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Best out of these 3 cartridges/styli? (Newbie looking for your opinion!)

L

lilicc

New Member
Hey y'all! I'm looking for help with choosing which of these three budget cartridges/styli would be the best for me.

I have a Pioneer PL-S70, which has a low mass straight tonearm with the proprietary 1/2 inch Pioneer headshell that goes with it.
It has a Stanton L720EE (p-mount) already on it, but the needle is very worn.

I'm on a tight budget at the moment (student ) so my options are very limited (and even more limited by the low mass tonearm). I am hoping to stay under $85 CAD entirely including shipping costs and such.

My considerations and concerns are as follows:

OPTION 1: buying an aftermarket replacement of the D71EE stylus ($50-60 CAD) from these options:

https://myneedlestore.com/?s=D71EE+...ategories=1&attributes=1&tags=1&sku=1&ixwps=1

The JICO is not an option as it goes over my budget unfortunately. My main hesitation with this route is I've seen from threads here that the Pfanstiehl replacements for Stanton and Pickerings can be huge hit or misses, with sibilance or IGD issues. I'd rather pay the extra $20 CAD to ensure at least a good sound.

Also please note: I cannot shop from LP Gear as their base shipping to Canada is $32 CAD, Pretty much consistently knocking them out of my budget

OPTION 2: AT85EP cartridge ($71 CAD)

This one seems like the likely bet, but I'm hesitating over using a p-mount with an adapter when I could just use a 1/2 inch cartridge itself. The only issue is I know that I need a high compliance cartridge for this tonearm but there doesn't seem to be many high compliance 1/2 mount options within my budget.

OPTION 3: AT311EP cartridge ($84 CAD)

Pretty much same as the AT85EP but this one comes with the official AT adapter; this is an option bc I would have used the Stanton adapter that came with the L720EE but idk if that even fits Audio Technica p-mounts, so if you have info on that please let me know.

BONUS: Ortofon Omega 1e ($55 CAD)

I have one of these available near me for cheap. It seems the best option but I'm hesitating because I'm not sure the height of the cartridge will work with my tonearm as I can't set it higher or lower. Also, I know you can't judge quality from recordings but some of the recordings and reviews I've heard say and show that this cartridge has a fairly flat sound.

Ideally I would find a balance between cost and sound quality between these four options. I'm no audiophile (esp on this budget) but I would like a quality setup that can last me for the next few years (without damaging my records) until I become financially able to update my setup to something better.

Generally, I am looking for a warm sound, and not too much of a basshead, but its not a dealbreaker

Thanks!

Rest of Setup:
Tt: Pioneer PL-S70
Receiver: Luxman R-113
Speakers: Victor (JVC?) SX-300
 
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Also to consider is Grado Black3, a high compliance cartridge that sounds nice and warm but not too fat (if available in your location). Not sure any of the cartridges you mention would have a warm and friendly sound.
 
Decibel_116 said:
Consider the Audio Technica AT-VM95E or Ortofon OM5E. Both have stylus upgrade paths as well.
Click to expand...

I've checked out the AT-VM95E, was under the impression it was a medium compliance cart; do you know if it would works well with a low-mass tonearm?
 
For a low mass straight tone arm on a budget, I’d look into the Ortofon OM family. They range from quite cheap and sweet (OM5e) to quite expensive and very nuanced (OM20 and up). For what it’s worth, they tend to sound spectacular on Dual 505-x turntables, and if I remember right, where devolved specifically for that kind of arm (sometimes called the Dual ULM which has an identical cartridge house).

I once tried a VM95e on a (Dual) low mass arm and it didn’t sound too great.
 
Hund-of-Doom said:
For a low mass straight tone arm on a budget, I’d look into the Ortofon OM family. They range from quite cheap and sweet (OM5e) to quite expensive and very nuanced (OM20 and up). For what it’s worth, they tend to sound spectacular on Dual 505-x turntables, and if I remember right, where devolved specifically for that kind of arm (sometimes called the Dual ULM which has an identical cartridge house).

I once tried a VM95e on a (Dual) low mass arm and it didn’t sound too great.
Click to expand...

Ooh yes, I was indeed looking at the Ortofon OM line initially, but I had some questions when it came to how it would change my tonearm ~parallelism(?) and VTA. With the Stanton my tonearm sits exactly parallel while on the record. I checked the spec dimensions for the OM and it's definitely taller, which means the arm wouldn't sit parallel once it's installed. Does this not matter too much for sound? Also how would it effect the amount of wear on the records?

I looked everywhere for a way to adjust tonearm height but there doesn't seem to be that option on the PL-S70 AFAIK
 
Amperex said:
AT-VM95e is 17 cu @ 10Hz. Works with as low as a 7 gram tonearm. I am not sure if a tonearm as low as 7 grams was ever made. The VM95e is likely a better sounding cartridge vs your picks.
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It is actually 7cu@100Hz which roughly translates to anything between 10.5 to 15.4cu@10Hz. That makes the 7g eff. mass TA's (sure, there are tons of them, 3009/II imp most notable) a border line match for the VM95e (at least on paper).

I'd actually go hunt for a used vintage Ortofon VMS or FF15 or a Shure M75/II or M95ED with some life in them, instead of the low end OM's or AT's.
 
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A new stylus for the 720 would be in the $25-30 range from Voice of Music.

Nothing particularly wrong with a Stanton 500 after all.
 
tnsilver said:
It is actually 7cu@100Hz which roughly translates to anything between 10.5 to 15.4cu@10Hz. That makes the 7g eff. mass TA's (sure, there are tons of them, 3009/II imp most notable) a border line match for the VM95e (at least on paper).

I'd actually go hunt for a used vintage Ortofon VMS or FF15 or a Shure M75/II or M95ED with some life in them, instead of the low end OM's or AT's.
Click to expand...

Thanks for this suggestion! Buying a used cartridge seemed like an solid choice too but I had no idea where to even start looking, there's just so many options out there. These recs are really helpful starting point and I've already found a few potentials on eBay :) please let me know if any other compatible models cross your mind
 
HPMguy said:
A new stylus for the 720 would be in the $25-30 range from Voice of Music.

Nothing particularly wrong with a Stanton 500 after all.
Click to expand...

Yes, this seems the most cost effective option also! As I mentioned tho in my quick research for aftermarket replacement styli for Stanton (& Pickering it seems many ppl find them wanting, esp with the Pfanstiehls. Have you had good experiences with Pfanstiehls/aftermarkets?
 
Amperex said:
OM-10 is not an option with your non-adjustable VTA issue. You are about out of options for a good sounding inexpensive cartridge. Sumiko Oyster is not that great either. And, other poster stated VM95e does not sound good on light tonearms. I find that confusing but cannot ignore it. This is about only option left on sale at $87 (normally $129 at LP Gear). Goldring E2 here:
GOLDRING E2 Moving Magnet MM Cartridge with Stylus | eBay

The E2 is better than a VM95E/N that is better than the VM95e here: New AudioTechnica AT-VM95EN vs Goldring E2 : reviews and shoot-out - YouTube
Click to expand...

Unfortunate to hear, but that's what I was expecting :/ glad I checked in on here before just going for the Ortofon.

And thank you for sending me that listing, I'm checking this out right now (and also for the link to the shootout,I could hear the difference very clearly)
 
lilicc said:
With the Stanton my tonearm sits exactly parallel while on the record. I checked the spec dimensions for the OM and it's definitely taller, (...)
Click to expand...

Are you sure about that? Because most typically the combination of a T4P/P-mount cartridge plus T4P adaptor results in a combined height of ca. 20 mm, which should rather be taller than an OM/SuperOM. Not sure, whether that would also apply to your Stanton with its original T4P adaptor, though, as I don't own one of these. However, even if the Stanton would be a tad less tall, there wouldn't be much to worry about. Because +/- 2 mm out of the horizontal in case of an arm with an effective length of 221 mm would merely alter the SRA by not quite -/+ 0.52° - nothing to lose even 1 minute of sleep over.

Not sure, whether the PL-S70 sports a lift height adjustment ment, however. So in case you'd like to mount a taller cartridge than your L720EE plus T4P adaptor, you'd better check, whether the lift height would still be sufficient for that.

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini
 
lini said:
Are you sure about that? Because most typically the combination of a T4P/P-mount cartridge plus T4P adaptor results in a combined height of ca. 20 mm, which should rather be taller than an OM/SuperOM. Not sure, whether that would also apply to your Stanton with its original T4P adaptor, though, as I don't own one of these. However, even if the Stanton would be a tad less tall, there wouldn't be much to worry about. Because +/- 2 mm out of the horizontal in case of an arm with an effective length of 221 mm would merely alter the SRA by not quite -/+ 0.52° - nothing to lose even 1 minute of sleep over.

Not sure, whether the PL-S70 sports a lift height adjustment ment, however. So in case you'd like to mount a taller cartridge than your L720EE plus T4P adaptor, you'd better check, whether the lift height would still be sufficient for that.

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini
Click to expand...

Hi Manfred! wow, I've seen you all over AK in my previous research, almost feels like seeing a celebrity! very happy to have you weigh in on this :)

I just took a ruler to my tonearm and saw this: 16mm from stylus tip to top of the T4P adaptor, 20mm to top of headshell. i think stanton adaptors are quite petite. Checked the tonearm and it sits entirely parallel at 15mm above the platter the whole arm.

with the Ortofon OM specs it would be: 18mm for the cartridge, therefore 22mm to the headshell top, so only a difference of 2mm as you estimated. I just managed to find an Ortofon Super OM10 for discount near to me so this is good news. I've been reading up on shims in case i have any issues with the bottom surface of the OM riding too low at back

and yes, thankfully my tonearm has the ability to change the arm lifter height (still no info on changing the tonearm pivot height itself though)

thanks!
 
I don't think you will be disappointed with the Ortofon Super-OM10. This is a superb cartridge at the price, nicely detailed and dynamic, and much better than the OM5E. You should find it very entertaining.
 
Hund-of-Doom said:
For a low mass straight tone arm on a budget, I’d look into the Ortofon OM family. They range from quite cheap and sweet (OM5e) to quite expensive and very nuanced (OM20 and up). For what it’s worth, they tend to sound spectacular on Dual 505-x turntables, and if I remember right, where devolved specifically for that kind of arm (sometimes called the Dual ULM which has an identical cartridge house).

I once tried a VM95e on a (Dual) low mass arm and it didn’t sound too great.
Click to expand...

Not to mention you can upgrade styli later if you desire. Or downgrade if necessary.
 
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