recommendation for phono pre amp and mc cartridge, around 1000$ each


i’m using well tempered classic tt and arm.
it’s not heavy arm, think between light to medium ,not sure.
i’m giving this info since i know that it’s important to cartridge match.
the phono should have at list up to 60 db, so i can use MCLO cartridge.
and have several loading and gain settings.

is there any advantage to a low output Mc compare to high, or mid?

not sure if this important but i am listening to variety kinds of music.
jazz, rock , classical

thanks to anyone that will help.

stone1

Showing 5 responses by armstrod

stone1,

Yes, that's the tape I used, and I wrapped the entire length. The counterweight I had would still balance the arm; if your arm is heavier you might need to use less tape, maybe wrap half. It's pretty easy to remove if you need to experiment.

stone1,

The 103R is a good all around performer that isn't really fussy about what arm you use, as long as it has enough effective mass. As stated above, it was mostly insensitive to the azimuth control issues of the WT arm, so it sounded very consistent from needle drop to last groove. I had better cartridges but they had stylus profiles that sounded better with rigid bearings. Also, my experience was high compliance cartridges didn't work well because even with the paddle mostly out of the silicone, the arm seemed over damped. That wasn't a problem with medium to low compliance carts.

My favorite cartridge (and I tried many) on my Well Tempered Record Player was the Denon 103R. The conical stylus was a great match for the wandering azimuth of the WT arm. I added an arm wrap to raise the effective mass, which worked way better than adding mass at the head shell.

Back then I used a Jolida JD9 phono preamp which has more than enough gain and was well under $1000 even with all the mods I did along the way. I now use an E.A.T. E-Glo Petit which is better sounding in every way and has much easier gain/loading adjustments, and can be found just under $1000 if you're patient. There are a number of good phono preamps out there in that price range right now.

stone1,

Yes, my WT had the black carbon fiber arm. I used teflon plumbers tape for the arm wrap; if you do a little searching I know others have used different materials with success. It's pretty easy to apply if you take your time.

The E-Glo uses a FET front end and the tubes are the second gain stage. Under US$1000 would be the second hand price in the U.S., but I've seen them in other countries too. Here's a recent example:

https://www.2ememain.be/v/tv-hi-fi-video/tourne-disques/m1827696163-e-a-t-e-glo-petit

stone1,

That's correct, I sold my WTRP years ago, although the 103R is still in my rotation of cartridges. I haven't heard anything about the E-Glo containing any noise reduction circuitry. Nothing I've read indicates that.