Cartridge or cable upgrade


Hey all,

Equipment is as follows:

Pro-ject 5.1SE tt
Sumiko Blue Point cartridge
LSA Statement Integrated (MM/hi-output MC phono stage)
Reference 3A de Capo BE monitors
Monster Cable Interlink 2 Insulated IC for phono connect

Should I upgrade the cable or the cartridge first?

I'm thinking of the Dynavector 10x5 ($450) for the cartridge, or Anticable Reference 3.2 for the cables ($300)

Any advice in those price ranges?

Thank you in advance,

Simao
simao

Showing 1 response by paraneer

I have your exact TT and spent around 1200 hours enjoying the Blue Point No. 2, the one I am assuming you have. Stylus wear eventually led to a change and I too replaced it with a Dynavector 10x5 that is now broken in.

I am not sure what kind of sound your looking for but I can share my experiences with both of these cartridges. Especially before you jump on the Dynavector. Overall, they are far more similar than different. Here are the differences that I noted. The Blue Point has slightly better treble while the Dynavector has slightly better bass.
The Blue Point will project a wider soundstage. The Dynavectors soundstage is narrower but deeper with the instruments more in focus. Overall, I give a slight nod to the Dynavector. For cables, I use Audioquest Sidewinders and am very happy with them.

If you are looking for a big change in sound, suggest you look at a different cartridge entirely. But change doesn't necessarily mean better. Just different. If you like the sound of the BP No. 2 and are looking to improve upon it, again I will give a slight nod to the Dynavector. Hope some of this helps.