The fact remains that practically all phono cartridges beyond the B.O.T.L units are grossly overpriced, making listening to Vinyl almost a rich man's hobby: assuming you must buy new. I avoid that like the plague. Occasionally I get burned, but at today's inflated prices I'm still ahead of the game.
I bought my Elys2 from a guy who bought it new and wasn't too impressed. Neither was I - having replaced an Elys 1(slightly better than a Grado Gold sans hum). I persisted though and as I bid on a Denon 160 and ran through the replace cartridge checklist for my RB300, all of a sudden I was listening to a different cartridge(I had changed nothing! this was after 25 hrs listening-adding to the 25 the p.owner had put on it). A deep, rich, full-bodied more detailed sound issued from my speakers that became rapidly more and more beguiling. This cartridge has a thing for drum kits!
Irritatingly I won the DL160 bid! Now what? Luckily the 160's stylus was so badly gunge'd it took a while to clean it! But I did. I fitted it. VERY flashy HI FI wise and great fun to listen to: GREAT Stereo imaging. After a while though I found myself missing the beguiling Elys2 and refitted it. The 160 sits languishing! A DL 160 retails for $190, the Elys2 another 60% more. But I've now bought 3 Elys at a 1/3rd the retail price - thanks Mikey! At it's retail price I wouldn't buy it, and be contented with a DL160; but with both...buy used - with that break-in period...
I bought my Elys2 from a guy who bought it new and wasn't too impressed. Neither was I - having replaced an Elys 1(slightly better than a Grado Gold sans hum). I persisted though and as I bid on a Denon 160 and ran through the replace cartridge checklist for my RB300, all of a sudden I was listening to a different cartridge(I had changed nothing! this was after 25 hrs listening-adding to the 25 the p.owner had put on it). A deep, rich, full-bodied more detailed sound issued from my speakers that became rapidly more and more beguiling. This cartridge has a thing for drum kits!
Irritatingly I won the DL160 bid! Now what? Luckily the 160's stylus was so badly gunge'd it took a while to clean it! But I did. I fitted it. VERY flashy HI FI wise and great fun to listen to: GREAT Stereo imaging. After a while though I found myself missing the beguiling Elys2 and refitted it. The 160 sits languishing! A DL 160 retails for $190, the Elys2 another 60% more. But I've now bought 3 Elys at a 1/3rd the retail price - thanks Mikey! At it's retail price I wouldn't buy it, and be contented with a DL160; but with both...buy used - with that break-in period...