good cheap T4P cartridge?

[DragonMaster]

I'm looking for a not too expansive decent T4P cartridge. Any suggestions? 50$ is the max price I'd pay for it.(Not the ABSOLUTE max tho)

The TT is a Technics SL-B200.

I currently have an Encore cart. using a something 92 shure needle, but both are broken.

[MosfetOwner]

Try http://www.needledoctor.com , who have a good list of T4P (P-mount) cartridges – just search on T4P or P-mount. They have the following cartridges available within your price range:

Audio Technica 301EP, AT3482P, 92ECD, 91ECD, 90CD, 300P, 3482H/U
Shure M92E (can be upgraded using the stylus from a more expensive model)
Ortofon OMP 3E, OMP 5E (these can be upgraded using the styli from more expensive Ortofon cartridges later, as all the Ortofon OM series styli are interchangeable)

I’d recommend one of the Ortofon range, because you can upgrade it later using the 10, 20, 30 or 40 styli. Both cost $45 at the Needle Doctor, but the OMP-5E would be the best, as it has an elliptical stylus. You will need to add on a small amount for postage, although you may be able to find other sellers in the US or Canada.

[Cobra2]

I have a new, unused Shure M92E...
$ 15 + postage or trade?

Arne K

[Stefano]

Have you ever heard any Grado? I've mounted a prestige black very long ago and i'm still very satisfied!

[DragonMaster]

So, I have a M90E stylus with an Encore M300(?) cartridge. Both are dead and a new Shure M92 with cart. is 30$

The M92 specs are not pretty good IMO.

[DragonMaster]

Thanks MosfetOwner, I was already looking at the AT3482P as it is the price of 1 M92E stylus.

I see there's Ortofon and Grado you are talking about, but do they justify the 20$+ more?

[MosfetOwner]

In general, with phono cartridges you get what you pay for. The Grado and Ortofon cartridges I can almost guarantee would sound better than an Audio Technica $20 cheaper. However, an Audio Technica of the same price would probably sound different, but it would be hard to pick which was better. I have a range of cartridges, the best of which are a Denon DL-304 (MC) and a Shure V15 Type VMR (MM), and before hearing them, I wouldn't have believed just how good they sound, compared to a generic Nagaoka cartridge which came on a turntable I bought. But, having heard them, I'd never go back, even if they do cost $400-600! They just sound so much better, it's hard to describe it, but when you hear them, you realise why they cost so much more.

Any of the cartridges would be OK, but if you ever want to get a better cartridge, the Ortofon cartridges can be upgraded from a $45 model all the way up to a $300 model, simply by changing the stylus for a better model, which is why I recommended the Ortofon OMP 5E. It depends how much you are going to be using it - if you won't be using it much, go for one of the cheaper models.

[DragonMaster]

I guess I'll get the Ortofon, just to make the TT work...

Then, if I start to get some LPs and money, I could upgrade.

[richie00boy]

I replaced the Technics badged Audio Technica on my SL-QD33 with an Ortofon OM5E and it's soooo much better in all respects - sound and trackability. Can't fault it for £20.

[DragonMaster]

I can almost guarantee would sound better than an Audio Technica $20 cheaper.

Yeah, there's not only the specs to look, there's also the sound. You can't try it on the Internet tho.

I'm in a cassette tape phase and I just wonder why people tell it's bad. Yes, the specs are not pretty good, but the sound has something good in it that the CD doesn't have. Analog? I just got a Nakamichi deck btw.

The cart. is really just to make the TT useable, while not being crappy as I don't know any LPs we have I'd listen to. Time to get a bit of "classic audio" records.