What's your go-to cheapie cartridge?

I heard a Grado Black on a VPI Traveler TT in an audio store some years ago. I was really surprised at how much I enjoyed that sound!

Klipsch MCZ-7 Boron.

IMHO, the Denon 103 is a much better balanced cartridge than the 103R.

The Grado Black is my go-to!
https://positive-feedback.com/reviews/hardware-reviews/grado-labs-prestige-black2-phono-cartridge/

@tonyptony

Let me be clear and say again that the 103R is *my* go-to right now, although I’ve been curious about other carts in this price range. One thing I love about it is, frankly, the elliptical stylus.

You’re wrong, because the original stylus on DL-103R is CONICAL

103R Stylus: 16.5 Micron round tip, 0.2 mm square base diamond, crystal aligned, conical cut.

Also the complianbce is 5 cu @100Hz (very low compliance), so the highest possible tonearm mass is needed, do you have such tonearm? If not, then you ’re wrong with tonearm choice too.

The Denon 103 or 103R is like the Ortofon SPU and Fidelity-Research FR-7f designed for very heavy tonearms. The effective mass can be easily 35g.

How to match a cartridge and tonearm: click here

If you have the right arm for your DL-103R and willing to try a better tip on it just send it to SoundSmith and install Ruby Cantilever with LineContact stylus. With your budget this is probably the best you can do if you want to stick to low compliance MC.

But if your arm is not a high mass tonearm then you can change your oldschool LOMC cartridge to much better mid compliance MM like the AT-ML150 OCC with MicroLine stylus and Beryllium cantilever. This is a real killer for $350-450.   


@viridian

Klipsch MCZ-7 Boron.

Where can you find the rarest Klipsch cartridge for $300 ?
I have Klipsch MCZ-7 Ruby and it will be impossible to find even for triple price. Actually those Klipsch are very rare cartridges, the OP’s budget must be exceeded many times to buy Klipsch, but the problem is that he may never find it :(