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Cartridge Opinions - Sorry

Yeah, another dumb "what's your opinion on these cartridges" thread. Back in the late 80's we had dealers where you could listen to the stuff.

So anyhow I have a Linn LP12 with Ittok arm and a 30 year old Audioquest B200L cartridge. I'm running it through the phono stage of a Jeff Rowland Coherence One into a Spectral DMA90 through a set of Kef R300's.

I prefer a little more laid back sound (err on the side of forgiving instead of fatiguing) but I like a lot of upper end detail, precise soundstaging, air, etc.

So far I'm considering an Ortofon Quintet S Black, Hana SL or a Benz wood - something at or below the $1k level.

I'd love to hear any opinions, suggestions, and experiences with those cartridges or others in the price range. I could possibly go higher if there is something out there that really shines for less than $1,500.

Thanks.


klooker

Showing 3 responses by scar972

scar972's avatar
scar972
231 posts
 
OP
For everyday use, I prefer a more laid back sound and not too in your face. The Benz Micro Wood is an excellent choice giving me plenty of detail and air, it's well balanced, and doesn't draw too much attention to itself. You can get a bargain on the Benz from a seller here on Agon.

I can say the same for another cartridge, the Audio Technica AT33PTG/II, though some will dismiss it because of its low price. It's very well balanced and not lit in the highs like some of the other Audio Technica models. This cartridge was very easy to dial for me requiring little tinkering to sound really good.
scar972's avatar
scar972
231 posts
 
@atmasphere 
What tonearm adjustments do you view as necessary to be considered a good tonearm for yourself?
scar972's avatar
scar972
231 posts
 
Most of us can agree with @clearthinker on this, exchanging ideas without attacking other people we've never met.
Not too long ago I posted on the forum to bring some attention to the reel to reel format and was told by one of our forum regular posters that the reason why I like reel to reel is because there's something wrong with my vinyl setup.
I think some of us will get more respect and be viewed as the forum expert when we can respect others' opinions a little more.  
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