On Technics tonearm you’d better use MM cartridges with mid or high compliance with stock headshell. You can use MC, but try to avoid low compliance on this arm. It was made for MM cartridges and AT MM are great, don’t forget that you will have to re-tip MC cartridges, how can you do that ? Do you know the cost of re-tip at AT or elsewhere ? I’ve been using At ART2000 on my old Technics, nice cartridge, but i was blown away by AT-ML170 and AT-ML180 OCC MM series, they are more expensive than AT MC that you have mentioned. One of the best cartridge for this tonearm is Stanton (and Pickering) from the golden era, upper model with Stereohedron styli, they are so sweet, i’m a big fan of them. They are not expensive and very nice for this tonearm/turntable. I have many different models, my favorite is CS100 WOS. As you might know Kevin at KAB USA (who specialized in Technics service) always recommend Stanton/Pickering vintage models. In my opinion the lower models are nothing special, but top models are truly amazing. Read it and you will find AT-OC9 in this article too. For MC cartridges you could change the arm for something better. |
Ultimately, your ears will determine what is "best" I've used the OC9III. Great cart for the price, if your referring to that model, before the many iteration of new OC9 that were introduced last year. The OC9II is even little less$ and purportedly "better" than the III. Either way, for the price it's a good value. https://www.lpgear.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=SRCHI haven't heard/read anything on the newer OC9's. Likely all good, for their price point. If you can up your game a few more, the ART9 is unquestionably a step above. Read the threads.I've used one off an on the past 5 years. Presently on my table. Save your obsession/audio nervosa regarding compliance. Just get an AT whatever and enjoy the ride. |
i would opt for the AT VM540 MM cart with your table. then sell the Phonomena, and look for a used Chinook. The VM540 cart is over looked because of its lower price. but its a musical cart, and mates extreeeemely well with your table and a chinook phono stage.
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"If you can up your game a few more, the ART9 is unquestionably a step above"
I’ve heard that from a couple people... I’m also a believer in "buy once cry once" also so that doesn’t help my budget...lol.
Surely is an option but have to do a lot more homework first.
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Well, i’ve seen some people using even 32g SPU cartridge on Technics tonearm with a custom made superheavy ring added to the counterweight, but in my opinion this is a perversion. It’s like mounting a wagon on top of your sport car. Technics tonearm designed for MM cartridges, check for the mass of this arm, it's relatively light mass, that was a 500$ turntable back then, if you never re-wired your Tonearm it is a bad idea to use MC cartridges on it. The weak part is some sort of a "motherboard" where the tonearm wires goes to, look here. It’s crazy that there is a weak connection between 5 thin wires from the tonearm and external rca phono cable. You do better get rid of this strange connection, you’d better solder some proper tonearm wires (like Cardas or Discovery) directly to the external phono cable (i like Zu AUdio Mission Phono) on this board, to avoid signal degradation. You have to use cardas soldering with silver. A low output MC cartridge signal is very sensitive to cables, shielding and everything before the phono stage. This problem is irrelevant for MM/MI cartridges. The old Technics SL1200 mk5 is nowhere near the new SL1200GR, the tonearm on the old Techics is not as good as the new one. For cartridges like ART-9 you definitely need a better tonearm, it is easy to replace the arm on your mk5. BUT if you want to stick with the stock tonearm try to find some killer MM or MI cartridge like Grace, Victor, Audio-Technica, Grado, SoundSmith, Garrott, ADC TRX II, Stanton/Pickering ... There is nothing to lose for you in your setup between MM and MC. BTW: Saec SS-300 mat is great for this deck! Isonoe footers are great, you can even buy KAB Fluid Damper for high compliance MM. Along with full rewire you will upgrade your mk5. It is much better than to buy a LOMC and notice hum and phonostage problems later on. |
I did just recently replace the stoxk tonearm wires with Cardas Litz as well as Cardas RCA cables on a new PCB. Also used the Cardas Quad Euctextic silver solder, just haven't had the chance to audition the changes yet.
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I have owned both the 33SA and the OC9iii.
The 33SA was a smidge better overall, but with pricing it should be. I think your arm is a tweener that work with either. My gut says that the OC9iii might be better with its higher compliance. I run the Art9 at the moment, but bang for buck in the AT line, is hard to best the OC9iii if you have the arm to match it.
I don't recommend the OC9ii, I don't think it is as balanced sounding as the iii. If you have a warm leaning system, maybe it would be a good choice then. |
@gibsonian What are your thoughts of the micro line vs the shibato? Does the ML start to lean away from musical.. but not implying analytical? These 3 carts, the ART9, OC9/iii, and the 33PTG are looking like you need to own all of them...lol. |
"I’ve heard that from a couple people... I’m also a believer in "buy once cry once" also so that doesn’t help my budget...lol."
dyk71- I get it. Audio as a hobby, can be a wallet breaker.The great thing about any AT cart, is there is a model for most price points.
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This is Audio-Technica MicroLine stylus, the benefit of this stylus is very long life span (1200hrs at least). This is the most resolving and accurate stylus. But apart from ML there are many similar under different names like MicroRidge, MicroReach, SAS, Repliacant 100, Gyger, VdH .... Shibata is very good profile too, but again there are different names Stereohedron, FineLine, Vital, Micro Tracer ... depends on the manufacturer and patent. The statement that one profile is more "musical" than another is false. There are good and bad profiles, some people like bad profiles and call them "musical" (a conical for example). The profile must have a wide contact groove area, so you can actually hear what’s on the record. With cheap profiles you can’t hear something, you lose frequency extensions (the wound is rolled -off). Cartridge signal generator, coil wire, magnet type ... everything important. There are many more very interesting cartridges in the world that AT or all the usual suspects. Do not stick to one brand if you want to try something interesting. |
I use an AT-150MLX with an ATN-150Sa shibata stylus. Together with the 150 stock Microline stylus it's like having two really nice cartridges. That's the benefit of AT's MM product line, interchangeable stylus.
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That’s the benefit of AT’s MM product line, interchangeable stylus. Definitely, but not only Audio-Technica. Some manufacturers offered so many options to the customers: For example Stanton/Pickering offered all types of styli for their MM to play not only microgroove stereo, but also mono and even different 78 rpm. And all these just with spare stylus, but with the same MM cartridge. Another brand that did the same is Grace, they made all kind of styli (Conical, Elliptical, Unitily-4 (LineContact), Discrete-4 (Shibata), Luminal Trace, Micro Ridge) and nearly all kinds of cantilevers (Aluminum, Beryllium, Boron, Ruby, Sapphire and even Ceramic) ... |
Thank you for the replies. I did place an order for the 33PTG/2, as well as the KAB cardas wires and fluid damper. I'll surely report back once it's up and running.
I agree you cannot have too many carts, so after a while I will look to add maybe the SA33 or ART9, as well as other possible manufacturers but those two are on the radar. |
No lean away from musical at all for the line contact stylus. Out of the 3 I'd say the line contact versions might be the most musical. The ART9 and the OC9iii share the same body, are in the same family. Have not actually heard the 33PTG but am sure it is also good. Have fun! @gibsonian What are your thoughts of the micro line vs the shibato? Does the ML start to lean away from musical.. but not implying analytical? These 3 carts, the ART9, OC9/iii, and the 33PTG are looking like you need to own all of them...lol.
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To update this, I installed the 33PTG/2 yesterday and pretty much have it dialed in to the Baerwald arc. I just need to fine tune the azimuth but had to shove off to work yesterday but was able to play a few tracks.
With the cart, and the Cardas wire upgrade, I was absolutely thrilled at the results. I was waiting for that sibilance after I noticed the increased air and liveliness surrounding all aspects of the recording, but the highs were very well controlled. There was no sense of brightness, all the high notes and vocals just seem to be just right, no sibilance at all.
There was a small setback as I tried the 10g Zupreme headshell with the PTG, along with the AT headshell wires. This combo tipped the scales at right about (IIRC) 19.7g and the stock counterweight could not level this out. I could have just gone with the 1.8-2.2g tracking force but wanted to be able to at least balance the assembly...I may try this later anyway,
So I used the stock headshell to begin with which the entire assembly weighed in at 17.25g with the AT headshell wires and did balance out. Using the HiFi news Test LP I have a resonance at 9 Hz.
Overall it was somewhat of a wow moment in regards to clarity, detail, and control.
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This combo tipped the scales at right about (IIRC) 19.7g and the stock counterweight could not level this out. I could have just gone with the 1.8-2.2g tracking force but wanted to be able to at least balance the assembly...
There is a stock subweight with every Technics SL1200 series, just screw it in. If you don’t have it you can buy here for $12.95. With subweight you can balance heavier cartridges/headshell. |
I bought this used a few years ago from the original owner and he barely used it but did not have the extra weight.
Thank you for the link. |
