Looking for a new cartridge. ~$150-200

I have a similar set up to you. I consider the CA 640Ps to be the weak link.

I use an Audio Technica MM AT440MLa for ripping and loud party session. It is clean and clinical. Modern and cold..

For everyday listening I prefer the MC Denon DL-103. Lovely old school radio cashmere and wool character. Vintage and warm.

Denon works well in the Technics S shaped arm and headshell btw. The design is even older than the Technics (1962) and is built as a broadcast standard at the time (you can backcue with it). So they are a good match whereas modern cartridges are very light and designed to fit tightly on rigid straight tone arms so don't sound their best on a standard Technics. Cheap for a MC @ ~£100 but by modern technical standards they are either obsolete or vintage depending on your ear.

Stand pat with the cartridge until you can make a bigger upgrade. I think you'd be best served by spending your next dollars on some KAB or DIY upgrades for your TT.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RonaldDumsfeld 

I have a similar set up to you. I consider the CA 640Ps to be the weak link.

 

I use an Audio Technica MM AT440MLa for ripping and loud party session. It is clean and clinical. Modern and cold..

 

For everyday listening I prefer the MC Denon DL-103. Lovely old school radio cashmere and wool character. Vintage and warm.

 

Denon works well in the Technics S shaped arm and headshell btw. The design is even older than the Technics (1962) and is built as a broadcast standard at the time (you can backcue with it). So they are a good match whereas modern cartridges are very light and designed to fit tightly on rigid straight tone arms so don't sound their best on a standard Technics. Cheap for a MC @ ~£100 but by modern technical standards they are either obsolete or vintage depending on your ear.

hi,  is it true that the dl 103 doesnt have good synergy with thoresn tt's.. orr just the vintage thorens?

also you ssaid your 640p is  your weak link?   i am just about to get one of these or  i was gonna try the

Project Phono Box MkII or the Parasound z  or the bellari  129 / 130,,, i thought i had read that the cambridge540/640 p had better specs and praise than the bellari or project? no t sure , but i havent a clue about the parasound z   which i may have to try out first?   let me know hat ya think.

Quote:

Originally Posted by LostChild1 

Hi everyone,

 

I currently own the following equipment:

 

Technics SL-1200MKII -> Shure M97xE -> Cambridge Audio 640P Phono Pre-Amp -> Woo Audio 6 w/ PDPS -> HD650s

or

Technics SL-1200MKII -> Shure M97xE -> Cambridge Audio 640P Phono Pre-Amp -> M-Audio Audiophile 24/96 -> Audioengine A5 Speakers.

 

I don't have the money for a turntable upgrade at this time, and I'm happy with pretty much every other stage in my chain except for my cartridge. I know the 640P is capable of taking either an MM or MC cart but I'm not too sure of what a "Good match" is for all the components I've listed.

 

Any suggestions?

hi,  how does your Shure M97xE sound,    and your preamp?     im just about to pull the trigger on it, i was gonna get the 540 but i figure  might as well go 640 just in case i want the mc,   i only wish it had more than 1 in and 1 out,, i have a few tables id like to hook up.

  also i rea that rolling the opamps in the cambridge phono preamps can greatly improve the sq, at least in the 540, not sure but should be same as your 640, fyi.

The Denon DL103 is legendary.  I still have mine even though I don't use it - can't bear to part with it.  I'd go for that suggestion - VERY different sounding from the Shure (which I also still have one of...)

I have a Denon DL-160 that I'm quite fond of, although I don't have much experience with different cartridges, although I can tell you it was worlds better than the Sumiko Oyster ;) . It's right in your price range.

I'd go with an AT 440MLA....I liked it better than my Denon DL-110, but like the Dynavector10X5 the most of carts I've tried.

The Shure M97xE is a very good cart. The biggest thing holding it back from greatness is the stylus and cantilever. A real compromise from Shure who used to make killer stylii before cutting back operations. Enter Jico. They make a Jico SAS replacement for the Shure M97xE which is a perfect fit. Does it ever raise the performance...

The boron cantilever increases pitch accuracy/control and the SAS stylus tracks every bit of every groove like a magnet. No loss of high frequency right to the last groove. Handles anything you can throw at it in a very articulate manner but never clinical. All this with killer tone which cannot be said for so many of the other carts around. Truly an exceptional combination, especially for $120.

According to a user over at Vinyl Asylum,  I just can't get over how good the Shure M97xSAS is!

Interesting!  Where can you get those?

I have no info on that subject I'm afraid.

I have owned many belt drive TTs over the years inc models from Dual, Linn & Rega. They all broke down sooner or later whereas the Technics I bought over 20 years ago are still going strong with v. little maintainence. Simple decision really. If it ain't broke don't waste money on it.

Yes. Despite it's good reputation in audiophile circles it is a little noisy. About 3dB random noise at variable frequencies below 150 Hz. So you cannot really hear it unless you turn the gain way up with no program material but it's annoying knowing it is there and worse than either my old mixer or receiver/amp phono stage, Which are MM only btw so don't need as much gain. 

To be fair to Cambridge Audio once I proved it to them ( I have fairly sophisticated signal analysis software courtesy of the MOTU) they exchanged my unit. Unfortunately the replacement was just as bad. Perhaps I was just unlucky and there was a bad batch imported into the country. I plan on leaving it for a while then trying another replacement and if that does not work then buying an alternative. Probably battery powered as it's usually the power supply that is at fault. 

Possibly this one. http://www.aqvox.com/phono.html

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skylab 

Interesting!  Where can you get those?

You get them right from Jico here. They are extremely busy right now since everyone seems to want one, but they usually ship within a couple weeks. I bought one and already bought another for when this one wears out in a couple years. :)

Cool, thanks.  I have a Yamaha DD TT with a Shure M97XE at my family summer cottage - might need a stylus upgrade :)

The ortofon Red for 100.00 bucks is very nice but the Blue Ortofon for 200 really shines for a moving magnet.

It is a very popular choice for idler drive Thorens, depending, much more, on what tonearm is in use.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by techenvy 

is it true that the dl 103 doesnt have good synergy with thoresn tt's.. orr just the vintage thorens?