current production MM system in 100-150$ range?

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Rundmaus

Rundmaus

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Joined 2005
#1
Hi there,

I know it's not DIY, but are there any recommendations for a current production MM pickup in the above price range?

I was thinking about the Ortofon 2M Red, but the 2M series does not seem to fit into the Dual TK-24 headshell. Now planning to get an Audio-Technica VM520EB.

Any thoughts, recommendations?

Best regards,
Andreas
 
#3
Yes, probably...

I was a bit unsure because the (Hifi) OM series is out of production now, being superseded by the 2M series.

Choices seem to be:

a) A well-established but outdated system like the OM / super OM 10 or 20

or

b) A newer system from the AT VM series, which is quite 'new', but I did not find many reviews or experiences yet

Hm. :scratch1:
 
#5
My understanding is that the superOM series is so popular in Germany that production was continued. Certainly new superOM bodies were on ebay a couple of months ago. The stylii are still being made and so no reason not to.
 
#6
Personally I swear by Pickering XV-15/Stanton 680 cartridges. NOS stylus are available, and aftermarket replacements (shibata from JICO) are also available. There is a pickering XV-15 on ebay right now for about $40.
 
#7
Hey there,

yes billshurv, the OM / super OM went out of production only recently and are still available as new in large quantities. So there's no real reason not to buy them, besides maybe the age of their design. Difficult to decide if the newer Ortofon 2M or AT VM are really better just because they're newer.

Pickering/Stanton is quite uncommon in Europe, but I'll have a look!
 
#9
Kay,

that's what makes me think about the Audio-Technica VM - it may be marketing stuff only, but it seems that the generator is a new design. But besides a few enthusiastic online reviews, there's not much information about them...
 
#14
Rundmaus said:
Kay,

that's what makes me think about the Audio-Technica VM - it may be marketing stuff only, but it seems that the generator is a new design. But besides a few enthusiastic online reviews, there's not much information about them...
Click to expand...

Aren't they just restyled and respecified versions of the AT120E/440ML design (and related AT cartridges)?

PS: I'm not sure what a 'new' generator would actually look like at this time of day, or even whether that matters! Perhaps the DS Audio optical generator cartridges, but they go for very substantial sums of money (though do include a dedicated preamp).

Mark
 
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#15
well yes, AT have been using the same generator for some time. I'm not as up to date with the exact changes but it is all documented on vinylengine. But the current lineup have been basically the same generators for some 10-15 years now. But oddly the specs have been decreasing, so hollow Be, became solid gold plated boron, which became plain boron which became thin wall Al tube. One could argue that their top of the line is two steps behind top of the line a few years ago. Or equally that fancy cantilever materials do not matter.

I have SuperOM AT150Mlx and AT440MLa to compare. It will be interesting to see what comes out from that.
 
#16
For classic vintage cartridges for example Shure V15 which had boron cantilever would aftermarket stylus give same results ? In other threads it was seen the stylus mass has significant effect on records and its response. I wonder if any modern new cartridges come with boron cantilever.
 
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