New stylus for Ortofon 540 MkII

[Macca]

This is a long shot I know but does anyone know where I can get one of these for sensible money? Cheapest I can find is £175 which is more than I paid for the whole cartridge brand new. By sensible I mean £120 or less.

I would buy a whole new cartridge which I used to do every couple of years but then I had the luxury of a local dealer who would fit it for me but now they are gone and I daren't attempt it myself).

[Stratmangler]

Cheapest I can find is this http://www.superfi.co.uk/index.cfm/p...FR6Z2Aod1CzyDw

[DSJR]

Some importers/distributers as well as manufacturers really do like to slurp the punters as much as possible. Where other makers have doubled their prices, if not decreased them in the case of denon's popular cartridges, Ortofons have nigh on tripled, which is a huge shame, as the 500 range, the 540 in particular, are really good for "mm" style cartridges and probably more refined than, say, a denon DL160 which sells for £150 or so. Ortofon's tonarms would be great for SME M2 money (they're made by jelco, so can't cost much per unit), but they've been priced as high as they feel the market will pay, which may be good business practise of old, but not so much today IMO..

Good luck with your "needle-hunt.."

[Macca]

Thanks Chris - £150 is still a bit of a painful hit, though. Especially for a cartridge which I have always thought is just 'okay' sounding.

Best I've ever tried on this deck was a Nagaoaka MP30 which I think was about £75 back in 1990-something, really regret trading it in.

[DSJR]

Save for an MP300. It can't be worse than the old version and has hopefully been tweaked for modern, higher mass arms.....

[Macca]

Save for an MP300. It can't be worse than the old version and has hopefully been tweaked for modern, higher mass arms.....

Dave, I have considered it but £325 and I've already blown this years hi-fi budget on a holiday (and a new amp) and then I would probably bust it fitting it on...but it's good that you're egging me on What do you think I could get for the Ortofon on trade-in?

[DSJR]

You'd have to sell the 540 privately, as it wouldn't be worth anything to a dealer as wear cannot be guaranteed..

I'm still a fan of the AT440MLa. less strident than its predecessor and easy to listen to once set up carefully, it should offer much of the Nagaoka's speed and Dave Cawley used to offer a good deal on them to "us," far less than ebay IIRC. Hopefully, he's still pre-disposed to AOS members and it wouldn't hurt to ask him nicely.



P.s. HOLIDAY????? What's one of those? I've not been away for more than a decade

Perhaps that explains it...

[Macca]

I always used to trade in my old cartridge and get money off - so they don't do this anymore?

[Stratmangler]

Try Mantra Audio - they've always been good to deal with.

https://shop.mantra-audio.co.uk/acat...artridges.html

[hifi_dave]

I always used to trade in my old cartridge and get money off - so they don't do this anymore?

I'm not aware of any company doing this other than Rega with their fixed styli assemblies or with certain expensive MC's having a p/x scheme.

The 500 Series Ortofons haven't been manufactured for a few years, so any styli are NOS. The price now is £180 but you might save a bit if you can find a dealer with one hanging around on the stock shelf.

Prices of Ortofon products are high now as are those of Nagaoka - that MP300 was the equivalent of a £100 cartridge not so long ago. I don't believe it is just the importer making money, it is more down to the state of the Pound, which is worth naff all nowadays. The best bargains are now British Hi-Fi.