Entry Rega,NAD,Project,MusicHall Catridge question

Well Phasecorrect, you are looking at about a $30 cartridge in the Elan, and about a $45 cartridge in the Elektra. Both very budget MM types. The Sumiko Oyster is about in the middle, price wise, at about $40. They are all what you might call "throw-in" cartridges that don't cost the mfr hardly anything, and they can include them on a table that is ready to go.

If I had to take my choice, I'd go with the Elektra.

Now, VTA adustment. On entry level tables, you are not going to have any. On the NAD, which will have a Rega arm, you can get one for about $40. The idea is to adjust the stylus "rake" in the groove, so that the cartridge will have the proper frequency balance, tracking, and overall sound. You have to do this by ear, although setting the arm level when playing is a good starting point. Then you move slightly up or down to achieve the sound you want. These low priced tables and cartridges may not be very responsive to such adjustments, but it wouldn't hurt.

Well, the best cartridge at a very low price is the Ortofon X5-MC which is being sold on Audiogon classified as a regular thing for about $115 new. Believe it or not, this is a very good MC cartridge that is competitive with some $600 cartridges, and sounds real good. If your phono section can take a 2mv cartridge output, with about 45db gain, you are in like Flynn.

For a MM cart, the Goldring is good, but the lowest serious cartridge by them is the 1012 at around $100.

You really need to spend at least $100 to get into the ball game. These 2 that I mentioned are 2 of the best bets, with the Ortofon being the real "sleeper". You'll have to order from Hong Kong to get that low price. I think 2Juki is handling them for $115.

The MM vs MC thing is really not an issue until you get into the $500 and up category.

I agree with David, saving for a better TT is well advised.

The Radio Shack "Little Rat" is a low cost, battery powered phono stage that has got some good user reviews considering its low cost. Don't confuse it with a "high-end" unit. It is okay for what it is, and it may be fine for your initial purposes, but I wouldn't consider it a permanent addition. That is, if you plan to get into serious analog playing.

Actually, if you want to "get serious" for a reasonable cost, you might look at David99's system. He has a very nice TT that is easy to operate and sounds real good. It is not cheap, but it is affordable for someone who is serious about their sound quality.