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Vinyl Asylum Welcome Licorice Pizza (LP) lovers! Setup guides and Vinyl FAQ. |
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Vinyl Asylum Welcome Licorice Pizza (LP) lovers! Setup guides and Vinyl FAQ. |
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In Reply to: Time for a new cartridge posted by Phil_S on July 16, 2024 at 09:40:59:
Turntable setup:
Teres 150 with 12" Jelco 750 tonearm feeding a VTA PH-14 (EAR 834 circuit) phono stage with all NOS tubes and a Hagerman Piccolo 2 for MC.
In general, I'm a big fan of boron cantilevers and line contact styli. For some reason the Shibata styli I've heard do not really float my boat.
I bought the Audio Technica VM540ML when it first came out and eventually upgraded the stylus to the 760SLC. I also have The Vessel R3SM and one of Nagaoka's newer MM carts, the JT-80BK. It was only $499 when I got it; I see it is now well above your budget at $699.
I really liked the AT 540 - as many have said a great bargain. Having said that the 760SLC stylus was a real nice improvement. I'm guessing the 740 would be as well.
It took me a bit longer to dial in The Vessel but once I did I quickly became happy with it. Runs neck and neck with the AT plus the 760SLC stylus. Obviously, AT carts have a house sound, being a bit more dynamic with an extended high end. Some folks call that too bright or edgy but I don't. The Vessel is a bit more balanced but just as clear and sweet in the treble and powerful in the bass...once you get the tracking angle dialed in. Since the Vessel like the AT carts can be upgraded just with a stylus switch it offers value. Remember, it can be tough to compare given the differences in output voltage.
The Nagaoka runs in the same league in general terms. Not too lean, not too fat, nice dynamics and balance.
In general, of the three my favorite is the AT with the 760SLC stylus. The Jelco and an adapter make cartridge changes for comparison fairly painless. Some pressings are better with one than the others and that can vary. I like them all. Right now I've got the AT installed but with the heat wave and some family health issues I'm not spinning as much vinyl as usual.
My vinyl collection is well over 2500 LP's, some I've had since the early 70's. Mostly jazz with some classic rock, blues, a touch of classical and a healthy dose of comedy from Bob Newhart to The Bonzo Dog Band and beyond.
I hope you let us know which direction you chose and how it turned out for you. Happy listening!
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Follow Ups
- I'm in the ballpark... - JazzAlive 23:03:26 07/16/24 (0)
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