"Slightly Grubbily" Cheap Cartridge

[Alex_UK]

Yep, your "service guide" will be implemented when I get the Rega, hopefully over the weekend.

The NS1000Ms was a joke really for Mike (he of the baboon-arsed red versions) - I should have said medallion-wearing-hairy-chested, shouldn't I? What I should also have said is that I want to pay 1977 prices, so 66s are out of the question (£750 B.I.N.!) maybe 44s, but we shall see (narrowly missed out on a pair of Concertos last week.) No rush, all just a bit of fun really.

The SME arm is a 3009 II Improved, detachable head-shell. I thought it was bust, ('cos you can move it on it's bearing) but appears all that is wrong with it is it is owned by a numpty...

[DSJR]

The S2 shell (either with SME's black gunk or a piece of green card-table baize which works well for pennies) will take the Stantons, Pickerings and Nagaoka's, although the Sumiko shell may stand you in good stead for the future

The SME internal wiring can be fairly easily replaced I gather and SME themselves have a comprehensive list of parts on their website. If you want to have a go yourself, the Terminator arm chap on ebay sells some fine wire which would be a great alternative (the cardas stuff is a bit thick I understand) and I have some ready myself.

As you know, the vertical bearings are knife edge types and as long as the Nylon isn't damaged, they should be fine. An F200 damper with baby-oil or similar is great for stabilising them (the standard SME fluid is too heavy, even with the reducing fluid IMO). The horizontal bearings can be adjusted but not as finely as the "un-improved" arm I found for some reason. The weight of the arm-tube, counterweights etc should load the horizontal races anyway and prevent them "chattering."

[flapland]

Hi ALEX_UK

If you can stretch a little a AT440MLa is a very good cartridge. I believe SoundHifi can do them for £125 or you can get one from the US for similar $ plus carridge. I picked mine up new three ago off UK fleabay so you might have luck there as well. Due to its Microline stylus its made some very crackly lp's bearable. Its never going to turn them into CD level silence but they are also not CD

Flapland

[flapland]

Alex

Forgot to say the 2M Red is very good but the AT440Mla is much better.

Flapland

[Marco]

Hi Alex,

I would concur with Dave's sound cartidge advice. One thing though to remember is that all the options given have very different sonic signatures!

Therefore, the question I'd ask is what type of sound do you like from a cartridge and how is your system balanced, sonically... Towards the bright or warm side of neutral?

Once I know this I can then recommend which option I think is best, given how it will likely behave on the R200, either on the P3 or your Garrard

Marco.

[Alex_UK]

Thanks Marco. Slightly tricky, as not sure where it will end up, and with what components, but let's assume it will go into my main setup - this is very neutral, if anything a tad brighter than Neutral, but I don't mind a little warmer with vinyl, certainly nothing too bright, as my ears are getting sensitive to "shrieks" and harsh & fizzy cymbals these days.

[Marco]

In that case, I'd be more inclined towards the Nagaoka, as it's very clean and detailed but without any excess emphasis at the top end, which both the Ortofon Red and Blue suffer from (the Black doesn't, though, but that's much more expensive).

Most AT cartridges are also similar in that respect, i.e. they sound very detailed but also somewhat 'brightly lit'. This likely wouldn't be a problem on the Garrard, but on the Rega or Pro-Ject, it might. However, the Stanton/Pickering and Grado options, though, would be fine

The best currently available Pickering is the XV15 625E, shown here for £99.90: http://www.pickeringuk.com/hifi.html

More info here: http://www.pickeringuk.com/625E.html

Personally, I'd have one of those before I would any of the Ortofons, ATs or Grados.

However, I can't stress enough just how good the current range of Nagaokas are... They really are stunners, and short of a Pickering XLZ-4500-S (or 7500-S), with one of the new line contact styli, they're liable to outperform anything else that's been recommended, especially if you go for an MP150 upwards! I reckon, though, that only an MP-300 or 500 would topple one of the 'hi-end' Pickerings.

Incidentally, I note that the 100 and 110 are back in stock: http://www.musonic.co.uk/cartridges-nagaoka-c-4_22.html, which is good news for those interested in the budget models.

Marco.

[DSJR]

A shame that proper technical and audible tests are no longer done on "popular priced" cartridges these days, as many people are getting back into LP reproduction but don't have thousands to spend on it..

I haven't had the chance to listen to the latest Rega offerings, although the Bias, Super Bias and Elys mk1 (I have a mint Elys1) sounded a bit bass-heavy. This was measurable too, but the upper-mid to treble was flat...

The Pickering XV15/625 is a safe-as-houses kind of cartridge for all sorts of turntable and the more refined 681EEE mk3 makes £100 Grado's sound sludgy and dull IMO.

I'm afraid I have absolutely no knowledge of the current Nagaoka's at all and referring to my first paragraph means that they'll stay relatively unkown I reckon I can't totally agree on Marco's choice of SPU () but his recommendations of the MM's he's mentioned entirely concur with my experiences and tbh Alex, I reckon the Nagaoka's might just be the perfect choice for the R200 if they're basically neutral (not too different in *balance* from a well mastered CD of the same album) and have traditionally tracked well as I remember. I really ought to get the MP15 I have out and give it a spin.

Alex, I have an idea - PM sent...

[Alex_UK]

Thanks Marco, I think you've convinced me to go with the Nagaoka, will just hold back and make sure all goes ok picking up the Rega deck later this evening. Sumiko Headshell too I think which will be fine for either arm. Cheers again everyone.

[Marco]

Dave,

I can't totally agree on Marco's choice of SPU () but his recommendations of the MM's he's mentioned entirely concur with my experiences...

That's because I know what I'm talking about in this area, muchacho!

Try a modern SPU and you'll discover the same thing as you did with my MM reccos!

Btw, I'll have the Decca Barry's sending me on Tuedsay, so I'm looking forward to seeing how it shapes up compared to my lurvely "plump 'n' syrupy" ol' nail!

Marco.