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Help with Cartridge choice

Fellow audiophiles, my first time posting here and I will appreciate your help in choosing the right cartridge as part of my broader journey to put together an end game system. My upgrade path may not be very logical because it is opportunistic.

I use an old Pro-Ject Perspective turntable from early 2000s with the 9" aluminium arm (not the carbon one). I will make a significant upgrade in next couple of years but thats what i have for now.

I recently bought a Zesto Andros II phono stage to match my Zesto Leto 1.2 pre.

For now I am trying to upgrade from my Ortofon Bronze (MM) cartridge to something finer. Based on my research I am considering Hana ML ($1200). I have to stay below $1500. I have never used a MC or LOMC and not very analog savvy, and will appreciate any and all recommendations. 

Thank you!

musicmatters1206

Showing 1 response by alan60

alan60's avatar
alan60
196 posts
 

Might sound like a backward step, but the Ortofon SPU Royal N is pure musical magic, I know people that have replaced Kondo IOM's with it and have not looked back. It does need quite a massy arm with VTA adjustment and a phono stage with a decent amount of gain plus a minimum of 100ohms impedance. People may wonder why not the full SPU version, 2 reasons it sounds better and costs less.

I don't know if you guys have heard if Living Voice speakers from the UK, if not check out the website. Anyway the guy who is the mastermind behind Living Voice, the SPU Royal N is his favourite cartridge, above all other cartridges whether they be Kondo's, Fuuga, the top Ortofons, Van Den Huls, Lyra's et all.

Anyone reading this with whose interest has been pricked, give it a punt. 

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