Best sounding MC phono box at $250 or less??

There's also the most recent Musical Fidelity V-90 LPS at $229

http://www.musicalfidelity.com/v90-lps/

Although I have never used it I do have their v-Link192 USB to SPDIF converter which is excellent - I am assuming the phono stage is of a similar level of audio performance

Another that I have tried is the Cambridge Audio 651p - it is not bad, but I think I might go for the MF.

The nice thing about the MF is it's 12V DC power supply, which makes it very easy to tweak with a battery powered option - which should make it perform really well

Regards...

Czarivey - then you just gotta find a good suspension system for the turntable.

Bentley probably has one :-)

Czarivey - ever thought of selling the v-90 with the TT also? - It's a nice little package :-)

Do you hook it up to the car audio?

Cheers

Matt - you are correct, however, with the addition of a 7gram brass heashsell shim they are a very good match to rega style arms.

I have two 103's, each epoxied to a 7 gram brass shim and they perform extremely well on my Audiomods arm, but even without the shim they are pretty good

Other alternatives include
- the Zu 103
- various aluminum headshell casings you can place the nuded cartridge into
- soundsmith wood body with brass shim - getting expensive though

Sunnyjim - you can always place a 7gram blob of bluetak over the cartridge teporarily just to see if you like the sound of the additional mass.

Regards

Matt - you are correct, however, with the addition of a 7gram brass heashsell shim they are a very good match to rega style arms.

I have two 103's, each epoxied to a 7 gram brass shim and they perform extremely well on my Audiomods arm, but even without the shim they are pretty good

Other alternatives include
- the Zu 103
- various aluminum headshell casings you can place the nuded cartridge into
- soundsmith wood body with brass shim - getting expensive though

Sunnyjim - you can always place a 7gram blob of bluetak over the cartridge temporarily just to see if you like the sound of the additional mass.

Regards

Sunnyjim - there is no need to "trash" the 103 - you can simply
mount the brass shim between the cartridge and the arm as many people do -
it will provide the additional mass required to optimize cartridge performance.

The bluetak suggestion is also just so you can verify the additional mass does
in fact make a difference on your rig - without having to make or source a
shim.

As for "trashing" - I realize epoxying the cartridge to the shim will,
in some peoples view, diminish its value, but then I'm not about to sell this
cartridge any time soon, so I don't really care about resale value. That, and I
have received interest in this cartridge/process, so some people are willing to
consider this mod.

I do know of others that have had the courage to try this and found the
performance improvements to be worth the "risk"

But it's all down to personal comfort level and approach. This is just but one of
many possibilities.

Hope you find a cartridge that works for you

Regards