MM or HO MC Cartridge Choice-Input Please


Hello All. It’s time to (incrementally) update my phono chain to take advantage of the assumedly excellent phono stage in my Shindo Partager preamplifier. My table is a humble Rega 3 with the stock Elys2 MM cartridge. I am willing to invest $3K in upgrading the whole phono chain, and I would start off with the cartridge. I’ve gotten some suggestions in a prior thread, and am trying to choose between:

Dynavector 20X2 HO

Dynavector 10X5 HO

Clearaudio Virtuoso V2 Ebony

Hana SH (or EH or MH)

Benz ACE

I also thought about contacting Soundsmith and seeing what they would recommend. Finally, I should note I have a Quicksilver step-up transformer (SUT) and could always go to a LO MC cartridge. I’m just a bit worried that once I go to LO MC I might start second guessing the Quicksilver, feel that I need a better SUT, and then all my money goes into the cartridge and the SUT and I’ve got nothing leftover to upgrade the table. For that reason, does it make sense to stick with a MM cartridge? I would like to spend no more than $1000 on the cartridge.

Thanks in advance, Michael


mjschwartzman

Showing 2 responses by racedoc

My best bets for new cartridges in this area are

 

Jico Seto Hori 

and

Acoustical Systems Fideles