Moving Coils

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Alfi
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Re: Moving Coils

Unread post by Alfi »

Vinyl-ant wrote: Mon Mar 22, 2021 12:45 pm For not a great deal of money, an audio technica at-f7 is good first step, for more, an at33ptg doesnt have many peers at the money. Up from that there is the 33sa and the hana sl.
The 33 ptg is the best value for money of those 4 in my opinion

Ive had some good luck and bad luck with second hand carts, i now prefer to buy new, or if second hand, i much prefer to buy from someone who i know rather than ebay. A retip can cost what a new cart does in the first place, and oldies can have question marks over the internals. No way to check, one persons 'fine' is usually my 'broken' these days, so be very sure you want something second hand or know the seller and ideally the history of the cart.
Not everyone is honest
Completely agree with this view and the recommendation for the AT-F7. The reasonably priced AT-F7 pleasantly surprised me how good it was when I installed one for a customer of mine not a long time after it was retailed by Audio Technica.

Alfi.
I am in the hi-fi trade.
Status: Manufacturer.
Company Name: Analogue innovation.

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Neonknight
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Re: Moving Coils

Unread post by Neonknight »

I have been fortunate in purchasing used cartridges, but you have to do so carefully. The last two used ones I purchased were from dealers who had checked them out before taking in on trade. I had them sent to the person I use for retipping to confirm condition before having them sent to me. Those cartridges were an Ortofon A90 and a Transfiguration Audio Proteus. I have sold a friend the A90 since he wanted it for his Nottingham, and the Proteus is still on my SOTA Cosmos table. I bought it right with the cost of a restoration factored in. In my opinion you have to buy a cartridge expensive enough to make a retipping worthwhile. If you buy too low then you just dispose of it when you have used up stylus hours.

I have been lucky with a table that I purchased that came with a cartridge also. The Well Tempered Reference I bought had an Ikeda of unknown model on it. When I obtained it the table was fitted with a direct scanner model, the Ikeda 9 Kawami. Its hard to get info on this cartridge as it was primarily released in the Japanese domestic market, although Rowland Audio imported it under their own brand. I have no idea the hours on it, but it tracks just fine. Since my investment in it is minimal, yet its a rare bird, I will figure out how to get it restored whenever I feel its performance has degraded. Who I am going to get to do this I have no idea. Reportedly Anna Might Sound in France used to take these cartridges on, but its reported they no longer accept them. You are fortunate to have Expert Stylus in the UK, and that is who I was thinking of using for both the Transfiguration and the Ikeda. Shipping to them is such a bother though.

Buying used cartridges is a pathway to getting a lot more than you pay for, but you have to shop very very carefully.
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Latteman (Wed Mar 24, 2021 9:13 pm)

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Copperblue
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Re: Moving Coils

Unread post by Copperblue »

Audio Technica and Ortofon have been making cartridges for a very long time and kept innovating even through the low ebb of vinyl which coincided with the launch of CD. I would look at products from their ranges. I particularly like the AT-33PTG mk2 which I find to be a great all rounder.
Pink Triangle PT1 / Funk FXR2 / AT33PTG mk2 / Graham Slee Reflex C / NVA P50SA & NVA A70mk2 / Audio Note AX2 / Auralic Aries Mini / Oppo 103 / NVA LS5 & SSC’s

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Latteman
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Re: Moving Coils

Unread post by Latteman »

I found this today at an unbelievable price I couldn’t resist- not what I was planning but hey ho
Image
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savvypaul (Thu Mar 25, 2021 12:51 pm)
Analogue Source -
Denon DP47f- Ortofon mc20 supreme
Ifi Zen Phono
Doug Self balanced Pre amp
Akai 4000DS mk2 R2R
Digital Sources- IfI stream, Ifi Neo idsd Dac; Tidal / Radio Paradise
Amplification Nva 30vdc mono blocks
Speakers Lii Audio F-15 in Open Baffle; Ls6
Weiduka AC8.8- for digital sources
Mini BMU for analog sources

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Neonknight
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Re: Moving Coils

Unread post by Neonknight »

I don't remember that cartridge being offered in the US, but it looks like it belongs in the family of the MC20/30 Super or another Ortofon cartridge that I have forgotten, something Supreme. I bet its going to be a solid performer, and I suspect it was reasonably priced. Probably quite affordable to retip whenever that time comes also since it uses an aluminum cantilever and elliptical stylus.
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Latteman (Thu Mar 25, 2021 7:46 am)

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Re: Moving Coils

Unread post by Daniel Quinn »

I had an ortofon vivio in about 2003. It was $200 . I renemer it being very good.
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Latteman (Thu Mar 25, 2021 1:26 pm)

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Latteman
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Re: Moving Coils

Unread post by Latteman »

Delightful
Image
Analogue Source -
Denon DP47f- Ortofon mc20 supreme
Ifi Zen Phono
Doug Self balanced Pre amp
Akai 4000DS mk2 R2R
Digital Sources- IfI stream, Ifi Neo idsd Dac; Tidal / Radio Paradise
Amplification Nva 30vdc mono blocks
Speakers Lii Audio F-15 in Open Baffle; Ls6
Weiduka AC8.8- for digital sources
Mini BMU for analog sources

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