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GRADO Vs Audio Technica

N

NOMTW

New Member
I bought a technics belt drive turntable a while back (don't judge) and it came with an old grado p mount cartridge and the stylus wasn't in very bad shape so I've been using it and it has sounded great, but I'm thinking it's probably time to replace the stylus.
Would it be a better idea to buy a new stylus for 50 dollars or buy a new AT p mount cartridge for 18-30 dollars (and if so, which one?)
 
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NOMTW said:
I'm honestly not sure. It says grado across the top and has a g on the front of it. Is "g" the model?
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No, G is not the model but the first letter in a group of models. Grado had several back in the late 1970s that began with G -- GTE, GCE, GF3, G1, and on up the line. Post a pic and one of the Grado experts here might be able to identify the model. A current Grado Black stylus might fit the bill.
 
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this isnt mine since I can't take a picture of it right now but it's identical to this one. The grado across the top and the g on the front. I emailed Grado labs when I got it and they said that a grado black stylus would work but the didn't give me a model no.
 
marcmorin is the expert, but if the color in this pic is off and that cart is actually tan(?) it looks like an M series. According to marc most of the older Grados had the G on the front. If it was a specific model that would be there instead. Several of the current Grado stylus will fit so its a matter of how much you want to upgrade. Black, Red, Gold, 8MZ. I currently have a G1+ on my Denon and you wont get an AT cart that sounds nearly as good as a Grado for anywhere near $50.
 
chris_f said:
marcmorin is the expert, but if the color in this pic is off and that cart is actually tan(?) it looks like an M series. According to marc most of the older Grados had the G on the front. If it was a specific model that would be there instead. Several of the current Grado stylus will fit so its a matter of how much you want to upgrade. Black, Red, Gold, 8MZ. I currently have a G1+ on my Denon and you wont get an AT cart that sounds nearly as good as a Grado for anywhere near $50.
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It is tan and does have the g on the front. As far as I know all the grado styli of that type are pretty much universal. So I should go ahead and get a grado stylus?
 
NOMTW said:
It is tan and does have the g on the front. As far as I know all the grado styli of that type are pretty much universal. So I should go ahead and get a grado stylus?
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A Grado Black1 stylus is only $50.00. If you get the urge later for a bigger upgrade, simply put an 8MZ stylus in that old body for $150.00. There are tons of posts on this forum from members who simply kept their old Grado cartridge bodies and upgraded with a more advanced stylus like the 8MZ.
 
NOMTW said:
It is tan and does have the g on the front. As far as I know all the grado styli of that type are pretty much universal. So I should go ahead and get a grado stylus?
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is the coil cover chrome or gold color? the two bumps on the stylus grip, do they have a color?

it is possible you do have a "G" model, which was 1 step down from a G1. If in doubt about the condition of the diamond, I can look at it for you.
 
Nothing to be ashamed of with a belt-drive Technics; some of the last no-nonsense vintage tables that deliver while still being budget conscious.

As far as Grado on Technics: my experience was short-lived and unpleasant -- F3E+ with a Blue stylus, Grado recommended replacement. Ended up with the same conclusion as I did with their headphones; would probably make old rock records shine, but anything that requires clarity and refinement like all the finely-tuned girly pop I adore? Never gonna cut it. Didn't track worth a damn, either, certainly not at the recommended 0 anti skate. Went AT based off longterm usage of their studio headphones (some of the best in the business) and never looked back.

My opinion? Ditch the Grado, go AT, but save a bit more and get something like the AT120Eb. Budget friendly and can be upgraded with a superior stylus at a later date. Never mind, I'm an idiot.
 
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grottyash said:
I'd go for the AT. If I remember correctly, Grados never really met the T4P standard, plus I think the ATs are better balanced cartridges than the Grados which tend to have a rolled off treble and a slightly ponderous bass. Lovely midrange, though.
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Rolled off treble and ponderous bass describes a Grado arm mismatch.

Grado and AT have different house sound presentations. An AT will give you a more exciting, possibly bright/lean sound, whereas the Grado will be fuller and lusher, but a bit more laid back.

You can see from my sig file below which brand I prefer...
 
beatcomber said:
Rolled off treble and ponderous bass describes a Grado arm mismatch.

Grado and AT have different house sound presentations. An AT will give you a more exciting, possibly bright/lean sound, whereas the Grado will be fuller and lusher, but a bit more laid back.

...
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Agree, serious arm/cart issues regarding ponderous bass. rolled off treble can be as well, but I'm betting that is based on "base reference source" mostly. The highest pitch instruments aren't always front center stage, nor should they move there just because their volume suddenly increased. The cymbals should be with the drum kit. Betting Roy Buchanon wasn't walking towards the mike as he ran up the neck and then up over the pick-ups, and than walked backwards as he ran down the scale to bottom E.
 
For $20 shipped from Amazon, you can't go wrong with an AT-92ECD. Plus it comes with a mounting hardware, a brush and a screwdriver -- in case you might need some hardware for a 1/2" mount sometime -- that's worth $5 alone. The little screwdriver is handy also. And it's a darn nice sounding elliptical stylus cartridge. You can probably toss the 1/2" mount adapter though.

I like Grados but I don't think that they're anything all that special until you get into some larger denominations. I've owned a couple Grado Blacks and they were OK when they were $40, but I'm not really warming up to Grado's current pricing structure. And this isn't the first time I've heard of Grado PMount issues.
 
beatcomber said:
Rolled off treble and ponderous bass describes a Grado arm mismatch.

Grado and AT have different house sound presentations. An AT will give you a more exciting, possibly bright/lean sound, whereas the Grado will be fuller and lusher, but a bit more laid back.

You can see from my sig file below which brand I prefer...
Click to expand...
No arm mismatch at all, unless the Technics arm, an Akito, an RB300 and an SME are all mismatches :). Rolled off treble gives you a lusher sound as, obviously, midrange is therefore pushed forward. As to the bass, one person's laid back is another person's ponderous.

I don't dislike Grados, in fact for folky, Buchanany type stuff they're fine, but for hard driving rock and for full on classical they lose because of their balance. Exciting, bright and lean are usually products of flat frequency response or slightly lifted treble, much as in the current Ortofon 2m series. I agree some ATs can verge towards the bright, but the AT95 and the 440, which I've just put on my new toy, seem pretty neutral in my Harbeth system.

Anyway, digression over.
 
My experience is similar to grottyash: Grado is midrangey and bright (in your face imo), AT laid back with a broader frequency range. Also the same experience I've had with Grado vs. AT headphones.

Rather this is something different when comparing low-end offerings only, however, is something I can't speak on.
 
I had a Grado Gold on a p-mount table a few months ago, and as much as I really wanted to like it, it sounded a little dead to me. The bass was refined and lush, but the details in the mids and high-end were mellowed. Also suffered some IGD issues. I found a NOS Audio Technica AT122EP and haven't looked back. Midrange is more detailed, vocals more present, but the highs of percussion are remarkably better than with the Grado. Plus, the IGD issues are gone, completely.
 
I have had the opposite experience with my Grado G1+ on a Denon DP-1200. It sounds head and shoulders above either the AT or Ortofon carts I have had on it and the Pioneer ttl I have. The Grado imo has much better midrange and vocal presence and the highs are very crisp and pronounced without being harsh. The AT less so but in comparison the Ortofon was just plan not listenable. Hoping to try an OM-30 soon and see how it compares to the previous cart.
 
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