Help me make a decision! Turntable overload
Thinking my budget for the TT is $700... Look for Technics SL-10 turntable with built-in MC phono preamp and Linear tracking tonearm! Some of them comes with Technics p-mount 205 mk4 cartridge (or with Technics 310 MC). It's not a plastic toy, it's a heavy turntable with great cartridge. |
For the Pioneer truntable you can buy the best Pioneer MM cartridge ever made (vintage one), designed for Pioneer Exclussive series of turntables, those old Pioneer Exclussive easily goes for $10 000 today. The cartridge on my picture is Pioneer PC-1000 mkII and it’s a giant killer MM (Beryllium Cantilever, Nude Elliptical tip). Unfortunately new Pioneer turntable is not as good as the old Pioneer turntables. Look for the Pioneer PL-70 II Vintage MM cartridges from the golden era are much better than many modern MC and definitely better than modern MM. |
Pioneer tonearm designed for modern mid compliance cartridges, definitely not for extremely low compliance MC like Denon (which require superheavy tonearms), people never learn the basics. The superiority of the budget MC over MM is a myth, seems like you know nothing about cartridges. At least you should know that Denon 103R has a conical tip (the worst diamond profile ever which can not extract the musical information from the record grooves) and it must be re-tipped every 300 hrs. Zu Audio and related companies are not cartridge manufacturers, but the Denon is cheap MC designed in the 60’s that can be upgraded by third-party to earn money, the upgrade makes the price up to $700 at least, but for this money you can buy amazing MM cartridges like AT-ML170 or many other vintage MM of the golden era with stylus life span up to 2000 hrs! To learn more about MM read this article in TAS magazine. And them do yourself a favour and start reading MM thread where all the best MM already discovered for lazy people. I like some MC cartridges too, not all MM are better than MC, but the cartridges you have mentioned here is bad choice. Sometimes i think that reviewers knows nothing about cartridges when they are raving about something like Hanna or Denon 103. Any cartridge with conical tip must be avoided if your target is details and resolution which makes vinyl magical. |
As for the NEW moving magnet i would recommend Garrott, i am so happy with my old P77, make sure to check their new carts like P77i, but keep in mind that prices are in Australian Dollars, so in USD it is much cheaper. https://garrottbrothers.com/ The vintage Pickering XSV3000 with Stereohedron for $350 tip is unbeatable and there is nothing better than this even for much higher price. Stereohedron stylus tip is very special. If the cartridge is MINT like mine then you’re safe, lol ... Also there is an Expert Stylus company in UK specialized in retipping Stanton/Pickering cartridges with the same stylus profile, back in the days there were a manufacturer of Stereohedron. My buddy Nandric is a big fan of Expert Stylus service and diamonds. |
