Andy needs a new cart

[Richard]

Crikey just seen the VPI is £650 now after just 5 years

[pre65]

Ali and Stewart seem to think this is a good cartridge.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2514493304...84.m1423.l2649

[bikerhifinut]

Originally Posted by Richard

Hi Andy, sorry yes I was replying to you Anyway what's the budget? You seem almost happy with the AT95E at £40 but the broken Rondo must have been around £400? You said funds were tight so I thought of the Denons. My DL160 you heard (sounding somewhat polite in a unipivot) was £80 before they went up but a new DL110 which sounds very good (to me) is still only £130 so perhaps set a budget then see what the choices are. Personally I think there are very fast diminishing returns in the land of hifi. I did spend £400 on a VPI cleaning machine though, which averages about £1 per secondhand record so far to clean

Hi Rich,
and Bob too

The budget I guess can be flexible, I can save up for the odd parts to build the monoblocs later. I have mostly all I need to build the CF Pre3, and the remote control circuit can go in later. I was thinking I might be able to make my own PCB for the CF as the only other way to wire the valve easily is to have it sideways mounted.
Ok cutting to the chase,
The current line of thought is to chop the Rondo blue in for a Bronze, for about the same price as a 2M Black. I spotted a 2M black from Germany NIB for around 2/3 of the UK price and wondered if it was genuine. I think there's a massive mark up on these things though. (actually I KNOW theres a massive mark up on Hi Fi Kit in a shop, think of the cost to the manufacturer, double it to cover R&D and a bit of profit, and then double it again to allow the dealer to afford stock and demo models.)
The denons kind of appeal, but I'd need to hear one in the context of my system. I'm using a different deck/arm to Richard etc etc.
I'll have a word with Simon at Hi Fi Sound, he may have a suggestion. I have to say that I thought the rondo Blue was ok but I wish I'd had the MC30 supreme I had before rebuilt instead.
I'm happy with the AT95E as a stopgap, but I know I can get more out of the system. And in terms of budget MM's that AT is unbeatable I reckon.
The head tells me to buy a DL110, the heart says bust the bank for a rondo Bronze.
Watch this space, I ain't going to be rash though.
A.

[bikerhifinut]

A bit of research has thrown up the Denon DL301-II as a good cartridge.
So far the best deal seems to be from The USA at £172 but how does it work for VAT and duty? The seller says he packs it as a used gift worth $50 but I have no idea how this works.
AH well back to research.

[bob orbell]

Hi Andy, just seen this on e-bay, may be for you. 350989345533, pop the no. in and have a look. BOB

[pre65]

Originally Posted by bob orbell

Hi Andy, just seen this on e-bay, may be for you. 350989345533, pop the no. in and have a look. BOB

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ORTOFON-RO...-/350989345533

[bikerhifinut]

Originally Posted by bob orbell

Hi Andy, just seen this on e-bay, may be for you. 350989345533, pop the no. in and have a look. BOB

Ta Bob

Just had a quick look and it's still more expensive than a brand new unused one using the ortofon exchange scheme. I can chop my buggered Rondo blue in and get it a bit cheaper, might even be able to haggle the shop down a bit too

I've got a few irons going in the fire, so keeping my powder dry for now.

Interestingly, the cost of a Rondo Bronze exchange comes within a gnats doodah of a 2M black.
Cartridges are the tricky part of buying Hardware, so important to get the choice right, yet so bloody difficult to audition.

Ok gents, Much appreciation of the helpful input and I shall do a lot of sleeping on it.

A.

I think we may have taken this thread off the tracks so may start a new one once I get somewhere near?

[Ali Tait]

Originally Posted by pre65

Ali and Stewart seem to think this is a good cartridge.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2514493304...84.m1423.l2649

Aye, a great cart. Don't let the low price put you off.

[bikerhifinut]

Ahhhhhhh the joys of a helpful dealer.
I'll admit it ain't the cheapest way of buying a new cartridge, but being able to have on loan my shortlist of cartridges meant I could try em out in the system that they were destined for.

I had a Grado Master 1 low output (500 uV) Moving iron for nearly a week and although it ticked a lot of boxes I decided it was just a little bit too "upfront" but it was certainly good transducer and I would have happily used it if there was no other choice. The price was a bit steep £650, but that is always negotiable.
And I wasn't happy with the wooden body, you have to use the supplied slothead screws as the hardwood is tapped to a particular thread, probably some US standard, and I also wasnt happy with the idea of machine screws into wood seemed a recipe for an overtightening disaster at some point.
But it synergised well with the WD Phono3 as well as my solid state Rega phono amp that I keep in reserve. I figure the high output one would be the better choice straight into the MM input.

Anyway, I settled in the end for an Ortofon and am now running it in.
I got a good part-ex deal on my Rondo Blue, and settled for the new Quintet Black for only c a few bob more than a Rondo bronze would have been.
I am happy with it and I'll know more in a week or two when the suspension frees up. You have to be careful though, It needs really short screws
A doddle to align too with nice straight sides.
So for now the cartridge saga is over, I shall have to be very careful with its solid boron cantilever it looks very thin, the tubular aluminium ones on the lower range ones look like scaffolding poles in comparison!
So heres hoping i get another 4 to 5 years of pleasure, I do use the vinyl front end a lot so my carts get a good hammering.
The initial impression is the usual Ortofon smoothness and also lower record surface noise to my ears. And all the other stuff like picking out low level detail etc.
Oh and a really rubbish performance on the Hi fi news test disc bias tracks so it's behaving like all my previous ortofons! But the sound is good and really those torture tracks would give any needle a hard time.
Ok 'nuff said. I'm happy at the moment! (and skint)

Andy

[bikerhifinut]

Quintet Black bedding in nicely.
It's a lot livelier than other cheaper ortofons I have owned.

But the background noise,(Clicks pops and vinyl roar), is perceptibly lower, I am listening to an old Moody blues record that I have owned since 1974 and although the evidence of a much used and abused life is there, its not as disruptive as it was in the past. So a big on that.

Its quite brash still but give it a month and see. But it works well with a rewired RB600/Michell Gyro SE.

And a doddle to align, its not the prettiest cartridge but theres an advantage in all those perpendicular sides.

A.