You might consider a phono amplifier instead of the receiver's input. Try a Schiit Mani 2 into an aux input.
Need help with phono cartridge selection
Hello all,
Hope everyone is having a great weekend. I am finally getting around to upgrading my phono cartridge and looking for some advice. I mostly listen to rock and jazz using the following setup:
Receiver - denon AVR 4306
Speakers - Polk audio
Record player - Pioneer PL-630 with medium mass arm.
With all the reading I have done I am in information overload and not sure which direction to go. Current budget is roughly 500 or less.
Current cartridge considerations:
Denon dl-110
Ortofon om20
Ortofon 2m Bronze
Nagaoka mp-200 or the 150
AT ML540ML
AT VM95E or ML
Hana EH
I am open to other suggestions as well
Again, I am new at this so I appreciate your patience and your help.
Theo.
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- 23 posts total
Hi all, First, thanks for the solid advice and input. After reading your comments and continuing to read article after article, I have narrowed my list down to (plus added a couple) to the following: AT VM540ML - $279.00 AT VM740ML - $349.00 AT VM750SH - $449.00 Goldring 1042 -$699.00 I also realized I may have to increase my budget a little.😀 Does anyone see any issues with any of these cartridges being used on the pioneer PL 630? I really don’t want to spend a larger amount of money if the difference is not that noticeable. It really sucks that one can’t go to a store and test drive these…. Thanks for your patience and input.
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What are you using currently? What type of sound do you like? The Goldring is a bit warm while the ATs are more neutral–maybe a little bright–but not harsh. I use a VM750SH as a spare or when not in the mood for my more dynamic and nuanced Deccas. It’s decent and does everything well. It will need 10-20 hours to settle in, being a little bit brittle and thin at first. |
noromance9,415 posts What are you using currently? What type of sound do you like? Noromance, I bought the player used. No idea how many hours are on the cartridge. Listen to mostly 70’s and 80’s rock along with jazz. |
- 23 posts total