There are lots of cartridges that have better soundstage, depth, air, clarity, etc., etc. than the Grado Sonato low output. They have a kind of brown coloring to them, and I think with little effort one can do much better. (Dyna or Benz)
Cartridge Recomendations for VPI HK-19 MK IV w/Gra
Hi all. I have a VPI HK-19 MK IV w/Graham 1.5t on the way and am looking for opinions or recommendations on good cartridge match ups with the Graham 1.5t (11 grams mass) and TT. Budget under $1000 please and HOMC or MM, as I am still relatively new to this and do not want to mix in step up devices or separate phono amps to my learning curve at this point. I will run the TT through a McIntosh mm phono stage.
My current system consists of McIntosh 6900, Jolida JD100 cd player, SF Cremona Speakers. I don't play music every day, but when I do, I like a nice sounding system that will not give me ear fatigue. I listen to mainly female vocals and instrumentals.
Some cartridges I am wondering about are Grado Reference Sonata, Benz Micro Glider SH, ClearAudio Virtuoso Wood. The Grado appeals because of its reputation for warm, lush midrange, but I wonder if this is too light for the Graham arm?, and am also concerned reading other posts that claim the Grado highlights record noise and may "hum" with some TT's.
I appreciate any input you may have.
My current system consists of McIntosh 6900, Jolida JD100 cd player, SF Cremona Speakers. I don't play music every day, but when I do, I like a nice sounding system that will not give me ear fatigue. I listen to mainly female vocals and instrumentals.
Some cartridges I am wondering about are Grado Reference Sonata, Benz Micro Glider SH, ClearAudio Virtuoso Wood. The Grado appeals because of its reputation for warm, lush midrange, but I wonder if this is too light for the Graham arm?, and am also concerned reading other posts that claim the Grado highlights record noise and may "hum" with some TT's.
I appreciate any input you may have.