Pick up recommendations for Micro Seiki with Rega 300

Pommes

New Member
Hi,
I have a Micro Seiki dqx 1000 with rega 300 arm.
Since years I am using a grade gold and I am happy.
But I moved to Europe, and the grados are expensive here.
I listen to a lot of old and some very beaten up records, so I would like to buy a cartridge where I can very easily change the stylus between records.
What would you guys recommend. The cheaper the better, but it should not sound much worse than my grado.
I was thinking about shure m97xe, but I didn't find any cheap stylus which would fit.
What do you think?
Thank you very much
 
Why?

Because i don't have them in better condition?
Perfect answer.

Perfect records would be better... I don't mean to be a nag, so I apologize if I sound like it (and I think I do).

I also have the DQX 1000. Great TT. Rega 300 is a very good arm. We're not talking "decent" or "mid-fi". With better-condition vinyl you can add a better cartridge/stylus and reach a whole new level — without worrying about damaging the stylus...

And this is just a personal foible of mine — the clickety-pop-scratch-scratch of abused LPs drives me nuts, can't even listen.

If you can tune that noise out good for you — I wish I could.
 
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I bought thousands of records on fleamarkets and some of them are in really bad shape. All the other records, most of them are in very good shape.
Usually the ones in the bad shape I just play once and digitize them.
Then I decrackle them with plugins on my computer.
So what would be perfect for me would be a cartridge where it would be very easy to swap the stylus. One cheap stylus for the bad, one expensive stylus for the good records.
I even thought about maybe mounting a second cheap tonearm for the bad records. But I am not so much into it, I don't know exactly how to do it, what I need to buy and so . If anyone could recommend a good cartridge for that , or could help me to find cheap stuff for a second tonearm I would be very thankful.
 
If you liked the M97xe you could go with that and buy the cheap EVG N97xe replacement stylus. Slide out the good one and slide in the EVG, you would be good to go. That approach will work for any cartridge which EVG makes a replacement available.
 
I'd consider what the sound characteristics of the rest of your system. The Shure might be too laid back if your other components leaned in that direction. Then again a nice AT would be good if you needed some additional brightness.
 
I've been using MC's for a long time (non-removable stylus) and I've only been using MM's with removable styli for a couple years, so I'm no expert. But is it advisable to constantly change the stylus — like every time you play a damaged record? Dozens and dozens and dozens of times? Can't that damage the internals?
 
I even thought about maybe mounting a second cheap tonearm for the bad records. But I am not so much into it, I don't know exactly how to do it, what I need to buy and so .
For the DQX, you'll need a second "mounting board". They're expensive. But there's a guy in Europe who makes them out of Acrylic, identical to the metal except for density, for cheap. He's on ebay. And he'll custom design for any tonearm. I'm ordering one for my DQX.

I think your ideal path, time and funds allowing, is a great cartridge/stylus for the Rega and good LPs, and a second arm/cart for the dodgy ones. Also, a lot of audiophiles have gone back to switchable headshells, so one arm handles all carts.

Given that you have the DQX, a great foundation to build on, be patient but aim high...
 
For the DQX, you'll need a second "mounting board". They're expensive. But there's a guy in Europe who makes them out of Acrylic, identical to the metal except for density, for cheap. He's on ebay. And he'll custom design for any tonearm. I'm ordering one for my DQX.

I think your ideal path, time and funds allowing, is a great cartridge/stylus for the Rega and good LPs, and a second arm/cart for the dodgy ones. Also, a lot of audiophiles have gone back to switchable headshells, so one arm handles all carts.

Given that you have the DQX, a great foundation to build on, be patient but aim high...
Yes, I think that would be the best option. I can get a AX1 for around 150$, do. you know the price for the acrylic? Maybe you know the sellers name?I can't find it on eBay. And then do you have a cheap recommendation for an Arm? I still have two Grado gold cartridges without stylus , I could get the cheaper black stylus or buy the cheap AT 95...
 
This one is aluminum. Same guy. Very cheap. Message him re acrylic options, different tonearms... His acrylic costs half what you quoted for AX-11. I have the AX-1 — never found an arm it would fit, except the MS MA 505, which I don't have and don't want.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/MICRO-SEIKI-DQX-DDX-1000-SUPPORTO-PER-BRACCIO-TECHNICS-EPA-500/162635315768
Thanks a lot, I really really appreciate it. You said you did not find a tone arm for AX1? My Rega 300 is mounted on the AX1, do you think this does not match? I bought the record player secondhand for only $800 including tonearm and Grado wood system. The system broke down, that's when it started that I thought i need to get some information. This forum is very helpful, especially people like you.
 
My Rega 300 is mounted on the AX1, do you think this does not match?
I didn't mean that. I only meant the AX-1 hasn't fit any of the arms I tried recently, and I probably overstated it. If the Rega 300 fits, then it's a match — the armboards are only mechanical couplings and it the arm-pillar fits into the hole, it's a match. I've made armboards of hardwoods (oak, walnut) for arms that don't fit the AX-1 (eg SME, Syrinx, Linn Ittok) and they work fine — which is why I think the acrylic boards will be fine. Now he's offering aluminum too, still at a great price and custom-made for your specific tonearm — and if you don't care about "originality", just functionality — he's offering a great service. (Sorry for the run-on sentence.)

This forum is very helpful
Good sense of community on AK. People have helped me and I want to help if I can. I took particular interest in your question because we share the DQX — and because you gave such a good answer to my first snobbish question about playing damaged records — put me in my place.
 
Thank you again.
Today I received this, I don't know if you call it this way, template? with all the lines and numbers which helps you to adjust the tonearm.
And I have to say that after the adjustment it sounds a lot lot better than before.
The tip to get the cheap knock off board from the Italian guy sounds very good to me. I think I will get one of this aluminum boards.
I also thought about building one myself of woods, but I don't have the necessary tools to do that.
A good idea would also be to try to print it with a 3-D printer, but I don't know anybody who has a 3-D printer.
So the next step will be to order from the Italian guy, and then to try to get a cheap tonearm, I saw Rega 200 series arm for less than $200, if you know of a cheaper and maybe better alterntive please let me know. I want to say I am happy with all the answers here, you guys really helped me a lot.
I will let you know once I have finished this project.
 
I had a Rega 200 arm on a Planar 3 with a Linn K9 cartridge long ago. I was really surprised how good the combo sounded, the arm looked so ordinary. I learned later it was made by Acos, a stripped down version of their Lustre model — the Lustre is now rated a classic in "esoteric" vintage audiophile circles. I also had a "high end" Linn/Ittok/van den Hul MC at the time, and actually preferred the humble Rega for Reggae and Rock by a big margin — comparing them side by side made me cynical about the entire high-end cost equation.

It also has removable headshells, which solves your problem with switching carts for different records. If it's in good shape I recommend it — I'd like to have one myself.
 
I had a Rega 200 arm on a Planar 3 with a Linn K9 cartridge long ago. I was really surprised how good the combo sounded, the arm looked so ordinary. I learned later it was made by Acos, a stripped down version of their Lustre model — the Lustre is now rated a classic in "esoteric" vintage audiophile circles. I also had a "high end" Linn/Ittok/van den Hul MC at the time, and actually preferred the humble Rega for Reggae and Rock by a big margin — comparing them side by side made me cynical about the entire high-end cost equation.

It also has removable headshells, which solves your problem with switching carts for different records. If it's in good shape I recommend it — I'd like to have one myself.
My project is almost done. I was able to move one phono preamp up from my old revox to my new revox amplifier, so I have two phono inputs now. I have a very old project turntable, and I was able to Unscrew it's tonearm, so I have a cheap tone arm which I would like to mount to the DQX , but there is the problem. Maybe you can help me once more? Attached is a photo of the Rega , mounted to the DQX, and a photo of the cheap tone arm which I would like to mount to one of these acrylic mounting boards . Now here is the very specific question. What kind of screws and nuts do I need to mount the cheap tonearm? If I would just stick it into the hole, the arm would not be raised high enough. Maybe I can ask the guy who builds the acrylic bloards to put in a second screw to the second hole, so I could fasten the tonearm.IMG_0480.JPG IMG_0481.JPG I hope you understand this question.
Thank you very much
 
I hope you understand this question.
Sorry, I don't — I don't understand the "second screw/second hole" reference.
But if the Pro-ject arm is too low, you can either 1) put spacers underneath to raise it, or 2) clamp the armboard higher up on the post. I've done this with arms that don't have a VTA adjustment. The armboard doesn't have to be all the way down; it clamps so tightly to the post you can position it higher up and it will still be a rigid connection.
 
Sorry, I don't — I don't understand the "second screw/second hole" reference.
But if the Pro-ject arm is too low, you can either 1) put spacers underneath to raise it, or 2) clamp the armboard higher up on the post. I've done this with arms that don't have a VTA adjustment. The armboard doesn't have to be all the way down; it clamps so tightly to the post you can position it higher up and it will still be a rigid connection.
Yes, I did the same. I clamped the board not all the way down, so the rega sits in a perfect position. But the Rega arm is totally tight to the armboard, because there are some spacers and some kind of screwing mechanism with which you can tighten the arm to the board itself and I would like to achieve the same tightness with the cheap arm, but I do not have the mount screws to mount it to the board neither do I have spacers. That's why I thought to ask the guy to put a tightening screw to the hole where you put the tonearm in. Not just on the whole which attaches the board to the turntable itself , otherwise could you recommend some specific spacers and screws and all that stuff that I would need to tighten the cheap arm to the board?
 
I don't know the tonearm and I can't see from the picture. If you ask the guy who makes the armboard to put a screw in a certain spot, and he understands what you want, he'll probably do it.

You ask about a "specific spacer" — a spacer is anything that creates space. Improvise, be creative, find something that works. It doesn't have to be from a specialist hi-fi dealer, you might find the perfect part at a hardware store in the plumbing section. I'm 10,000 miles away, talking about a tonearm I know nothing about, without clear photos or even a drawing to go on. I'm happy to help, but don't see how I can on this particular question.
 
I don't know the tonearm and I can't see from the picture. If you ask the guy who makes the armboard to put a screw in a certain spot, and he understands what you want, he'll probably do it.

You ask about a "specific spacer" — a spacer is anything that creates space. Improvise, be creative, find something that works. It doesn't have to be from a specialist hi-fi dealer, you might find the perfect part at a hardware store in the plumbing section. I'm 10,000 miles away, talking about a tonearm I know nothing about, without clear photos or even a drawing to go on. I'm happy to help, but don't see how I can on this particular question.
Hardware store sounds good to me:) i will post updates in 3 weeks or so, when its finally mounted.
 
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