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What's your go-to cheapie cartridge?

Let's say $300 or less. This would be your "y'know, this thing is pretty darn musical even though I've got higher end carts" cartridge. In my case I'd have to say it's my 103R. Not as transparent or fast as a lot of my better carts, but it sails smoothly through the grooves and just sounds good. 
tonyptony

Showing 5 responses by viridian

viridian's avatar
viridian
4,184 posts
 
Klipsch MCZ-7 Boron.

IMHO, the Denon 103 is a much better balanced cartridge than the 103R.
viridian's avatar
viridian
4,184 posts
 
I like it that way.....
viridian's avatar
viridian
4,184 posts
 

Chak, paid $50.00 for mine. The question was "What is your go-to cheapie cartridge?", not what cheapie cartridge should I buy, or what is available used. I can only answer the question that is asked, not the one that I imagine in my mind is being asked.

That’s my go-to cheapie. My second choice is my Supex SD900 Super E+.

Tony, having owned quite a few 103 and two 103Rs, I find the 103R to be focused on the upper midrange and low treble, and find the 103 to be darker, but much better balanced overall. These are simply matters of taste and one man’s bright is another man’s detailed.

I’m with Chak on arm choice. The greater the effective mass of the arm the better the 103 series sounds to me, well, except my 103D, which is an entirely different animal and prefers a medium mass arm.

viridian's avatar
viridian
4,184 posts
 
Chak, I once bought a SOTA Star Sapphire as salvage. It had been separated from the vacuum pump/power supply very early in life and looked like it came out of a time capsule. I didn’t think that I could get it going, but bought it for the original Well Tempered Arm that was on it, again, clearly low use.

Bought the thing locally and when I got it out to the car, as it was one of those Craigslist races where the first one there and out gets the golden ring, I realized that it had a Kiseki Purple Heart Sapphire in the arm. Barely used. I imagine that it is worth more than the rest of the rig combined, several times over.

The cartridge gods were smiling on me that day! And yes, I still have the table, arm and cartridge although the table is no longer the vacuum model, just a plain Sapphire, and I’m holding back the Kiseki for a better day, but use the Klipsch/Hibino on that table from time to time.
viridian's avatar
viridian
4,184 posts
 
Portland, OR. Don’t tell....
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