Cartridge Recommendation.

[Hydie]

I'm about to dig out my 30 year old STD 305S which has an even older SME 3009 Improved fitted. It needs a new cartridge, I was thinking of a Ortophon 2M Blue, some German Company on ebay sells them for £135, any other recommendations? My only concern is the SME is only calibrated to 1.5 grams which doesn't seem enough for modern cartridges. I don't really want to buy a digital scale.:)

[DSJR]

ADC XLM II or III from Bluz-bros in the US (expensive mind)

Shure M97Xe used without stabilising brush

AT120e or better, 440MLa

Stanton 681EEE mk3 or the better value Pickering V15 with line contact stylus (XV3000?)

Ortofon OM20 or 30, although Ortofon and the UK importers really want their pound of flesh from these good but old cartridges these days, totally out of proportion to exchange rates IMO

The Nagaoka's also would work well in the "improved" SME's if my experiences of the older ones are anything to go by.

MC's? You might get away with a Denon 304 in the SME although I haven't tried it.

PLEASE use the SME gunk/Blac-Tac between cartridge and shell, as this really does make a beneficial difference to the sonics IMO. The Stanton/Pickering carts may even like a little blue/blac-tac between the fixing lugs. Heavier counterweights are available from SME to get the mass close to the pivots and of course Audio Origami is there in addition to SME themselves, should the arm need any fettling or re-wiring. Still can't understand why SME are so bloody pricey these days though....

[Hydie]

Hi Dave, thanks for your comprehensive reply, I shall study that information.;)

[DSJR]

ADC's are well out of production although carts and NOS styli are still avaliable. The XLM from the mk2 series onwards were very good, sweet toned with great tracking and covered their shortcomings very easily I found. I love them to bits still and I think Alex UK would speak fairly highly of the heavier-duty VLM he has (although he tells me he prefers the Nagaoka MP15 I sold him before, hence the recommendation for the current ones from Musonic)

[Alex_UK]

Indeed, I love the Nagaoka MP-15 and others who have bought the modern versions have been well pleased too. I've not given the ADC a fair enough go in my main system, to be honest, but it sounds very nice in the Garrard 401/SME 3009 S2 Improved in the office system - in fact, I'm going to swap them again for a while and see how the ADC sounds in the SL-150 in my main room...

[Alex_UK]

I don't really want to buy a digital scale.:)[/Q
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I use something very similar and it is fine for the job.

[Hydie]

ADC's are well out of production although carts and NOS styli are still avaliable. The XLM from the mk2 series onwards were very good, sweet toned with great tracking and covered their shortcomings very easily I found. I love them to bits still and I think Alex UK would speak fairly highly of the heavier-duty VLM he has (although he tells me he prefers the Nagaoka MP15 I sold him before, hence the recommendation for the current ones from Musonic)

My first ever cartridge in 1979 was a ADC QLM 36 III, this was fitted to a Sansui SR222 Mk II, a bit of useless info' there!

[Hydie]

I use something very similar and it is fine for the job.

Hi Alex, I must admit that isn't a lot of money.:youtheman:

[WAD62]

I recently renovated my ageing Linn Axis (Basik + arm), new belt & oil etc. And decided to upgrade the cartridge from the K9 I'd been using for too long (I was never very happy with it).

I chose a Dennon DL-110 (high output moving coil), they're usually about £120 or so. One of the reasons I chose it was its ability to play older more damaged records (I stopped buying vinyl around 86) without too much surface noise. I believe it has a conical stylus and can get into the grooves a bit easier.

Anyway it sounds jolly nice to me, as I'm sure would a lot of the other alternatives mentioned in this thread.

[Hydie]

I recently renovated my ageing Linn Axis (Basik + arm), new belt & oil etc. And decided to upgrade the cartridge from the K9 I'd been using for too long (I was never very happy with it).

I chose a Dennon DL-110 (high output moving coil), they're usually about £120 or so. One of the reasons I chose it was its ability to play older more damaged records (I stopped buying vinyl around 86) without too much surface noise. I believe it has a conical stylus and can get into the grooves a bit easier.

Anyway it sounds jolly nice to me, as I'm sure would a lot of the other alternatives mentioned in this thread.

Like you I stopped buying vinyl in 1986, that's when I "upgraded" to CD and gave the STD to my brother. Those are words you won't often hear in one sentance!:doh:

The Denon looks interesting and it seems that 1.5 grams tracking might just be enough.
Thanks,I think that will go on my short-list.:)

[Alex_UK]

Ok, as promised, I played with the ADC VLM MkII in the Technics SL-150 last night, playing a couple of albums I know really well (got them both on both vinyl & CD so a good choice for me to compare - Zero 7 - Simple Things and When it Falls.)

For me, the ADC is smoother and warmer than the Nagaoka, (MP-15) - The Nagaoka seems to have more treble detail, as well as having a wider and more open soundstage. I don't dislike the ADC at all, and it works better in the SME on the Garrard than in the Technics SL-1500 arm on the SL-150. Switched back again to the Nagaoka this morning and been playing lots of vinyl which confirms to me that the Nagaoka is brighter and more open (more CD-like) which to me is a good thing. I guess if I can be bothered the next test would be the SME on the Techie and then try both cartridges again but don't hold your breath for that one! :)

[DSJR]

I'm back in "teacher" mode...

It's all very well recommending the DL110, but it's to be used with a lightweight SME "Improved" - as in low mass, which was the requirement then. My personal feeling is that the arm will be too light and resonant, the sum doing neither product full justice IMO.

Seriously, the Nagaoka's may well be the best compromise between life and bass presence.

Alex, the VLM actually has a fairly flat response, and the SME with either original shell (plus gunk) or a medium mass shell as supplied (the standard current Techie shell is fine for it IMO) would be fine I reckon, the extra rigidity of the Sumiko a complete waste of a decent headshell IMO.

[WAD62]

...I'll get my coat