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New stylus vs New cartridge

C

Candido

Member
I have a Technicraft TC2000 cart with original stylus. The stylus was messed up when I bought my turntable but I was able to carefully bend the stylus back into shape. It sounded pretty good for about a year but after cleaning it today with a brush, it bent back and is not repairable. I can upgrade the TC4000 from turntable needles for around 220 bucks. The specs on that stylus look good. I understand that I may not be able to buy an OEM replacement once that needs to be replaced because of inventory.

For about 50 bucks more I can get a new AT VM540 or 740 if I want to more for bling. I’ve read great things about the microline stylus

TC4000 vs VM540
Nude shank square vs linear contact nude -> Is one better?
Freq response 5-35k vs 20-27k hz
Channel separation 31 @1khz vs 28 @ 1 kHz
Vertical tracking angle 20 vs 23
Tracking force 3/4-1 1/4 vs 1.8-2.2

I am not very technical when it comes to numbers. Just looking for guidance to help me decide.

Fisher 500b/kenwood KD 3070/AR 58s
Music -> very diverse. I listen to everything except for classical, jazz, pop but that doesn’t mean I never will.

Thanks
Candido
 
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Candido said:
I have a Technicraft TC2000 cart with original stylus. The stylus was messed up when I bought my turntable but I was able to carefully bend the stylus back into shape. It sounded pretty good for about a year but after cleaning it today with a brush, it bent back and is not repairable. I can upgrade the TC4000 from turntable needles for around 220 bucks. The specs on that stylus look good. I understand that I may not be able to buy an OEM replacement once that needs to be replaced because of inventory.

For about 50 bucks more I can get a new AT VM540 or 740 if I want to more for bling. I’ve read great things about the microline stylus

TC4000 vs VM540
Nude shank square vs linear contact nude -> Is one better?
Freq response 5-35k vs 20-27k hz
Channel separation 31 @1khz vs 28 @ 1 kHz
Vertical tracking angle 20 vs 23
Tracking force 3/4-1 1/4 vs 1.8-2.2

I am not very technical when it comes to numbers. Just looking for guidance to help me decide.

Fisher 500b/kenwood KD 3070/AR 58s
Music -> very diverse. I listen to everything except for classical, jazz, pop but that doesn’t mean I never will.

Thanks
Candido
Click to expand...

Get both, where's the fun in having only one cartridge?

Or go a different route for $259, LOMC Windbell MC100MKII. Purchased one about 3months ago at $313 and it's an outstanding cartridge.

Budget LOMC shootout

Ok, so some might have seen this thread https://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/new-budget-cartridge-in-the-house.1013669/ This all started with the HOMC SAE 1000 so many here purchased for $99 NOS. I was one and while researching it came across a review by Michael Fremer of a LOMC at...
audiokarma.org

Great speaker choice, and the Kenny table.
20190428_113204.jpg

20190428_112118.jpg
 
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Candido: Foremost a matter of taste, I'd say. AT's old LinearContacts basically were Shibatas, so the TCN4000 would be technically pretty comparable to the current VMN50SH or, due to the lower tracking force, better to the somewhat older ATN150Sa or even better to the even older ATN140LC/142LP.

Taste aside, what would technically speak for a complete VM540ML rather than a TCN4000 for your existing Technicraft, would be the most likely better match to the arm of your Kenwood in terms of compliance - and that the ATN40ML is quite a good bit "sharper" (= smaller minor radius - for better detail retrieval especially towards the inner groove area). While longevity or respectively wear might actually be pretty comparable, as the superiority of the ML tip shape in that regard might be compensated for by the lower tracking force of the TCN4000.

And of course there always is a certain chance, that a new old stock TCN4000 might not be as good as new anymore. On the other hand those old upper class AT-MMs (like for example also the AT14Sa, the LS500LC, the DR500LC and AT15Sa/20SLa) don't still have quite a few fans for nothing. And hence it's also pretty much impossible to predict, whether you'd prefer the TC2000/TCN4000 combo to the VM540ML or rather the VM540ML to the TC2000/TCN4000 combo, if you could directly compare these two.

And then one could say, that the VM540ML "won't run away" anytime soon, whereas future availability of the original TCN4000 would seem much more questionable - which would speak for grabbing the TCN4000, before it's too late.

So: Diffcult decision...

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini
 
Sgt Shultz said:
Get both, where's the fun in having only one cartridge?

Or go a different route for $259, LOMC Windbell MC100MKII. Purchased one about 3months ago at $313 and it's an outstanding cartridge.

Budget LOMC shootout

Ok, so some might have seen this thread https://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/new-budget-cartridge-in-the-house.1013669/ This all started with the HOMC SAE 1000 so many here purchased for $99 NOS. I was one and while researching it came across a review by Michael Fremer of a LOMC at...
audiokarma.org

Great speaker choice, and the Kenny table.
View attachment 2973881

View attachment 2973878
Click to expand...
Thanks Sgt Shultz. I think I’m going to stay away from MC because I read you should have a Phone Preamp and I’m not sure I’m ready to do that yet. Very nice set up. My AR’s came alive with the Fisher and sound amazing!
 

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lini said:
Candido: Foremost a matter of taste, I'd say. AT's old LinearContacts basically were Shibatas, so the TCN4000 would be technically pretty comparable to the current VMN50SH or, due to the lower tracking force, better to the somewhat older ATN150Sa or even better to the even older ATN140LC/142LP.

Taste aside, what would technically speak for a complete VM540ML rather than a TCN4000 for your existing Technicraft, would be the most likely better match to the arm of your Kenwood in terms of compliance - and that the ATN40ML is quite a good bit "sharper" (= smaller minor radius - for better detail retrieval especially towards the inner groove area). While longevity or respectively wear might actually be pretty comparable, as the superiority of the ML tip shape in that regard might be compensated for by the lower tracking force of the TCN4000.

And of course there always is a certain chance, that a new old stock TCN4000 might not be as good as new anymore. On the other hand those old upper class AT-MMs (like for example also the AT14Sa, the LS500LC, the DR500LC and AT15Sa/20SLa) don't still have quite a few fans for nothing. And hence it's also pretty much impossible to predict, whether you'd prefer the TC2000/TCN4000 combo to the VM540ML or rather the VM540ML to the TC2000/TCN4000 combo, if you could directly compare these two.

And then one could say, that the VM540ML "won't run away" anytime soon, whereas future availability of the original TCN4000 would seem much more questionable - which would speak for grabbing the TCN4000, before it's too late.

So: Diffcult decision...

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini
Click to expand...
Thank you. It is so confusing. I am feel the same way about the TC4000, if I don’t buy it now I may never get another chance plus it will save me $50 but your point about the VM540 being a better match has me reconsidering all
my considerations.

Back to being confused
 
Candido said:
Thanks Sgt Shultz. I think I’m going to stay away from MC because I read you should have a Phone Preamp and I’m not sure I’m ready to do that yet. Very nice set up. My AR’s came alive with the Fisher and sound amazing!
Click to expand...

The AR's have recently moved to the bedroom, still need to get the KD-500 in there.

IMG_20230826_093938166_HDR.jpg

Sold the Heresys that were in there after getting my second pair of Infinity Modulus, decided to put them into the main room so the AR's had to move.

IMG_20230820_105950102.jpg
 
Candido said:
Thanks Sgt Shultz. I think I’m going to stay away from MC because I read you should have a Phone Preamp and I’m not sure I’m ready to do that yet. Very nice set up. My AR’s came alive with the Fisher and sound amazing!
Click to expand...

Well they don't have to be expensive to be an improvement over what manufacturers supplied in most of their integrated amps and receivers. Plus you get the added benefit of loading options even for your current MM carts.

Here's a link to a thread here of a little shootout between two such popular phono pres, I highly recommend either with the ART being the better of the two. And here's the great thing they're both around $60 or $70 if memory serves.

budget LOMC preamp shootout

Just ordered two budget LOMC preamps as the thread title states. The Art should be here this Friday, the TCC next week sometime, so I'll have a little time with the Art first. I'll be testing their performance mainly to drive LOMC cartridges, a Denon DL301 actually. Ive read good things...
audiokarma.org
 
Candido said:
Back to being confused
Click to expand...

Oh, well, then I'll go by pure gut feeling and suggest you to try the TCN4000. Might make sense to remove the old TCN2000 needle from the body, before you order the new needle, though - 'cause sometimes the plastic has become brittle with age and breaks. So, in case the TC2000 body wouldn't survive the needle removal unharmed, fate would obviously want you to go for the VM540ML instead. :)

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini
 
Thank you for all the valuable input. I have decided to buy the TC4000. This will allow me to listen to my records now but have been convinced to buy a phono preamp. I will need to buy and RCA input switch because my Fisher only has one aux input which I currently plug my auris to stream music. I’ll probably just save to buy the Sota that was recommended earlier. It gets great reviews and you fine tune the settings to accommodate MM or MC. Down the road I look into a MC cartridge.

To many expensive hobbies and joint bank account's hahahaha.
 
Tiver said:
Joint bank accounts....the scourge of forbidden pleasure
Click to expand...
I have my own account where my military retirement, VA disability, and BVA retirement go. The wife has her own account for her VA salary (nurse) and then we have a joint one where she puts in some money and I put in my SSA/TSP/IRA funds- this account is used for fun stuff like vacations. It is very nice to have the house and cars paid off with seven sources of income (when she retires in 7 years we will have 10 sources--it pays to have a plan when you're young and stick to it until you retire).
 
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