Cartridges !

[Steph Dale]

I've still got one and agree the OC30 is a flippin' good cartridge by any measure.

I quite like AT cartridges on the whole, but I think that's because they pair well with my usual flavour of gear (turntable, tonearm, phono stage). I am very surprised at the OC9xml being described as thin - it's capable of rearranging furniture in my system. Not that rearranging furniture is the only good measure of a cartridge.
The AT moving magnets have been good here too, when tried, and the old AT95E was a great test of a turntable. I used to use one religiously when setting up a new or rebuilt 'table.

I had thought the thin/etched descriptor of AT cartridges is largely legacy these days, and hugely dependent upon cartridge loading and having a tonearm of the right effective mass.

Steph

[User211]

Glad to read your OC30 comment.

I seem to remember paying north of £500 for mine - around £535 I seem to remember.

So not cheap back in the early 90s. Lusted for an ART-1 but could never get myself to spend the money.

[Enossification]

Thanks for your thoughts and ideas you lot.

[Enossification]

I now have 220pf loading plugs connected and although it has rolled off some of the high frequencies, the sound is still way superior to the Audio Technica. If I had the funds to throw away on something I think I would have a Dynavector DV10X5 II or similar. I remember my old Ultimo 10X at 65 quid back in '79. Fabulous sound. Full and bold. Loved it but maybe not at today's prices.

[Enossification]

According to Google AI, an item that cost £65 in 1979 would today cost around £426.88. If only...

[Macca]

According to Google AI, an item that cost £65 in 1979 would today cost around £426.88. If only...

I paid £80 for a Nagaoka MP30 back in 1993.

Now they cost around £650. According to the BOE inflation calculator they should be around £180.

[Barry]

You can't simply apply an inflation calculator. High quality pickup cartridges are a niche product now, despite the resurgence in vinyl playback.

[Wakefield Turntables]

I love all cartridge types and for different reasons, I have a growing collection of vintage 70's MI and MM cartridges. I also love my MC's, I have SPU's. and several higher end Ortofons. I've ran AT's before bust found them too strident, I do confess that I did not try them with variable loading so my experience could have been different.

[Mikeandvan]

'High end' carts are a total rip off, with audiophools literally straining to hear the improvement in SQ in a cart costing 10X their last, and interpreting any difference in SQ as an improvement, when it's just different and possibly worse. All I use now is the AT-95 series, the EN - because the much vaunted microline is too thin for my ears, and the shibata, both are lush, and don't cost the price of a small moped, just imagine the difference in production costs!!! And of course, it's not heart attack time if you accidentally snap one too.

[Beobloke]

'High end' carts are a total rip off, with audiophools literally straining to hear the improvement in SQ in a cart costing 10X their last, and interpreting any difference in SQ as an improvement, when it's just different and possibly worse. All I use now is the AT-95 series, the EN - because the much vaunted microline is too thin for my ears, and the shibata, both are lush, and don't cost the price of a small moped.

In your opinion.