Rega P-2 turntable: Best cartridge match for $ 200

06-26-08: Xiekitchen
For the Rega P-2 I would consider a Rega Cart.

Having heard a Rega Exact on a Rega P7 in a pro setup at my local vinyl store, and now owning an AT150MLX on an SL1210 M5G, I'd have to say that the AT150MLX is *at least* the Rega Exact's equal, at a little over 1/3 the price. In fact, the AT150MLX reminded me a lot of the Exact, and I mean that in a good way.

If you're set on the P2 I would definitely agree with everything Viridian said. My 2 cents would be to shell out another $50 and go for either the Grado Reference Platinum or the Sumiko Blue Point No. 2 high-output MC. If you have a Grado dealer in your area you can usually get a better deal in-store than from Needle Doctor or any other online store. For instance, the dealer in my town is selling the Reference Platinum for $280. That is an absolutely unbeatable cart for that price.

For the Rega P-2 I would consider a Rega Cart.

For this money, I strongly nominate the Technics SL1200, a Sumiko headshell, and the Audio Technica AT150MLX, currently available for $249 WITH shipping from J&R Music World. If that deal's off, LPGear has'em for $259. This is a killer deal; this cart's $399 at Needle Doctor and most other places.

I just put this cart/headshell on my SL1210 M5G and it's stupid-good for a total of $750. I never thought I could have achieved this level of musicality and detail at this price. With the Sumiko shell increasing the arm's effective mass to 16.5g, this arm/cartridge combo has an ideal 10Hz resonance.