Whats the most one would shelve out on a cartridge

[Mikeandvan]

I spent £400 on a cart once, it broke within 2 days due to my hayfever making me drowsy, it also didn't sound that good. So now I limit it to around the £200 mark, I like to play records drunk sometimes, and I ain't fussing around with a finger lift.

[losepete]

We (Mrs and me) purchased a "slightly used" Kiseki Blue Gold Spot MC for £185 in 1988. It sounded really good when demo'd.

We asked Grahams Audio (Islington, close to where we lived at that time) to fit the cartridge to our LP12/Ittok. After inspecting the cartridge Grahams declined to fit it stating that it was too badly worn. Looking through their magnifying glass we had to agree with them as there was a very obvious "shoulder" indicating a lot of wear to the stylus. The downside of 2nd user cartridges...

We ended up using the cartridge as a "trade in" for a new Kiseki Blue Gold Spot - the "trade in" value exceeded the used cartridge purchase price so we had not been completely stuffed. However, it was an extra £575 on top of what we had intended to spend.

We used the Kiseki for about 2 years and then our little boy decided he was going to try and play a record while nobody was watching. That resulted in a broken cantilever and, with funds being short at the time, we had to settle for a less expensive replacement which was not as capable - an ATOC5 if I recall correctly. Yes, the little boy survived the experience.

The Kiseki got put in a box in the cupboard and forgotten about until a couple of years ago.

Once rediscovered we decided to see if it could be "retipped".

One of the joys of the internet is that it can be much easier to find a service you need than back in the days of "Yellow Pages" and telephone calls.

Having found NorthWestAnalogue - http://www.northwestanalogue.com/cartridge-repairs.html - we dropped the cartridge in for repair. About 2 weeks later we had a working Kiseki Blue Gold Spot cartridge which sounds really good. That cost £225.

So, this cartridge over a period of time has cost a Total of £185 + £575 + £225 = £985.

A new Kiseki Blue Gold Spot - there were a few built and sold a couple of years ago - is around £1400.

Overall we have not done too badly out of purchasing a 2nd user cartridge - especially as it is still in use and sounding very good :-)

[Vrajbasi]

That's a new one on me, and at that level, too(stone bodied K level+). I'd be interested in what you're listening to it on, as your collection of exotica is a bit left field, to say the least ! A global pick 'n' mix relative to my homespun stuff.

The My sonic Platinum is a very nice cartridge I have used it on my Sme 30/12 thales combo so its very interesting its very open and delicate with a a solid bass, compared to the 12k diamond cantilever Koetsu its just very different the Koetsu stone bodied has a sence of power and scale and drama which is superb the voices are mesmerising the bass is less tuneful. The koetsu has a superb midrange but does not do micro detail in the same way but is a bit more exciting. The Mysonic is a bit more organised, sounding like a polished transfiguration. I also have the etsuro which is superb thats like a bit in the middle sort of thing. I want to try the Mysonic on my other turntables before it goes back I also have a Graham Phantom Elite tonearm here on loan but have not had the opportunity to set it up, busy bank holiday.

[Vrajbasi]

Just tried the Neutral sounding Mysonic on the Microseiki kondo V-12 combo better suited to be honest works better with the powerful sounding Micro better bass extension and the midrange more fleshed out the, the Tiger Eye sounds better on the Sme/Thales combo. I dont think I can afford to buy the Mysonic yet but will consider it strongly.

[paulf-2007]

The problem is majority of Moving Coil cartridges dont sound any good just thin and bright may be thats what people want (not me) you can spend loads and get little. I have spent a fortune learning the hard way, moving magnets in the more affordable sector are a better bet generally. Sadly the likes of the Audio Technica at170ml shure ultra 500 and the good old technics are thing of the past. At least we still have some nice spu cartridges available to us. There are still some great human sounding moving coils around but cost a arm and a leg. I dont find spending but something for it.

The Shure ultra 500 is my weapon of choice, has a jico sas stylus and cost me £500 used obviously. That's close to my limit money wise. Had a Benz wood unused as someone's spare £600 and sold on for about the same. Decca mk 4 £550 and sold on with no loss. Liked them all but the Shure just does it for me.

[Vrajbasi]

The Shure ultra 500 is my weapon of choice, has a jico sas stylus and cost me £500 used obviously. That's close to my limit money wise. Had a Benz wood unused as someone's spare £600 and sold on for about the same. Decca mk 4 £550 and sold on with no loss. Liked them all but the Shure just does it for me.

I owned a Shure Ultra 500 back in the late 80s on a Pink Triangle Anniversary Sme V combo loved it, I then discovered the fabulous Audio Technica 170ML that was available from the united states for $200 that blew the 500 away but still loved the 500. Back in those days you could get really nice cartridges for no so much money well sort of the Ultra 500 was £500 back then.

[Barry]

The problem is majority of Moving Coil cartridges dont sound any good just thin and bright may be thats what people want (not me) you can spend loads and get little. I have spent a fortune learning the hard way, moving magnets in the more affordable sector are a better bet generally. Sadly the likes of the Audio Technica at170ml shure ultra 500 and the good old technics are thing of the past. At least we still have some nice spu cartridges available to us. There are still some great human sounding moving coils around but cost a arm and a leg. I dont find spending but something for it.

I don't know what MC cartridges you have listened to, but to say that the majority of them "don't sound any good, just thin and bright", is a ridiculous overstatement IMO. I've heard (and still own) early Ortofon cartridges: SPUG, SPUGE, SPUGTE, S-15TE, SL15E, SL15E Mk.II and none of them sound thin and bright. Neither do more modern Ortofons such as the MC200, or MC25FL. The only Ortofon I have sold on has been the MC20.

None on my EMTs (regardless of sytlus profile) display the properties you complain of, nor do my Denon 103s.

[Vrajbasi]

I don't know what MC cartridges you have listened to, but to say that the majority of them "don't sound any good, just thin and bright", is a ridiculous overstatement IMO. I've heard (and still own) early Ortofon cartridges: SPUG, SPUGE, SPUGTE, S-15TE, SL15E, SL15E Mk.II and none of them sound thin and bright. Neither do more modern Ortofons such as the MC200, or MC25FL. The only Ortofon I have sold on has been the MC20.

None on my EMTs (regardless of sytlus profile) display the properties you complain of, nor do my Denon 103s.

I have heard and owned hundreds of moving coils I have found that for me as you go upmarket a lot of them emphasise treble in a way that many moving magnets dont of course the spu,s and some of the older mc cartridges maintain so much majic. I agree that majority of the ones you list dont but there are so many designs out there that do to me I never liked the bleached out sounds that the lyras produced I have a couple of ortofon anna cartridges that were far from enjoyable I PERSONALLY think a £500 nagoka would be more natural sounding.

[Mike Reed]

[QUOTE=Vrajbasi.......The Mysonic is a bit more organised, sounding like a polished transfiguration. [/QUOTE] Can't imagine what a polished Transfig. would sound like, but my Proteus is the most transparent cart. I've encompassed to date; slightly better on 12" PU7 that 12" Ace Anna (same deck). The Vermillion is also better on the gimballed arm although My Benz Ebony liked the unipivot. There's little rule of thumb in this business providing the basic mass etc. is acceptable, and even then the theory fails. I put an old Ortofon VMS 20E mark 2 I'd had for donkey's years on my 14.5 ish gramme Ace Anna at 1 g VTF. Shouldn't work but sounds superb. Next stop Dansette !

[Barry]

"Hundreds of moving coil cartridges"? How many hundred? I doubt if a hundred MC cartridges have ever been designed.