How many cartridges do you own?

W

www.records

Quality over Quantity
Not junkers, but ones that are in good working condition! If you have several, please list them in your order of preference. I have a few, as I had a minor cartridge fascination a couple of years ago, so I will go first.

1) Denon 103R
2) Denon 110
3) Goldring 1042
4) AT 440MLa
5) Shure III with NOS VN35E stylus

I have never owned anything exotic as all of the above have had their time as the flavor of the day on audio sites and the hype intrigued me enough to give them a try. On my system, to my ears, this is the order in which they fall.
 
I only have one, the AT440MLa. I'd like to get another one, but I'm not sure what would make sense. I'd like something that will track just as well, but maybe offer a different "color." I also don't want to spend more than $100.
 
Mounted on Thorens 124 boards:
1)Sumiko BP#2 (mounted on SME3009-II)
2)Ortofon SPU-GTE (mounted on Ortofon RS-212)
3)Grado Gold (mounted on Grado Laboratory walnut arm)
4)Shure M3d (mounted on Rek-O-Kut 120S)

In boxes for revolving use:

1)Pickering V15-II
2)Pickering XV-15
3)Shure M7d (x2)
4)Shure M7/N21
5)Ortofon OM-10
6)Shure N72b
7)audio tech at70L
8)Stanton V500.3
9)Stanton V500
10)Shure V15-III
11)Empire 1000
12)Sumiko Pearl

Several I got with tables, some I got in junk boxes and found new styli. The ones mounted on arms are in regular use, but each has their own sound...it's like trying to pick a favorite child...even though you love them all, some you just get along with better.

James R.
 
Hmmmm, let's see...

2x ADC
6x Audio Technica
3x Bang & Olufsen
4x Nagaoka
4x Ortofon
~ 12x Philips
2 1/2x Shure
1x Stanton
1x Technics

That makes ca. 35 1/2 altogether. Plus a couple more needles for more combinations...

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

P.S.: Oops, overlooked the wish for "in order of preference". But I would have had to be more specific then, anyway - plus my order of preference also varies with the turntable. But to name some of my favs nevertheless: B&O MMC20EN, Philips GP351, Audio Technica AT120 body with ATN150E needle and AT432EP/OCC body with ATN152LP needle.
 
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Just one: Shure V15 RS that's several years old, but never used until the parents gave me their PL-730. I wouldn't mind trying a Shibata stylus on it if available, but I think with how I'm on a beer budget, this is about as good as it'll get for me without putting myself out of the house I'm currently in.
 
In order of my personal preference thus far:

ATN95HE in AT3400
Pickering XV-15/625e
Shure M95HE (still breaking in so it may move up)
Shure M97xE
Grado Green
Pioneer PC3MC (considering upgrade to PN401MC from TurntableNeedles when budget supports it)
Shure RXP3 (need to hear more of this so it may move up as well)

Except for the PC3MC, which came as original equipment on my PL-9, and the M97xe which I picked up on line, the carts came with t/t's picked up through C/L or E***. Replacement styli for all came from either JICO (directly) or LPGear.
 
So beej, your saying the V15 RS cart I've got's definitely better than the PC-3MC my 730 probably originally came with?
 
I really don't know.
2 X Grace F-9
Ortofon X5-MC
Shure V-15 II, III and IV
Shure M97he
Audio Technica AT ML150OCC

There are others, but those above are the ones that come to mind.
 
Patriot1776 said:
So beej, your saying the V15 RS cart I've got's definitely better than the PC-3MC my 730 probably originally came with?
Click to expand...

Since I don't own the V15 I really can't say. I will say this: the PC-3MC is a nice moving coil cart however the stylus is a .5 mil spherical. Compared to a moving magnet cart with an eliptical or hyper-eliptical stylus, the MM's I've listed sound better to me. The reason that I want to upgrade the stylus in the PC3MC is to experience the sound with an eliptical installed.

All of that being said, most in here will tell you: it's how it sounds to you that counts.
 
All working cartridges, some with spare oem stylus. In no particular order although the TOP 2 right now would be the Grado Gold and Denon DL-110, after that I have a problem picking.

Micro Acoustics 3002
Sumiko Blue point
Sumiko Oyster
Goldring 1012GX
Goldring Elektra
Ortofon OM20
Ortofon OM5e
ADC XLM mkII
ADC XLM mkIII Improved
RS 1000ED (Shure M75ED T2)
Denon DL-110
Grado Gold
Grado Silver
Grado Blue
Grado Z+
Grado GT
Pickering XSV 3000 (now needs new stylus)
Audio Technica 130e
Audio Technica 120e
Audio Technica 440MLa

Edit
Have been listening a lot more to the ADC XLM MkII improved with Original NOS from LPgear. That and the Grado Gold get the most play time.
 
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Audio Technica AT12E
Audio Technica AT30E
Stanton 681 EEE
KAB Ortofon OM 30 Pro
Shure M95ED
Shure M97XE
Ortofon Kontrapunkt A w/bent cantilever :(
 
Grado Reference Sonata
Shure V-15 VxMR
Sumiko Blue Point Special EVO III
Grado Prestige Red
Stanton 681EEE-S
Audio-Technica AT440ML
Shure M97-XE

Also various Linn, ADS and other carts that are not in current use.
 
Off the top of my head (I'm out-of-town on business), mounted on headshells for my SL-1700Mk2:

AT150MLX
AT440MLa
Shure M97XE
Ortofon Concorde 10 with 20 stylus
Grado Black
AT p-mount with 152LC stylus
Ortofon Super OM 10
AT CS111E
AT 71ELC with red 70 stylus

There's an AT TR485U p-mount on my SL-Q5 linear tracker. I have some others in usable condition but not mounted, mostly p-mounts.
 
Dang, Chairspud.

My humble offering:

Pickering XV-15
Ortofon OM-10
Stanton 500 V.3
Grado Green
An Astatic, vintage 1987 or so, model unknown (no numbers anywhere), with lightly used original stylus, not a junker in fact my current favorite cartridge but scared to death to use it much because I have no idea how to get a replacement stylus.
 
Only a few so far......but as funds allow, I'll get more styli

Stanton 681EEE
(2) Pickering XV-15 1200e
**above three all share a Stanton D6800EEE-2-Shibata stylus**
Pickering XV-15 625e with D625 stylus

also mounted and ready to go- I'm not sure why:
Shure S320
(3) AT450..P-mounts

box of random lower end AT standard mount & P-mounts that came with eBay & thrift TT's - for when friends bring over their beat up Lp's - lol.

Rob
 
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