MC for Low Mass Tonearm


With my table's low mass tonearm I am sad to see only Ortefon and Sumiko MC carts available.  Please offer suggestions for other carts/brands that might work with an 8.5gm arm.  <$3000.00 budget

My System:
Pro-ject RPM Table / EVO Carbon 10 inch arm  8.5 gm mass and very rigid

Into all Aric Audio front-end:  the 'Transend MM phono pre' (12ax7 and 47ohm), '6SN7 Linestage Preamp' and 'Transcend Push-pull' amp into ZU Soul Supreme.

My current carts are MM and MI, Grace F9e and Soundsmith The Voice. Both are hi-compliance (+22cu).

Will I be able to best those with a $3k Moving Coil cartridge?  The Voice is really nice! 

I'll know that I need to purchase an SUT.

Bent

128x128michaellent

Showing 5 responses by lewm

Egregious error on my part.  In the post above gakerty's, I wrote, "In fact if the compliance of the "heavy" cartridge is low enough, you actually need a lightweight (read low effective mass) tonearm if you want to comply with the recommended rule for resonant frequency."

Obviously, I should have written "HIGH enough", not "low enough", in relation to compliance.  I just now spotted my error which was really careless.

Barring problems with counterbalancing the cartridge's weight, the weight of the cartridge is inconsequential, in my opinion, so long as the combined effective mass (tonearm + headshell + mounting screws + cartridge) is within reason. In fact if the compliance of the "heavy" cartridge is low enough, you actually need a lightweight (read low effective mass) tonearm if you want to comply with the recommended rule for resonant frequency.

B&O MMC1 might be the finest cartridge I’ve ever owned, until I accidentally destroyed the cantilever. SS replaced cantilever and stylus but I’ve been reluctant to listen to the repaired version for fear that I’ll be disappointed. Acutex LPM320STRIII is in the same category of greatness. Both MI. 

Add some mass at the headshell and use any MC you want. You need not take the perfectionist approach. Also, have SS retip your F9E with their OCL stylus on a Ruby cantilever and you may not feel the need for an MC cartridge or a SUT.