Which P-mount: Digitrac 300, AT92E Shibata or Grado Black 8mz?

ChicagoTom

ChicagoTom

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I am looking to upgrade from the stock P-mount cartridge on my Technics SL-5. My choices are:

1) Buy a Digitrac 300 for $175
2) Upgrade to an 8mz stylus on my Grado Black to a for $150 see edit
3) Or buy an AT92E w Shibata stylus @ $145
4) something else!

(EDIT: The Grado is out of the running, since I've heard comments that they are not ideal for P-Mount tables, due to be very picky about how they are set up)

Any pros or cons to any of these purchases? I am quite happy with the AT-95VL and AT-150mlx cartridges I already own for my other tables, but I’m sorta inclined to go with another brand out of sheer promiscuity.

I listen to rock and jazz mostly. No Classical, Rap, Opera, and the only country I listen to is Rockabilly. If it matters, this will be connected to a revolving assortment of 70s solid-state amps/receivers.
 
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I have not owned a Grado cartridge in a very long time because of their occasional hum problems.

However, I do currently own a Digitrac 200 NE. I actually hadn't used this cartridge in a long time and am using it currently...I forgot how good this little cartridge sounded!

I also have the AT92 with the stock elliptical. Also excellent...very likely even better with a Shibata stylus.

Based on personal experience, I would highly recommended either the Digitrac or the AT.
 
Having owned all three at various points in time, I can honestly say you can't go wrong with any of them. However, I would go with the Digitrac by the tiniest of margins.
 
If the stock cartridge on your SL-5 is a Technics cartridge, let us know the model number. There just might be a killer app (or two) for that.

The $145 AT92E + Shibata is out of stock, but you can get the stylus ($134) and then get a used body for cheap. If it's the same stylus I bought five years ago, it's excellent.
 
The Digitrac. It's going to be T4-P compatible straight out of the box and a fine cart.

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analogguyinadig said:
Having owned all three at various points in time, I can honestly say you can't go wrong with any of them. However, I would go with the Digitrac by the tiniest of margins.
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I'm inclined to try out the Digitrac in any case simply because I already have several AT carts. Can you describe to me how the Digitrac sounds compared to the AT92E and the Grado Black (and to confirm, your Black had the 8mz stylus, correct?).
 
wualta said:
If the stock cartridge on your SL-5 is a Technics cartridge, let us know the model number. There just might be a killer app (or two) for that.

The $145 AT92E + Shibata is out of stock, but you can get the stylus ($134) and then get a used body for cheap. If it's the same stylus I bought five years ago, it's excellent.
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Good point! The cartridge body says "Series 1" on it, and the seller said it was an AT-201. I got the impression the stylus upgrade choices for this cartridge were nil, but I'd be happy if that is incorrect info.

Thanks very much to all of you who have chimed it! Keep it coming.
 
The Digitrac is an Ortofon free pivot mm design, like some of their other carts, so voicing will be in that family. Fine tracking carts as well, this it a T4-P plug-and-play version of their OM series.

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Pio1980 said:
The Digitrac is an Ortofon free pivot mm design, like some of their other carts, so voicing will be in that family. Fine tracking carts as well, this it a T4-P plug-and-play version of their OM series.

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I don't know what the voicing of Ortofon sounds like - can you describe it? And what is the Digitrac equivalent to the OM series - the OM30 perhaps?
 
ChicagoTom said:
I don't know what the voicing of Ortofon sounds like - can you describe it? And what is the Digitrac equivalent to the OM series - the OM30 perhaps?
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OM-30 should be equiv to the 300 iirc. The O'fon should generally come in between the Grado and A-T for sound character, 'musical', detailed, easy on the ear with excellent tracking.

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Pio1980 said:
OM-30 should be equiv to the 300 iirc. The O'fon should generally come in between the Grado and A-T for sound character, 'musical', detailed, easy on the ear with excellent tracking.

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Thanks Pio, that's very helpful! It's been a long time since I listened to my Grado Black Presitge. I do recall that I found it a bit dull-sounding to my ear, but my gear back then was inferior to what I use today. I know ATs run brighter in the treble, which my middle-aged ears enjoy. Sounds like the Digitrac might be different enough from the AT sound to "scratch my promiscuous itch." My hesitation is that I've heard such great things about the sound of even a basic Grado Black with the upgraded 8mz stylus.
 
The lower/middlin' Grados are noted for midrange and presence, but not tracking or detailing Champs. More money gets you more Grado goodness.

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ChicagoTom said:
The cartridge body says "Series 1" on it, and the seller said it was an AT-201.
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Is it this one, the AT201EP, which I've never seen labeled "Series I" and for which styli are practically nonexistent [but see post 18]...
12.jpg
 
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ChicagoTom said:
I am looking to upgrade from the stock P-mount cartridge on my Technics SL-5. My choices are:

1) Buy a Digitrac 300 for $175
2) Upgrade to an 8mz stylus on my Grado Black to a for $150
3) Or buy an AT92E w Shibata stylus @ $145

Any pros or cons to any of these purchases? I am quite happy with the AT-95VL and AT-150mlx cartridges I already own for my other tables, but I’m sorta inclined to go with another brand out of sheer promiscuity.

EDIT: forgot to mention, I listen to rock and jazz mostly. No Classical, Rap, Opera, and the only country I listen to is Rockabilly. If it matters, this will be connected to a revolving assortment of 70s solid-state amps/receivers.
Click to expand...

I have that same Digitrac cart (not a fan truthfully. Or of Grado's. Just a cold, dry sound that I don't care for personally. Those AT's can SING for you with the right stylus however. My next stylus will be that shibata in fact. I'd suggest the same :thmbsp:
 
ChicagoTom said:
I am looking to upgrade from the stock P-mount cartridge on my Technics SL-5. My choices are:

1) Buy a Digitrac 300 for $175
2) Upgrade to an 8mz stylus on my Grado Black to a for $150
3) Or buy an AT92E w Shibata stylus @ $145

Any pros or cons to any of these purchases? I am quite happy with the AT-95VL and AT-150mlx cartridges I already own for my other tables, but I’m sorta inclined to go with another brand out of sheer promiscuity.

EDIT: forgot to mention, I listen to rock and jazz mostly. No Classical, Rap, Opera, and the only country I listen to is Rockabilly. If it matters, this will be connected to a revolving assortment of 70s solid-state amps/receivers.
Click to expand...

I´ve had the Digitrac 300, didn´t really care for the sound, sold it after a while. The AT92E is in principle the same as an AT95E, or AT3400. A great cartridge IMO, am using it with a nude Shibata or a nude 0.2x0.7.
 
wualta said:
Is it this one, the AT201EP, which I've never seen labeled "Series I" and for which styli are practically nonexistent...
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It is an AT-201EP. I was the seller. I also have an extra NOS AT-201EP, but Tom wasn't interested in buying it because he wanted to try something else..
Styli for this cart are available at turntablesneedles, lpgear, and lptunes, but for twice what I was asking for the NOS cart that I bought from the original owner.

How do you like the table so far Tom?
 
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classic carl said:
... Styli for this cart are available..
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You're correct, of course. What I should have said was that the most-desirable styli are unavailable. They seem to be the same stylus assemblies from the AT92E family, but in fancy dress. Do you happen to know if that's true?
 
needlestein said:
I do not have an 8mz stylus, but I have a Grado Gold P Mount. I like Grados in theory, but they never seem to stay on my deck. I hear they are finicky for set up and that P Mount is probably not their forte because of this. What I glean from AK is that they like a bit of negative SRA and a VTF of 1.6 for the sweet spot, and they need absolute dead-on, as in completely perfect alignment to sound their best. This is probably almost impossible to achieve with any P Mount deck unless your idea of fun is spending a beautiful weekend indoors bent over your TT with a bunch of homemade shims and a couple of needle files.
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Agree completely on that. THe lack of tweakability on the T4P arm of your linear tracker is probably going to drive you up the wall, and the 8mz is not going to be very p-mount friendly. No doubt about this one.

I also have an M111HE and while it is a nice refined cart with a clean cool sound, I wonder if it's worth the $145. Probably not.

I think by playing around with turntable mat height, an SAS would work quite well. Others have noted that on a p mount table the SAS VTA is a little off, and due to the lack of arm height adjustment (and headshell shim adjustment), changing up the height of the mat should help in that regard.

I would highly echo needlestein's recommendation of tracking down a Technics p-mount (available for the cost of a few starbucks coffees on ebay etc) and throw on an SAS on it. I use one on my non p-mount arm and it works awesome.

Also try looking for a shure M92E body and get a SAS for that too. THat body I have got for cheap pretty often, under $20 sometimes
 
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