Best Cartridge for $1000-$1350?
Victor X-1II with Beryllium Cantilever and Shibata stylus tip can be found NOS for the price you have mentioned. It's a killer MM cartridge (especially in NOS condition) that will put any MC to the dust. This is top of the line cartridge from JVC / Victor. https://audio-heritage.jp/VICTOR/etc/x-1ii.html |
@deanshias you can't read japanese ? lol Specifications JVC/Victor X-1II (mk2) or X-2 Type: moving magnet Stylus: (DT-X1II) 0.15 mil square NUDE SHIBATA diamond tip. Dynamic Compliance @100Hz = 12cu (EQUAL to 20cu @10Hz) Output: more 3mV (1kHz, 5cm/sec) Channel balance: less than 1.0dB Channel separation: more than 25dB Impedance: 2.2k ohms (1kHz) Load: 47 to 100k ohms Tracking force: 1.5g (+/- 0.2g) Frequency response: 10 to 60,000Hz Weight: 7.5g |
Hanna is a low budget mediocre MC cartridge made by Excel Sound Corp, even the specs clearly demonstrate it (rolled-off highs and average bass, alluminum cantilever), nothing special. Why do you want an MC cartridge like Hanna? Victor X-1II is superior cartridge approved by many experienced audiogon members. The Victor X-1II easily compete with $3k LOMC, it has rare Beryllium Cantilever and don’t forget that JVC Victor invented Shibata profile this is how it looks like on state-of-the-art Victor's Beryllium Cantilever: https://scontent-arn2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/21192370_1846802035337955_7936227095118872695_n.jpg?_n... |
@fjn04 I think the 2M Black may be too much of a truth teller for me. If you're looking for the real truth tellers then read this TAS article and find yourself Stanton 881s mkII with Stereohedron stylus. Actually the closest to the Stanton 881s mkII is Pickering XSV-3000 (Stereohedron). Both carts are in $300-400 price range. |
We have so many info about ART-9 on this forum, but the world of cartridges have so many better / different options including some rare ones. As for the Audio-Technica cartridges i would advice every ART-9 owner to compare it to the AT-ML180 OCC or OFC MM cartridge which goes for much higher price than ART-9 and the reason is obvious (stylus replacement). |
Now finally after 190 hours play my AT-ART9 slightly outperforms my AT-ML180/OCC sample, on the Trans-Fi linear tracker. The high register is a bit more refined @harold-not-the-barrel interesting, tried 100k Ohm loading for your AT-ML180 ? If you loaded it at 47k Ohm then with 100k Ohm you can improve high register of your AT-ML180 MM |
And actually the AT-ML180 and many other best ATs perform best at lower values 20-30 kOhm and very low capacitance at 100 pF IME. My ILLUSION preamp works at 20-30 kOhm range at best for all my MMs. @harold-not-the-barrel Maybe you don’t need a cartridge with such high frequency extention if you think, in your system, you have to load MM carts at 20-30k Ohm to roll-off high frequency (this is what you actually do when you loading it at 20-30k Ohm). At the same time you said ART9 gives you more refined high frequency extention than AT-ML180 (no wonder because you rolled-off high frequency with 30k Ohm loading for MM). Or maybe it's time to change the ATN180 stylus :) ? In my system with high efficiency full range drivers i prefer to unload MM cartridges using 100k Ohm, especially if the cartridge sound is too dark. Or just 47k Ohm, but not lower. System dependent, i believe. P.S. I’m curious what is your speakers ? |
