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In Reply to: New Cartridge Advice posted by jcmusic on September 17, 2006 at 16:17:08:
we have someone who didnt register his system and we cant help him. really jc, we need to know more.
...regards...tr
Follow Ups:
I believe he told us what turntable he has. You just won't let it go, will you?
i cant believe that YOU of all people is getting snitty. usually youre pretty reasonable.
...regards...tr
...because I'm getting snitty in my old age. ;)
i am 62 in oct, it takes forever to piss, and several times a night at that. i am an old adc XLM lover and cant let go. but i must. meantime, i lust for a Kb but have a FR1III nos that does quite well thanx and a f9e, and others as you may already know.this guy needs to reveal his other components doncha think?
PROSTATE CANCER AWAITS YOU...
sooner or later we ALL will get it.
...regards...tr
Nope, I don't, but if you like ADC cartridges, you can't be all bad.
For whatever it's worth, I asked for advice on a cartridge and supplied info on the arm and TT. If you really need to know more here, 300B amp, khorns, a pre amp, and a phono stage.
.
Close to the Edge, down by the river....
-Ray
You gave enough information at the outset. The tonearm on the Luxman is key to the choice of cartridge.I never gave you any opinion for the simple reason that I like the moving magnet/moving iron cartridges from yesteryear, and I thought that you probably favor the idea of getting a brand new one that is still in production.
Among those old ones, however, I like ADCs best. One of those would be ideal for your turntable, and you might be able to find an NOS one for a decent price. The arm on the Luxman particularly likes high compliance cartridges, and low mass ones would do best with it, in my opinion. If my opinion holds water, and I believe it does, the ADC line offers a good choice in the XLM MK II. It is detailed, yet sweet and mellow. That model usually sells for around $80-100 on eBay in NOS condition. The downside to NOS cartridges is that you can't just rush out and get one. You have to wait and watch. Still, they are out there. One of the better Audio-Technicas, or Signets, would also be nice. Be on the lookout for an AT14Sa, AT15S, AT15SS, or maybe a Signet 5.0me, or 5.0lc. All those usually bring $50-60. Then, there is the Grace lineup with the 9E or Ruby. Both are excellent. They may not be the best for your tonearm, though, and NOS ones are rare, and pricey. In any event, cartridges of the same vintage as your table are often perfect for it, and there are a lot of different ones to select from. The trick is finding one in perfect condition, and knowing ahead what to expect from it performance wise.
New cartridge selection is actually more limited, but good ones are out there, too. If you like moving coils, the Audio-Technica OC-9 will work great on your Luxman tonearm. It won't break the bank, either. It is less than $400. One of the new wooden Grados would work nicely, too. They also start at around $400. Say, you don't want to spend that much? Then, get a plastic bodied Grado. They miss a bit of what the others that I listed have to offer, but they are very musical. I figure $50-100 should get one of those, depending on the model. Want a great tracker for cheap? Get a Shure M97. Want a tracker that's a bit more lively? Get an AT-95E for around $35-50, or a few dollars more gets an AT120E.
There was a time when I was a big ADC fan. I have an XLM Mk II laying around in a parts box somewhere. I have three problems with the ADC XLM: (1) the fit of the stylus assembly to the body is loose at the back (it depends upon bumps on the body fitting into dimples on the stylus assembly) and therefore VTA is never secure; (2) the cart rides very low and is prone to bottoming on warped records; (3) the connector pins are flat rather than round, which means you have to use pliers to get the tonearm leads to fit properly, which means they're going to have to be messed with again (and probably broken) when you later mount a different cartridge. On point no. 2 (bottoming), I suspect that a very low-mass arm would help.
The XLM Mk II did have those problems, and they were subsequently addressed with the XLM Mk II Improved which was actually improved by a vast amount. The single remaining issue of loose fit was only slightly improved, however. I avoid the earlier model, and use a dot of acrylic paint to secure loose fitting sample that I own, although most of mine fit perfectly. I own maybe a dozen ADCs that use that assembly shape, and none ride low. I consider the series to be among the finest cartridges of the era, except for two, and you have the latter one before the problems were fixed. Don't judge the line on a single model.
Yes it has shed some light on the issue, thanks for your imput.
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