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In Reply to: Experiences/comments on Benz MCL2 moving coil cartridge ? posted by Antonio Machado on August 6, 2005 at 13:01:11:
Depending on your tonearm, it could be an excellent match. In response to the poster below, going to the M2 instead of the L2 will give you better dynamics if you are looking for more of a rocker. The trade-off is a bit of low-level detail. If you have a medium to high mass tonearm, the Grado Master ($800) and Reference ($1200) are excellent cartridges as well. The Benz wood-body is a very good all-arounder, a jack of all trades but master of none. On the other hand, the Grado mid-range is absolutely stunning, up there with any cartridge on the market regardless of price. The better their cartridge, the more transparency, better frequency extension and more sophisticated soundstaging. The one area you do have to be careful with the Grado is tonearm matching. Medium to heavy effective tonearms only. It needs them to help with tracking. The Benz can track anything. Not so, the Grado. But when the Grado works, to me, there is no better value cartridge on the market.
Follow Ups:
Thanks a lot for that full-response, which I find very interesting and helpful. My system is Acoustic Signature Final Tool turntable with Alpha power supply, E.A.R. 834p tube phonodriver (mm/mc) and the Origin Silver tonearm. So now that you know this information, specially which tonearm I have: (a) do you think in my specific case is it worth it the difference in price between the Benz MCL2 and the MC Ref3 Copper cartridges ? (b) I used to have the Shelter 501 cartridge, I like the sound of it, how do you compare it against the Benz MCL2 cartridge ? Thanks a lot for making time for me and giving me your knowledge opinion, I do appreciatte it. Best, Antonio Machado.
(a) do you think in my specific case is it worth it the difference in price between the Benz MCL2 and the MC Ref3 Copper cartridges ?I have not heard the Ref3 Copper, but I have been told it issomewhat juicier, for fleshed out than the MCL2. I'm sure I'd like it more than the MCL2. Personally, I'd forgo some neutrality for thrills. That's me.
(b) I used to have the Shelter 501 cartridge, I like the sound of it, how do you compare it against the Benz MCL2 cartridge ?
Having heard the Shelter 501 only a little bit, I would say that the Shelter 501 is a more musically enticing cartridge, the Benz more neutral. The Shelter's sound is more like the Grado in some ways. While I have not heard the Shelter 901 and 90X, Michael Fremer wrote in a review that the 901 was more neutral but lacked that "magic," while the 90X ($2500) incorporated the qualities of both the 501 and 901. Keep in mind that the Shelter 501 is a light cartridge and needs a heavier effective mass tonearm to work optimally.
If my tonearm could better accomodate the Grado, I would be keeping it.
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