New cartridge.

[bob orbell]

Hi all, after upgrading my Stax ear speakers and finding that I am enjoying my music more than ever, I am awaiting a new Ortofon Cadenza Bronze to replace my aging Kontropunk, this will more than likely be my last upgrade, unless I balls the new cartridge up, it has been known. Bob

[bikerhifinut]

blimey Bob did you win the lottery?


I went the other way after my last Ortofon Quintet Bronze died, of unnatural causes (the cuff of my wool sweater don't ask), I went down to a 2M Bronze. Same cantilever, same stylus profile, as your cadenza will be too. I prefer this profile to the much more expensive Shibata, apparently I am not alone in this. I cant justify the cost of an MC at the moment.
Anyway I didn't feel like I have gone down as it sounds bloody wonderful, but the better 2Ms are reckoned to be among the very best MM out there. And I have money for new vinyl, theres some good new music that I like.
I reckon it suits the valve Phono3S much better than the MC. I did prefer a silicon RIAA preamp on MC of late.

I may try MC again when my finances allow, and probably will be an ortofon as I like the "House sound" of ortofons. Although I found the Quintet rides very low on the LP and with that rectangular box body it can catch on a slight warp on my less than perfectly flat LPs, old stuff and irreplaceable.

A.

[bob orbell]

No, I haven't won the lottery Andy, don't do it, but with less than .5% interest, it's no good just sitting there, so, spend spend spend, I have listened to 2M blue and black in the past after ballsing a Kontapunk B up, but after 40 years of good M Coils, it's almost impossible to go down, and the Cadenza Bronze is in a class of it's own, I will let you know how I get on with it. Bob

[bob orbell]

Had this cartridge in now for three days and been playing some of my worst recorded albums, this cartridge is outstanding, simply the best I have heard to date, all of the poorly recorded albums now sound very acceptable, I just can't believe how poor all my previous cartridges have been in comparison to this Cadenza Bronze, that is not quite true, the last one Kpntropunkt B was very good, but the Cadenza is so clean with no distortion or miss tracking, I can see this possibly being my last cartridge, I any of you get the chance to hear one of these, please do so, of course, you will need a top end turntable and arm to suit. Now then, I wonder what difference a SME IV arm would make ? HOW MUCH . Bob

[Greg.]

Glad you’re liking the Cadenza Bronze cartridge. Ortofon cartridges certainly have a ‘family‘ sound and I’ve been happily using them for many years. My last two have been Kontrapunkt B’s, the last one only having about twenty hours use and I’ve just sold it.

I’ve changed for a Hana ML. Hana are made by a small company in Japan, Excel Sound Corporation who have been manufacturing cartridges for years on behalf of other audio brands. They have now decided to manufacture and market their own label, Hana. As much as I liked the Ortofon sound, I’ve found the Hana ML a major step forward beyond my KB. So much more fine detail and the revelation of subtle nuances in the sound. I’ve found it far more revealing compared to my previous KB and it just draws me emotionally into the music. I absolutely love it. The Hana has had some rave reviews. I love the last line of this one. Check it out.

https://www.hifiplus.com/articles/ha...il-cartridges/

[VantheMan]

I also went from MC to MM this year : from Esco retipped Troika to my 40 year old A&R P77 with Shure hyper elliptical retip job. Don’t feel I have lost out at all, possibly exchanged a bit of air and stereo info for a more retro, warts and all, weightier presentation but very kind to background noise and scratches and things. Fine by me ‘cos my right lug´ole is now inoperative. I like it so much that I have just had another NOS P77 similarly retipped. Oh yes, the retipper also changed the magnet and replaced the suspension apparently to max out the output which my valve P10 phono is grateful for and I now track at 1.4 instead of 1.7 grams.