• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

Good Cartridge for a Luxman PD277 ?

mizmazzle

mizmazzle

Active Member
Hey all...I am about to acquire a Luxman PD 277 and am very excited about it!! haha....I'm upgrading from a Sanyo TP 1010 (Which gave me so many hours of enjoyment) My question is, what is a good cartridge match for the Luxman? I know the tone arm has unique specifications to consider, I am just not super knowledgeable with how to match all this data up for optimal performance. I am limiting my choices to MM carts because I do not have a MC preamp and it's not really in the budget right now. Any and all suggestions would be very appreciated!!

Budget : <300.00
Set up:
Luxman PD277
Pioneer SX 850
AR2ax Speakers
(wanting to add a sub here sometime soon)

I've been thinking about the Ortofon 2m Blue. Not sure if the specs match up or not with the Luxman tonearm.
 
Register to hide this ad
mizmazzle said:
Hey all...I am about to acquire a Luxman PD 277 and am very excited about it!! haha....I'm upgrading from a Sanyo TP 1010 (Which gave me so many hours of enjoyment) My question is, what is a good cartridge match for the Luxman? I know the tone arm has unique specifications to consider, I am just not super knowledgeable with how to match all this data up for optimal performance. I am limiting my choices to MM carts because I do not have a MC preamp and it's not really in the budget right now. Any and all suggestions would be very appreciated!!

Budget : <300.00
Set up:
Luxman PD277
Pioneer SX 850
AR2ax Speakers
(wanting to add a sub here sometime soon)

I've been thinking about the Ortofon 2m Blue. Not sure if the specs match up or not with the Luxman tonearm.
Click to expand...

Welcome to the AK turn table forum.

Several new cartridges within your budget range. :music:

Audio Technica AT 150 MLX

Audio Technica AT 440 MLb

Denon DL-110

Nagaoka MP-150
 
Balifly said:
Welcome to the AK turn table forum.

Several new cartridges within your budget range. :music:

Audio Technica AT 150 MLX

Audio Technica AT 440 MLb

Denon DL-110

Nagaoka MP-150
Click to expand...

Thanks for the warm welcome....would you recommend any of those over the others, or are they fairly equal? Any thoughts on the Ortofon 2m Blue?
 
SOme of r
Balifly said:
Welcome to the AK turn table forum.

Several new cartridges within your budget range. :music:

Audio Technica AT 150 MLX

Audio Technica AT 440 MLb

Denon DL-110

Nagaoka MP-150
Click to expand...

some of these options are MC...I'd like to keep it to a MM because I don't have a phono preamp to drive a MC
 
needlestein said:
AT 150SA is also well within that price range lately.

I'd also recommend the Clearaudio Concept MM cartridge. I don't have one of those, but I have a Clearaudio Virtuoso Wood and, in my opinion, the hype is validated. For $250, I could believe, actually, that the Clearaudio Concept MM is sonically in league with the other carts mentioned.

But my absolute first choice would be the Audio-Technica AT150MLX. You will not find the MicroLine stylus and boron cantilever on any of the other choices. I've heard the 150SA (Shibata tip and tapered hardened aluminum cantilever) which replaces the discontinued 150MLX in AT's current lineup, is on par sonically with the 150MLX and it could be true based on other tapered hardened aluminum cantilever AT carts I've heard, but I'd still rather have the 150MLX for the money. I know it to be an unbelievably clean, well-balanced cartridge with excellent tracking.
Click to expand...

I see the Audio-Technica AT150MLX. on amazon for 360.00.....is there a cheaper place to get this one?
 
needlestein said:
Seller 2juki on ebay. Should come to about $305. This seller has a stellar reputation. Many AKers have purchased from him with excellent results including me.

But even if you had to up your coin to $360, it would be worth it over the others in my opinion.
Click to expand...

OK, thanks so much for the input. This will be a large step up monetarily from my AT95e...:rflmao:
 
needlestein said:
Seller 2juki on ebay. Should come to about $305. This seller has a stellar reputation. Many AKers have purchased from him with excellent results including me.

But even if you had to up your coin to $360, it would be worth it over the others in my opinion.
Click to expand...

How can I decipher which cartridges are appropriate for a low mass arm like the Luxman has? What is the spec that determines this compatibility?
 
Grado Gold1 would be worth considering. About $260, MM, user replaceable stylus, handmade in Brooklyn by the Grado family and I for one love the sound.
 
mizmazzle said:
How can I decipher which cartridges are appropriate for a low mass arm like the Luxman has? What is the spec that determines this compatibility?
Click to expand...

When you receive the turn table, you can weight the tone arm.

The tone arm is made of metal alloy, not all the light. :no:
 
The TA-1 Luxman tonearm is designed for high compliance cartridges according to their literature. Maybe not an ultralight arm but probably close to 10 grams give or take. I don't have the arm or a test record to determine resonance with a known cartridge but the are does not have the standard connector for a headshell as it is fixed, lowering mass. The counterweight is also on the smaller side it seems. Probably sold a bunch of them with the MicroAcoustics cartridges back in the day.
 
Blue Shadow said:
I don't have the arm or a test record to determine resonance with a known cartridge but the are does not have the standard connector for a headshell as it is fixed, lowering mass. The counterweight is also on the smaller side it seems. Probably sold a bunch of them with the MicroAcoustics cartridges back in the day.
Click to expand...

My came from a friend who had installed the Audio Technica AT 30E cartridge ( lomc ) on it. :)

The stylus is rated at 8.5 x 10-6 (on the Japanese scale).
 
That is about right, somewhere between 13 and 17 on the 10Hz scale and decent for an approximate 10 gm mass. But if you get a resonance frequency we can back up to the arm mass.
 
needlestein said:
Seller 2juki on ebay. Should come to about $305. This seller has a stellar reputation. Many AKers have purchased from him with excellent results including me.

But even if you had to up your coin to $360, it would be worth it over the others in my opinion.
Click to expand...

Sorry to keep blowing you up with questions...I like most of what I'm reading about the Audio-Technica AT150MLX....one downside is that many have said it is lacking in the bass department....what are your thoughts here?
 
So can I make a huge generalization here and say that....a high mass arm should be paired with a low compliance cartridge and a low mass arm paired with a high compliance cartridge...and then they sort of balance each other out as they pass each others parameters?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom