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Cartridge for vpi Aries scout with jmw9 tonearm

Hello all,
I recently handed my trusty original rega planar 3 down to my son who is building a system. I purchased a used vpi Aries scout with jmw9 tonearm. Any suggestions on a cartridge that is a good match with this table/arm combo? I have always used a Denon 103r and like the sound, but wondering what else is out there that might be worth a try. Open to both mm and mc. 
Thanks for any suggestions.
Cheers
skipper320

Showing 2 responses by chakster

chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
Denon was very cheap, what's the budget for new/better cartridge ?
And what is the effective mass of your tonearm ? 

Definitely you have to look for cartridges with advanced stylus profile (shibata, line contact, micro ridge, stereohedron ... ), because your denon is conical.   

If the budget is under $800 then definitely look for MM or MI
If the budget is over $1k you could find LOMC (but you'be been using MC, maybe it's time for something else ?)  


chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
If you're looking for Grado try to find Joseph Grado Signature XTZ or another similar grado cartridge body and XTZ stylus (available separately). This is the best stylus for Grado. 

However, i must say there are better MM cartridges than Grado for sure. 
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