View Full Version : very good MM cartridge recommendations
karma1967
08-03-2023, 20:32
Other than the 2m black and nagaoka mp500 what very good cartridges would you recommend please?
Nagaoka JT 80 BK - maybe give this a try?
https://stereo-magazine.com/review/nagaoka-jt-80lb-jt-80bk-review
Wakefield Turntables
09-03-2023, 07:57
Jamie, are you looking for new/vintage suggestions ?
AJSki2fly
09-03-2023, 08:13
Goldring 2500
walpurgis
09-03-2023, 08:30
Goldring 2500
I'm quite interested in those, I hear they are rather good.
The Vertere Sabre also looks interesting, but I have never heard one.
AJSki2fly
09-03-2023, 09:46
Yep, it’s certainly as good at least as a good Hana MC imo. If you read the technical on the Goldring site it’s what they call a Moving Iron (MI) cartridge.
It gives lots of detail, and is good across frequencies bottom to top, and good soundstage. To me it gives a rendition that is musically natural sounding, sorry but it very difficult into words.
walpurgis
09-03-2023, 10:38
Yep, it’s certainly as good at least as a good Hana MC imo. If you read the technical on the Goldring site it’s what they call a Moving Iron (MI) cartridge.
It gives lots of detail, and is good across frequencies bottom to top, and good soundstage. To me it gives a rendition that is musically natural sounding, sorry but it very difficult into words.
Having had a Google, I gather the 2500 is built to Goldring specs by Nagaoka, that can't be a bad thing.
walpurgis
09-03-2023, 10:42
If you read the technical on the Goldring site it’s what they call a Moving Iron (MI) cartridge.
Presumably, that's a similar idea to the 'induced magnet' principle employed in the (rather nice) ADC cartridges.
Presumably, that's a similar idea to the 'induced magnet' principle employed in the (rather nice) ADC cartridges.
very similar it appears...adc stuff ive had were good. not had any goldring ones
karma1967
09-03-2023, 13:04
Jamie, are you looking for new/vintage suggestions ?
not really fussed andy to be honest.
geoff you may remember i bought an ADC cartridge from you a few years ago,it was good i recall but cant remember the model,one of the brick ones.
walpurgis
09-03-2023, 13:13
not really fussed andy to be honest.
geoff you may remember i bought an ADC cartridge from you a few years ago,it was good i recall but cant remember the model,one of the brick ones.
Can't remember. It could have been a 220XE or a 10E Mk.IV. Still got a few in my collection.
kirstysdad
09-03-2023, 14:56
I had a Goldring 1042 for ages, excellent alternative to a similarly priced ~£400 M/C
But it needs a new stylus, couldn't afford one (£250 or something), so have bought the "entry level" Goldring E1 MM and for £65 I am really impressed.
I wouldn't look any further than Goldring when I can afford it next.
Good performance with very few bad habits. The perfect marriage ;)
https://youtu.be/5TgORzbwb8o
Another interesting proposal.
is the 2500 discontinued? cant see it on goldring uk site
Clearaudio Maestro wood.
chz
Mikeandvan
28-04-2023, 21:45
450 notes for the 2500, bloody rip off. The At 540ml is rather good, lots of fine detail retrieval, but does pick up a lot of surface noise, and retails around £200. Mine is buggered, and I won't be buying another because of all the bloody surface noise!!
Rush2112
29-04-2023, 07:13
Jasmine Audio Moving Magnet Cartridges.
These are worth checking out from a performance per pound point of view I doubt you will find anything better.
https://www.iota-audio-design.com/iota-audio-design-jasmine-audio
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AJSki2fly
01-05-2023, 07:43
450 notes for the 2500, bloody rip off.
Mike have you heard one? Relatively speaking they are/were not that expensive and actually are extremely good.
Does anyone here have the Jasmine M2 (as above) or heard one ?
I would recommend (as I have one) a RigB modded AT540ML. Superb performance and unlike someone else's experience I find it a very quiet cart. It really is great VFM and runs my AT33PTG MC surprisingly close. The chaps that make the RigB body will sell you a complete cart ready modded for a good price (mine cost less than some people charge for the standard 540ML).
I listened to a Ortofon 2m LVB on Wednesday. I like that cartridge. That is my Recommendation for MM.
I would recommend (as I have one) a RigB modded AT540ML. Superb performance and unlike someone else's experience I find it a very quiet cart. It really is great VFM and runs my AT33PTG MC surprisingly close. The chaps that make the RigB body will sell you a complete cart ready modded for a good price (mine cost less than some people charge for the standard 540ML).
I also have the ATVM540ML with the RigB mod and love mine .
It takes it into VM740ML spec but better and in time you change then to get any of the following Conical, Elliptical, Line Contact MicroLine and a Paratrace.
450 notes for the 2500, bloody rip off. The At 540ml is rather good, lots of fine detail retrieval, but does pick up a lot of surface noise, and retails around £200. Mine is buggered, and I won't be buying another because of all the bloody surface noise!!
Are you looking to get rid of AT540ML ?
Pigmy Pony
04-06-2023, 07:03
I listened to a Ortofon 2m LVB on Wednesday. I like that cartridge. That is my Recommendation for MM.
Where does the extra 200 quid go? Is it the boron cantilever? Have you heard it against the standard 2MB?
AJSki2fly
04-06-2023, 09:15
Where does the extra 200 quid go? Is it the boron cantilever? Have you heard it against the standard 2MB?
and I quote the Ortofon blurb:-
"The 2M Black LVB 250 uses a Nude Shibata diamond on a Boron cantilever, the combination known from the acclaimed MC Cadenza Black cartridge. The use of an extremely stiff and lightweight Boron cantilever adds remarkable transparency, speed and responsiveness. The Nude Shibata stylus’ slim, highly polished profile allows an exceedingly wide contact area to the groove walls and ensures notably detailed reproduction throughout the spectrum, including even the highest frequencies. "
So it must be worth £999
karma1967
04-06-2023, 11:06
i really enjoyed my 2m black when i had it,id be intersted in the new lvb model but id like to hear it first back to back.
Pigmy Pony
04-06-2023, 12:35
and I quote the Ortofon blurb:-
"The 2M Black LVB 250 uses a Nude Shibata diamond on a Boron cantilever, the combination known from the acclaimed MC Cadenza Black cartridge. The use of an extremely stiff and lightweight Boron cantilever adds remarkable transparency, speed and responsiveness. The Nude Shibata stylus’ slim, highly polished profile allows an exceedingly wide contact area to the groove walls and ensures notably detailed reproduction throughout the spectrum, including even the highest frequencies. "
So it must be worth £999
Thousand quid? :eek: That sounds like a big price hike for a boron cantilever upgrade... Many moons ago I had a Nagaoka MP11 Boron cart, think it was only a tenner or so more than the standard MP11 iirc.
I paid just over €100 for a Super Shibata/beryllium rod last year. It fits my AT20SLa nicely.
Then you have the Jico SAS/B for sensible money.
So why does a 2MB LVB cost so much?
I paid just over €100 for a Super Shibata/beryllium rod last year. It fits my AT20SLa nicely.
Then you have the Jico SAS/B for sensible money.
So why does a 2MB LVB cost so much?
I pondered that too. Not sure if the Boron 2M Black would be my cup of tea as it could tip it over the edge, after all the 2M with aluminium cantilever is "vivid" enough.
karma1967
04-06-2023, 20:20
well to update this thread i've just bought a EEI-700 cartridge ,Boron cantilever and Shibata Stylus.
we shall see how it performs.
https://i.imgur.com/UhHgvDo.jpg
Looks interesting. Blast from the past?
hifi_dave
05-06-2023, 18:12
Back in the day when Max Townshend first imported the EEI range he was having trouble selling them despite rave reviews in the mags. I believe the retail then was £49 for the EEI 500, I suggested he try £84 and they sold like hot cakes. At the lower price they weren't taken seriously but they were still well worth the higher price.
Wouldn't mind trying one.
Mikeandvan
07-06-2023, 10:31
Thousand quid? :eek: That sounds like a big price hike for a boron cantilever upgrade... Many moons ago I had a Nagaoka MP11 Boron cart, think it was only a tenner or so more than the standard MP11 iirc.
What makes a £1000 cart cost so much more to produce than a £10 cart? Marketing costs?
Mikeandvan
07-06-2023, 10:37
Impressed with the AT 540ml (RigB rebody), I read on the Steve Hoffman forum that the AT95 EN was a good easy going cart, so I got one, a 100 notes. Hopefully will get around to fitting it later.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52957332379_a619a4e3fb_z.jpg
Micro Line should be detailed but quiet in the groove. Will be interested in your thoughts on this cartridge.
What makes a £1000 cart cost so much more to produce than a £10 cart? Marketing costs?
Exotic grain-orientated fine-line stylii cost a lot more to grind and to attach accurately to a brittle, but stiff, cantilever material such as boron. Also, most exotic materials used for the cartridge housing will cost more to buy and machine.
There may also be extra quality control and inspection made on the cartridge.
Lawrence001
08-06-2023, 20:28
What makes a £1000 cart cost so much more to produce than a £10 cart? Marketing costs?Magic fairy dust doesn't come cheap
eldarvanyar
25-06-2023, 23:31
Where can you buy the RigB cartridges from?
Thanks
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https://theaudiofiles.co.uk
walpurgis
26-06-2023, 07:39
What makes a £1000 cart cost so much more to produce than a £10 cart? Marketing costs?
Barry already hit upon the main points.
Smaller production runs and the level of hand crafting will bump the price up.
It also has to be born in mind that getting the best out of a decent low-output MC cart or a Decca for instance, requires a suitably good system to work with, so it's not just the cost of the cartridge to consider.
Plonking an upmarket cartridge into a basic system is likely to lead to disappointment.
https://theaudiofiles.co.uk/
leads one to the 95P Paratrace stylus.
Is this a good way to improve the humble AT 95 ?
has anyone tried this ?
https://theaudiofiles.co.uk/
leads one to the 95P Paratrace stylus.
Is this a good way to improve the humble AT 95 ?
has anyone tried this ?
Certainly like to try one of those stylus in the AT95. Thanks for posting.
Seems a bit expensive. I think the ML will be almost as good, for a chunk of cash less.
Mikeandvan
07-07-2023, 11:37
Seems a bit expensive. I think the ML will be almost as good, for a chunk of cash less.
Yer, I just got one, not sure that I even prefer it to the cheaper 95EN. These carts are ace, my search is over, it's AT95 all the way now, and perhaps somethign in the 540 range.
My current cartridge is an AT20Sla, with an AT15SS stylus in it. Rather good, but now difficult to find.
My current cartridge is an AT20Sla, with an AT15SS stylus in it. Rather good, but now difficult to find.
Have Jico ceased maufacture?
Jico are still manufacturing but they have dropped a number of stylus replacements especially SAS stylus profiles. I am particularly sad I cannot get the M55e SAS stylus anymore as this combination was fabulous.
However sometimes Jico do produce alternatives say moving from Boron to Sapphire or ~Ruby cantilevers with SAS stylus profile and indeed may well resurrect the original SAS Boron M55e replacement - I live in hope!:rolleyes:
Wakefield Turntables
07-07-2023, 16:46
JICO do indeed produce stylii. I'm having a blast with a SAS/S for my SC35C cartridge. In fact I'm running the thing in and hope to do a review at some point in the next month, only after I get chance to figure out the "house" sound of this combo, oh, and have a holiday in Spain!
Wakefield Turntables
07-07-2023, 16:47
Jico are still manufacturing but they have dropped a number of stylus replacements especially SAS stylus profiles. I am particularly sad I cannot get the M55e SAS stylus anymore as this combination was fabulous.
However sometimes Jico do produce alternatives say moving from Boron to Sapphire or ~Ruby cantilevers with SAS stylus profile and indeed may well resurrect the original SAS Boron M55e replacement - I live in hope!:rolleyes:
Have you tried asking them if they will make one? ;)
Have you tried asking them if they will make one? ;)
Good idea. I will email them. I have dealt with Jico a lot and they are a small and very amiable company who have the interests of the vinyl enthusiasts upper most. Maybe they might manufacture a Boron SAS for the M55 if I ask nicely!?:)
Wakefield Turntables
07-07-2023, 18:27
Well I did it out of curiousity for my own M55e. Lets see if they return a reply.
I would be interested in a boron cantilever'ed SAS stylus for the Shure M55E. The Shure was my first cartridge (bought because SME advertised their arms carrying one). I still have two samples, so I could do a comparison.
Have Jico ceased maufacture?
No idea, this is all OEM.
I would be interested in a boron cantilever'ed SAS stylus for the Shure M55E. The Shure was my first cartridge (bought because SME advertised their arms carrying one). I still have two samples, so I could do a comparison.
I had an SAS Boron stylus some time back for my M55E and it was a stunning combination. Sold it to a chap in Australia!:doh:
Wakefield Turntables
07-07-2023, 19:47
My SAS/B simply broke because I was ham fisted.:(
My SAS/B simply broke because I was ham fisted.:(
Ouch!:doh:
Yes, boron is extreamly brittle. I too broke a boron cantilever for a Grace cartridge.
Wakefield Turntables
07-07-2023, 20:05
All I can say is that my M55e + SAS/B was a something to behold. I'm trying to replicate that with the SC35C, it's a different beast, but I'm getting there.
Seems a bit expensive. I think the ML will be almost as good, for a chunk of cash less.
I ve had a browse in the AT website.
Gosh so many versions of the 95 albeit with different styli.
(they have 6 styli!)
I have never owned a 95
Tempted to go for the ML. Thanks Cagey
Am exploring MMs.
Currently using MC15 II super and DL103r that have both been restylied by Joseph Long in the US .
I went for eliptical diamonds in aluminium cantilevers and i ve been interchanging them in Bokrand AB309 and Jelco 850S arms.
Any advice is welcome.
One of my favourite combinations is the Technics EPC-U205 MKIII with the Jico SAS stylus.
The problem is that the price of the 205 has gone silly.
Don’t believe any adverts that say the original Technics stylus is ok, as the damper is likely to be completely goosed.
One of my favourite combinations is the Technics EPC-U205 with the Jico SAS stylus.
The problem is that the price of the 205 has gone silly.
Don’t believe any adverts that say the original Technics stylus is ok, as the damper is likely to be completely goosed.
They always did fetch a lot, but they were a good MM cartridge.
I was lucky, as mine cost me £50, as it had an aftermarket stylus.
The Jico was around £200.
Quite happy with the sound for £250.
There are a lot of the Mk II at a reasonable price on eBay.
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