Turntable cartridge upgrade. Is it worth it?

machTucker

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Hi everyone,

I'm a keen music enthusiast and have a pair of turntables that I bought back in 1999 when I was at university. They are pretty entry level (Gemini XL-500 MkII) but have faired me well and are still going strong. I used to do a bit of bedroom DJ'ing with them but now just use them to play my records on. I'm reasonable happy with the sound but I realised that I am still using the original cartridges and stylus that were shipped with it. I have the Stanton 500 MkII cartridge and the D5100AL stylus.

I'm looking for advice as to whether an upgrade/replacement is worth the money? I've done a bit of reading and it seems an elliptical stylus would be better? Can I buy a suitable stylus for my current cartridge or is a whole new cartridge/stylus combination required?

Any help/recommendations would be great,

Many thanks,

Ed
 
Hi

Chaninging carts is one of the easiest ways to improve or change the sound of your system. The only other things, imho, that can have such a radical impact on sound quality are your speakers and room treatment/correction. Assuming you just need to listen, a "hifi" cart from the likes of AT, Nagoaka, Goldring etc should get you a noticable bump in sound quality. You wouldn't be able to use them to DJ though. Obvs.
 
Hi,

Thanks for your reply and info, I will check those out. Although I don't scratch I do tend to cue the record up before playing by hand - i.e. finding the start of the song by moving the record to and fro. Should I be looking for a more DJ style cartridge and stylus?
 
Hi,

Thanks for your reply and info, I will check those out. Although I don't scratch I do tend to cue the record up before playing by hand - i.e. finding the start of the song by moving the record to and fro. Should I be looking for a more DJ style cartridge and stylus?
If you're just queuing and not moving the record, a normal one will be fine.
What sort of budget have you got?
 
With that budget, I'd personally be looking at the Goldring e3. Maybe an AT VM95en is worth a look too.
I like the Goldring sound though. Personal taste mind.
 
Probably not. You'll need a DJ specific one for that and I have no knowledge at all about those. I know that a mate used to have one set of carts for sitting and listening and DJ carts for when he wanted to do that.
 
That is a good idea. I like the idea of having another head shell that I swap in and out. I could probably up the budget for an individual “listening” cart/stylus to maybe £120. Would your recommendations change given that budget? The Golding E3 reviews seem good.
 
It would still be a contender. You're also pushing the start of really good stuff with a budget bump. You can sometimes get the Nagoaka MP110 for around that. I really liked that cart. It is "warm" sounding though, which some people don't like. A bit more gets the AT VM95ML. I've not used it, but it won't take you much searching to find a ton of people that swear by it.
 
Hmm I will check those out too. Like everything I buy it's turning into a nightmare to choose - too much choice.

In terms of sound I'm not sure what would be best. I listen to such a varied range of music including, jazz, pop, blues and also house music basically whatever take my fancy at the time so an all rounder would be perfect I think. Are there any shops that stock these so you can have a listen in person?

Thanks for the info once again.
 
Hmm I will check those out too. Like everything I buy it's turning into a nightmare to choose - too much choice.

In terms of sound I'm not sure what would be best. I listen to such a varied range of music including, jazz, pop, blues and also house music basically whatever take my fancy at the time so an all rounder would be perfect I think. Are there any shops that stock these so you can have a listen in person?

Thanks for the info once again.
Not near me. I've always just read a load of reviews and taken a punt. Succeses were the Nagoaka and the Goldring 2200. Not for me were the Ortofon 2M's Red and Blue.
It's all subjective though. The AT VM95 range share the same cart, so you could always by a cheaper one and then upgrade to the ML later, if you think they're for you.
 
The Goldring 1000 series are a good bet, as long as you like their sound. Like the AT VM range, which you can't really go wrong with, the same body will accommodate all the styli in their respective ranges. It has to be one of the least expensive upgrade paths. I am not a fan of the Ortofon Red. It's cheap, but I find it's sound too harsh and grating.
 

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