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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 2 responses by tom_hankins

tom_hankins
928 posts
 
The 17D3 is a very nice cartridge, the xx2 MKII is alot better. Something almost new like this might be what you looking for.
http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?anlgcart&1248640585&/Dynavector-XX2-Mk-ii-
tom_hankins
928 posts
 
The XX2 MKII is as fast and has a more natural and smoother presentation than the 17D3. The 17D3 is a brighter cartridge that can be a little edgy. The XX2 MKII is more dynamic, better detail, and quieter, slightly more relaxed. Balanced sound from top to bottom. If you go the XX2 route make sure and get the MKII version. I think the original XX2 was a little on the slow sounding side compared to the newer version.
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