Mate that with the "Grado wiggle" and you've really got something!
AR XA Turntable cartridge
I haven't posted in quite a while as I sold most of my gear several years ago.
I saw a local ad for an AR turntable, and as I had one in my college days I was intrigued. Anyway, I ended up buying it, along with the box, paperwork, warranty, and tons of pieces - spacers, screws, overhang device, even the screwdriver with the red handle. The previous owner said he changed the cartridge every year while he was still using it. There was a Stanton 600EE mounted and I had a new Shure M97xE in a sealed box.
All this has rekindled my interest. I had stored some old equipment from long ago, so I'm using it with a Marantz Model 15 amp, Model 7(T) preamp, and Thiel 1.2 speakers (and although they don"t really impact the AR, a Marantz Model 20 tuner and a Sony C333ES round out the system).
I still have lots of lps in storage which I need to get out. But for now I picked up a handful of lps at second hand stores (cleaned them with my VPI 16.5 which I unearthed from storage).
So, I did clean out the bearing wells, relubed and set overhang, tracking force and leveled as best as possible. I've been using the Stanton and I've got to say it sounds pretty good! But - and here's the reason for the post - I'm wondering if any one has cartridge suggestions. I know this comes up with some regularity (there was a question just a few months ago; but these things can certainly be equipment specific). Should I try the Shure, or is there something else that might be better?
Thanks for your consideration.
I saw a local ad for an AR turntable, and as I had one in my college days I was intrigued. Anyway, I ended up buying it, along with the box, paperwork, warranty, and tons of pieces - spacers, screws, overhang device, even the screwdriver with the red handle. The previous owner said he changed the cartridge every year while he was still using it. There was a Stanton 600EE mounted and I had a new Shure M97xE in a sealed box.
All this has rekindled my interest. I had stored some old equipment from long ago, so I'm using it with a Marantz Model 15 amp, Model 7(T) preamp, and Thiel 1.2 speakers (and although they don"t really impact the AR, a Marantz Model 20 tuner and a Sony C333ES round out the system).
I still have lots of lps in storage which I need to get out. But for now I picked up a handful of lps at second hand stores (cleaned them with my VPI 16.5 which I unearthed from storage).
So, I did clean out the bearing wells, relubed and set overhang, tracking force and leveled as best as possible. I've been using the Stanton and I've got to say it sounds pretty good! But - and here's the reason for the post - I'm wondering if any one has cartridge suggestions. I know this comes up with some regularity (there was a question just a few months ago; but these things can certainly be equipment specific). Should I try the Shure, or is there something else that might be better?
Thanks for your consideration.
Showing 3 responses by dweller
High output. No step-up needed. These are famous for low cost and high performance. A company called "Zu" uses the stock 103 as a starting point and modifies into a new product. https://www.stereophile.com/phonocartridges/1207zu/index.html The article says to use a step-up transformer. I never used one and thought it sounded great. YMMV |