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Need New MM Cartridge Recommendation

Hello All!

I need a recommendation on a new moving magnet phono cartridge. 

Here's my system:

Roksan Radius 5 (I think MK1 or 2) turntable 
Creek Evolution 100A integrated amplifier with Creek Sequel MM board
PSB Imagine T2 loudspeakers 

The Roksan came with a Roksan Corus Black MM cartridge, which was likely a Goldring manufactured cart.  It was great!  The stylus broke off after about 8 years use. 

I was wondering about the following but am open to all recommendations: 

Clearaudio Maestro (yikes! It's $1200)
Ortofon 2m Black
Goldring carts similar to Corus
Audio Technica AT150MLX

Any insight and recommendations will be super appreciated!

PS:   Sequel 40 mk2 MM Phono pre-amp is the device specifically suited for most types of Moving Magnet cartridges, with an output between 3.5 to 5mV and a matching impedance of 47k Ohms.
jbhiller

Showing 3 responses by johnnyb53

johnnyb53
3,510 posts
 
The 2M Black is $755 at authorized US dealers and $513.06 from Germany-based Thakker on eBay. The replacement stylus is $576 domestically and $439 from Thakker on eBay.

You can get the AT150MLX from LpGear and other Atelier outlets for $325. Replacement stylus is $180 from Atelier affiliate LpTunes. It has a MicroLine stylus that lasts much longer than other profiles. So the AT150MLX is both cheaper to acquire and much cheaper to own.

I've been happy with my AT150MLX for eight years now. Every downstream improvement I've made in that time (and there have been many) has resulted in showing even more of what the AT150MLX can do, rather than revealing any shortcomings.

There was a recent thread on a similar topic where one A-goner posted that he had owned both cartridges and preferred the AT.

johnnyb53
3,510 posts
 
You can still get a Roksan Corus replacement stylus. 



johnnyb53
3,510 posts
 
MM cartridges for box speakers,

MC for panels.

Interesting thought, don_c55. I've been using an AT150MLX since 2008, but switched from curvilinear "box" speakers to panels (Maggie 1.7) in 2013. It still seemed like a good fit but I'm open to other options. I recently bent the cantilever on my AT150MLX and am using my backup, a now-discontinued Denon DL-160 HOMC. It's a pretty nice fit. It doesn't quite mine the detail of the AT, but it has a musically involving, full and rich presentation of its own that I kind of like. 

My current phono stage is a pretty nice (for me) PTP hand-wired all-tube unit with adjustable gain, but not enough for LOMCs. It does HOMCs very well, though. I was sort of thinking of an LpGear BIN 323 HOMC with nude line contact stylus.

Comments? Observations? Experiences you'd like to share?

Thanks in advance.
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