Recommendation for Cartridge for Technics SL-1200G?
If you're looking for ART-9 make sure you're buyin' from the official distributor (not from grey market dealer), so you can get factory retip in Japan for very reasonable price when you will need it. In general for Technics tonearm you have many cartridges to choose from brand new to vintage heritage. From MM/MI to MC. Just don't buy a low compliance cartridges and don't buy very high compliance. I would recommend the Victor X-1II (Beryllium/Shibata) or its cheaper alternative X-1IIe (Titanium/Elliptical). Both are great, the stylus on Beryllium cantilever is better. Any of them in NOS condition worth the investment. Even if you will buy an MC it is nice to have an MM alternative to compare one to another. On LOMC side the Dynavector DV-17DS with Diamond cantilever and Micro Ridge diamond is great, the mkII version is even better. |
Two posters recommends cartridges with Conical Styli, this is to be honest the worst stylus profile on the planet, no matter on which cartridge. Conical tip has the shortest life-span and can't extract music from the record grooves. This profile must be avoided by anyone who is looking for high-resolution and accuracy. Also a low compliance cartridge on SL1200G is not a good idea, only with very heavy headshell and additional counterweight. Shure M44-7 has extremely high output, conical stylus for this cartridge is discontinued, it's much better to add Jico SAS on this cartridge. But the output is just too high! |
Also a low compliance cartridge on SL1200G is not a good idea Agreed. Since I mentioned 'lower compliance' in my post (I'm not saying @chakster was referring to my post) I want to clarify that the Sensitive Sound ART Dark cart is medium-low compliance and I was comparing it to the Audio Technica which is medium-high. |
Michael Fremer said of the 1200G... In case you were wondering if the arm was tailored for high compliance moving magnet cartridges, I can tell you that I used, among other cartridges, the Lyra Etna SL and when I measured the horizontal and vertical resonant frequencies using the Hi-Fi News test record, both measured between 8Hz-and 9Hz, which means yes, you can use the SL-1200G with your favorite low-medium compliance moving coil cartridges. Read more at https://www.analogplanet.com/content/technics-direct-drive-sl-1200g-turntable#rGtlT7r6JxDUZRMg.99 |
To calculate what is best there are two resources I have been using. First the Ortofon guide and chart here... https://www.ortofon.com/support/support-hifi/resonance-frequency The shows that resonant frequency should be between 7-12Hz is best idea being somewhere is the middle of this range. For the Technics with an arm mass of 12g +a headshell which is likely to be 7-10g the arm mass will be in the range 19-22g This means that Compliance rating of 10, 15 and 20 are best suited (low to medium) 25 is marginal. This calculator enables precise values of resonant frequency... http://www.resfreq.com/resonancecalculator.html For this the target extremes are 19g - 7Hz - 27CU 22g - 12 Hz - 8CU So this shows that between 8CU and 27CU depending on precise cartridge weight. The optimum probably is 9-10Hz 19g at 9Hz gives 16.5 CU 22g at 10Hz gives 11.5 CU Two real world example Soundsmith Zephyr Star MMIC Compliance 10 µm/mN weight 12.2g On the Technics arm this gives a resonant frequency of 10.2Hz A 2g heavier head shell would give 9.8Hz Dynavector 10x5 Compliance 12, Wight 7.3g On the Technics arm this gives a resonant frequency of 10.46Hz Both are good matches! |
Are you sure that the 12 gram mass of the Technics arm is without the headshell? Here is another calculator! http://www.mh-audio.nl/Calculators/RF.html And another! https://www.vinylengine.com/cartridge_resonance_evaluator.php |
It is my understanding is the effective mass for the SL--1200G tonearm is 12g with headshell included. In addition, these calculators that are available online are strictly approximations at best. It is always best to measure the tonearm/cartridge resonance using proven methods. Definitely with stock Technics headshell, i agree And it is much better to use actual Test Record to measure (and to see) resonance than any online calculator which can give you the idea, but not exactly precise measurements. |
Dhjohnson if you are getting 8hz via the calculator then I’m afraid you are using the wrong compliance measurement. The 18 figure quoted in the specs is at 100hz. To get this to 10hz you need to multiply by 1.7 giving 30.6cu and a resonant frequency if 6.33 hz This is a long way from the ideal 9-10hz. these are indeed a guide and it would be more accurate to measure using a test record. Has anyone done that with the Art9 on the 1200g??? I’d be amazed if the resonant frequency calculator was out by 50% !!!! it may be possible to make it play but I remain to be convinced that it is a good match. |
This is a review of two carts that I am considering... https://6moons.com/audioreviews2/soundsmith/1.html |
Hey, you can use nearly ALL moving magnet and moving iron cartridges on this Technics tonearm, what’s the problem, will you ask for every cartridge ? Don’t use low compliance MC and do not use extremely high compliance MM/MI. Medium or Medium High compliance is what you need. Technics stock shell is light weight, with lower compliance you need a headshell of higher mass and probably Technics subweight for the other side of the arm. Read this and make sure you know your cartridge compliance at 10Hz, not at 100Hz, to make the calculation. Mid compliance MC can be good too. For such expensive turntable you might need something special, not those Nagaoka cartridges, but something much better! |
