Mono cartridge recommendation


Ok, so tomorrow, my TNT will be getting a new baby brother.  I'd like to get a mono cartridge for it, my budget for now is up to $1K, less is better but not strictly necessary.

I'm open to MC, MI, or MM carts, but I generally prefer MCs. My Herron VTPH-2A can handle pretty much anything. I also have a few SUTs too to play around with. 

I tend to gravitate toward extremely neutral cartridges, so that's a consideration. I know everyone's system is different and will have different opinions on what constitutes neutral.

I have a couple of tonearms of various masses, so matching shouldn't be an issue. I've seen ATs, Hanas, Ortofons, and a few others in that range, but I don't have an opportunity to audition any of them before purchase.

My system:
Phono preamp: Herron VTPH-2A
Preamp:  Balanced Audio Technology VK-30SE
Amp:  Bryston 4B SST2
Speakers Magnepan 1.7i
Among other things...

I'm hoping the collective intelligence of the group will help me find a good match. So, what are your impressions of various mono cartridges in this price range?

vinylzone

Showing 1 response by heretobuy

This is interesting because I was kind of curious about how one would optimize a system for mono listening. Most of my mono listening is from digital sources (you shouldn’t hiss during a pandemic, it’s not sanitary). Actually that was the great boon of the digital era - the death of fake stereo. Not having a true audiophile’s income having a separate system for mono seems a little like having your own Fast Eddie Felson model two-piece screw-together pool cue. Having a single speaker for such a system is intuitive also because you can put twice the money into the single speaker, and you only have to buy a single monoblock amplifier.