Another Cart opinion thread....


Hi all,

I have a Music Hall 2.3SE and am looking to upgrade the stock cart (essentially an AT95E).  I'm considering the AT VM540ML, Nagaoka MP-150, Sumiko Moonstone and perhaps Denon-110.

I'm looking for something with great detail, not too bright, tight bass and smooth mids.

I have a Rega Mini phono stage, Krell HTS 7.1 pre/pro, Adcom 5802 amp, Martin Logan SL3's and a REL Storm III sub.

Any suggestions?  Differences in sonic quality between these carts?

TIA
waybro

Showing 2 responses by big_greg

Not really out of the box, just trying to help save someone from wasting a bunch of money based on my own experience. 

You can usually pick up used Music Hall 5.X and 7.X for around $400-$600 for the 5.x and $700-$900 for the 7.X and probably find one with a decent cartridge already on it.
Here's a different idea.  Don't invest any money in that table.  If you're not happy with the way it sounds now, buy a better turntable.

I started out with a Music Hall 2.2, added a the speed box, put on an acrylic platter, and put a couple of better cartridges on it, including the current one, a Nagaoka MP-500.

A Music Hall 5.3 or 7.3 with an inexpensive cart like the AT95 will sound much better than the 2.3 will with an upgraded cartridge.  I currently have a Music Hall 7.1 and with an old Shure V15 with a JICO SAS stylus it sounds way better than the 2.2 with all the upgrades I did to it.  I had an AT95 from another table I had and have mounted it on the 7.1 and it also sounded better than the 2.2.

The 2.3 is an entry level table - it doesn't have good motor isolation, it doesn't have much mass, it has a cheap tonearm, and the feet are pretty cheap.  Either be happy with it as is or get a better table.   I'm not saying it's a bad table, but buying a better table will give you more bang for your buck if you're looking for an improvement in sound quality.