MM or MC cartridge

Duckland23

Duckland23

Member
Hey guys good afternoon .
I was wondering if I would benefit from a audio Technica moving coil cartridge being I'm a big fab no of audio Technica stuff .
I currently own a Ion El cheapo turntable don't laugh it don't sound bad at all the problem is the stupid platter plastic and has a slight warpage too it . So I wanted better sound and for the budget I replaced the cheap red GT cartridge on it for a audio Technica AT95E which is like night and day for the sound .
So I going too move on too a better turntable I just bought a Garrard 990b off eBay needing some repair and this is not the first time I got good stuff in the non working items section of eBay that people pass up .
There loss my gain
I in the passed got a Technics SL-235 non working or half as* .but 75 bucks later and recleaning up old greese and a new belt which I had a repair guy do .she worked like a champ .
I've owned record changers in the past I personally like them my self .

So now I'm asking the million dollar question is if I upgraded too a audio Technica mc cartridge will I get way better sound from my receiver which is a Onkyo TX-NR676 I'm running my sound from a set of Bose accoustmass redline the first ones Bose came out with and too me I like the sound of them I won't switch .
I know audiophile will mock Bose speakers but I like them .
I had a set of jamo in the past but long story .
Back in 2017 I left everything behind too save my marriage but failed in the end .
I wish I knew this I would of keep my 500 plus record collection and turntable stuff then .
Well this is now and I'm on a budget for now but I'm like all you guys too that loves music and enjoys seeing something in your hand .
So if I spend 200 bucks on a used audio Technica mc cartridge in good shape am I going down the wrong road .
 
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I don't think you will gain anything, by purchasing a MC cartridge. I do not know if you have a transformer or head amp to boost the signal from a Low Output MC, but they can be expensive. I do find MC carts to have, a bit more fine detail and air, but I have a fairly good system.
 
I had to make similar choices 30 years ago. I had my family's Dual 1009 in bad shape so I got a cheap plastic garbage TT for next to nothing. I then went on and mounted a Stanton 681eees on it. I was duly unimpressed. Vinyl playback sounded worse than pre-recorded cassettes, and they were not very good quality back then.

Fast forward into 2008, I got myself a bargain (score maybe). A Revox B791 with an Ortofon MC20MkII cartridge, complete with an Ortofon T-30 step up transformer. My records sounded wonderful now. FF a few years more, and I got myself a Technics SL-12010MkII. I mounted the 681 on that and it didn't sound bad at all. In fact, rock music sounded full, robust and the stereo image was ... just there.

There is so much more into the rotating turntable and the tonearm just being a mounting point for the cart. They can look decent and sound crap. Don't have doubts on how sound will be on a crappy looking TT.

Don't spend your money (only) on a cart. Decide on what kind of cart you want and look for a TT that's a good match for it (actually it's the tonearm, but for budget options, you are most likely looking for a TT with integrated tonearm). And don't forget to budget in the MC preamp stage, if your amplifier doesn't have one.
 
Buying a used cart of any type is a crapshoot at best. You don't know how many hours are on it, or how worn it is, until you get it and put it under a microscope. For your purposes now and the gear you have, I'd stick with what you have. There are many upgraded profile styli available for your current AT cart, if you want to experiment.
 
At this point I would say there is nothing to gain. There is a lot that goes into the vinyl playback chain and jumping into a MC without the other hardware to discern a difference, your money is likely best spent elsewhere.

Starting with number one....play clean records. No matter where one ends up on the upgrade path to vinyl nirvana, clean records will always be important.

A phono stage that has the ability to take both MM and MC would probably not be wasted, as long as all your budgetary considerations were in order. This type of stage will allow you to upgrade everything else in the playback chain without becoming redundant. And by budget, I am referring to the vinyl chain....cartridge, table, phono stage. It's possible this could also evolve to cartridge, arm, deck, interconnects(and arm wiring), phono stage, but many are happy without going this far.

Once you get your fixer upper TT, do everything you can to get the most out of it. Once you feel it needs improvement, execute the next part of your plan.

My $.02
 
Well guys I get my turntable I bought from ebay this Thursday I buy stuff in the non working item section always . Ill see what she needs the seller from ebay don't respond so I cant get a answer from him .I bet its going too need a new idler wheel and belt being the Garrard 990b is hyrbird turntable why Garrard did that I don't know. im sure its going too need have the old grease removed and place oil and new grease where needed too .I owned a Garrard DD75 and the tonearm is about the same using C5 headshell . if all fails ill send it too ron in racine Wisconsin at the Audio Shop he a very good technician with vintage stuff .

But for sound I like modern receivers I own a onkyo Tx Nr676 which I bought at bestbuy in 2018 .One thing I see is if you want a moving coil stage it wont happen on them . Its mostly MM stage in modern Receivers .
For some reason I do goto Moving Coil cartridge ill go with audio Technica a good used one not beat up . I only live once and for me I think it would be nice too experience it for once in my lifetime
 
The Ortofon MC-1 is a high output moving coil cartridge that will work with your Onkyo. They sell for 240 dollars on Needledoctor.
 
Duckland23 said:
they any good I really don't like ortofon the om 5 10 30 so forth .
Click to expand...

I only used this cart while a Kantrapunkt was being serviced by Sound Smith. I found its sound a bit thin but listenable. My son in law used this cart for almost a year. His next cart was a Shure V-15II which he preferred. The O.P. wanted to explore MC cartridges and this is one of the least expensive.
 
So guys I got my Garrard 990b turntable today I'm very impressed by it .
But the problem is it needs a idler wheel or Turntable belt .

The belt seems too big for some reason being this is a hybrid turntable idler /belt drive .
I have a place in Kenosha Wisconsin we're I can get a new belt for it .
I can get the idler wheel replaced I going too bet it's the idler whell because it don't seem like the unit has toque too work the automatic part .
My experience in the past was ether a idler wheel or belt .
 
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