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Need Cartridge Recommendation for Fluance RT85 Turntable

Hi all. This turntable comes with Ortofon 2M Blue MM. I accidentally let the tonearm drop and the diamond tip came off. Wow! I have a MAC7200 which has both MC and MM inputs. I'm not that experienced with phono cartridges. My budget is about $400. The RT85 has a maximum cartridge mass of 7.5g and tracking force range 1.6 - 2.0 grams. Should I go MC? Should I go with another MM? What are my best options?

A replacement Blue stylus is $160. I could upgrade to Ortofon Bronze for about $400 - or go with another cartridge manufacturer. What do you recommend? Also, what are good sources to buy cartridge/stylus? Thank you very much.

I will be more careful in handling my tonearm in the future:).

 

kinarow1
strateahed
304 posts
 

@noromance +1 . I have the Audio Technica VM750SH with Fluance RT85. Great combo! Also agree with break-in time. Little on the shrill side in the beginning. 

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ejlif's avatar
ejlif
1,375 posts
 

you can do a lot better than the Ortofon blue.  I would go cheaper Grado over Ortofon Blue all day. There is a 500 range Audio Technica that is really good, I can tolerate playing it on my big rig in the company of 10K plus carts and it's not embarrassed at all.  It's the 0C9XML.  Hana ML is good too.  Spend a few more bucks, it's worth it.  I do like Ortofon a lot though the Blue is kind of a snoozer, red is even worse, anyone playing vinyl through red don't know what they are missing.  Ortofon quintet black is good to for MC too.  I'd just grab the OC9XML and you will be amazed at how much more you get compared to a blue.  I've had the Fluance 85, it's fine, you are missing out on a lot with a table that cheap but hey if that is what you have to spend then so be it.  Put a little better cart on it than the blue and you will be smiling.  At least they put a blue on it and not a red.  The red is garbage.  

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