What cartridge would you buy in the under $1,000 range?

Actually I would like to break this into two price ranges.
$200 - $650
$700 - $1,000

What cartridge, within those two price ranges, would you purchase and why?

I am putting together a TT for my newly minted adult kid (21 years old this year).
This table needs to function, play nicely, but it will not be used for critical listening...just joyful TT sounds to fill the room with music.

The TT is a Music Hall MMF-7 with a couple upgrades, but nothing major.
I will be installing a new cartridge and would like something good enough, but not fragile or too pricy, because it will likely get damaged in some manner through young adult life getting in the way.
When new the TT came with the Goldring Eroica - H (MC) cartridge, but that is no longer present.

Thanks for the suggestions.
Have a great day.

 

Considering the circumstances, I don't know that investing that much in a cartridge is the best idea. I'd look at the Audio Technica VM series, the Ortofon 2m or Grado Prestige. Probably something with a conical or elliptical stylus profile. That way setup is pretty minimal and you don't have to be concerned about VTA.

 

AT and Nagaoka for 2-650.

 

Thanks for the reply.
Do you have any specifics you would recommend based on things you have used?

The Ortofon 2M series does look like a good option, and my local dealer has them on the shelf pretty much all the time.
But I have never used one so I don't know anything beyond reviews and printed specs....and we all know how honest many reviews are, as well as how printed specs sound.
Still, a 2M Blue or Bronze might be the way to go based on the TT use learning curve, and price to replace after making a mistake.
My kid is pretty careful so things may go well, but these things are pretty delicate.

 

If the table is being used for "joyful sounds" get a $200 Ortofon Blue and use your $800 to buy a lot of records.

 

Thanks....You are probably right in this recommendation.
Can we get some take out with that extra $800 too?.....Something nice like nigiri sushi, or maybe a pile of street tacos?

I keep thinking this is what will happen, but I don't know too much about the various cartridges so I am asking here because there are many who have vast experience in this department.

 

Is this person new to turntables? If so stick with something cheap to start with. What is the turntable and cart being plugged into?

 

I’m a fan of the 2m black…it doesn’t hold anything back, better pressings are rewarded

 

Just stick a solid all-arounder on there and call it good, like AT VM540ML or Grado Prestige or Ortofon Red. Nagaoka might be too low compliance for that light tonearm.

All I know is that I would not be giving my clumsy 21 year old son a $500+ cartridge on his first TT.

 

I have used the 2m Blue. It has an elliptical stylus. Line it up and level the tonearm and you're done. It has a sonic character that I would describe as not bright but crisp. Imaging and detail were pretty good. They're plenty available and replacing the stylus is easy.
If you decide to go with the Bronze, you will receive better sonic performance but you'll probably need someone to set it up properly because of the more advanced stylus profile.

 

I did buy the Ortofon 2M Bronze …. I love it with my Tube Box S2 and X Pression 3 TT.

 

My $200-650 answer is actually less than $200: Audio-Technica AT-VM95ML, because I can vouch for it, being the cartridge I have used for about 5 years now. It is an excellent tracker with a flat frequency response, long stylus life and minimized wear on record grooves due to the MicroLine profile, and inexpensive to replace the stylus when it does eventually need to be replaced.

 

2m blue Or 2m Black.

 

Denon Dl 103 $300 - $350

 

ATOC9XML. £500.

 

I'd go $300 for the cart & $700 to buy a lot of M- records.

 

Nope. Kids going to bust the needle first thing, within 30 days!.


AT95C

 

Ortofon 2M / 2MR Bronze...

 

Its a fairly pricey turntable, I'm surprised you are getting so many recommendations for cheap cartridges. Anyhow, I think any of these would be great. ATVM540ML probably the single best "cheap" cartridge, Denon DL-103 great sounding cheap MC cartridge so might need a special phono stage, AT-OC9XML much loved slightly more expensive MC, Ortofon 2M Black is my personal favorite out of this list and worth the extra cost over the 2M Blue in my opinion. If you want to save a few bucks all of these come up lightly used from time to time. Plenty of people like myself buy and try a cartridge and put less than 50 hours on it and then want to move on thus the used market. Avoid anything that says it has hundreds of hours. And there is no such thing as a durable cartridge. But it is cheaper to replace the stylus on the lower end moving magnet cartridges so if breakage is a concern stick with those.

 

I would buy The Vessel R3SM for $650, I don't know of any cartridge in the $700 - $1,000 that I would pick over it.

 

I’d suggest a Nagaoka MP-500 from Japan (CDJapan or Ebay). Can be found under $650 shipped.

 

Either a Grado or a vintage Shure. The Grado you can start with a black or green and upgrade stylus later if he likes the sound. A Shure because one can be had for 50-100 and there are MANY stylus options for them. He can compare the sound and decide which way to go in the future.

 

thirding or fourthing the VM540ML route, set it, forget it, and enjoy! Easy to replace stylus, sounds much better than the price would suggest.

 

When I was 21 I was drinking beer, having friends over, and cranking Ton Loc’s “Funky Cold Medina.” If there had been a turntable around I probably would have tried scratching on it. Your son might be much more mature, however!

 

Nagaoka.

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