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Cartridge Recomendations for VPI HK-19 MK IV w/Gra

Hi all. I have a VPI HK-19 MK IV w/Graham 1.5t on the way and am looking for opinions or recommendations on good cartridge match ups with the Graham 1.5t (11 grams mass) and TT. Budget under $1000 please and HOMC or MM, as I am still relatively new to this and do not want to mix in step up devices or separate phono amps to my learning curve at this point. I will run the TT through a McIntosh mm phono stage.

My current system consists of McIntosh 6900, Jolida JD100 cd player, SF Cremona Speakers. I don't play music every day, but when I do, I like a nice sounding system that will not give me ear fatigue. I listen to mainly female vocals and instrumentals.

Some cartridges I am wondering about are Grado Reference Sonata, Benz Micro Glider SH, ClearAudio Virtuoso Wood. The Grado appeals because of its reputation for warm, lush midrange, but I wonder if this is too light for the Graham arm?, and am also concerned reading other posts that claim the Grado highlights record noise and may "hum" with some TT's.

I appreciate any input you may have.
trtrtr49

Showing 2 responses by rushton

rushton's avatar
rushton
2,445 posts
 
The Grado Reference Sonata is a nice cartridge, particularly well suited for those who love acoustic instruments and voice. The "hum" issue one reads about will not be an issue with a VPI turntable due to the location of the motor. If your phono stage can work with the lower output versions of the Sonata (.5mv or 1.5mv), go with those.
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rushton's avatar
rushton
2,445 posts
 
Hi Markd51, I used Grado cartridges of various vintages (XTC, XYZ, Sonata, Reference) on a VPI HK-19 for over 20 years with no hum problems, but I always used the 1.5mv versions that were available back then, not the 4-5mv versions. Perhaps that's the reason for the different experience.
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