Well, a grinding noise is not good. It is possible that you damaged something. You may be able to look at the stylus under a 20X, or higher, magnification to determine that. Of course, if the cantilever is is bent or the body is riding very low, then you already have the answer. The Grado is a very nice cartridge, warmer and fuller than the AT. Very pleasant and easy on the ears. The Red is an even better choice for, predictably, more money.
Your sights may be set a bit low though. IMHO to get the performance of the 2002E (yes, I owned one back in the day) you will need to spend $150.00 to $200.00, which I suppose, adjusted for inflation, is a bargain. |
Viridian
Thanks so much for your input. I'm going to look into your Audio Technica recommendations. One thing that I wonder is that when I first got the table I got the weight wrong on the tonearm and I remember hearing a grinding noise coming from the needle whenever I played records at first. Could I have damaged the needle or cartridge? Also what about a standard mount Grado Blue cart as a replacement to the OM5E? I'm able to get an almost new one locally at a decent price. Thanks again. |
Yes, the OM5E is probably at fault. You need to set your sights a little higher, both for the sound quality and for the preservation of your records. You may like an Audio Technica AT95E, which costs around $50.00, or the 120E for a tad more money. The Nad phono preamp should be just fine in the context of your system. But before going there, check all of the adjustments and alignment of the existing cartridge; there are lots of things that can make a cartridge sound bad. Also check for excessive arm friction. |
Greetings all. Sorry for the thread resurrection but I'm in need of some help with my Philips GA 312 Turntable. It was restored recently and it was fitted with a new Ortofon Om5e Cart. Now I have the Philips 312 TT connected to my McCormack TLC-1 Deluxe Preamp with a NAD PP-2 Phono preamp. The cables are vintage Esoteric Audio Musica 200 cables.
I'm finding that I'm getting a lot of harsh treble from this set-up which is causing a siginificant amount listener fatigue for me. My speakers are KEF Q-90s. I was playing some classical music at a moderate to low volume and was experiencing some discomfort.
Could it be I need to change the Ortofon OM 5E cart? Is the NAD PP-2 at fault? I'm just experimenting with vinyl. I was just curious to know why audiophiles always say it sounds better than CDs. Any help is much appreciated with this. Thanks in advance. |
Gentleman,
Thanks for responding. This is a great forum to get first hand recommendations from people that are not selling but just sharing expereinces from thier heart. I ended up with a Dynavector X10 not bad but it made me realize I really need a new table. I've read alot about the VPI scout which seems like a good entry level rig. I will be taking the plunge soon hoping it will not lead me into the never ending upgrade maze. I space my purchases so the wife doesn't think that I'm willing to blow our bank account on audio. I don't have to tell anyone it gets expensive if you try to do it right by todays standards. Which leads to a tread someone should start. "Why is so expensive to get good audio gear when every other aspect of electronics have gotten Cheaper? Are we audiophiles being exploited because like any other addiction people reconize that we will pay any price for a FIX. |
Oh, you will also want to change the belt if the table has been sitting, which should cost less than $20.00. |
To answer your question of how much you will need to spend, less than $100.00 will better your Micro Acoustics cartridge by a wide margin and will get you a cartridge that is well matched to your current turntable. I think that the V15Vmr is overkill, but Shure makes a nice catridge for $70.00 or so with many of the attributes of the V15. It is the M97. I agree with Sean that it may be a bit rich for your tastes. The OM20 Super that he recommends can be ordered from Audiogon member 2juki for $90.00 inclusive of shipping and the Audio Technica AT440ML can be had from various sources for under $100.00 You should get great enjoyment from your old rig with a new cartridge and most importantly, protect your records, but no need to put Pirellis on that VW. As Rcreations suggests, once hooked, you will want to invest in a new rig, though I think that something like a Rega P3 or P25 will be more consonant with your listening biases. |
Your system, pretty much from digital source to speakers, comes across as being on the brighter i.e. quick and lean side of neutral. If one were to carry this over into your cartridge selection, i would avoid Grado's and the Shure mentioned above. If looking for similar sonic traits in a cartridge, you might want to opt for something along the lines of an Ortofon "Super" OM series cartridge or possibly the Stanton 881S or an AT 440. All are suitable for your straight low to medium mass tonearm and have similar sonic traits to what you are used to. Sean
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Welcome back! I think you're in for a pleasant surprise and good listening. My recommendation would be to go with a Shure V15VxMR. I believe you can pick one up from Jack's Audio for $200. I think this is an excellent cartridge. If you go this route, be sure that your phono amp input load is 220 pfd. This makes a world of difference in the sound. Also you may consider replacing the belt and the bearing oil.
Good luck---and, not to worry, I listen mostly to jazz. |
Kurt's suggestion is sound to first upgrade the turntable and tonearm. These two components are the essential foundation to good cartridge performance. The VPI Jr. is one option, but if you have the money, the VPI Scout with the JMW 9 arm is a superb package for the money.
There are some very good moderately priced cartridges on the market today, but at discount price, it's pretty hard to beat the newest version of the Shure V15xMR. It can be purchased new for $250-275, and at that price, I personally don't think there is another MM cartridge that comes close in overall performance. |
my former 212 with a grado red (80.00ish)was a good matchup for me.
go for a vpi jr table and really move into the current era.
put the dollars into the table arm to start with.
kurt |
