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Question about upgrading the Cartridge on my Numark TT250USB

ClayTune

ClayTune

Well-Known Member
Hey guys,

I've had my TT250USB Numark turntable for over a year now and it's in great shape and has been treating me really well.

I did upgrade the needle from a conical to an elliptical about 3 months into owning it, and I had been a little fearful of messing with the settlings till recently but after mulling over some misconceptions I had about cartridge alignment I have decided it is time to start looking for an upgrade cart/Stylus and am ready for the job of aligning it when I do purchase it.

Having looked at the Numark website, one option is the CC-1 pro DJ cart which comes (I assume) with the needle already mounted.

But, I am not seeing the two alignment screws on this cart as with the stock cart that came with my TT.

I assume it is screw in/out mechanism just like the one I have now and that the Cart tracking will have to be aligned with the protractor, but in the image there I do not see how the alignment is done on that type of cartridge.

My inquiry is regarding that. And my second inquiry is regarding cart/stylus upgrades that are good for vocal tracking and instrumental tracking which would be a screw in mechanism (screwing into the tone-arm, having come pre-mounted) and which can also be properly aligned using a protractor.

I'm assuming all of them can be aligned with a protractor but have varying mechanisms of alignment (not all having the two screws on top of the cart like the stock one on my TT).

While you're at it, feel free to recommend other carts/styluses that aren't more than $70 at the moment. Thanks.

Thanks guys.
 
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Right now, another consideration is the Ortofon Concorde. I am wondering if some of you gents could please let me know about my alignment questions before I order something?

Thanks.
 
I believe those DJ carts that you are looking at replace both the headshell and the cartridge and screw directly to the tonearm. No alignment possible. Those most likely are set for the right overhang and alignment for a Technics SL-1200 so if the Numark uses the same alignment you're GTG. I'd probably recommend using a regular 1/2" mount cartridge though for more flexibility.

What faults/weaknesses are you finding with your stock cartridge that you'd like to address with an upgrade?

I'm guessing you could also get a Technics headshell or two if you wanted to have several cartridges set up and ready to swap if you wanted to A/B some stuff.
 
N8Nagel said:
I believe those DJ carts that you are looking at replace both the headshell and the cartridge and screw directly to the tonearm. No alignment possible. Those most likely are set for the right overhang and alignment for a Technics SL-1200.
Click to expand...
Can you direct me to a cartridge/headshell combo that would be most suitable for my turntable? Or a couple of options? I know needle change is relatively simple but mainly I want to get a cart/headhsell combo to start and then i can get into alignment when i receive them.

Looking for resources as per compatible cart/headshells is proving more difficult than I imagined. Because of the lacking information.
 
N8Nagel said:
What faults/weaknesses are you finding with your stock cartridge that you'd like to address with an upgrade?
Click to expand...

To address this specific question, the faults and weaknesses I find is that with the current (elliptical) stylus, I find the tracking to be decent but not great. I want to upgrade to perhaps a spherical stylus of better output quality. I know its debatable and that many believe elliptical stylus's that track lighter are better than sphericals that track heavier, but I have an assortment of records that vary in range of quality. None of my records are less than a vg+ quality, many are excellent to mint and quite a few are brand new. But within this range I understand that a nice spherical stylus will do a lot better at hiding imperfections than an elliptical will.

The second weakness is the output and clarity. It does the job but it doesn't do it good enough after a year of listening on it. I've tuned it to get low sibilance but not low enough for my aesthetic desires and am looking for something with a wide range for both vocal and instrumental clarity with a decent bass warmth as well.

The final point in this regard is that the stock cart/headshell can only support one stylus upgrade, which i've aleady done a year ago. And it was a noticeable difference in quality but not enough to satisfy my needs a year later. I am definitely not doing bad with it, it is not a low standard sound, it's just, i've built up a certain degree of aesthetic need and I want to expand on that.
 
malden said:
My guess is that your turntable would do well with a medium compliance cartridge. For your budget of $70.00 or less, I would suggest a Shure M35X, it has a .7 mil conical tip. Shure discontinued it but you can still find them...

https://www.lpgear.com/product/DJSHM35X.html

https://www.lpgear.com/product/SHSM0035X.html
Click to expand...

Is the first link the full cartridge and Headshell combined? If so, could I just then screw it into my tonearm So I could figure out the alignment and all that? My short question is, is it compatible in the sense that I can just screw it into my tonearm and that it comes with the full cartridge/headshell combo?
 
no head-shell, you'd have to either buy one or install it in the head-shell you already have.

Sibilance? I've never experienced any with the M35X.
 
conical = spherical

I don't think that cartridge you linked has a head-shell, this is what one looks like...

technics-headshell.jpg
 
malden said:
conical = spherical

I don't think that cartridge you linked has a head-shell, this is what one looks like...

technics-headshell.jpg
Click to expand...
Yes, I know.

The listing says cartridge with head-shell but I only see the cartridge in the picture. Maybe they just pulled a generic cart image for speedy sake. I'm not sure. I will ask the seller and see what they say.
 
Anyway, if it does come with an actual head shell, is it good to go in terms of screwing it into my tone arm? I heard that even when head-shells look the same they can be quite different.
 
malden said:
conical = spherical

I don't think that cartridge you linked has a head-shell, this is what one looks like...

technics-headshell.jpg
Click to expand...
I see the following listed in the post.

"Furnished Accessories
Amount Part Part Title
1 Stylus Guard
1 Headshell Weight (3 grams)
1 Headshell Screwdriver (Phillips)
1 Extra Set of 4 Headshell Wires (4-99)
1 Stylus Cleaning Brush
1 User Guide
1 Mounting hardware"

Does it sound like a good to go deal?
 
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