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Brought home an SL-1200 today. A few n00b questions..

post #1 of 17
6/26/07 at 11:36pm
Thread Starter 
My very first turntable! I've amassed a very nice little collection of LP's and 7" over the last few months to get myself psyched on Vinyl. I know, I'm doing everything backwards.

This is an SL-1200-M3D which I think came out in 1997. It came with a Shure M44-7 cartridge. From what I've read, I gather that this cartridge is primarily used for DJ work. I've got the tonearm balanced out as best I could, using a few online guides as a reference. So far, I am VERY pleased with the quality, except anytime there's a long 'ssss' sound in a vocal, it distorts very badly. Could this be due to how I've got the tonearm adjusted, or am I just using a crummy cartridge? I should also mention that I'm playing this through a Bellari VP 129 into a DIY M3 amp into my 325i's.

Could someone reccomend a good cartridge to get started with? I search online and find SO many options with many varied prices. I'm looking for something within $100.

I appreciate your advice in advance!
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post #2 of 17
6/27/07 at 12:35am
Within your price range there are two good cartridges to consider- Audio Technica 440MLA http://www.needledoctor.com/Audio-Te...7&category=578

Or the Shure 97MXE http://www.needledoctor.com/Shure-M9...7&category=917

I've not heard either of these with my SL turntable but people I trust recommend those two cartidges. Or if you don't mind stretching your budget a bit, you could get the same cartridge that I have which is the Denon DL-160 which can be found new on ebay for $160 or it's sibling the DL-110 which is just a little over $100.

Anyway, you started out just the same as I did. I bought several lp's before I even had a turntable. And the turntable you chose is a fine choice. One that you can grow with for a very long time. Have fun with it!
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post #3 of 17
6/28/07 at 5:18pm
What golgi said. The AT 440MLA tends to be a tad bright until it is fully broken in. However, the Shure 97MXE is an awesome tracker and very neutral. A lot of people I trust use these two carts because they get 95% of the sound quality when compared to more expensive carts. While I haven't used either, I plan on buying a Shure 97MXE.
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post #4 of 17
6/28/07 at 10:06pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the tips, fellas. I'm going to do a bit more reading and buy one of them in the next week or so.

Any recommendations for re-cabling? I've never dealt with such low voltages, so I'm not really sure where to begin.
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post #5 of 17
6/28/07 at 11:05pm
The only suggestion I have for you is to read up here: http://www.audioasylum.com/audio/vinyl/bbs.html
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post #6 of 17
7/6/07 at 2:11pm
Hi - I just bought the Shure M97XE off of Amazon for $60 (plus $5 shipping) for my Dual 1019. Of course it's still in transit, so I don't know how it sounds, but lots of people on this forum and SH forums (stevehoffman.tv) say it's an excellent cart.
Thought I'd tell you about the Amazon deal in case you decide to go for that one.
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post #7 of 17
7/7/07 at 9:39am
The AT canteliever is slightly more sturdy on the AT, but the Shure does track detail better.
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post #8 of 17
7/7/07 at 4:51pm
When I was searching for a rich sounding cartridge with a good bottom end and soundstaging I went through quite a few, including the Shure M97XE and others. I finally took the advice of vinyl guru and headfi equipment monster Hirsh and bought an Ortofon OM20 (OM10 is the same without the upgradde stylus). That turned out to be my audio nirvana (in that price range), far bested the Shure -- for sure.
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post #9 of 17
7/15/07 at 2:11pm
Good choice. The Orofon has a rugged stylus and matches well to the 1200 stock tonearm.
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post #10 of 17
7/26/07 at 6:29pm
I also have the Ortofon OM20, my albums never sounded better. Nirvana indeed.
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post #11 of 17
7/26/07 at 7:45pm
I quite enjoy the shure m97xe on my SL1700.

Since you say this is your very first turntable, also look into picking up a carbon brush (Hunt EDA, for example), a chunk of Mr. Cleans Magic Eraser, and begin investigating the wide world of wet lp cleaning enjoy!
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post #12 of 17
7/28/07 at 3:47pm
FOr a mere $20, you can get a good cartridge alignment tool from here!
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post #13 of 17
8/3/07 at 6:25am
Quote:
Originally Posted by bhjazz View Post
FOr a mere $20, you can get a good cartridge alignment tool from here!
Great website! The prices are great! If you do a google search you can also find free paper alignment tools.
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post #14 of 17
8/6/07 at 12:11am
You can download a two-point protractor from vinylengine or you can get the Technics cartridge alignment gauge here:http://www.jacksmusicfactory.com/def...Alignment_Tool . According to Technics ,this tool is all you need.
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post #15 of 17
11/7/07 at 10:21pm
I'm thinking the Ortofon OM's and maybe the Denon DL-103R would work nice with the SL....
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