Conical cartridge question

For your info Shure still make the M44-7 and M44G

Just don't worry about the DJ markething thing

Theey are basically the same since 1963 except when they were discontinued them for a short time a few years ago.

In my opinion the best new vintage cartridge

Real vintage stylus can be even better if the rubber suspension is still ok.

Phasecorrect,
AT has a new cart with a spherical tip. It's the 5V. The motor is similar to a 150MLX and it seems to be made for med mass arms. The stylus is interchangeable with modern 100 series (100E, 440ML, 150MLX, 7V) so it could possibly be used for your better pressings as well. It's $94 at Lp Gear.
The AT7V is a .2 x .7 elliptical also for med/heavy arms. It has a higher inductance motor so the sound tends to be more full bodied, sweeter. With the body you prefer you could substitute styli as appropriate.

From what you say about the Pearl I think you prefer laid back, and the 7V body might be more to your liking. It's been my experience that the AT carts have greater detail/resolution top to bottom, but must be loaded and matched properly. You didn't mention arm and preamp, but AT's want less than 200pF total capacitance load.

What cheap AT do you have now?
Regards,

Black pearl by sumiko?...anybody try it?

When some people talking about trackabityly or quietness of some cartridges which make then better that others in these terms i just don't understand it. Believe it or not but i never had any tracking problems with cartridges of different types (mc, mi, mm) at different price category, playin' different kind of music with different tracking force (from 1g to 4g). I believe it's a problem of tonearm set-up if you have tracking problems, or it must be deffected cartridge. My records are not ideal.

I had mistracking problem only one with brand new cartridge, it was Ortofon SPU Spirit ltd. (elliptical with 8n copper coil) for japanese market only. Great sounding cartridge but on some records there was a tracking problem! At the same tome classic Ortofon SPU conical never had any tracking problem on the same records/tonearm. I returned SPU Spirit to the seller. Since that time i tried many cartridges and never had tracking problems with any of them.

Also i never had noisy cartridges, they all were dead quite with my 101db speakers. If the wires are good i guess there should't be any noise at all.

Just buy a good stuff.

Mixed reviews on oyster... At one time I had the Pearl...very nice cart...Very competitive with more well known mm grados,shure...nicely balanced with slightly warm,musical presentation...if you gravitate towards a laid back cart... You will drool over this...not really geared for rock tho.

Sumiko Oyster at 75 $ does all that with fine sound with a spherical stylus which amounts to the same thing.

Denon dl103r on my linn axis seems like a tracking champ. It's dead quiet and always seems to get the job done well. Best I have ever had. Have not tried many others in recent years though. There is just no reason to.

You'd better stay away of modern dj cartridges like current production of stanton, sure, ortofon. I have 17 years experience being a pro dj myself. They are all good trackers but the sound is very thin, not involving. The best sounding dj cartridge is high compliance MI type Grado DJ200i (elliptical), you will get frequency extreme over all other dj carts and much nicer overall sound. But there is still some limitations as ther are all made for pro use.

My advise is to try vintage MM Denon DL-107 if you want conical. That was mm broadcast alternative to dl103mc. This is a budged cartridge. All others like ADC, Technics, Garrott are in the different price category but much better!

Not familiar with Stanton... But 500 series is known for rolled off treble sound...I assume 600 series is better in this regard.