Are the entry level cartridges worth it? I'm looking at a few of the "lower" end cartridges to replace the Stanton 500 v.3 I have at the moment. The cartridge isn't awful, but I know it's low end. I don't really want to spend much over $100 (the lower the number, the happier it makes me, since I have many other things to worry about). I'm looking at the Black, Green, Blue, or Red Cartridge, in respective pricing. If I just pick up the Black, will I be somewhat content? Or is there another company I should be looking into. Some are telling me that Ortofon makes a really good recording/listening cartridge. The Arkiv, I believe.
I have a Technics DD Auto SL 3200 turntable (stock), if that affects anything. This is purely for listening purposes, and maybe some uploading to the PC.
Oh, and while I'm on the subject, is there any benefit to using a Concorde style cartridge instead of a Headshell mount/cartridge combo?
i have no idea what your turntable is or how it performs but i do have experience with a couple of carts.
the grado black is a great budget cart. it has a smooth warm sound signature with a very nice midrange and inoffensive treble.
i am using the grado blue as i type on my lp12 with great results.
The ortofon cart i would recommend looking at as a polar alternative would be the 2m range. The ortofon 2m red is also a superb cart for the money, and i would consider the total tonal opposite of teh grado black in the price bracket.
the 2m sounds lively, on the bright side of neutral with a well extended, detailed treble.
again, i have used the 2m blue on my lp12 with great results (funny how i have the blue for both carts eh?)
you cant go wrong with either, but go with the one that suits your tastes better. myself, i cant decide. i seem to switch between the grado and the ortofon every month or so.
p.s.
if you are a handy type the grado is great for modding. look for the thread with longhorn in the title a few pages down for a useful link.
Thanks for the input. I'll look into the Ortofon Red. As for the Grado, do you see a major upgrade from the Black to Blue? I mean, it's about twice the price. Is it even close to twice the performance? I can afford to pay for the Blue, but I'd rather save some cash.
if could do it again, i would have kept the black. the blue is nicer, just not twice as nice. i would say max 5-10% better. save your money for more records!
in the end its your call.
This Technics has a slightly higher mass tonearm than either the Ortofon or Grado is perfectly suited for so you should also consider a Denon High Output Moving Coil like the DL-110 which should be around the 100USD mark, perhaps slightly more.
This will give you a similarly lush presention to the Grado. If you want something more incisive then the Audio Technica AT440 is another good one to consider as it has a really high quality stylus which is a big leap over most at this price point.
The Denon is probably the best match though. Read about some cartridge comparisons on the SL1200 here Technics SL-1200 MkII turntable - [English]
and the arm on this is actually lower mass than yours I believe.
Either of these is a big jump over the Stanton 500AL with standard conical stylus. If you don't want to spend this much money then I think there is also an eliptical stylus available for the Stanton which may well be your cheapest upgrade path.
Last edited by memepool; 05-19-2008 at 12:22 PM.
Reason: typo
Grado Cartridges
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