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Ortofon vs. Audio-Technica

NJB, i would go with the Ortofon for the money, because if I'm not mistaken when you do have the money it's easier to upgrad with the cart because you can use the higher end needles that ortofon offers. If I'm wrong feel free to correct me experts because by no means am I.
 
Where can you buy the Digitrac cartridge? Also, why don't you consider the AT95E instead of the AT71E? Price isn't much more, but you get a lot more.
 
lplover said:
Where can you buy the Digitrac cartridge? Also, why don't you consider the AT95E instead of the AT71E? Price isn't much more, but you get a lot more.
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That "little more" makes "big" difference in a 16 year olds wallet. ;-)
 
He sales these digitracs like they actually work. From what I've read most of these are defective, and only good for the needle.
 
Don't get bogged down with the Digitraks now. The OMB 5E is fine and has gotten good reviews here. Thakker's a great seller to deal with. Later you can buy whatever stylus you want to upgrade it.
 
hakaplan said:
Don't get bogged down with the Digitraks now. The OMB 5E is fine and has gotten good reviews here. Thakker's a great seller to deal with. Later you can buy whatever stylus you want to upgrade it.
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Yeah, but is the AT71ELC any better?
 
Sorry, but I don't have an OMB5E to compare to my AT71ELC, so I can't make that direct comparison. I have tried other Ortofons with mixed results. I am quite happy with my SuperOM body and Digitrac 200 NE stylus; I much prefer it to the Ortofon stylii I have used on the cartridge.

I do agree with Howard that the OMB5E is probably a better first cartridge for you than the AudioTechnica cartridges because there are more options to "upgrade" the cartridge with a better stylus down the road, when you have more to spend on your system.
 
SA-708 said:
Sorry, but I don't have an OMB5E to compare to my AT71ELC, so I can't make that direct comparison. I have tried other Ortofons with mixed results. I am quite happy with my SuperOM body and Digitrac 200 NE stylus; I much prefer it to the Ortofon stylii I have used on the cartridge.

I do agree with Howard that the OMB5E is probably a better first cartridge for you than the AudioTechnica cartridges because there are more options to "upgrade" the cartridge with a better stylus down the road, when you have more to spend on your system.
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Thanks,

Any body have any other opinions?
 
Lots of threads recently about which cartridge might be "better" than another, and the carts under consideration are all in the under $100 range. Frankly, I think as long as the cartridge is an elliptical stylus or one of the variants of elliptical, and the cartridge tracks comfortably in the 1.5 gram range plus or minus a couple tenths of a gram either way, you're likely not to go wrong. Just get it installed and set up right, drop the needle and start listening.

Most of these cartridges are going to have a slightly different sonic signature. For me to tell you which is best is folly, beyond the cartridge being a decent match for your tonearm. None of them are going to be the last word in resolution, or reproduction of frequency extremes. They'll all likely track decent or better, assuming they're set up well, and have other relative merits or small minuses that might not matter that much at the end of the day, (EDITED) and they'll all do a fine job of making music for most people.

All the ellipticals are reasonably good suggestions, and we can lengthen this and other threads by many pages splitting hairs. Just go buy one and enjoy!
 
whell said:
Lots of threads recently about which cartridge might be "better" than another, and the carts under consideration are all in the under $100 range. Frankly, I think as long as the cartridge is an elliptical stylus or one of the variants of elliptical, and the cartridge tracks comfortably in the 1.5 gram range plus or minus a couple tenths of a gram either way, you're likely not to go wrong. Just get it installed and set up right, drop the needle and start listening.

Most of these cartridges are going to have a slightly different sonic signature. For me to tell you which is best is folly, beyond the cartridge being a decent match for your tonearm. None of them are going to be the last word in resolution, or reproduction of frequency extremes. They'll all likely track decent or better, assuming they're set up well, and have other relative merits or small minuses that might not matter that much at the end of the day.

All the ellipticals are reasonably good suggestions, and we can lengthen this and other threads by many pages splitting hairs. Just go buy one and enjoy!
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Thanks a bunch. I will purchase one tomorrow. However, you said "Just get it installed and set up right, drop the needle and start listening." I am new to vinyl, so how do I install and set up a cartridge the right way?
 
Technics are relatively easy. The cartridge / stylus is set up correctly when it is positioned in the headshell 52 MM from the tip of the stylus to the outside face of the rubber washer in the stem of the headshell. That will get you started, along with setting your tracking force and anti skate per the cartridge maker's suggested values.

I"m assuming you've got the manual for your turntable. If not, go to vinylengine.com, register, and then look in their library to see if you can download your turntable's manual there. Registration is free, as are the downloads. Set up instructions are there as well, likely with graphics that illustrate the set up described above.

Search this forum with the key words "alignment" and "Technics", and you'll find other suggestions to fine tune your set up. Tinkering on your own as long as you're careful is also generally harmless, and you learn by trial and error. This is not necessarily an exact science.

Now, go have fun!
 
whell said:
Technics are relatively easy. The cartridge / stylus is set up correctly when it is positioned in the headshell 52 MM from the tip of the stylus to the outside face of the rubber washer in the stem of the headshell. That will get you started, along with setting your tracking force and anti skate per the cartridge maker's suggested values.

I"m assuming you've got the manual for your turntable. If not, go to vinylengine.com, register, and then look in their library to see if you can download your turntable's manual there. Registration is free, as are the downloads. Set up instructions are there as well, likely with graphics that illustrate the set up described above.

Search this forum with the key words "alignment" and "Technics", and you'll find other suggestions to fine tune your set up. Tinkering on your own as long as you're careful is also generally harmless, and you learn by trial and error. This is not necessarily an exact science.

Now, go have fun!
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Thanks, I like you. ;-)

If I have any trouble in the future, I will PM you.
 
FYI - I notice your Technics has a straight tonearm, not an S shaped arm. I assumed we were talking about one of their S arm tables, so ignore the 52 MM stuff I previously posted.

You've need a "P-mount" cartridge. The good news is that P mounts take most of guess-work out of cartridge set up: you just plug in the cartridge, set the tracking force and anti skate, and play.

The "not the best" news is that your choice of cartridge will be more limited. However, there are still many high quality choices out there. Here are some examples in the vicinity of $50:

http://www.lpgear.com/Merchant2/mer...Product_Code=LPGATSER05&Category_Code=LPGCART

http://www.needledoctor.com/Audio-T...3eSbNmTb3mTe34Pa38Ta38Pahz0?sc=7&category=910

http://www.amazon.com/Grado-Prestig..._m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=072RDQ4D9YPESX5HMHZR

There are more choices out there. You can Google "P Mount Cartridge" or "TP4 cartridge" for additional options.
 
whell said:
FYI - I notice your Technics has a straight tonearm, not an S shaped arm. I assumed we were talking about one of their S arm tables, so ignore the 52 MM stuff I previously posted.

You've need a "P-mount" cartridge. The good news is that P mounts take most of guess-work out of cartridge set up: you just plug in the cartridge, set the tracking force and anti skate, and play.

The "not the best" news is that your choice of cartridge will be more limited. However, there are still many high quality choices out there. Here are some examples in the vicinity of $50:

http://www.lpgear.com/Merchant2/mer...Product_Code=LPGATSER05&Category_Code=LPGCART

http://www.needledoctor.com/Audio-T...3eSbNmTb3mTe34Pa38Ta38Pahz0?sc=7&category=910

http://www.amazon.com/Grado-Prestig..._m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=072RDQ4D9YPESX5HMHZR

There are more choices out there. You can Google "P Mount Cartridge" or "TP4 cartridge" for additional options.
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Actually, I bought a P-mount after being referred to by an "expert" and the 4 prongs ended up being too thin. Here is a picture of my turntable with the neck and the original cartridge (Empire TC40) which fit (The cartridge has no needle; broke a few years ago).
 

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OK, well you DO have an S arm after all. I picture is worth 1000 words, I guess.

We're then back to the 52 MM from stylus tip to rubber washer, and a wider array of cartridges to choose from. Its all good from here.
 
whell said:
OK, well you DO have an S arm after all. I picture is worth 1000 words, I guess.

We're then back to the 52 MM from stylus tip to rubber washer, and a wider array of cartridges to choose from. Its all good from here.
Click to expand...

So I should still go with that Ortofon? You have me confused now. WAY TO GO. Haha, jk, but I am a little confused now.
 
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