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LOMC... phono stage okay, but which cart?

I ordered a Graham Slee Reflex and Elevator in order to have a LOMC-compatible phono stage. I have a MM cartridge, but want to buy a LOMC. My budget is around $1-1.5K. I desire a cartridge with nicely balanced tonal quality, yet with punch/dynamics and articulation. I listen mostly to 70's-80's rock and some jazz/fusion. On the radar so far is the Dynavector 17D3 'Karat' and the Ortofon Kontrapunkt B. My tonearm is an OL Encounter with 14.5g effective mass. According to my calcs, either of these cartridges would work theoretically, even though the Dyna is really light and the Ortofon is fairly heavy. According to reviews and forum posts, both of these cartridges have the sonic qualities I desire. What are some other cartridges in this price range to consider that will likely work well in my tonearm?
rockinrobin

Showing 1 response by ptmconsulting

ptmconsulting
1,000 posts
 
I have an older XX1 (which preceeded the XX2), so my comments may not totally apply. I moved from a well loved 20X because I got a can't miss deal on this baby (it was literally sitting in a drawer and forgotten for 8 years and wasn't fully broken in when I got it).

The XX1 kept the DV house sound but provided me with much more depth and detail and finesse. That's what I was told, that these characteristics will just increase as you move up the DV line. However, I lost some of the dynamics and punch that the 20X had. Now this is 2 generations below the current XX2 MKII so I would guess that issue would have been adressed and corrected.

Enjoy,
Bob
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