goldring or grado?

Eri,

Hmmm, a Grado that sounds spitty and constricted, that doesn't sound right. Perhaps the cartridge was defective somehow. A better model would definitely be better, but perhaps there is a compatibility problem with your tonearm or your phono stage. Sdcampbell has actual experience with your 'table and seems to think the Grado a good match. A mystery he'd be better able to solve. If you don't want to spend too much money, then go for the Platinum, which is cheaper than the Sonata, but has a wooden body which kills resonances (spittiness) and design features which make it far superior to the Gold. But if you're nervous about Grado, then strike it off your list and buy the Goldring instead, which gets very good reviews too. There is also the Shure V15 (pricier than either the Gold or the Goldring, though, like the Platinum) which is the least sensitive to tonearms and sounds very even. More money spent, $300, but almost a guaranteed musical result. It lasts longer than other cartridges too, and so is a good investment.

The previous post pretty much hits the nail on the head. I had a Thorens TD-126 Mk3 back in the late 1980's (with the same tonearm you have), and used a Grado cartridge with it (can't be sure about the model, but I think it was the "MZ"). The only mild criticism I had about this setup was the susceptibility of the Grado cartridge to hum from the turntable motor. It wasn't terribly noticeable, except on very quiet passages when the tonearm was close to the end of the LP (which placed the cartridge directly above the TT motor).

I have heard a lot of Grados (currently own the "Reference"), but only a couple of Goldrings. Of the two, and in my system, I preferred the sound of the Grado cartridges (I love that rich upper bass and mid-range, and the terrific musicality).

The only advice I'll offer is to get the best Grado you can afford. If your budget will allow it, I'd recommend the Grado Sonata as the best place to start. It has a higher quality cantilever assembly than the "budget" priced models, and offers much of the performance of the more expensive models.

Johnnantais,
Thank you for your response.
I had the grado z1+ cart.,didn't like it,sibilance
mid,spitty and constricted.
Is the gold better?
thanks
Eri

Eri,

Both should work fine, so it comes down to what type of sound you like: the Grado is smooth and has a terrific midrange; the Goldring is punchy and detailed. Sometimes there are hum issues with the Grado, and it can "wobble" in the wrong tonearm, but I've rarely found either of these to be a problem, especially with metal platters, and the Thorens low-mass tonearm. For safety and drama, choose the Goldring, for magic, choose the Grado. They are both good, though the Goldring has the better diamond.