What cartridge, what output?


I have an AR ETL-1 turntable with FT-3 tonearm. I need to get a new cartridge. I have a BAT VK20 preamp with phono section that has 58 dB gain, and an Odyssey dual mono amp with plenty of power to drive some fairly inefficient but great sounding vintage Snell Type A speakers. According to the KAB site, as I read it, that should allow me to use a MC cartridge of .5 mV or so. Does that seem right? What cartridge would you recommend for that system? Cost is flexible, but I would be happy to spend $500 or less for something new or almost new.
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Showing 2 responses by twilightround

Thank you for the suggestion. I have a MM cartridge, would like to try a MC, am looking for advice on output and on specific MC cartridges.
Doug - Thank you very much. I appreciate the information and what you say about preferences.

My BAT preamp manual says the default cartridge loading resistance value for the phono module is fixed at 47k.

I listen to most kinds of music, with some emphasis on classical, but also jazz (especially New Orleans and ragtime and vocal), some country, some pop, some rock (although my rock library does not go beyond the early 70's). I like delicious mid-range, not too bright a sound, deep solid bass. Detail is good, so long as it does not make fun of the rest of my system. My records are mostly in very good condition and I am in the process of buying a VPI cleaner. I have a fairly extensive library of music on my iMac, played through this system and through another one with similar components, but I do like records and I want to find a cartridge that will make the most of the difference between analog and digital.