Wanted: Linn K18 Cartridge. Broken stylus ok

[Colin151]

Looking for a Linn K18 cartridge. Mk1 or MK2 fine. It would be be nice to find one with an OK sylus but I also don't mind if the stylus is broken.

[Arkless Electronics]

Just to wind you up :D Several years ago I gave a working one to a mate to get his Sony music centre going for vinyl... Stylus was rather worn by then for my use but for a music centre and occasional use...
Good luck:)

[Colin151]

Just to wind you up :D Several years ago I gave a working one to a mate to get his Sony music centre going for vinyl... Stylus was rather worn by then for my use but for a music centre and occasional use...
Good luck:)

Thanks. I wish you still had it. The K9 and K18 are not as good as pricier carts but they are ok and no big price problem if you break them. I've had them before and they work well into my particular phono stages in terms of capacitance loading too. Not peaky like some MMs can be into my stuff.

I prefer the more extended, flatter and more refined end of better MCs but to get one that does everything well like transients, dynamics and bass too can cost a fortune these days. I like the better Lyras, Dynavectors and Ortofons but look at the prices. Ortofons prices in particular have gone up so much and continue to do so.. I have an original MC20 super that says £125 on the box. Must be from the late 80s I guess. It's still made now (they reintroduced it) for £620... Nice sweet and refined sounding cart but some far cheaper carts have better dynamics and more solid bass. The K9 and K18 included.

If you actually have a working Technics EPC-300 MC cart (seen in your signature) with original stylus that's still ok then you are very lucky. That's supposed to be a fantastic cartridge. I hate retips. Always hit and miss in my view.

[Arkless Electronics]

I thought the K18 good in many respects but the big issue was the top tilted balance... very noticeably bass light and treble heavy! When I got mine they were expensive as well!

As it happens I also have a MC20 super (needs re-tip now) which I rate as the best cartridge I've ever bought and would rate dynamics and bass as first class... probably worth £620.

The EPC300-MC is also very nice but slightly less dynamic than the MC20. I got it NOS still in factory sealed box off a mate for a couple of pints :)

[Colin151]

I thought the K18 good in many respects but the big issue was the top tilted balance... very noticeably bass light and treble heavy! When I got mine they were expensive as well!

As it happens I also have a MC20 super (needs re-tip now) which I rate as the best cartridge I've ever bought and would rate dynamics and bass as first class... probably worth £620.

The EPC300-MC is also very nice but slightly less dynamic than the MC20. I got it NOS still in factory sealed box off a mate for a couple of pints :)

Top tilted balance on the K18? Thats strange, unless you had a capacitance loading issue that gave a peak in the treble. I've always found the K9 and K18 to be quite well balanced, particaulry ompare to an At44 or even the Ortofon OM range. Those are much brighter to my ears.

The Ortofon Super range of MCs (MC10 to MC30) have a very musical and refined sound that is pretty well balanced but the dynamics are not as good as the more modern Ortofon MC such as the Kontrapunkts/Cadenza/Rondos and also the older Supreme models or the MC25FL. I had an MC25FL and a MC30 supreme for a while and they are considerably more dynamic sounding than the MC20 super but also more clinical sounding and not as detailed or as musical, so I sold on and ketp the MC20 super. Part of it is because the Super models have lower effective tip mass. Very musical cartridges. Speakerbits in Australia were selling newly built MC30 supers about 5 years ago for about £300. I wish I had bought several. That's a really lovely cartridge and a fantastic price for new. Similar to the MC20 super but the better line contact tip retrives more detail. At times I wish the MC20 super had better transients and was more extended at the top.

If you think the MC20 super has good dynamics I am sure any of the newer models Ortofon MCs would blow it away in that regard, but for a price.

I also had the Ortofon Rohmann at one stage and that is also consdierably more dynamic sounding than the MC20 super and also had better resolution but I sold it on as its not as musical sounding. I certianly woudl say that the MC20 super is one of the best all around cartridges I have had. Mostly due to its refinement, pretty good transients and musical performance.

I am jealous regarding the EPC300! Lucky you. Very low output. Getting down to Audio note IO levels...

If Ortofon still sold the MC30 super for £600 I might buy one. I don't think the MC20 super is worth £600 these days with it's elliptical tip.

[Arkless Electronics]

Strange that we seem to have almost opposite experiences with these carts! The K18 was a Mk1 and it was the most unbalanced sounding cart I've ever owned... Very fast and leading edge transients good etc but this likely to be false and due to the boosted top end IMHO. No loading issues BTW. I would rate the MC20 as the most dynamic cart I've ever had as well..
Yeah the EPC300-MC is very nice... I manufacture phono stages so the low output is not really an issue ;) great delicacy and detail with excellent treble. Less dynamic than MC20 which I was using immediately before it though...

[Lawrence001]

I have a K18 on my LP12/ittok for sale. If I could replace it with something that would be considered at least as good by a potential buyer then I might be able to help.

[Lawrence001]

PM about to come..

[Colin151]

I have a K18 on my LP12/ittok for sale. If I could replace it with something that would be considered at least as good by a potential buyer then I might be able to help.

Sorry Lawrence I didn't see this yesterday (got no notification of your post). If you would be willing to sell the K18 you have let me know as I'd be interested.

Cheers,
Colin

[Colin151]

Strange that we seem to have almost opposite experiences with these carts! The K18 was a Mk1 and it was the most unbalanced sounding cart I've ever owned... Very fast and leading edge transients good etc but this likely to be false and due to the boosted top end IMHO. No loading issues BTW. I would rate the MC20 as the most dynamic cart I've ever had as well..
Yeah the EPC300-MC is very nice... I manufacture phono stages so the low output is not really an issue ;) great delicacy and detail with excellent treble. Less dynamic than MC20 which I was using immediately before it though...

Sorry Jez I didn't see this yesterday.
Interestingly, other people have said the K18 is bright too, but not my experience. It's nothing compared to some carts. I had a Technics U205 Mk3 with Jico stylus and that was really bright sounding, and I just bought an Orotfon OM10 to try and that's also a cart that's also too bright, which is a shame as it's good in other areas.

Are you sure you didn't have an MC20 Supreme instead of a super? If you had a MC20 super and its the most dynamic cartridge you've ever heard I'm surprised. It also goes against conventional wisdom as the supers are known to be softer and sweeter souding than other Ortofon's MCs, particularly all the newer ones. Have you tried carts like the Ortofon Supremes, MC25FL, Kontrapunts, Jubilee Rohmann etc? They are much more dynamic sounding than any of the suspers. Also so are the AT33 variants and the OC9, - massively so.

From what I gatherphono stages are pretty dynamic sounding so that might be part of it. There can be quite a bit of difference in dynamics between different phono stages too from my expeiernce. So maybe your stage balances things out well with the MC20 super but perhpas with a very dynamic sounding cartridge it might be a bit over the top and sound like a bit Naim DBL like (i.e. a circus act with horribly exaggerated dynamics!)

I found the weakest area of the MC20 super to indeed be a slightly lack of dynamics and a slightly over sweet/warm sound. The tracking performance is also not so great and only supposed to be a bit better on the MC30 super. Modern day Ortofons have much better tracking but I'm not spending that much at the moment.

You were very lucky to get that EPC300MC. I'd would also loved to have tried that Denon Dl-S1 that was up for sale recently. From all accounts it appears to be a better balanced version of the DL304 (i.e. less bright and less thin). I suspect the dynamics are also not up there with the best but I bet it's a wonderful cart in most other regards, and was relatively reasonbaly priced unlike some other brands. Shame they discontinued them

[Arkless Electronics]

I've heard many of those carts you mention but not in my own system. All I can say is that I found dynamics to be impressive from the MC20 super in my own system and it it is probably the most dynamic cart I've personally owned.... I did briefly try a Quartz and that was possibly even more dynamic but lost out in most other areas to the MC20 Super. The K18 is the brightest cart I've ever heard by quite a long way!
In another area of us experiencing opposites I found my MC20 a superb tracker! There are often sample differences between cartridges and so it may be I've had a "better" sample than the one you owned?

I recall the K18 being about £140 when a Goldring 1042 was about £70 so it wasn't a cheap cart!

[Colin151]

I've heard many of those carts you mention but not in my own system. All I can say is that I found dynamics to be impressive from the MC20 super in my own system and it it is probably the most dynamic cart I've personally owned.... I did briefly try a Quartz and that was possibly even more dynamic but lost out in most other areas to the MC20 Super. The K18 is the brightest cart I've ever heard by quite a long way!
In another area of us experiencing opposites I found my MC20 a superb tracker! There are often sample differences between cartridges and so it may be I've had a "better" sample than the one you owned?

I recall the K18 being about £140 when a Goldring 1042 was about £70 so it wasn't a cheap cart!

Yeah good point. Sample variation could be an issue for sure. You get that with so many pieces of kit. I tried most of those carts I mentioned in the same system and my particular MC20 super was probably the least dynamic sounding of the lot. If you had a zippier one with the other good qualities then it was probably a very nice example indeed. Even though I didn't find it to be the most dynmiac cart in the world I still went back to the MC20 super after trying those other carts as it's so musical and enjoyable sounding and a very good allrounder. Sounds like proper music.

I sold on the most recent cart I had (an AT33EV) as although it had a more solid bass and dynamics than the MC20 super it missed out in other regards and had a slightly articfical quality to the treble (I am sure the better tips of better AT33 variants improve on that). Like I say even the Rohmann (top of the range at one point) was not as enjoyable to me as the MC20 super despite being much more dynamic sounding and having greater resolving power. I agree with you that many other carts lose out to the MC20 super in some very important areas like a very well balanced FR and a very natural/musical sound.

As for the tracking performance of the MC20 Super that's also a weird one. Perhaps down to sample varation too then? Still the elliptical tip is unlikely to be as good tracker as carts with more exotic profiles that are well aligned (particularly with regards to end of side performance)

So anyway, I'm still using the MC20 super at the moment on one turnable until it dies on me!

Your words about the K18 being very bright are starting to scare me...

[Lawrence001]

Colin please clear your mail box!
Thanks, lawrence

[Colin151]

Colin please clear your mail box!
Thanks, lawrence

Sorry Lawrence. Sorted now!

[Lawrence001]

Thanks PM replied to