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Cartridge and phono preamp recommendations...


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Hi All,

 

I'm very much a newbie when it comes to turntables so I'm looking for a little advice.

 

I've got my hands on a Toshiba (Aurex) SR-Q550 turntable from a now passed family member and would like to get back into playing some vinyl with it.  From what I've read on the net it seems to be a reasonable quality turntable from the early '80s with a mid-mass arm.

 

The turntable still appears to have the original cartridge & stylus but I'm looking to purchase a suitable replacement + a phono preamp to connect it up to my existing '90s vintage gear.

 

Some suitable cartridges I've read about through various forums include Audio-Technica's AT95E or AT100E, Shure M97xE, Ortofon Super OM 10 or 2M Red.  Anybody have any thoughts on these or other cartridges that may suit?

 

In terms of phono preamps, I've shortlisted the following grouped by similar price points:

 

- Cambridge Audio CP2 v Vincent PHO-8 v Graham Slee Gram Amp 2 'Communicator'

- Graham Slee Gram2 Amp 2 SE v Dared LP1 v Vincent PhO-701

 

Would it be worth purchasing something from the 2nd group based on the turntable quality or is it wasted money?

 

Thanks in advance for any advice.

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I am a known fan of Graham Slee phono stages, what you may not know, is that they may be trialled free of charge aside from postage. 

Contact forum Sponsor @cheekyboy by PM (private message) to arrange this.

I was only using a Sansui SR-525 or a Rega P2 with a Denon DL-110 when I purchased an Era Gold V,  I never felt that I had overspent. 

My kit has moved a little up the food chain since then but I still use GSP phono stages.

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For the price of a 2M Red you can pick up a used Pickering XV15 or Stanton 680/681 cartridge which will frankly beat it silly with plenty of quality aftermarket styli available. The top stylus available would be a shibata from Jico. For a great sounding phono stage for very little money grab a used Realistic 42-2109 or 42-2101. They can often be found for $20 + post on eBay.  Pair it with a step down transformer from Tortech and you're golden. ;)

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I just bought a Stanton 881S cartridge with a Pickering stylus.IMO it humbles the other cartridges I have. Two of them retail well over a grand, one is nearly 2 Grand. The Stanton (second hand) cost me $100.

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I don't doubt that....  The Pickering / Stanton's based on the XV15 are amongst the very best I've heard. Certainly there's no new production cart under $1,000 will compare favourably to them although the $1,100 Audio Technica ART9 can beat it. The only other carts I know of that can outperform it are vintage,  and more costly due to rarity.

 

So far I prefer the Pickering XV15 / Stanton 680 to the XSV3000 I previously had which had too much bass

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On 3/8/2018 at 9:52 PM, ophool said:

I am a known fan of Graham Slee phono stages, what you may not know, is that they may be trialled free of charge aside from postage. 

Contact forum Sponsor @cheekyboy by PM (private message) to arrange this.

I was only using a Sansui SR-525 or a Rega P2 with a Denon DL-110 when I purchased an Era Gold V,  I never felt that I had overspent. 

My kit has moved a little up the food chain since then but I still use GSP phono stages.

OK, thanks for letting me know about the trial availability - I'll look into that once I get the cartridge sorted.  The phono stages do seem to be well regarded and used ones advertised on here seem to sell quickly.

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Thanks for the pointer re: the Pickering XV15 / Stanton 680's - they sound like a good option.  Would they work OK with something like the

 

I had a quick look on eBay and there seems to be quite a few listed from the US / Europe - more so than the Stanton 881S which is also a little pricier.

 

Is it best to get a cartridge with an OEM stylus or are there better aftermarket ones available?

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If it were me, I'd get the at95e ($60). Great performing cart for a great price. 

And a Cord phono stage ($149). Very very good unit for the price. I bought one from Audiophile when my Plinius was being repaired and was quite blown away by the quality.

 

www.spacehifi.com.au/audio/amplifiers/cord-phono-stage

Edited by blakey72
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16 hours ago, lc2dr said:

Thanks for the pointer re: the Pickering XV15 / Stanton 680's - they sound like a good option.  Would they work OK with something like the

 

I had a quick look on eBay and there seems to be quite a few listed from the US / Europe - more so than the Stanton 881S which is also a little pricier.

 

Is it best to get a cartridge with an OEM stylus or are there better aftermarket ones available?

OEM is best though frankly costs too much and you never know how the suspension has weathered the test of time.  Better off sourcing a new Jico shibata.

 

If you love bass you may want to check out a Pickering XSV3000 instead. They're a bit more bass heavy.  I prefer the XV15 / 680 / 681 based carts. More balanced to my ears.

Edited by MattyW
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I did a similar project with a late 70's TT acquired from father in law

initially I put new new generic stylus on the cartridge which was an early AT VM unit. the minor evolution of these VM carts over time means there was plenty of backward compatible options. even fancy Shibata ones.

You may find this is the case with the yours - even if it only serves as a back up.

Additionally, a bit deep google research revealed some of the tweaks and upgrades people did back in the day for my particular TT, plus I learn about the standard stuff with set up and environment to get the most out of a TT.

I got a Rega Fono Mini before grabbing a Graham Slee gram amp 2 SE (2nd hand on SNA). Its a crowded space in the sub $400 range for pre-amps, where an extra $100-200 may only get you a sideways step. I went with the GS as its MM only and I felt I was paying for unnecessary features with MM+MC alternatives. Rega was good, the GS "sweeter" with no loss of punch and rhythm.

 

My 2c would be look at new stylus if your cart has good pedigree

 

 

 

 

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I think every answer above has lots of merit and you have plenty of reading ahead which is always fun.
So... My 2c worth would be another shout for the AT95 it's cheap and you won't have to worry about playing it on some of your garage sale purchases.
The best bang for buck phono I've heard is @@mwhouston "mimic" it's a cracker. I'd also love to try the realistic one mentioned above a few posts ago I've read good things about it.
Also get someone over to fix the cart for you it is worth it.
Ian.

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On 3/15/2018 at 12:31 PM, blakey72 said:

If it were me, I'd get the at95e ($60). Great performing cart for a great price. 

And a Cord phono stage ($149). Very very good unit for the price. I bought one from Audiophile when my Plinius was being repaired and was quite blown away by the quality.

 

www.spacehifi.com.au/audio/amplifiers/cord-phono-stage

Yes, from what I've been able to find out about my TT, the AT95E is a good fit. Any thoughts on the validity of upgrading to the AT-95VL which is obviously a few more $$$s?

 

Thanks for the pointer on the Cord - will add it to the reading list.

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A word of caution regarding the fantastic sounding,  cheap Realistic 42-2109 and 42-2101.  Three of my mates and my dad are running them. Two have failed.  If you get one be sure to recap it. Apparently after recapping the performance improved still further.

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On 3/15/2018 at 12:40 PM, MattyW said:

OEM is best though frankly costs too much and you never know how the suspension has weathered the test of time.  Better off sourcing a new Jico shibata.

 

If you love bass you may want to check out a Pickering XSV3000 instead. They're a bit more bass heavy.  I prefer the XV15 / 680 / 681 based carts. More balanced to my ears.

OK, thanks.  I'm more into a balanced sound - not something that's bass heavy.  Although maybe the XSV3000 might suit my 105/3s as they can be a little light down low.?

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1 hour ago, lc2dr said:

Yes, from what I've been able to find out about my TT, the AT95E is a good fit. Any thoughts on the validity of upgrading to the AT-95VL which is obviously a few more $$$s?

 

Thanks for the pointer on the Cord - will add it to the reading list.

I've got an AT95VL and a Stanton 881S. The 95VL was fantastic in its original form but I bought a wooden body from germany and cut the stylus down as well. A nice combination of speed and smoothness now. Tracks really well but is now a touch lower on output since I cut the stylus body away.

The Stanton is a maniac. Unbelievably good for rock,blues and jazz. No idea on classical, don't play it. 

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Sounds like a good idea. It is a nice cart. I'm not a huge fan of bass though so I gravitate towards balanced or even carts that are light on bass (Empire 4000 D/I). The Pickering XV15 is a nice balance. The XSV3000 might be great with a table that's short on bass though.  I had one on an Ariston RD110 SL / FR24 Mk2 tonearm combo for a bit and it sounded great.

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On 3/16/2018 at 9:00 PM, teslatriode300 said:

 

Hi

 

Open these links:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaARB28ZHkw&t=172s

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhSFP0PJCE4&t=688s

 

The reviewer is right on the mark

I don't think you can do better for the money...

Thanks for the links - very interesting viewing and a little more reading to do.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I think its important to match your cartridge with the appropriate phono stage

The phono stages really make a BIG difference to the music reproduction of your turntable so you really need to research as much as possible as their are lots of options from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands of dollars (not that you will need to spend tens of thousands)

Firstly give yourself a budget and the compare phono stages in that price range. 

 

Project has some good ones for a few hundred dollars., but above $1000 will bring you into another level.

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On 3/18/2018 at 11:44 AM, Mungbean66 said:

Thanks Tesla,

Great links. This guy is a fantastic reviewer.

Shitt phono is fantastic value as you buy direct cutting out the middle man, but not entry level prices

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