I think anyone who cares about MM/MI cartridges should try a Grace F9. I bought an F9 body with a broken stylus for $70 on ebay and added a Soundsmith F9 OCL Ruby stylus/holder assembly. It is a fantastic performer by any definition and holds its own with the best vintage MM/MI and some great new-production MCs I’ve recently compared including AT ART7 and Accuphase AC-5. I just finished comparing the F9/SS OCL Ruby to a well-preserved Signet TK100LC-- Signet’s top $1200 cartridge in the ’80s. I give the Signet a slight edge over the F9, but both are astonishing. The Signet is more seductively rich, the F9 more neutral and maybe more resolving. The comparison is apt as both have ruby line contact styli.
is the Grace F9L cartridge. equal to the newest MM, like Ortofon, Clearaudio, Rega, etc?
I was offered a Grace F-9L cartridge for about $300. I was informed by the seller that Grace cartridges work well with Thorens TT....However, Grace has been out of business for years So I am a little wary of its viability.
Therefore, need some info as to what its last retail price may have been?? And whether its reputation and performance is worth the investment BTW, there is no possibility of retipping it with Grace out of business I have a Thorens TD-145 which is crowned with a AT 440MLB moving magnet. Good, but not great
Note: I have been considering 3 used tables. Rega RP6 with an ELYS 2 cartridge; A Project 2Xpression with a low output Blue Point Speical Evo III cartridge, and a VPI Scout Jr. with a Quintet Red low output MC ( which is the most expensive of the three.
There is also another table under consideration I would purchase new: The: Project RPM3 prepacked with a Sumiko Blue Point 2 high output MC .
My gut tells me that any one of the 4 tables mentioned above would be a better investment than Grace F-9L and the Thorens. Therefore, any info and comments will be greatly appreciated. Thank you