. There's nothing actually wrong with it at all but its just not floating my boat. It was always destined to be a stopgap but as chance would have it a mate pointed me in the direction of a low hours 2m Black for sale over on PFM. Following a chat and a few questions its now on its way to me :lol::eyebrows::D

I guess my 2500 would be considered in the same ball park as the black but given all that's been written about it im still expecting to be impressed.......................fingers crossed eh:eek:

One low hours, mint condition dl110 will soon be available via the classifieds here as well.

[Jimbo]

Well after less than a week giving the denon a shot I've decided its not for me. There's nothing actually wrong with it at all but its just not floating my boat. It was always destined to be a stopgap but as chance would have it a mate pointed me in the direction of a low hours 2m Black for sale over on PFM. Following a chat and a few questions its now on its way to me :lol::eyebrows::D

I guess my 2500 would be considered in the same ball park as the black but given all that's been written about it im still expecting to be impressed.......................fingers crossed eh:eek:

One low hours, mint condition dl110 will soon be available via the classifieds here as well.

I've had some great sounds from my 2M Black via Firebottles preamp. Bit of a bigger to set up, my only suggestion is get the back end of your tone arm down slightly below parallel and try tracking weight towards top end 1.6-1.7g.

[RobbieGong]

I've had some great sounds from my 2M Black via Firebottles preamp. Bit of a bigger to set up, my only suggestion is get the back end of your tone arm down slightly below parallel and try tracking weight towards top end 1.6-1.7g.

Welcome to the 2MB club - A simply magical cart in IME and IMO and yes, a b!tch to set up but worth it, it really is that good:)
BTW mine has always been fine between 1.5g - below 1.6g so start at recommended weight of 1.5g and go from there ;)

[Zoidburg]

Any and all tips on set up for it will be much appreciated folks!

[struth]

Tempted to quote Bernard Barton...but I wont... Meant to be fiddly and touchy but with your arm and deck i bet it works first time Ben..

[RobbieGong]

Tempted to quote Bernard Barton...but I wont... Meant to be fiddly and touchy but with your arm and deck i bet it works first time Ben..

:)

[walpurgis]

Just buy a Decca and call it a day! :)

[Arkless Electronics]

Better still a LO MC!

[Arkless Electronics]

Any and all tips on set up for it will be much appreciated folks!

They are reputed to work best into non standard loading of no capacitance (just that of arm lead) and 32K. 100K in parallel with the inputs will do the trick.

[Kvaal]

I have had a DL 160, never had a Decca (exotic here in Norway), have tried some carts in the last 40 years, but far from all. I am very happy these days, as I have found a super cartridge for the GL 75. Technics EPC 270c. Needle from JICO. It's a budget option, but it plays the best I have ever heard. Recommended!

[dmckean]

I have had a DL 160, never had a Decca (exotic here in Norway), have tried some carts in the last 40 years, but far from all. I am very happy these days, as I have found a super cartridge for the GL 75. Technics EPC 270c. Needle from JICO. It's a budget option, but it plays the best I have ever heard. Recommended!

I've also been curious about these carts, mainly because they used to come standard on the Technics higher end consumer tables back in the day.

[Arkless Electronics]

I've also been curious about these carts, mainly because they used to come standard on the Technics higher end consumer tables back in the day.

They are very good! As is the one from top of the range LO MC Technics I currently use myself (EPC-300MC)

[Tom-Brown]

I've had some great sounds from my 2M Black via Firebottles preamp. Bit of a bigger to set up, my only suggestion is get the back end of your tone arm down slightly below parallel and try tracking weight towards top end 1.6-1.7g.

+1 - My Black plays superb with the tone arm arse down!!! also that's why I like rega arms, the ortofon cartridge profile is the same as the rega head - line all up and away you go!! got mine set at 1.6g...Great cartridge, but then what would I know :lol: :lol: :lol:

[walpurgis]

They are very good! As is the one from top of the range LO MC Technics I currently use myself (EPC-300MC)

Thought this was top of the range:

http://i66.tinypic.com/2ln8glu.jpg

My old EPC-305MC. Excellent MC. Had it for years until I bought a ZYX.

[Jimbo]

I have had a DL 160, never had a Decca (exotic here in Norway), have tried some carts in the last 40 years, but far from all. I am very happy these days, as I have found a super cartridge for the GL 75. Technics EPC 270c. Needle from JICO. It's a budget option, but it plays the best I have ever heard. Recommended!

Hi Johan, I too have the GL75 and have recently serviced it. I use the Audio Technical AT95e cartridge which sounds very good but I like the recommendation of you Technics EPC 270c. May look out for one to try with the Lenco.

[walpurgis]

I intend to use a Decca Mk.III on my GL75, but mine's a little 'different' to others.

[Jimbo]

I intend to use a Decca Mk.III on my GL75, but mine's a little 'different' to others.

Got any Deccas for sale geoff:)

[walpurgis]

Got any Deccas for sale geoff:)

Nope! :)

You couldn't use a Mk.III in an L75 arm anyway. A London Blue works though.

[Arkless Electronics]

Thought this was top of the range:

http://i66.tinypic.com/2ln8glu.jpg

My old EPC-305MC. Excellent MC. Had it for years until I bought a ZYX.

Yep hence I said "one from top of the range" ie there's one above it :) The 305 had a boron cantilever, titanium nitride on the 300. IIRC the 305 may have also had a Shibata tip... not sure. Mine sounds great! Even better it cost nowt and I got it still factory sealed (cellophane around the box) all those years after it was made :)

[walpurgis]

Yep hence I said "one from top of the range" ie there's one above it :) The 305 had a boron cantilever, titanium nitride on the 300. IIRC the 305 may have also had a Shibata tip... not sure. Mine sounds great! Even better it cost nowt and I got it still factory sealed (cellophane around the box) all those years after it was made :)

No. Elliptical on the 305. I've used the 300 as well and to be honest, I couldn't really tell them apart. Both superb. But not as superb as the ZYX R50 Bloom that replaced mine. :)

Got mine new about 1983 for mere £60 when vinyl was becoming thought outmoded. I only sold it about four years ago.

I had a couple of Fidelity Research MC201s at the same time as the 305. They gave it a very close run indeed.