Cartridge upgrade time.

Over the years, since 1961, I must have owned 30 to 40 may be 50 cartridges in one form or another. Every version of a 681, 881, 981, every V-15, plus quite a few M series. There were Empires, Signets, and so many different Ortofons If I had to list them all I'm sure I'd forget one or two, maybe a half dozen. My favorite out of that bunch was a SL 15 MK II by Ortofon. But it was a compromised tracker. Nothing like my V-15 V or 981 HZL or Grace F9E. But I loved the sound even if I had to deal with SUT's that were a pain in the neck. Then I was introduced to Dynavector. My 20 X2 HO is the best cartridge I have ever owned. It has the sound of the Ortofon, but with out the tracking issues. Set it a 2.1 grams and go. I have yet to here it mis-track on a clean record. And it falls in your budget. It has clean bass, very very quiet background, glorious midrange and lower highs, and above 6, kHz will present what ever is on the disc. If its trash or beautiful percussion sounds the 20X2 will reveal it all to the listener.
The better your phono stage the better the sound. An austere stage will give the 20 a hardness you may not like, an older SS or tube pre-amp a softness you may cherish or detest. Right now I'm scratching my head over the purchase of a XX2. If I do that then will an Ovation with a TT5 follow or will it be a SME 15 with a 309? Scratch, scratch, scratch?

If you do buy the 20, be sure your TT is up to snuff. The older Thorens I owned were all freight trains right out of the box new. Thank heavens for a TD 125.
 
"So you may reconsider if you think the Denon is worn out." - Dear Mr. Pig (that sounds funny), this raises another question, who is equipped and qualified to accurately inspect a stylus? The OEM? The local stereo store? Some trained AK'er out there? Who?
 
"So you may reconsider if you think the Denon is worn out." - Dear Mr. Pig (that sounds funny), this raises another question, who is equipped and qualified to accurately inspect a stylus? The OEM? The local stereo store? Some trained AK'er out there? Who?

Well you can send it into a cartridge rebuilder like Soundsmith for an inspection. They can tell you the wear and approximate life of the diamond. You could send it to the manufacturer or distributor. There are certain shops that would have the equipment and training to do so. And there are a few AK'ers and hobbyists here with a good enough microscope and skill to determine wear patterns on a diamond. There are a few ways to do this.

Regards
Mister Pig
 
Just got an email that the Art 9 has shipped. Can't wait for it to get here!

Don't get too nervous if it takes a bit longer than anticipated. I ordered a Denon DL-110 from 2juki on eBay a few months ago. It was shipped promptly but took about 2-1/2 weeks to get to me. It was worth the wait though as the price was great. My younger son ordered me a Denon DL-301MKII for father's day from another seller not on eBay. They kept back ordering it though they were very good to deal with he said. Price was $250 shipped. Finally a few days ago I told him to cancel the order and I'll use what I have. I have the DL-110 and a Grado Gold1 amongst others and I'm pleased with them. I also have an Audio Technica AT30E LOMC cartridge that sounds very good.

I would never hesitate to order from 2juki again.
 
I just listened to Joni Mitchell's "Blue" album. Man there is a big difference between my old Denon 301 and this thing. The AT is more detailed and has a lot more presence . It's fuller sounding, the bass is tighter and it's more lush. I'm listening to Gregg Allman's " Laid Back" on a QRP recording now. Wow! Some of the reviews I've read talk about how hard this cart is to set up but it was pretty straightforward for me. It's tracking at the recommended 1.8 grams, I set the alignment with my SME gauge and checked it with a Feikert protractor in Baerwald. I've got the vta almost level, maybe just a tad up in the back. I used a mirror to do the azimuth and it looks okay. I left my preamp just like it was with 60 db of gain and a 470 ohm load.

The reviews say this thing really opens up after about 50 hours. It won't be hard to listen to for those first 50 hours!
 
Correct, and even higher in lots of instances. Cleanliness, quality of records and tracking force all play a a roll in life span.
Yes, and I believe VTF is ignored or not checked often enough. I sent my Helikon SL back to Lyra in 2010 for a rebuild. I'm still using it today in a VPI 12.6 wand and it must have well over 2k hours. It still performs flawlessly.

John
 
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