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I have a Rega Planar 3 with a Ortofon VMS20EII cartridge. My vinyl listening has increased and I'm wondering if there are significant sonic merits to attaining a dedicated Ortofon needle vs the aftermarket/considerably cheaper replacement needles. Pardon if I'm asking a rhetorical question, I just honestly don't know. I know the cartridge is inexpensive, so would the bona fide Ortofon needle make a very big difference? I'd love to explore getting a new cartridge some day, but don't know the first thing about replacement and the attending physics of fit. There is a source to install cartridges here in my area, but a friend of a friend likened his service to adequate but nothing wizardly.
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Maybe yes, maybe no.....you might like it better or not as well. You will know for sure its not an Ortofon
I agree with Bry. Those "aftermarket" styli are all over the place as far as quailty goes so buyer beware.The VMS20 may have been a mid price cartridge cartridge but they still have a following as does the OM20. Going up to a "better" tip doesn't always equate to a better sound to everyone.
I'm now sorry I sold my NOS VMS20 four years ago for $100.
You can get an original stylus on E-Bay for $169 from a reputable overseas seller or make it a habit to watch that site for a NOS stylus or entire cartridge that might be had for less.If your VMS20 is operational now and you like what you hear, buying a NOS real Ortofon stylus is probably still less expensive than buying a new cartridge you may not like.
The downside to that is, what do you do the next time you want a stylus? They won't be less expensive that's for sure.
I fell in love with the AT130E so I invested in 2 NOS extra styli and two NOS complete cartridges.
I have a couple newer "better" MM cartridges but I put my money where the toe tapping sound came from so it's a personal decision.
Edits: 01/28/15
The quality of aftermarket styli can be all over the board. Occasionally, someone finds one they like better than factory. Most of the time they're decent enough even if they don't quite meet original specs. More recently, there have been premium stylus offerings like the SAS from Jico. Without a reputable evaluation of a particular stylus, it's impossible to say how close it will perform to the original.
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