Finally Acquired Garrard 301 - Seeking suggestions for various Catridge options

[Gerry_the_Merry]

You can calculate compatibility yourself with various online tools

Calculate Tonearm - Cartridge Capability

www.mh-audio.nl

 

[Gerry_the_Merry]

Most MCs have low compliance. For a good tonearm-cartridge matching low compliance cartridge needs high effective mass of tonearm. You'll probably need a higher mass tonearm if you want to go MC.

Joshua! You are back!!! Trust things are better at least for now...

 

[anilva]

Congrats @vsvasan for acquiring a Garrard 301. Getting one is difficult these days. You can easily bring it up to factory spec with help from our knowledgable members on this group.

 

[ajeshkumarts]

Congratulations @vsvasan on Garrard 301.
Shure V15 Type III is really good for SME 3009 Improved (Many say they are made for each other). It is no longer made. Getting one in good condition with stock styli is very difficult and expensive. If you get a decent one, you may look at after market styli Like JICO ( multiple options available including SAS styli)
Other options are
1. Shure M95ED - It works well on SME 3009
2. Shure M97xe - This also goes well
3. Denon DL -307 Mk2 - It is pretty good
4. Ortofon OM 40 - it is no longer made, but you may get it from Ebay. I have no experience this on SME 3009. May suggests that it works well.
5. Ortofon 2M series ( Bronze or black)

Dl-103 may need additional counterweight. i think same is the case with Nagaoka MP-300

As you get used to the turntable, you may look at other tonearms later

 

[vsvasan]

Congrats @vsvasan for acquiring a Garrard 301. Getting one is difficult these days. You can easily bring it up to factory spec with help from our knowledgable members on this group.

Thanks Anil!
Can you let me know about your order of preference out of the cartridge choices shortlisted

 

[souravin]

Dear FMs,

Below Cartridges are shortlisted. Looking forward to know about your listening experience or opinion about these cartridges.
Hope,all these catridges are suitable to use with SME 3009 ii improved tonearm with SME fixed headshell.

Moving Coil with recommended tracking force of 1.5g

• Ortofon MC -30 (VTF Range : 1.3 to1.7 g)
• Ortofon MC10 (VTF Range : 1.3 to 1.8g)
• Denon DL-301 II (recommended tracking force : 1.4g)

MM with recommended tracking force of 1.5g

• Ortofon 2M Bronze (VTF Range 1.4 to1.7 g)
• Ortofon 2M Black (VTF Range 1.4 to1.7 g)
• Nagaoka MP300 (VTF Range : 1.3 to 1.8g)
• Shure V-15 Type iii (VTF Range : 0.75 to 1.25g)

Congratulations.. Nice deck. Shure V15 Type III or Type IV with JICO styli (NON SAS) would work great with old vinyl and 301

 

[vsvasan]

Congratulations @vsvasan on Garrard 301.
Shure V15 Type III is really good for SME 3009 Improved (Many say they are made for each other). It is no longer made. Getting one in good condition with stock styli is very difficult and expensive. If you get a decent one, you may look at after market styli Like JICO ( multiple options available including SAS styli)
Other options are
1. Shure M95ED - It works well on SME 3009
2. Shure M97xe - This also goes well
3. Denon DL -307 Mk2 - It is pretty good
4. Ortofon OM 40 - it is no longer made, but you may get it from Ebay. I have no experience this on SME 3009. May suggests that it works well.
5. Ortofon 2M series ( Bronze or black)

Dl-103 may need additional counterweight. i think same is the case with Nagaoka MP-300

As you get used to the turntable, you may look at other tonearms later

Thanks ! Shall explore these choices as well

Congratulations.. Nice deck. Shure V15 Type III or Type IV with JICO styli (NON SAS) would work great with old vinyl and 301

Thanks Souravin!

 

[Record Player]

Congratulations. Great to see a 301 post after quite sometime here. Happy listening!

 

[vsvasan]

Thanks!

 

[vsvasan]

Have come across couple of highly rated MC cartridges with low VTF range -
Goldring Eroica HX & Goldring Eroica LX.

Goldring Eroica HX

Buy the latest Goldring moving coil phono cartridge with Gyger II diamond stylus, EROICA HX. The phono cartridge delivers a stunning moving coil performance from a moving magnet input. Erocia HX slots into your existing system with no fuss. Learn more.

www.goldring.co.uk

Both the models have low VTF range of 1.5 to 2 g with cartridge mass of 5.2g.Moreover these cartridges are compatible with all
tonearm designs.

HX series has load resistance of 47Kohms
LX series has load resistance of 100 ohms.

Would like to know which one of the above models would suit my preamplifier. Specs of preamp given on the previous page.Looking forward to suggestions.Thx.

 

[vsvasan]

Update....

After looking in to specifications of various cartridges & making compliance calculations,Short listed below Moving Coil Cartridges:

• Denon DL-301 MK II
• Goldring Eroica LX
• Audio Technica AT -OC9ML/II

Decided to go for Denon DL-301 MK II as the same has very suitable VTF spec of 1.4g ± 0.2g and
high dynamic compliance of 13 x 10–3 m/N (at 100 HZ).Since dynamic compliance corresponding to
10 HZ is being considered for tonearm resonant frequency calculation,arrived dynamic compliance for
10 HZ as 19.5 x 10–3 m/N with the consideration of multipication factor of 1.5

6.5 Gram Tonearm effective mass, 6 Gram Cartridge mass + 0.5 Gram Fastener Mass @ dynamic compliance of 19.5 x 10–3 m/N
given most desirable Resonant Frequency Value of 10 HZ.

Bought New Denon DL-301 MK II from one of our Forum members.

Here are the pics..








Also bought On/Off & Speed Selection Levers,Switch Cover & Rubber Mat from Classichifi shop,UK.
Shipment was done immediately on the next day of order placement and Royal Mail delivery was very fast
(to my pleasent surprise),consignmnet was delivered within 7 days.

Images here....






Next : Installation of ON/OFF & Speed Selection Levers and Cartridge.

 

[vsvasan]

• Installed On/Off & Speed Selection Levers - while installing these levers,realized the fact that,the levers came with TT also factory fitted original levers (inside grove & lever arm design constrution were found identical),however replacement was done,since the levers bought newly)
• Replaced AT Cartridge with Denon DL-301 MK II MC Cartridge
• Repalced the stock RCA output cables with Chord Crimson Plus RCA

All the above modifications were done together about a month ago.

Denon Cartridge provides much better resolution,sweet vocal & excellant instrument separation.

Also, the Noise observed during playback got reduced to significant extent, better clear track reproduction now,
probably Chord Crimson Cable makes the difference.