Otello vs. Carmen mkII.........help me choose.

I have both the Soundsmith Zephyr and the lo output MIMC Star.

I can tell you, the MIMC is better than the Zephyr. More refined overall. Is it worth the extra $$? To me it is.

I would imagine the Otello is a very nice cart for the money, but there is little doubt in my mind that the Carmen is better. And I have heard neither. However subtle it may be for some, I’m sure the difference exists.

Your other option is to keep yours eyes out for a Zephyr, as I’ve seen them for close to $1,000 both new and used, and IMO the Zephyr is a great cart for the money.

Thanks, @bkeske . I'll take your suggestion and keep on eye out for the Zephyr.

@judsauce,

The Otello has a simple elliptical Titanium stylus - Otello | Soundsmith (sound-smith.com).  The Carmen has a hyper elliptical diamond stylus - Carmen mk II | Soundsmith (sound-smith.com).  

Otherwise, I have the Carmen (and the Boheme & Paua) and the various reviews such as Soundsmith Carmen Mk II phonograph cartridge (positive-feedback.com) are accurate - it has a smoother presentation. 

There is a Carmen MKII available at a good price Soundsmith Carmen mk II Phono Cartridge (hifiheaven.net) and Soundsmith only charges $200 to 'rebuild'. 

thanks, @antinn, Great suggestion.  Appreciate the info.

I have an Otello for a back up cart and they are nice but they are limited due to stylus type, IMO go for the carmen or better. 

I have bought a couple carts from HIFI Heaven, good company, you can trust them, but….

They have a fairly typical ‘bait and switch’ approach. You might see a ‘demo’ listed for a very good price, you decide to buy, and they come back stating that all the demo’s are sold out, sorry, but they have a new one at a discount. If you tell them no thanks, and return your money, chances are very good the salesman will come back saying they talked to their boss, and they will sell a new one at the demo cost.

How do I know? It’s happened to me twice. And the response were identified both times, like clockwork.

Now, that said, they are trustworthy and will stand by the final sale.

I know some who simply call them and get the sale sorted out by phone instead of emailing back and forth. Seems like this practice is common with them.

I got my new Zephyr from them for $1,000, that was originally listed as a ‘demo’.

Just be warned of their tactics.

@bkeske  Wow, interesting experience. Thanks for sharing it. I'll keep that in mind if I deal with them.

The Otello has great mid/highs, buit will not produce deep bass. It is mentioned 

on the website.

I keep one as a backup.

The Audio Technica OC series is another line worth looking into.

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@tablejockey 

@glennewdick 

thank you both for that info.​​​

Nagaoka MP500 or AT VM750SH (I use as a back up) / VM760SLC