@velocityofhue - I've got a Technics SL1200G and it pairs great with my Hana Umami Red cart; no stepup transformer needed for my Herron Audio tube phono stage, the volume I set it not much more than it was for my previous Clearaudio MM cart.
SL-1200GME Turntable
Hey vinyl world!
What cartridge would be a good contender to pair up with my brand new Technics SL-1200GME ? Looking for a good one as my BAT VK-33SE preamp and Pass X-150.8 amp are total Titans. The Thiel speakers are always up to the task.
I use a separate VTL tube phono stage TP2.5 ,1st version .
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"In the manual it has "Gain listed at 60db (MC)" Your phonostage is ready for .5mv LOMC Look at higher performance Audio Technica -ART9 or 20 Audio Technica - AT-ART9XI Dual MC Phono Cartridge - Music Direct Audio Technica - AT-ART20 Dual MC Phono Cartridge - Music Direct Lyra Lyra - Delos MC Phono Cartridge - Music Direct Lyra - Delos MC Phono Cartridge - Music Direct If I spent $7K on a table, I certainly would look at more upscale carts than the AT33 or Nagaoka suggested. Good carts, but you can do much better. Based on your expenditure, you're not too concerned with "bang for buck/value."
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OP, https://www.vtl.com/products/phono-preamplifiers/tp2-5/
you have 1 MM and two MC gain settings; and several MC impedance settings this is a chart, two vertical columns, the lines dissapeared left column is MC, right column is MM
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Congratulations on your new GME. I have the older GAE and from that experience offer the following thoughts. Your arm is medium mass, stick with the OEM head shell unless the cartridge you settle on has very high mass and very low compliance, in which case you should use a higher mass head shell. That would be a very unusual choice. Your GME will work well with the vast majority of cartridges on the market. It is quite versatile. You will find that it works quite well and is compatible with both MM and MC cartridges from any of the major manufacturers. I have used mine successfully with cartridges that retailed ranging from sub $500 to $10,000. In terms of your question about SUTs, it has been my experience that for low output cartridges, the insertion of a transformer between the cartridge and the phono stage is always serendipidous. I use the 47 kohm input with an SUT in preference to high gain direct stages, even though I have the option. That is true both using my solid state and tube phono preamps. If you really want to dig into the technical arguments for transformers, I believe you might find something by or about the work of John Curl on this subject. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
I avoided buying used cartridges, until I decided to risk it. This seller is one I trust and would buy again from: It has their best stylus, Special Line Contact, which also has the longest life due to it’s largest amount of contact area (which requires excellent alignment). It’s cantilever is aluminum, I don’t know why they didn’t use boron, perhaps to offer the best stylus, and keep the price down a bit. We have all had excellent sounding cartridges with aluminum. As far as Imaging, it has 30db separation, and channel balance of 1.0 db. To get tighter 0.5db channel balance you will need to spend a good bit more. Here is the newer x version, boron cantilever, and body threads for easier mount. https://www.audio-technica.com/en-eu/cartridges/type/moving-magnet/at-vm760xsl btw, these are MM, with the advantage of user replacable stylus. https://www.audio-technica.com/en-eu/vmx-series-cartridge If you ever see a discontinued model, even one with a worn tip, broken cantilever (I've done that twice) a new stylus, even an upgraded one may be possible, or have a re-tipper like VAS re-build it. https://www.audio-technica.com/en-eu/support/which-stylus-can-i-use-to-replace-my-discontinued-model
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