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LOMC... phono stage okay, but which cart?

I ordered a Graham Slee Reflex and Elevator in order to have a LOMC-compatible phono stage. I have a MM cartridge, but want to buy a LOMC. My budget is around $1-1.5K. I desire a cartridge with nicely balanced tonal quality, yet with punch/dynamics and articulation. I listen mostly to 70's-80's rock and some jazz/fusion. On the radar so far is the Dynavector 17D3 'Karat' and the Ortofon Kontrapunkt B. My tonearm is an OL Encounter with 14.5g effective mass. According to my calcs, either of these cartridges would work theoretically, even though the Dyna is really light and the Ortofon is fairly heavy. According to reviews and forum posts, both of these cartridges have the sonic qualities I desire. What are some other cartridges in this price range to consider that will likely work well in my tonearm?
rockinrobin
tom_hankins
928 posts
 
The 17D3 is a very nice cartridge, the xx2 MKII is alot better. Something almost new like this might be what you looking for.
http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?anlgcart&1248640585&/Dynavector-XX2-Mk-ii-
johnbrown
195 posts
 
Amazing...or...something. I too was going to suggest trying to stretch the budget a bit for the XX2. The 17D3 is a good cart, but the times I've heard it, it seemed a little 'hotter' than the usual DV sound.

If you like the house sound, the XX2 is a cartridge that would be difficult to beat at any price.
rockinrobin OP
74 posts
 
Johnbrown, thanks for your recommendation! What do you mean by the 17D3 sounding "hotter"? Do you mean brighter, more dynamic, or what? I don't want an overly bright cartridge, but lots of dynamic capability would be great. As I stated, my main listening is to rock music of various sorts and I appreciate dynamics and articulation over a warm, syrupy sound. I have read that the 17D3 is very dynamic and "fast" with its miniscule diamond cantilever, so that intrigues me. In what ways is the XX2 better? Any insight into the Ortofon Kontrapunkt B? That one looks pretty interesting, too. Thanks again...
tom_hankins
928 posts
 
The XX2 MKII is as fast and has a more natural and smoother presentation than the 17D3. The 17D3 is a brighter cartridge that can be a little edgy. The XX2 MKII is more dynamic, better detail, and quieter, slightly more relaxed. Balanced sound from top to bottom. If you go the XX2 route make sure and get the MKII version. I think the original XX2 was a little on the slow sounding side compared to the newer version.
johnbrown
195 posts
 
Thanks 'Tom hankins', you described the differences better than I could have. Right on the money.
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