What is a good cartridge today?

[nadude98]

Ok, it has been awhile since I was an acting audiophile. The last time I was into it, it seems like the Shure V15 was the top grade cartridge for the everyday listener.

What is on that par today.

Just like I seem to remember the Thorens with the cartridge I was using tracked for 3/4 gram to 1 1/2 grams whereas today most cartridges I have read about like to track from 1 1/2 to 3 grams.

What is up with that.

Silly questions?

[vinyldavid]

I still like the V15, and am looking into getting another stylus for it. :music:

VERY musical cart.

[hakaplan]

Just like I seem to remember the Thorens with the cartridge I was using tracked for 3/4 gram to 1 1/2 grams whereas today most cartridges I have read about like to track from 1 1/2 to 3 grams.

What is up with that.

Silly questions?
If you're reading about them here, it's because many members have vintage Japanese turntables with s-arms which tend to like slightly higher tracking forces, so we look for those cartridges. Also, many are using moving coil cartridges which have require high tracking forces. But there are still plenty of carts using low tracking force.

[BrocLuno]

Well that's a big question. As with everything, there was a day when a '55 Chevy BelAire was a pretty upscale car. Now you could not even make taxi out of it except for the die-hard gear heads (I'm one of this group), collectors or Drag Racers . So where is the V-15. Well it's out of production. Factory stylus are no longer available. It's still a very well regarded cartridge, but pricey in the used market and getting a little long in the tooth. It's kind of heavy and you never know what condition it's in when you get it, etc. If I got one from a trusted source or on a used TT, I would certainly put it back to work with an after market JICO stylus - either an HE or an SAS (you can read all about them here, just do a search).

So todays carts are a bit more developed. Material science has changed some parts like the suspensions and styli shapes. Just within the realm of Moving Magnet (MM) or Moving Iron (MI), you can get a lot of performance. Moving Coil (MC) may take you to places that were not possible when the v15 was new.

At the base level you can get most anything in the way of voice from an AT95SA which may be the bargain "best buy" right now. It tracks around 1.5 or so. Grado Black is a bargain too if your TT is not susceptible to the Grado hum (check the database here). It tracks best at around 1.8 or so. The Shure M97ex is well regarded by quite a few. I personally find it a bit bland, but every one has different ears. I like my old Shure M75-T2 with an after market stylus. All the above are available under $100. Others will chime in with their bargain favorites :)

Jumping up one rung on the performance ladder will cost you more. That turf includes the AT440MLa, Pickering v15-625e, Empire 2000 E/III, Grado Blue or Red, Ortofon OM20, and the like. All very nice cartridges and very capable of handling used vinyl and new with ease. All have slightly different voices and can match some albums very well.

Up one rung on the performance ladder is the beginning of what I call the serious audiophile grade cartridges and styli. Shure V-15 (either the III or the VMR are at the top of the heap) with a pristine OEM or JICO premium stylus. All up that'll set you back between $150~$400 depending on source of body. In that same price range is the AT150MLX, a Grado Silver or Gold, a Pickering XVS, an Ortofon 2M Bronze and the like. Most have advanced styli design like micro-line/micro-ridge/fine-line diamonds (derived from Shibata technology) and multi-piece or boron cantilevers and the like. They use oxygen free copper windings, gold plated terminals and a lot more attention to Q/A and testing. All perform very well.

From here up it's a mix of MM, MI, and MC (and the associated support gear like a dedicated phono amp and the like). Also, from here up can get real pricey in hurry. No more Shures and only one AT. Now it's still Grado, but into their wood bodies, Clear Audio, ZXY, maybe an Ortofon 2M Black, but you are spending roughly upwards of $500 just to get into this crowd. Once you reach this place, you need to have sorted out all the other pieces in you phono chain first. If your system is ready, these carts will give you outstanding results. Of course at this point you are not likely playing used thrift store vinyl any longer, but buying new pressings at $25~$50 a pop and so on.

And there quite a few in the real stratosphere. Above $1000 and you are on your own. But there are cartridges that cost upwards of $5K and deliver detail that can not be heard by mere mortals. At this point you likely have a $5~$7K turntable, a dedicated phono amp with $400 cables connecting it, a extremely nice pre-amp or source selector and dedicated power amp (SS or tube, your choice) and maybe $10K speakers or above. Heck, at this level, your headphones are likely to be a grand by themselves :)

[nadude98]

Wow! Thanks for the insight into todays cartridges. That was very helpful and a lot of info.....:music:

Much appreciated!!!

[Nailer]

In the 70s many cartridge manufacturers were striving for low tracking force, claiming lower resulted in less record wear. I remember people tracking at .75 grams.

[MarkAnderson]

Wow! Thanks for the insight into todays cartridges. That was very helpful and a lot of info.....:music:

Much appreciated!!!

Yeah, no shit.

[BrocLuno]

Yeah, but it's a relative thing. Back in the day low tracking weights/forces were the hi-tech thing of the time (I was there seeing as how I'm 60 now). High compliance cartridges were just coming into their own. And in general, we were coming down off stackers with cast aluminum or pot metal arms with ceramic cartridges that tracked at 5~10 grams, so even 3 was considered low. But of course someone had to set the bar for all the others to follow (IIRC it was Shure).

A few things happened, 1.) the big wear factor did not turn out to be tracking weights. Anything below about 3 grams is pretty easy on the vinyl. 2.) dull and worn "needles" turned out to be one of the biggest record destroyers. 3.) dirt turned out to be the other one. Mix dirt and a diamond and drag it around a piece of plastic and you'll "sand" it down to nada in short order :(

Modern cartridges and stylus are getting resolution the old ones could only hope for. And some of these modern designs call for higher tracking forces than those you refer to, to get them to "trace" the groove and extract the information there. Most don't need over 2.5 grams and that would still be considered "light" in terms of history :)