Cart Brand Loyalty Survey Up in Here - Sumiko or ?

[Eric Natural]

or AT ?

these are two consistently well-regarded manufacts re : your experience as I've had good audio with both
cheers

 

[Chrispy]

My two long term and generally more frequented go-to cartridge manufacturers quit....Shure and Grado. Pretty sure several others just disappeared. I don't worry about it much now but seems a few still provide a good product. Sumiko vs AT only, what are you considering in model/differences?

 

[Eric Natural]

quite honestly have had pretty good luck with the Grado 8R and random Ortofon carts . . . and I think I remember a Shure 91 on the Sansui TT that got robbed out of my apartment in 1977. It also sounded pretty good for '77
I guess what I'm looking for is gonna be new & under $300. circa 2024

 

[Anton D]

This is purely anecdotal, not data....

People in my Hi Fi club have had issues with Sumiko stuff, actually. The Blackbird line has had them sending cartridges back.

Can't explain it and that is not meant as an implied truth about the line.

I am very fond of Ortofon cartridges. If there is such a things as house style, I like theirs and keep several.

I love my old Shure V15 Vx MR. It is a fun foundation item and I have played with aftermarket styluses. So, brand loyalty in a way that allows mt new explorations...variations on a theme, if you will.

In our club, there are several Grado guys and they seem to sound pretty good as a group of products.

 

[TheBatsEar]

Maybe you guys laugh at my simplicity, but i believe the AT-VM95E and AT-VM95ML are the ones that i would go to first and recommend to anyone if asked.
They are good enough and usually far better then their medium.
Also very cheap and easy to get!

I have to admit i never used anything above 1000€ or so, and maybe stuff gets really good at 2000€ or so, but i assume that is mostly in peoples heads.
It's like with DACs, once it's better than the medium, it's good enough for me.