SIGforum.com Main Page The Lounge Phono Carts ... bald1 - Looking for your opinion (or anybody else's)
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| Averaging 6.3 posts per year |
B1, in my GEM turntable thread you asked why I'm leaning Nagaoka MP-150. This comparison is why: Youtube vid link since I forgot how to post the vid Now...this decision was made when I could get the Nag for just under $300. Now it's just over $400 and the Hana is $475 (and 10% off from Merrill since I bought his turntable). So....Any input will be greatly appreciated. Rick Texting.......easier than calling. | ||
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always with a hat or sunscreen |
Rick, I wish I had some experience with either of those cartridges but I don't. Over the years I've had Shure, Empire, Micro-Acoustics, Grado, Pickering, and others I'm sure I've forgotten. These were all moving magnet types. But in 1983 I picked up a Denon DL-301 in Akihabara, Japan. This was my first moving coil cartridge and I've never looked back. I've posted elsewhere that I currently have two Denon MCs (DL-103D and DL-304) for my Merrill AR TT / MMT Premier arm, as well as a vintage barely used Grado ZF3E+ MM cart in my "back up" JVC QL-7 DD TT. I've heard many other MC carts, some ridiculously expensive and have always felt the Denons punch way above their price point in all the categories cartridges are judged by. The DL-103 series is iconic as a web search will show. That said I haven't auditioned a MM cart in anyone's system in literally decades. George Merrill is an icon in the TT world. If he's selling the Hana that's a pretty good endorsement. It's been a very long time since I exchanged emails with him, but you, being a new TT customer, ought to seek out his advice about cartridges, both MM and MC choices for your TT/arm. He won't steer you wrong. Good luck Rick and enjoy your vinyl!  Oh, and keep in mind that some carts are optimized for different mass of arm/headshell combos. So there will be some that will NOT be a good choice for your TT's arm. Certifiable member of the gun toting, septuagenarian, bucket list workin', crazed retiree, bald is beautiful club! USN (RET), COTEP #192 | |||
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| 186,000 miles per second. It's the law. |
Agree MC sounds much better than MM. | |||
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| always with a hat or sunscreen |
Thanks FishOn. Yeah I'm trying to nudge Rick in that direction although I don't know if his setup (preamp phono stage) can handle low output moving coil cartridges. If not, he could always add a SUT (step up transformer). I use one that I built with a pair of CineMag CMQEE-3440A transformers ( https://6streetbridge.blogspot...e-3440a-step-up.html ). My venerable DL-103D 0.25mv 1.5g ± 0.2g ( https://stereonomono.blogspot....-103d-cartridge.html ) and DL-304 0.18mv 1.2g ± 0.2g ( https://www.lpgear.com/product/DENONDL304.html ) are no longer available from Denon. When the time comes I'll no doubt opt to have SoundSmith retip them ( https://sound-smith.com/servic...rebuilding-retipping ). https://www.lpgear.com/product/DENONDL103.html Denon DL-103 0.3mv $229 Denon DL-103R 0.25mv $439 (my choice of the 3 here) Denon DL-A100 (DL-103 Reference) 0.3mv $512 DENON DL-103 PHONO CARTRIDGE - Stereophile Recommended Component Class C 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 "For the first round-up, I was initially to have received the slightly upscale version of Denon's venerable DL-103 (the "R" version)—favored by none another than Dave Wilson, regardless of price, for its tonal accuracy and overall balance—but instead perhaps due to a communication mix-up, I ended up with the straight DL-103. Whichever model you consider, at $379 and $229 respectively, this true classic, which has been in production since I got into this hobby in the mid-70s, must be counted among audio's most remarkable values." - Wayne Garcia, The Absolute Sound, October 2010, Issue 206, p36 The Denon DL-103 phono cartridge is the only moving coil cartridge that has withstood the test of time. Developed by Denon in collaboration with the Japan Broadcasting Corporation Technical Research Laboratories as a high-performance, high-reliability phono cartridge for broadcasting purposes, the Denon DL-103 has been in continuous production since 1963. While other "wonder" cartridges have come and gone, the Denon DL-103 continues to thrive by offering musical rightness. There is no other cartridge that comes close to its legacy. The Denon DL-103 phono cartridge has been in use for a long time in public and commercial AM and FM broadcasting stations. It was used by EMI and Decca as their reference for evaluating LP sound quality. It's been evaluated, reviewed and praised by many publications and end-users. It's been around for over 40 years. Along the way, it has captured the hearts and minds of technical experts, audiophiles and music lovers. It's a testament that greatness endures. This is what comes with your ownership of a Denon DL-103. It is a phono cartridge that you will enjoy for a very long time. Denon DL-103 Phono Cartridge Specifications - Type: Moving coil - Output voltage: 0.3mV - Frequency response: 20Hz-45kHz - Output impedance: 40 ohms - Channel balance @ 1kHz: < 1db - Channel separation @ 1kHz: 25dB - Stylus tip: 0.2 mm special round solid diamond - Compliance: 5 x 10-6 cm/dyne - Recommended tracking force: 2.5 +/- 0.3g - Color: Black - Weight: 8.5 g - Recommended load resistance: 100 ohms or more DENON DL-103R PHONO CARTRIDGE 10 Audio gives the Denon DL-103R its Highest Award ( http://www.10audio.com/denon_103r.htm ) The Denon DL-103R phono cartridge has always received many praises from reviewers and music listeners. Witness the the above award and many other user feedback available in many forums. The Denon DL-103R phono cartridge is an updated version of the classic and venerable Denon DL-103. The Denon DL-103R extends the capabilities of its progenitor by using 99.9999% high purity (6N) copper coils wound with precision to the cantilever shaft. Music lovers will delight in the cohesive detail, air and crystal clarity offered by this outstanding phono cartridge. DENON DL-A100 PHONO CARTRIDGE The Denon DL-A100 cartridge was developed by precisely reproducing the original engineering reference model of the high-performance Japanese standard cartridge DL-103 and elevating its performance, accuracy and musicality by using the latest tuning technologies. All of the coils are hand-wound, with more time taken for the Anniversary model. The DL-A100 features the 100th anniversary special case, and comes with a 5-year warranty and a signed certificate of authenticity from the chief production engineer who had crafted the product. Also included is a beautiful Denon "brand book" that explores the history of one of the leading names in the audio-visual field. Reviews: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=deno...ws&atb=v255-1&ia=webThis message has been edited. Last edited by: bald1, Certifiable member of the gun toting, septuagenarian, bucket list workin', crazed retiree, bald is beautiful club! USN (RET), COTEP #192 | |||
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| always with a hat or sunscreen |
That DIY SUT (step up transformer) is the white box next to the reel-to-reel. It has a toggle switch to select between 40Ω and 150Ω loadings. Output from the MC cart is routed through the tonearm internal wiring to a Sumiko PIB-1 phono interface box attached to the right rear of the TT plinth. A ground wire and HomeGrownAudio Super Silver 0.5m RCA cables connect the PIB-1 to the SUT whose signal is then routed to my Odyssey Tempest preamp via interconnects plus a ground connection to the preamp chassis.   Added shot of the SUT connections:  Certifiable member of the gun toting, septuagenarian, bucket list workin', crazed retiree, bald is beautiful club! USN (RET), COTEP #192 | |||
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| always with a hat or sunscreen |
Kind of surprised only FishOn and yours truly responded here.... Certifiable member of the gun toting, septuagenarian, bucket list workin', crazed retiree, bald is beautiful club! USN (RET), COTEP #192 | |||
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| Member |
I'm still learning with nothing to add. Just soaking it all in right now. | |||
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| always with a hat or sunscreen |
Heck petr I didn't expect you'd be providing input as you're involved in your own search with your first turntable and cartridge. But I know this forum's membership includes others who love music and have vinyl playback systems.... Certifiable member of the gun toting, septuagenarian, bucket list workin', crazed retiree, bald is beautiful club! USN (RET), COTEP #192 | |||
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| 186,000 miles per second. It's the law. |
That looks like solid advice. Until last year I ran a Benz Micro Ruby MC on a Rega P9 and then upgraded to a Lyra Titan-i, on my current SME 20/3 turntable. When I started 20 years ago, I ran an entry level Benz MC on a Rega P7. MC sounds better than MM for sure. | |||
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| always with a hat or sunscreen |
OMG! I can't imagine what using that rarified equipment is like! Amazing. Certifiable member of the gun toting, septuagenarian, bucket list workin', crazed retiree, bald is beautiful club! USN (RET), COTEP #192 | |||
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| always with a hat or sunscreen |
It's been several decades since I attended an audio show where uber high end equipment was displayed. Room acoustics and the synergies of all the equipment combined made it hard to discern which was more heavily contributing to the magic. Friends in the past who had upscale items, including phono carts, were able to show their systems with and without them so gleaning an appreciation was possible. Regardless, FishOn you and I agree that RIC.45 would be better advised to mate his new GEM turntable with a solid MC vice MM cart. Certifiable member of the gun toting, septuagenarian, bucket list workin', crazed retiree, bald is beautiful club! USN (RET), COTEP #192 | |||
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| Banned for showing his ass |
If I may ask in this thread instead of starting a new one ... my wife has a vintage Philips Electronic 312 from back in the day. https://vintage-turntable.com/philips-312.html Pulled it out of storage and thought maybe upgrade the cartridge without spending lots of money $$$$. Any thoughts, or just keep the original ? Thanks. | |||
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| 186,000 miles per second. It's the law. |
A really good resource is the Audio Asylum forum. Check out the vinyl asylum board there, for turntable and cartridge info. You can do a search, and if you post a question you'll get lots of answers. Lots of knowledge in that community. When you open a board there, click "classic format" at the view tab at the upper left. Much easier to follow threads that way. | |||
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| Banned for showing his ass |
Thank you ! | |||
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| always with a hat or sunscreen |
Solid advice! I've been a member there for eons as Bob(SD). Certifiable member of the gun toting, septuagenarian, bucket list workin', crazed retiree, bald is beautiful club! USN (RET), COTEP #192 | |||
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| 186,000 miles per second. It's the law. |
Me too. I am Sherlock on the Asylum. My system is listed under inmate systems. https://cgi.audioasylum.com/systems/6663.html | |||
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| always with a hat or sunscreen |
and mine: https://cgi.audioasylum.com/systems/320.htmlI need to update it again as I've removed the dAck! DAC after the latest battery finally died. Certifiable member of the gun toting, septuagenarian, bucket list workin', crazed retiree, bald is beautiful club! USN (RET), COTEP #192 | |||
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| Muzzle flash aficionado  |
I was wondering why one would put a phonograph on a cart. Duh! flashguy Texan by choice, not accident of birth | |||
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| Banned for showing his ass |
At first blush I thought you meant Sherlock Holmes investigating an asylum issue. Geez, I feel silly. | |||
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| 186,000 miles per second. It's the law. |
That looks great. I always wanted a Nak Dragon. Killer deck. | |||
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SIGforum.com Main Page The Lounge Phono Carts ... bald1 - Looking for your opinion (or anybody else's)
Main Page The Lounge Phono Carts ... bald1 - Looking for your opinion (or anybody else's)© SIGforum 2024