[Little J040]

Hi all,

I just recently picked up another turntable from the MIT swap fest, and was thinking about getting a new cartridge for it. The model is a Technics SL-B2 (manufactured in the early 80s), and I'm wondering what type of style cartridge I'd need. I'm considering the Grado series of carts around 80-120$... Please advise.

Thanks,

J

 

[memepool]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Little J040 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Technics SL-B2 (manufactured in the early 80s), and I'm wondering what type of style cartridge I'd need. I'm considering the Grado series of carts around 80-120$... Please advise.

The Grado carts may be a little higher compliance than is optimal for the Technics tonearm. I think the SL-B2 has an older style higher mass Technics arm than the SL1200II for instance so you may be better off with the Audio Technica AT440MLA at around 85USD from LPgear, which is slightly stiffer in the suspension.

Here he mentions the D2 which is the Direct drive version of yours and recommends the Denon 103 http://www.tnt-audio.com/sorgenti/te..._sl1200_e.html

This is another option but you would need a pre-amp which has Moving Coil sensitivity. If you don't have this consider the Denon DL110 or DL160 which are high enough output for a conventional Moving Magenet phonostage. The Denon sound is more laid back as well more akin to the Grado than the Audio Technica Sound which is more detailed.

 

[Little J040]

Thanks for the input! I have a question in regards to something you mentioned, I know the tone arm is pretty heavy but what were you referring to when you said the Grado compliance might not work? Is that just the mass of the stylus itself, or am i way off?

 

[memepool]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Little J040 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Thanks for the input! I have a question in regards to something you mentioned, I know the tone arm is pretty heavy but what were you referring to when you said the Grado compliance might not work? Is that just the mass of the stylus itself, or am i way off?

It's the measure of bounciness of the carts suspension. Higher mass arms work better with lower mass carts and vice versa. Today most cheaper carts are designed for more rigid medium compliance tonearms that are now the most common variety.

Moving Coils like the Denon's are generally lower compliance so these are a good match for vintage higher mass tonearms.

 

[Little J040]

is it usually the case that MC cartridges weigh less than MM? I know my preamp has both MM and MC options, so i suppose whatever best suites my tonearm is what i'll get.

 

[memepool]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Little J040 /img/forum/go_quote.gif is it usually the case that MC cartridges weigh less than MM? I know my preamp has both MM and MC options, so i suppose whatever best suites my tonearm is what i'll get.

It's not simply a question of weight, although you obviously need to be able to balance the cart with the counterweight, but one of 'effective mass'.

This is the measurement of the mass of the arm in motion as it tracks the record and has more to do with what it's made from and how it's constructed than how much it actually weighs. Because obviously once you've balanced the cart, from the record's perspective it only weighs a few grams or whatever amount you've set as downforce.

The stylus pivots on a rubber suspension and this has to work in tandem with the arm in order to control the mechanical resonances produced by the system as it tracks the groove and prevent these from muddling up the signal basically.

When you think of how complex this all is it's pretty amazing it works as well as it does at all really.

Better explanation here http://www.sme.ltd.uk/content/Series-V-1330.shtml

 

[Little J040]

very interesting read. I didn't realize there was that much material science and duhh mechanics involved.

So now my hunt continues for a proper cartridge.

 

[Little J040]

Any other suggestions for an old technics?

 

[nikongod]

do you know the effective mass of the tonearm?

once you have that, its a matter of getting one of the online calculators for this stuff, and entering numbers until you get a good match.

FWIW, denon says the compliance of the "standard" non type-r, 103 is 5, and it is at 100hz. from what i have gathered, at some time 100hz was the standard of where to measure dynamic compliance.

int he real world this is of course not interesting to us and at 20hz and below (where everyone else measures, and denon measures everything else) the compliance is more like 12, perhaps as high as 15.

 

[Pangaea]

How often should one replace cartridge/ stylus?

 

[Skylab]

The Shure M97XE is a good choice. Works on a wide variety of tables, sounds good, doesn't cost alot, will track most anything, and doesn't accentuate surface noise. You can get better sound, but you have to pay for it

I like the Denon DL110 (high-output MC) a lot too among budget cartridges, but not sure how it would mate with your TT.

 

[ronin74]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pangaea /img/forum/go_quote.gif How often should one replace cartridge/ stylus?

How often do you change headphones? I don't mean this to be a smart @ss answer, but (IMO) if you're an audiophile you'll want to change carts when you want to change the sonic characteristics of your systems. The sylus itself should last a long time, but again there are different stylus profiles that, of course, have there pros and cons.

 

[Little J040]

How hard will it be for me to setup my cartridge properly after i buy it? I've read a few tutorials for force settings etc, but am unsure about the alignment as far as getting close to 20 degrees as possible (if thats what most cart angles are)

 

[Skylab]

You do need to use some kind of alignment tool to get it right. I use the Mobile Fidelity GeoDisc - works very well for a "universal" alignment tool, fairly cheap, and easy to use.

 

[Little J040]

thanks... i'll check out my options