Best cartridge for modded Technics 1200

As long as we're talking MM, I have to put in a word for the Audio Technica MLX150 II. I've been listening to it intently for about 2 months, it's motivated me to get a new phono stage and speakers, and I still can't say enough good about it.

Sweet, smooth, lush, detailed, yet clean and clear, extended at both ends, yet never "hi-fi" boom & sizzle. All music all the time. Great separation and tracking, esp. with the fluid damper.

07-20-08: Gadfly
I have a DL-160 on the SL1200 and can't get rid of sibilance which does not show up on finer styluses that are on the Ortofon 2M Black and retipped Denon DL103.

When I was running a DL-160 on an SL1210 M5G, I noticed the sibilance went down slightly when I got a better phono stage. Ultimately, however, I upgraded to an Audio Technica AT150MLX and couldn't be happier. It does the things I liked about the DL-160 (even tonality, musicality, good level of detail and tracking for the money), and adds several more into the mix (better tracking, more detail, higher output, better stereo separation, smoother yet airier treble, *no more spitty sibilants*, very present and solid-sounding midrange while improving the frequency extension at both ends. Fuller yet better-defined bass).

One thing I noticed is that I needed to clean the DL-160 stylus after playing about 3 sides, but I hardly ever have to clean the AT150MLX stylus. I wonder if this resistance to build-up has anything to do with the difference in how it handles sibilants, or perhaps the difference in stylus shape avoids gunk *and* tracks sibilants better.

I really like the DL160. The slightly warm midrange, energetic expanse of the display, definition/detail, topend extension. But the stylus is it's weak spot even though it is supposed to be a finely made elliptical. I plan on getting it retipped with a fine line stylus which should rid it of all distortion, improve already good tracking, and finally rid it of all sibilance.

Like I said, if you like the DL-160, I think you'd *love* the AT150MLX. No need for a re-tip, and the replacement stylus is available for $179.95, or the price of a DL-160.

07-20-08: Gadfly
Johnnyb53, I heard those AT carts are peaky, bright. You should check out the Ortofon 2M's. I have the 2M Black and I love it.

Mine isn't peaky. I have no tolerance for peaky, and even if I did, my wife would let me know. In fact, I've always been able to gauge whether the treble is dialed in by how my family behaves when the music is playing. If the treble has glare or is edgy, they get loud and irritable. When it's right, they calm down. I read a review in Sensible Sound that observed that the plastic-bodied AT440MLa had an upper midrange peak, but not the AT150MLX, which the reviewer felt was very neutral and linear, but had plenty of dynamics, trackability, and separation.

Actually, in spite of its trackability, linearity, and higher level of detail over my DL-160, I'd describe the sound of my AT150MLX as lush. Lush in the sense that the details enrich the musical picture rather than distract the listener from the music. My current setup conveys a connection to the music as I've never had before in my home system.

07-20-08: Gadfly
Johnnyb53, I heard those AT carts are peaky, bright. You should check out the Ortofon 2M's. I have the 2M Black and I love it.

I just remembered--another characteristic I've read about the AT150MLX is that it's smooth, linear, and musical *if* the catridge sees about 200 pF total capacitance. Too much and it turns hard (peaky?) in the midrange; too little and the high treble is exaggerated.

My Technics interconnect is 100 pF, and either the Cambridge 640p has another 100 or so internally, or the interconnect I use between the phono and line stages adds the extra capacitance needed.

However the capacitance added up, the AT150MLX sounds great in my system. It gives me more of everything, and prompted me to change line stages, get new floorstanding speakers, and bi-amp them to show off the increased resolution of the AT150MLX over the DL-160. Considering I got it for little over 1/3 of a 2M Black, I'll be sticking with it for awhile, though if I had it to spend, I'd have probably gotten a 2M Black and been ecstatic about it.