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Fun with MM cartridge

Greetings,

I haven’t listened to a MM cartridge in over 35 years. Since I bought my first MC cartridge there was no need for me to listen to MM cartridges any longer. They just extract more music from records.

I have 3 turntables in my system, all with different MC cartridges. A few weeks ago I thought it would be fun to pull out one of my MM cartridges from my toy box and give it a listen. I installed a Grado XTZ on the TT. Gave it a listen, it sounded dull and lifeless. It’s a hard cartridge to drive, has a low output. I even move it to my MC input on my phono drive to get more gain. Same outcome. I was disappointed with the sound, since it has very few hours on it. Went to my toy box and installed a Grace F9E cartridge. Put on an album and gave it a listen. It put a big smile on my face. What a nice sounding cartridge. It had a good sound stage, bass was good, had good width, depth and height. Played a few more records, it is a fun cartridge to listen too.

I still prefer my MC cartridges but the F9E will stay on my TT for right now. Every once in a while I’ll listen to it, just to have fun.

Joe Nies 

joenies
lewm
14,650 posts
 

I know it’s only a matter of semantics, but cartridges drive phono stages. Not vice-versa. Sorry.

elliottbnewcombjr
7,701 posts
 

here’s a find, NOS AT 155LC Line Contact on Beryllium Cantilever $300.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/267214434353?mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=711-53200-19255-0&campid=5338381866&toolid=10001&customid=00efe2de-16d7-11f0-8967-353463386630

Tracking Force
0.8-1.6g

Mass
8.3g

Channel Separation
> 32db

Channel Balance
< 0.5db

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used AT-155 body, new AT-155ML stylus, clarify how new with seller

https://www.dba.dk/recommerce/forsale/item/8796664?ci=5

elliottbnewcombjr
7,701 posts
 

update, broke another at160ml stylus (idiot)

I can try to blame it on Lucy, the dog who was being delivered to my house to watch for 1-1/2 weeks. 

as it happened, I took some stuff from the dogs owner into my left hand, then noticed, the tonearm had reached the end of the side that was playing when they arrived.

Stupidly, 1st time ever, I went under the heavy dust cover with my right hand, banged the tonearm sideways, puff, a cloud of beryllium dust, just like my Shure V15Vxmr exploded when I dropped it 2".

I moved the 160ml stylus from my at150 body, all is well except my pride.

Next, I let one go by and won the next AT160ml on Yahoo Japan (aleado bidding for me), total including the azimuth adjustable headshell buy 107 usd, add fees etc, delivered $168 usd.

Lots of add ons, but if you buy low enough, it can still be a good deal.

 

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