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Best sounding turntable and cartridge for $1100

I have seen a lot of turntable and cartridges packages in  $1000- $1100, such as the Project RPM3 with the Sumiko BP-2 MC.   Project Xperience 1 with a Sumiko Pearl MM;  Rega Planar 3 with a Elys II cartridge. 

 I have formerly owned a Rega 3-24 with Elys II  and a Project Carbon DC with Ortofon 2M Red (which I did not like at all) . Would like to try something different, but can live with the above brands depending on their overall performance 

Need recommendations for turntable/cartridge new or used combo that punches far above its price of  $1100.  Thank you

   

sunnyjim

Showing 2 responses by stewart0722

stewart0722
184 posts
 
I heard from a dealer friend that he has a mint Music Hall 5.1 for 500.00  Don't know if it has the stock cartridge, but if so, it's an elliptical w/ replaceable stylii.  The price would of course allow you to put whatever on it......  I have a backup cartidge, the Ortofon Quintet Red and I have actually placed it for a couple of weeks on a VPI HR-X while I was waiting for a Transfig Proteus to come in and that little red filled the whole room with great music.......it's not for sale....
I now have the Proteus on an Oracle Delphi MK VI 2nd Gen table......
but I still love the Quintet Red.....for the $$
the guy with the Music Hall trade in is referenceanalog.com, he's also a VPI dealer.....
stewart0722
184 posts
 
In my world, lower output is a good thing, fewer windings equal
less mass and more transparency.....

If my only option was HO, I would abandon MC altogether and go
with Soundsmith MI or an Ortofon MM like the 2M Red or Bronze, but
the quintet is lower in cost.....

My solution with my current cartridge which is .1MV is a Hashimoto HM7 stepup transformer, run into my phono pre @ 47k which is giving me the most transparent and organic analog I've ever heard......but I'm sure there are phono pres out there that will handle .3MV just fine....

Thanks


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