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Recommendation for a MC cartridge

M

Medsca

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I have been using MM cartridges for several years. I upgraded to a Luxman L450 Integrated Amp.The 450 has MC1 and MC2 ability. I would like to venture into the realm of MC cartridges. I rotate 3 Turntables.
1. Denon DP 59L
2. Denon DP 45F
3. Technics SL 1200 vintage 1979
My speakers are Revel F12 floor if that makes any difference.
The maximum mass on the 45f tonearm is 9grams. So to use the MC on all three tables I would need recommendations that meet these specifications.
Budget is $750 to $1500.
Thank you in advance for your consideration.
 
1 .MC cartridges with elliptical stylus are a waste of money, 300hrs and then throw away/retip
2. That leaves only Microridge/microline that are better and last longer than Shiabatha/fine line.

3 that leave the choices between Microridge with Boron which is better than aluminium..

4. I have AT33PTGii on Denon 51F . No problems but the flimsy straight Denon arms have multiple resonances from 50-1000hz that my SME V do not show.
 
Balle Clorin said:
1 .MC cartridges with elliptical stylus are a waste of money, 300hrs and then throw away/retip
2. That leaves only Microridge/microline that are better and last longer than Shiabatha/fine line.

3 that leave the choices between Microridge with Boron which is better than aluminium..

4. I have AT33PTGii on Denon 51F . No problems but the flimsy straight Denon arms have multiple resonances from 50-1000hz that my SME V do not show.
Click to expand...
Yep. An AT with microline is the best, I use the AT33PTGii on an old Linn Ekos arm.

The OP should use an online calculator to find the cartridge which best (resonance close to 10 Hz) matches his best arm.
 
I see that a few here are mentioning the AT33PTG/II MC cartridge. It may be hard to find...

I listened to many direct-recorded comparison demos of MC cartridges on YouTube before concluding that I preferred the sound of the AT33PTG/II over others in the same price range, only to realize it was an outgoing model.
Anyway, I managed to find two stores that had their last units in stock, one with a delivery time of around two months, and the other seller within my country that could deliver immediately. While I had the chance to listen to the first delivered one, I decided not to cancel the other order, as this cartridge sounds perfect to my ears. Now I have a spare one when the current one decides to go. :)

Has anyone here compared the AT33PTG/II to the new model?
I read somewhere here on ASR that the new ones weren't as good, technically speaking, but how does it sound?
 
I actually prefer AT OC9MLII over my AT 33PTGii, PTG is more relaxed in sound due to lower level 5-10k than OC9, and PTG is not as steady on warps, shivering on some few records- this is both on Denon51F and SME V.

Both are replaced by newer series with worse specs
 
Interesting.

Possible upgrades in AT33xMLB:

Higher output: 0.42 mV vs 0.3 mV
Threaded body: much easier mounting. The old one was a bitch to mount. I had to insert the screws upside down and the included nuts are round.

Possible downgrades vs AT33PTG/II:

Channel separation spec is lower: 27 dB vs 30 dB.
Frequency response spec is narrower: 20–45 kHz vs 15–50 kHz.
Much heavier body: 10.1 g vs 6.9 g, so arm matching changes.

The higher weight seems to be better for the medium-mass arms that most turntables have nowadays. Price-wise its a big step up, I can find PTG/II for 550€, but MLB is 750€...

e: I just realized I already had the same thoughts last year :facepalm::D https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/new-audio-technica-at33-series-33x.66856/
 
Last edited:
Also the front of the body is a bit round, so it's no longer possible to fix a thin straight stick to it as a temporary tool for adjusting overhang and angle with the Schön-Schablone.
 
Medsca said:
I have been using MM cartridges for several years. I upgraded to a Luxman L450 Integrated Amp.The 450 has MC1 and MC2 ability. I would like to venture into the realm of MC cartridges. I rotate 3 Turntables.
1. Denon DP 59L
2. Denon DP 45F
3. Technics SL 1200 vintage 1979
My speakers are Revel F12 floor if that makes any difference.
The maximum mass on the 45f tonearm is 9grams. So to use the MC on all three tables I would need recommendations that meet these specifications.
Budget is $750 to $1500.
Thank you in advance for your consideration.
Click to expand...
Nothing can beat Denon DL103, if in wood body made of Ebony or Snake wood.... Price/sound - for me the best choice!
 
I know vinyl have the "vintage" :touch... but conical stylus is too much. Better stylus profile is miles ahead.

I have the 33ptg2 with the 1200mk7 and is fantastic. Also the vm540ml MM is very good, with a bit more sparkle,maybe more similar to oc9 series.

The MC cartridge can have a tiny better resolution (using abx comparator ) but the price / performance ratio is much better with MM.
 
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