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Recommended cartridges for Yamaha GT-2000

P

Perrin

New Member
Hi!

I have recently purchased a Yamaha GT-2000 with YA-39 tonearm from Hifido and upgraded it with Sanderz’ excellent YOP-1 clone. My current cartridges are AT art9, Hana ML and Denon DL-103, which are installed in individual headshells enabling swift cartridge exchanges.

The GT is a excellent turntable and I’m interested in trying other mc cartridges!

GT- 2000 owners, which cartridges do you have installed in the YA-39?
 
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Welcome ! Please consider adding yourself to the giant GT2000 thread here - lots of lively discussion!

From my own experience my current cartridge is the best I have used on that table. It's an Ortofon Kontrapunkt "h". The Spectral MCR Signature was also excellent if a tad bright. I also own an ART-9 and it's mounted on my VPI Classic. I don't feel that it is quite as refined as the Ortofon. It might however be a tad more dynamic.

https://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/arkays-yamaha-gt-2000-social-group.249666/

jblnut
 
jblnut said:
Don't ask him - he still has one the best cartridges in the world sitting in a box instead of putting it on the GT. That one I can't wrap my head around...

:)

jblnut
Click to expand...
Hey, thanks for the vote of confidence. :D

The YA39 arm appears to be on the high mass side. Therefore more suited to low compliance cartridges.
 
Thank you for the feedback gents.

Since the Japanese cartridge manufacturers are stating compliance at 100hz in stead of 10hz it makes resonance frequency calculation a bit inaccurate. The YA-39 with the art-9 in a 13gram headshell sounds very good even though the resonance frequency is supposed to be around 6hz. I have started using the following calculator for guidance, and have found it very useful. http://korfaudio.com/calculator

@theophile, I’m curious to know which cartridges you have tried in the YA-39 :)
 
I forgot to mention that the mc phonostage I’m using is integrated in my Messenger Preamp and has 100ohms input impedance. Might be to much to hope for, but If any of the recommended cartridges are sounding great at 100ohms load that would be nice to know
 
jblnut said:
Don't ask him - he still has one the best cartridges in the world sitting in a box instead of putting it on the GT. That one I can't wrap my head around...

:)

jblnut
Click to expand...
Yeah, I have harassed him about the strain gauge cartridge several time to no avail!
 
Perrin,
The cartridges I have used on the GT 2000 are the Dynavector DV17 Mk ll, the Soundsmith The Voice (Ebony) high output medium compliance version, the Stanton 980 HZS. The Strain Gauge will be the next cartridge sometime next year.
 
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Hi Perrin, congratulations on getting a GT-2000! @jblnut posted a link to the thread Arkay's Yamaha GT 2000 Social Group where a bunch of us GT-2000 owners share information.

I've used the following cartridges on my GT-2000 & GT-2000L with YA-39 tonearms with excellent results:

ZYX Airy3
AT-ART9
Accuphase AC-6
 
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Whatever you do just keep the total mass of the cart and headshell between 18 and 19 grams (+/- 0.5g) and you'll be good. It then just comes down to personal taste and loading. Please experiment and report back so we can learn more about what works.
 
808_state said:
Whatever you do just keep the total mass of the cart and headshell between 18 and 19 grams (+/- 0.5g) and you'll be good. It then just comes down to personal taste and loading. Please experiment and report back so we can learn more about what works.
Click to expand...

sorry for the late reply! Won’t happen again.

I have been trying to find lightweight headshells with azimuth adjustment for use with the Hana ML and AT ART9, will probably buy a Yamamoto head shell either in wood or carbon.
which headshells do you prefer with the ya-39?
 
Mark B said:
Hi Perrin, congratulations on getting a GT-2000! @jblnut posted a link to the thread Arkay's Yamaha GT 2000 Social Group where a bunch of us GT-2000 owners share information.

I've used the following cartridges on my GT-2000 & GT-2000L with YA-39 tonearms with excellent results:

ZYX Airy3
AT-ART9
Accuphase AC-6
Click to expand...

thank you Mark! My previous deck was a Rega RP10, It sounded good but I quickly found out the Rega “set and forget” approach to vinyl was not for me. Changing cartridges was a pita, and the record mat always stuck to the records.

I was in contact with the designer of my preamp, my previous post stating 100ohms input impedance was incorrect, the correct input impedance is 325ohms. This might explain why the art9 sounds a bit sharp to me with that amp.

I will look into zyx and accuphase!
 
Perrin said:
thank you Mark! My previous deck was a Rega RP10, It sounded good but I quickly found out the Rega “set and forget” approach to vinyl was not for me. Changing cartridges was a pita, and the record mat always stuck to the records.

I was in contact with the designer of my preamp, my previous post stating 100ohms input impedance was incorrect, the correct input impedance is 325ohms. This might explain why the art9 sounds a bit sharp to me with that amp.

I will look into zyx and accuphase!
Click to expand...

You're welcome Perrin.
 
Perrin said:
sorry for the late reply! Won’t happen again.

I have been trying to find lightweight headshells with azimuth adjustment for use with the Hana ML and AT ART9, will probably buy a Yamamoto head shell either in wood or carbon.
which headshells do you prefer with the ya-39?
Click to expand...

The only ultra light headshells I know of in that range (7 or 8 grams) are made by Denon and ADC...but I don't think they offer azimuth adjustment. If I was in your situation this would be a good option:

https://hifiheaven.net/shop/Soundsm...MI05un9Ib-7QIVpPLACh20LghBEAQYDiABEgI7PPD_BwE

You could even carefully drill holes to reduce mass.
 
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