I’m not familiar with the pearl cartridge but if it sounds dull, try to raise the vertical tracking angle a little (no more than 1/16 of an inch) to see if it adds any sparkle. Generally if a cartridge sounds dull & muddy, the VTA is set to low. Again, I’m not familiar with the pearl, so it could be the cartridge. Just a suggestion.
Cartridge upgrade for vintage TT - MM or MC?
I have a Technics SL-D202 that currently has a Sumiko Pearl on it, which is OK but I don't totally love it. The midrange is nice but the treble in particular is lacking. Compared to my digital source it sounds dull and lifeless and therefore I hardly use it.
My question is, would it be at all worth it to upgrade the cartridge or should I just wait until I can upgrade the TT totally? I am considering the Schiit Sol in the future if they ever get it back on the market but my wife really likes the automatic function of our current table so I may be stuck with it or something similar at least for now.
I had considered trying a lower-end MC cartridge and seeing how that sounds but any other recommendations would be appreciated.
I use a Schiit Mani pre which can be adjusted for any cart (or so I'm told).
The table came stock with a AT-71E and I also tried a Shure MX97e but neither of those really wow'ed me.
My question is, would it be at all worth it to upgrade the cartridge or should I just wait until I can upgrade the TT totally? I am considering the Schiit Sol in the future if they ever get it back on the market but my wife really likes the automatic function of our current table so I may be stuck with it or something similar at least for now.
I had considered trying a lower-end MC cartridge and seeing how that sounds but any other recommendations would be appreciated.
I use a Schiit Mani pre which can be adjusted for any cart (or so I'm told).
The table came stock with a AT-71E and I also tried a Shure MX97e but neither of those really wow'ed me.