Moving Magnet Cartridge

[jdandy]

Originally Posted by KMC45

With the prices being pretty reasonable i'd try both the Maestro, and the Ortofon. You then make the decision based on your own listening experience.

Cheaper than two MC275's.

Keith.......That thought has crossed my mind.

[Tonepub]

If you would agree that the overall balance of your system is slightly on the warm side, you might even want to try a high output moving coil, like the Sumiko Blackbird. I've had excellent luck with that cart on my Technics SL-1200, so I'll bet it might be a nice match on your Micro Seiki as well.

[jdandy]

Jeff.......Thank you for the Sumiko Blackbird recommendation. I have continued to listen to the Shure V15vXMR, and playing with the VTA. I am beginning to get a really good sound from it.

[1KW]

I'm giving serious thought about buying my first MC cartridge and this one has had wonderful reviews, here is one comparison to the Clearaudio Maestro
Audio Technica OC9ML/II and it seems like quite a bargain selling for less than 1/2 MRSP here LP Gear: audio-technica AT-OC9 MLII AT-OC9MLII phono cartridge Special Sale $339.95 - retail $699.00

[PHC1]

Originally Posted by 1KW

I'm giving serious thought about buying my first MC cartridge and this one has had wonderful reviews, here is one comparison to the Clearaudio Maestro
Audio Technica OC9ML/II and it seems like quite a bargain selling for less than 1/2 MRSP here LP Gear: audio-technica AT-OC9 MLII AT-OC9MLII phono cartridge Special Sale $339.95 - retail $699.00

Precisely the type of cartridge I would avoid. If you ain't got the fullness and richness of tone, it is nothing more than a lean, thin, hyper detailed sounding cartridge that will fatigue on poorer quality recordings. Pretty much what many budget MCs are... If I had to sacrifice something in order to get more enjoyment out of music, it would be detail for richness and fullness. Now, when you step up a bit, you get both resolution, detail, dynamics AND richness and smoothness.

Comparing my top-of-the-line Clearaudio Maestro moving-magnet ($1000) and the AT-OC9ML/II moving-coil cartridges was, to say the least, illuminating. Where the AT-OC9ML/II was light on its feet and speedy, the Maestro was weightier and hit harder. The AT-OC9ML/II delved deeper in the dark spaces of the grooves, dredging up many low-level details that the Maestro glossed over. It was fleet, quick, and agile, and it offered far more in the way of air and space. It made familiar LPs come alive. What it lacked was a fullness of image -- a bit more flesh on the bone, if you will -- that would have gone a long way toward making it sound more realistic. But that, I would imagine, is the providence of more expensive moving-coil cartridges.