2. analog
  3. 1221700760

MM Cart or MC Cart with a SUT?

I'm planning to upgrade my Shindo Aurieges L to an Aurieges MM, which has a built in MM amp. I currently have a Pro-ject 9.1 with a Dynavector 20XL. I love the Shindo sound and I'm not stuck on the Project/Dyna combo so I'm willing to change my analog rig if neccesary. My goal is musicality but with detail.

The question is will I be better off using (A) a MM cart with the MM phono stage eg a 2M Black or Clearaudio Virtuoso, or (B) a HO MC cart with the MM stage eg. a Benz Glider or (C) getting a SUT and using a LO MC cart? The pros of (A) and (B) are less money and have less parts interfering with the signal path. (C) requires the purchase of a SUT and introducing a new component into the chain, but I think there are a lot more choices in good LO MC carts out there.
mikeyc8

Showing 2 responses by johnnyb53

johnnyb53
3,510 posts
 
With the Audio Technica AT150MLX, Clearaudio Maestro/Virtuoso/Aurum, Rega Exact, the Soundsmiths, Grado wood bodies, the Cartridge Man MusicMaker series, Goldring 1022 and 1042, and the Ortofon 2M Black, there is a better selection of high performance MM and MI carts than ever in the history of LP playback.

My modest 2-channel system sounds better than it has any right to, and it all starts with the AT150MLX. What a cart for $250!
johnnyb53
3,510 posts
 
Hell yes, some straight MMs sound good. I can't believe how good the AT150MLX sounds, and the reviews I've read on the Ortofon 2M Black and Cartridge Man MusicMaker indicate they really push the envelope on what an MM can do. Also, the Clearaudio Maestro and others seem to be very well received by the cork-sniffing audiophile press.

For maximum rigidity and signal transfer, some of the better moving magnet carts don't have replaceable stylii (e.g., Rega Exact, Grado wood series). My AT150MLX does, however, at a relatively paltry $179.95. The Goldrings and Ortofons also have replaceable stylii. The stylus assembly of the AT150MLX is so big and such a tight fit, I doubt it gives much up in the way of rigidity or signal transfer.
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