Technics SL-Q202 cart recommendation

[killdozzer]

Hi, guys and girls!

I need a recommendation, but you'll see my approach is somewhat different. I asked a member here, but he didn't feel comfortable giving advice so specific. He proposed to ask in VE, but those guys are even further away and way too much focused on what someone subjectively prefers.

Being someone who prefers as neutral as it gets, I'd like to ask a reccomendation for a cartridge for the Technics SL-Q202 turntable. Price-wise I'm looking for a sweet spot. Meaning, I'd see it futile to waste 1k for this deck which goes for 100$ even when it's well kept.

There's a reason why I'm stuck with it and I'm not changing it. I just need to see how good it can play. Given this is the S-shaped tonearm, much like 1200, but with 1g difference in relative mass according to manuals, what would you say is the cart that would bring this deck as close to neutral as possible and in that particular respect make it shine a get the most out of it?

Relative mass is 11g without the cartridge mounted.

 

[BDWoody]

Bang/buck I'd suggest the VM540.

I'm not the TT/cart guy that @watchnerd and others are, but I bought that for an older Kenwood deck, and I've been very happy with it.

How much do you listen to records?

 

[killdozzer]

Bang/buck I'd suggest the VM540.

I'm not the TT/cart guy that @watchnerd and others are, but I bought that for an older Kenwood deck, and I've been very happy with it.

How much do you listen to records?

Thank you very much @BDWoody I'm hoping to get some interested, we'll see who accepts the calling!

I don't listen to records too much, but I'm in a situation where I'd like to bring it up to level... It's a fond memory. And who gives a f... about a memory that doesn't work well, right?

I'll check the compliance for the 540. Thank you!

 

[BDWoody]

I don't listen to records too much, but I'm in a situation where I'd like to bring it up to level... It's a fond memory. And who gives a f... about a memory that doesn't work well, right?

I know what you mean. I wanted to at least give myself and my table a fair shot, to see what I could expect without needing to spend a LOT. I was very impressed... Much better than what I had as a kid.

That said... It's still a vinyl record, with all of its inherent limitations. Doesn't mean it isn't fun.

Good luck!

 

[killdozzer]

It's starting to look very promising for the 540. I'm amazed to see the exact compliance like in the TT's manual. I am very tempted.





I'm giving some more info to members to help them help me!

 

[BDWoody]

It's starting to look very promising for the 540. I'm amazed to see the exact compliance like in the TT's manual. I am very tempted.

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I'm giving some more info to members to help them help me!

Timely:

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...uncoloured-phono-cartridges.16020/post-617900

 

[killdozzer]

FFS, such an earthquake in my parts... My heart will give! Awful!!

 

[watchnerd]

Bang/buck I'd suggest the VM540.

I'm not the TT/cart guy that @watchnerd and others are, but I bought that for an older Kenwood deck, and I've been very happy with it.

I'm the one that suggested he ask others who have more experience with the deck.

I don't even own a Technics, but @Helicopter does.

 

[watchnerd]

FFS, such an earthquake in my parts... My heart will give! Awful!!

I hope you're safe and it wasn't too bad.

I haven't had any earthquakes since moving from California to Washington.

 

[killdozzer]

I hope you're safe and it wasn't too bad.

I haven't had any earthquakes since moving from California to Washington.

Sorry to say, it didn't go well. I'm OK and no one close to me got hurt, but the neighboring town is simply leveled... Man...

 

[watchnerd]

Sorry to say, it didn't go well. I'm OK and no one close to me got hurt, but the neighboring town is simply leveled... Man...

Are you in Croatia?

 

[killdozzer]

Yes. I'm Croatian, I live in Croatia's capital; Zagreb. Sisak, Glina and Petrinja are smaller towns close by.

 

[watchnerd]

Yes. I'm Croatian, I live in Croatia's capital; Zagreb. Sisak, Glina and Petrinja are smaller towns close by.

My heart goes out for your and your countrymen.

 

[Helicopter]

I have the AT440MLb, which is basically the same body as the VM540. It tracks and performs very well. Audio Technica used to pair this body with their Technics clone turntables, so it is probably designed for such a tonearm. If I had to pick one cartrige in this price range, or in the VM500 line, I would get a VM540. The microline stylus sounds great, pulling more detail (information) from the record than an elliptical, and tracking better. The 540 also has a better (flatter) response than the 440 did. The VM95ML is not quite what I hoped it would be, but is pretty good for the price. Channel separation is better on the 540. There is a chance the 740 has better shielding than the 540, but it probably is not worth the price difference.

If you can get a vintage Stanton 600 series or Pickering 500 series 'blob' cartridge and an LPGear Vivid Line stylus, that is another excellent combination, but it may not be available there.

People are what matters. You will get things put back together sooner than you might expect, just as they did in my hometown of Anchorage, Alaska when nearly everything was destroyed back in 1964.

 

[BDWoody]

Sorry to say, it didn't go well. I'm OK and no one close to me got hurt, but the neighboring town is simply leveled... Man...

Thoughts with you all. Take care of what matters out there.

 

[killdozzer]

Thank you all! Trying to keep my head occupied with tidbits. It's scary to look at news sites at the moment.

I would get a VM540. The microline stylus sounds great, pulling more detail (information) from the record than an elliptical, and tracking better. The 540 also has a better (flatter) response than the 440 did.

So, another vote for the 540. How bright did you find it on a Technics? I'm trying to avoid that. Ugly sibilant sound is what drove me to start looking for improvement.

The VM95ML is not quite what I hoped it would be, but is pretty good for the price.

I agree. I had it. I would always gladly recommend it for a first cart to someone who stretched the budget on the deck so is tight with the money for the cart, but very temporary.

If you can get a vintage Stanton 600 series or Pickering 500 series 'blob' cartridge and an LPGear Vivid Line stylus, that is another excellent combination, but it may not be available there.

Not available here. Thank you though.

People are what matters. You will get things put back together sooner than you might expect, just as they did in my hometown of Anchorage, Alaska when nearly everything was destroyed back in 1964.

True. Thank you.

 

[watchnerd]

Ugly sibilant sound is what drove me to start looking for improvement.

I don't know what @Helicopter has heard, but so far, I have not found the VM540ML to be sibilant.

On my system, sibilance is usually caused by bad alignment, mistracking, or inner-groove distortion.

And so far, the VM540ML has been a good tracker and easy to align.

 

[killdozzer]

I don't know what @Helicopter has heard, but so far, I have not found the VM540ML to be sibilant.

On my system, sibilance is usually caused by bad alignment, mistracking, or inner-groove distortion.

And so far, the VM540ML has been a good tracker and easy to align.

No, no. I must have wrote it wrong. My current cart is pretty sibilant and I've decided to look for another bc of that. When you said 540 is bright, i thought all hope is gone, but it seems not as much.

I can hardly find anything else to check. All seems to be as is meant as far as the set up go.

 

[watchnerd]

No, no. I must have wrote it wrong. My current cart is pretty sibilant and I've decided to look for another bc of that. When you said 540 is bright, i thought all hope is gone, but it seems not as much.

I can hardly find anything else to check. All seems to be as is meant as far as the set up go.

I think of sibiliance as bright as being different phenomena, at different Hz on the audio spectrum.

Also, sibilance can have a heavy distortion component.

 

[Helicopter]

I don't have a 540 yet. I have the 440mlb that came before it and the vm95ml. I am reading between the lines and looking at data to arrive at recommending the 540. The 440mlb is brighter than VM95ML, but I got rid of sibilance by getting it aligned right. I used a song where female sings "this christmas" and put my ear up to the speaker to hear the channels seperately. It actually was fine with 52mm overhang, so I quit using a protractor and stick with 52mm now.

You can see how flat it is in this internet image though:

Not bright.

Maybe I will measure the 440mlb when my test records arrive.