High Performance Moving Iron Cartridge Candidates?


I have decided to simplify my analog set up a bit. removed the fussy cartridges and SUT's, and am down to one external phono stage, and the internal one in my Trinov preamp. 

 

The Trinov preamp is MM only, and I don;t want to use a step up or headamp with it. So that means high output moving coil or a MM type cartridge. 

I read on these boards that a MI cartridge can have lower moving mass than a moving coil I would like to experiment. 

What are the viable candidates these days? I imagine most vintage ones do not have OEM styli available still. The Soundsmith ones are interesting, but get very spendy. This is meant to be a casual cartridge for me, but I will spend some money on it. Just not Air Tight or Koetsu money.  

What are other choices? Not typically fond of Grado I heard in the past. Otherwise I think Nagaoka is the only other one I know of?

neonknight

Showing 1 response by dynamiclinearity

Don't limit your self to just moving iron. Classic moving magnet cartridges can have low moving mass. For instance the lowest of all was probably the old Technics EPC100 MK4 with resonance at 100 kHz. Unfortunately it's not available any more. A good choice would be the classic Shure V15 5MR or even better the Shure 500. The suspension on these would be gone but find an old one and there are multiple JICI styli available. Or close to the EPC 100 MK4 is the Technics EPC 205 MK3 and a JICO stylus.