Cartridge & headshell SL 1500
- Thread starter dsndblm
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thedelihaus
Nocturnal transmissions
Headshell is probably just fine.
At that price for a cart, there's a few options both north and south.
South, for around $60-75, the Shure M97Xe. Very good, but for a marked improvement....
Denon 110 or 160, ranging betwixt $110 and $180. The 160 is a bit better than the 110, but nothing to slit wrists about.
Audio Technica AT440MLa- hovering around $150, but I've seen them go from as little as $99 to almost $200.
Grado Silver and gold- $150-180, with a little wiggle room each way.
There are others, but for new under $200, I'm saying these are the typical loved ones.
Another optio is the Denon 103, around $150-200, but it's a LOMC so you'll need an "MC" input on your phono section.
At that price for a cart, there's a few options both north and south.
South, for around $60-75, the Shure M97Xe. Very good, but for a marked improvement....
Denon 110 or 160, ranging betwixt $110 and $180. The 160 is a bit better than the 110, but nothing to slit wrists about.
Audio Technica AT440MLa- hovering around $150, but I've seen them go from as little as $99 to almost $200.
Grado Silver and gold- $150-180, with a little wiggle room each way.
There are others, but for new under $200, I'm saying these are the typical loved ones.
Another optio is the Denon 103, around $150-200, but it's a LOMC so you'll need an "MC" input on your phono section.
Given that budget, I'd do two things: I'd get a couple of headshells and one cartridge. The headshells are around $13 from LPGear. Then I'd get an AT95e. This little cartridge can be upgraded with better styli to a fairly high level. You can read about it here: http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=187109 So as pennies become available, you can just upgrade the styli to get better sounds without disturbing the set-up 
Somewhere along the way, I'd get a little Grado Black. Just for the times when you want that Grado sound to match an LP that needs a bit of help
Somewhere along the way, I'd get a little Grado Black. Just for the times when you want that Grado sound to match an LP that needs a bit of help
Flammaster
DrumCorpsZappaFreak
Try and find a Stanton 500 or 600. I got my 500EE for 22 dollars shipped and the stylus was brand new. Then I got the LP gear 2nd to the top headshell for about the same. Those babies sound wonderful. I am listening to my AT 71E right now and they are right they do make good cheap carts that sound great!
I want to get a Nagaoka MP-11 or an MP-110 next. but for the price of the MP-110 I think I might try a Denon DL 110.
I want to get a Nagaoka MP-11 or an MP-110 next. but for the price of the MP-110 I think I might try a Denon DL 110.