Dual 721 turntable - opinions/advice?

I misspoke. My Proton 1100 is pretty much identical to a NAD 1130.

Is there a thread here to help a newbie evaluate the condition of a stylus?

Craig

Just replace it. A new stylus is about $60 for the Audio-Technica. Cheap insurance. There is really no way -- aside from gross mistracking -- for someone without a microscope and experience to effectively evaluate the condition of a stylus. Besides, even if the stylus is fine, the suspension bits may be dried up and damaged. A new stylus unit insures against both possibilities.

Your Proton has a pretty good phono stage. Like NAD stuff, it can sound a bit 'dark.' So, provided your speakers aren't overly bright, I would go with the Audio-Technica AT120E you already have or the Ortofon 2M. Both have detailed enough treble to counteract the preamp's tendencies.

I just came across this thread. Craig your 721 does NOT have the ULM arm, it has the 4 point gimbal. It will accept a 1/2 inch cart from 4.5 to 10 grams. I have a CS-721 late model. You can tell if yours is late or early by the platter. The early only has one strobe band on the platter versus the late model with a seperate band for 33/45 and 50/60 hertz. I have an ortofon 2M blue on mine which is my primary cart but depending on what I'm listening to I'll switch to my V-15iii with a super tracker plus. Don't take this TT lightly as it is very good if its in good working condition. It was duals TOTL when it came out and it also has the EDS-1000 which, according to the "big mag audio folks" is the quietest direct drive motor made. I tried the M97xe from my DUAL 1246 on the 721 and I didn't like it but hey, thats me. I have a Nagaoka MP-150 in route from LP Gear. A bud has this cart on a 701 and he sez its all good.

This was my standard for many years. I owned a 701 then moved to the 721 back in the late 70s. It was a very quiet and reliable table. Some days i do miss that automatic function on the table.

I've has a Dual 721 for about 15 years. When I took is out of the plinth to replace the RCA cables, I couldn't help being amazed at how clean it is. This turntable had been sheltered all of it's life...a life of more than 40 years!
I'm not having any trouble with it but recently decided to upgrade the entire sound system. I started with a SCHIIT phono preamp. Schiit Vadar amp and Magnapan speakers should be here this summer but in the meantime, I bought a Fluance RT 85. It comes equipped with a Ortifon Blue cart. I was very impressed with the cart but the turntable had some sort of grounding issue on one of the channels, so I sent it back. I then decided that, being so impressed with the M2 Blue, that I would upgrade to the Ortofon Bronze and install it (with a new cartridge sled) on my Dual 721.
Here is where I am seeking advice and counsel.
Either my ears decieve me or the M2 Bronze is being muted in some way on the Dual 721. I'm wondering if, at a certain point, it is possible to hit the wall on a Dual 721 with cartridge upgrades!
If true, I wonder what aspect of the Dual 721 is driving this limitation?
Assume the tonearm to be balanced and the vertical tracking angle good, what other tweaks could translate to getting maximum benefit from this cart?
I did notice that the output of the M2Blue is 5.5 mV and the M2 Bronze is 5.0 mV, but the preamp certainly makes up the difference.
Does anyone have any thoughts?