Best Cartridge for Less than $500

BTW my dad has the ACE and I think it is warm, mushy and pretty boring.......it sounds fine but never thrills, it is way too polite.

02-06-08: Chadnliz
BTW my dad has the ACE and I think it is warm, mushy and pretty boring.......it sounds fine but never thrills, it is way too polite.

It's very interesting how these things sound so completely different in systems.

The sound of my Ace is the antithesis of what Chadnliz described.

Audio Technica OC9 for $299

http://www.needledoctor.com/Audio-Technica-OC9-Cartridge

Great cartridge for the $$

By the way Adidio, there is a new ACE in town, which I have not heard. Benz just released new versions of their micro line - The "S" series. The prices went up...so the ACE is now $700. If you could find an old benz cartridge to trade in that would get the price closer to $500.

Here's the link to the news on their websight:

http://www.musicalsurroundings.com/benz_sclass.html

If I had to choose the sound character of the ACE - I would choose Warm over lean, so I could see how Chadnliz might think that is sounds "warm, mushy and pretty boring". I am guessing that Chadnliz probably likes a more sparkley and lean sound. I would never say that it sounds mushy and boring. Warm...yes, probably more on the warm side than the cool side. That's why I was so surprised by Audiofiel's statement that the cartridge was lean and harsh.

Be careful what you match it with. I will say that I pared my ACE with a warm "Polite" integrated (Magnum IA170) and it does make the sound to warm and fuzzy for my tastes. I am in the process of upgrading everything and I will definitely be looking for a new amplifier.

As you can see, everyone has an opinion. A lot depends on how the cartridge is set up. A lot has to do with what components it is mated with. Anyway, good luck with your venture and let us know what you decide.