New arm & cartridge suitability together?

[Zoidburg]

Hey folks looking for some advice from you all before I purchase a new cartridge.

I currently have a Wand tonearm which I am considering partnering with an Audio Techica AT150 MLX

The blurb for the wand reads as follows

The Wand is "Medium Mass" at 12.5g effective mass (15g for the 12in), so will work with most cartridges.
Even a high compliance cartridge like a Shure V15Vx gives a measured resonance at 7Hz, so is ok. At the other extreme, conventional low compliance cartridges work well. Arm/Cartridge matching is frequently over-stated, unless you have a system with massive bandwidth or insist on playing badly warped records, it shouldn't be an issue.

and the same for the AT150

[I]Frequency Response 10-30,000 Hz*
Channel Separation 30/20 (dB at 1 kHz/ 10 kHz)
Tracking Force Range 0.75-1.75 g
Stylus Construction Nude square shank
Recommended Load Impedance 47,000 ohms
Output 4 (mV at 1 kHz, 5 cm/sec)
Channel Balance 0.8 dB
Stylus Shape MicroLine™
Cantilever Gold-plated boron
Mount 1/2" centers

So my question to you all is should these work together without any issues / problems?

I am hoping that the AT will give me a presentation closer to my previous cartridge with less of the clinical feel of the 2MB.

Thanks in advance

cheers,

Ben

[eddieedwards]

I don't know about sound, but from a compliance perspective all appears fine.

The AT weighs 8.3g, I've allowed for 1g of fasteners and get a resonant frequency of 10.8hz. The aim should be to be between 8 and 12hz and you could add a bit of mass to get right in the middle of the range should you wish to do so.

[Zoidburg]

I don't know about sound, but from a compliance perspective all appears fine.

The AT weighs 8.3g, I've allowed for 1g of fasteners and get a resonant frequency of 10.8hz. The aim should be to be between 8 and 12hz and you could add a bit of mass to get right in the middle of the range should you wish to do so.

Thanks Matthew for your comment, looks like I should be Ok then.:eyebrows::)

[petrat]

Hi Ben.

My experience with AT cartridges isn't that extensive, but I've always found them to be voiced similarly to the ortofons .. rather on the clinical side of things. Perhaps others could comment?

As an ex-owner of a 2M Black, I know, for sure, that the Audio Note IQ1 will give you exactly what you're looking for ... I'm listening to one as I type and it's very, very good :D New, they are a shade under three hundred quid. Future upgrade to the IQ3 would simply be replacing the stylus assembly.

[Zoidburg]

Hi Peter,

Thanks for your comments mate, I have also been advised to look at the AN IQ1 but tbh I've headed towards the AT as its slightly cheaper and I've been advised that it should do a lot of what im wanting in terms of sound.

As of last night I have very kindly been offered a loan of an AT 150 MLX from a member which I am considering at present as it will give me a good idea of weather the 150 will fit the bill.



Hi Ben.

My experience with AT cartridges isn't that extensive, but I've always found them to be voiced similarly to the ortofons .. rather on the clinical side of things. Perhaps others could comment?

As an ex-owner of a 2M Black, I know, for sure, that the Audio Note IQ1 will give you exactly what you're looking for ... I'm listening to one as I type and it's very, very good :D New, they are a shade under three hundred quid. Future upgrade to the IQ3 would simply be replacing the stylus assembly.

[CageyH]

I would not say that the AT150MLX is clinical. It sounds very different to the 2M Black in my set up.
The AN IQ1 is probably a very good suggestion though from what I have heard about them. Another to consider would be the MP200.