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Your cart to TT cost ratio?

the keester

the keester

I dig music.
Lately ive been using a $90 Denon DL110 with a new Gyro SE TT and I really think it sounds good. A $90 to $2500 ratio. Im considering trying out a Grado Gold1 because I hear good things and maybe it might smooth out the occasional harshness on some of my vinyl.

I know that there are many TT way more expensive than the Gyro as well.

Should I just spring for cart in the $500 + range?

Are there any other examples out there of more expensive TTs with cheaper carts?
 
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I am using a Denon DL-110 on my Technics SL1200 Mk2 that's about a 4/1 turntable to cart ratio.

I also use a Goldring 1012 GX on my Pro-Ject Perspective that's about a 5/1 turntable to cart ratio.

With a turntable like yours you need to carefully match the cart to the arm as an expensive cart badly matched will sound worse than a cheaper one that does IMO.
 
You have a great table...if you have the dough match it up with a great cart. Did you see the thread about ZYX cartridges on sale?
 
If I had a Gyro SE TT (which I do want by the way, saw one recently and that was it), I would at least spend $500 on a cart. A $90 dollar cart is not going to give you what that table can deliver.
 
Don't have a Gyro, but do have 4 tables. They range from lowly AT PL120 workhorse (good used LP preview and very nice 78 spinner :)) to a JVC Ql Y5F. I also have about 14 or 15 cartridges available to rotate through the various tables. The least expensive is a Sanyo Big Red conical at $19 and the most expensive is an AT150MLX at just over $300. Although, at current used prices, my Shure V15 IV with JICO HE could be a close second. Most others including the Denon DL160 rank in there somewhere. When they are on the PL120, that's a cartridge to TT ratio of 2:1 - cartridge cost over TT cost. When they are on the JVC it's more like 1:1 or 1:2.

What I have noticed is that most cartridges try to do a good job. Even the $19 and $29 ones do a reasonable job of getting the sound off the record. Heck, so did the the old crystal/piezoelectric carts on the changers back in the day. What this means is that up to some point it's a matter of basic mechanics to spin the record and extract a signal.

Above that basic job comes the bigger $$ gear and cartridges. I've mentioned that a good competent DD table will spin the records accurately, especially quartz locked ones. A competent arm will allow most cartridges to track well and they (the cartridge and stylus) will extract as much signal as they can. Want more signal, get better stuff.

Does that mean a better table, maybe not. Does it mean a better cartridge - probably, but maybe not? Does it mean a better stylus - you bet. Most cartridges will pick up quite a bit of detail and speed (attack) with a stylus upgrade.

Best example are the Ortofon OM and SuperOM series. Same body with styli from <$100 to >$350. Different and better resolved sound as the styli went up in price. The 40 stylus was designed to extract accurate detail up to 40+KHz (the super sonic signal for Quadraphonic music). Think it can catch the hit on a snare drum or the detail from a violin?

Would I put a $300 cartridge on a $150 table, in some circumstances. Would I put an $800 cartridge on a $500 table - you bet. I'm looking forward to putting a ClearAudio Maestro in my rotation someday :)

It's all about what you want to do. What are you after?
 
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This is actually an interesting question...


Never quite thought about it, although it's difficult to evaluate the worth of a vintage turntable vs a new cart....

So, for price paid for the TT

Myself:

Systemdek IIX w/AT150 MLX 1/1
Technics SL-1700 w/AT440 MLa 1/1.5
Kenwood KD-550 w/Micro Seiki MA-707 and AT440MLa 2/1
Lenco L-82 w/OM10 1/7
Dual 505-2 w/Super OM10 1/3
 
Based on current new prices, my ratio is about 1:2. At needledoctor.com, the Goldring Eroica H is $450 and the Music Hall MMF-5.1 is $875. From here, I'd probably be more likely to upgrade the cartridge than the turntable.
 
My stuff is "obsolete." Based on original pricing, I guess it's currently about 2:1 table:cart. Hopefully soon that will invert, as I buy a much better cartridge.

Currently: B&O TX-2 with B&O MMC5
Soon: B&O TX-2 with Soundsmith SMMC-2.
 
Pro-Ject RM-5 (new when bought) $650.00 Currently running a Goldring Eroica H $450.00 new when it was bought.

The next cart I buy will most likely be an Ortofon 2M Bronze at around $389.00

BUT I think the next I will do is have Soundsmith retip my Ortofon X3-MC with their Ruby catiliever and fine line Diamond. About $250.00 As I really love this cart.
 
just spend $30 for a AT cart to replace the old AT cart in my akai tt that i paid $4 for at a thrift store 5 years ago.
combo works well!
 
I paid 177 for my Marantz 6100 and my best cart is a Stanton 500EE which I paid about 25 bucks for. so it's 7 to 1 I guess?
 
All my stuff has been bought used (except replacement styli, which I usually buy new). Since secondhand pricing varies all over the place, it is almost meaningless to compare actual costs. I'd have to do some research (and probably some inflation-adjusting calculations) to compare original costs.

I do know this: I'm going to be putting more expensive carts on some my TTs over time, as up to know all the carts I have are the ones I got on TTs, and I think they are much more the "weak link" than the TTs I have, which already include some pretty decent ones. I expect to pay approximately as much for a Denon 103 as I have for any of my more expensive TTs, and more for some better carts a little further down the line. Right now, probably my favorite cart is the Shure V15 III, which I got for less than any of my better TTs. Since even my Thorens 124 is coming in on the cheap side (because it needs TLC), I think my carts will outstrip my TTs, in most cases, but at this point, it's close, with my best TTs costing marginally better than the carts on them.

I don't mind that situation, though, as I know it will reverse itself in time, as I get better cartridges.
 
Are we talking actual retail value or real purchase price? With the scores around here, things can get quite scrambled.
 
About 50/50 in the main rig (Project RM5SE/Sumiko BlackBird)
I'm using the Sumiko BluePoint #2 that came with the RM5SE on the Thorens TD160, so I'm not sure how that plays out 2:1 in the cartridges favor?
Regards,
Jim
 
Not to muck up this discussion but what about ratio of arm to cartridge ? :)
 
I paid 160 for my 6100 and 140 for it's cartridge. Thats a bargain considering today's tables are a grand and up for the good stuff.
 
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