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J. Sechler Unregistered guest | I guess this question could go in either the Phono or Amp forum, but here goes: A lady that my wife works with just lost an uncle whose house then needed cleaned out and prepared for sale. As a reward for our help and (back-breaking on my part) hauling, I am being given the uncle's Pro-Ject 1.2 turntable that includes two cartridges, a Sumiko Oyster and a Sumiko Pearl to play my several-year dormant record collection on. I am also being given a choice of ONE of the following (also belonging to the uncle): 1. A McIntosh MA6100 Integrated amp (works fine, includes phono stage, slight bubbling in glass backing on faceplate). 2. Yamaha Natural Sound RX 496 Receiver (works fine, includes phono stage, big bonus with wife because of AM-FM) 3. An NAD C370 Integrated amp with PP2 Phono stage (both purchased within the past year and work fine). I know the McIntosh name carries a lot of weight and is probably a much better choice than the Yamaha, but where does the NAD fit into all of this? Also, I have some concerns on the Pro-Ject turntable that I'm not sure how to address: I remember hearing one of these with the Oyster cartridge a few years back and was not really impressed. At the time I had an old Technics turntable with an Ortofon cartridge (that retailed for @ 120.00-150.00, circa 1990 dollars), that had a much more open, detailed sound than the Pro-ject/Oyster setup. Is it me, or is the Pro-ject/Oyster sound kind of dead? Does Ortofon still make cartridges? Are they any good? Where can I buy them at a decent price on the 'net? Sorry to make such a long post out of this, but I really want to make a wise choice on a cartridge for the turntable, and (separately)on the amp. |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 2390 Registered: Feb-05 | TAKE THE MAC!!!! Sorry to yell but I felt compelled. The NAD would be a nice unit as well. The Sumiko Oyster tracks at 2.3 grams if I'm not mistaken which really isn't good for your records. The Pearl on the other hands tracks lighter and sounds better. I find that the ProJect/Grado combo sounds very good and can be a low cost alternative. |
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J. Sechler Unregistered guest | Thanks Art. Which Grado cartridge would you recommend? How much? Where can I purchase it on the net? Thanks again |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 2392 Registered: Feb-05 | The Grado Blue or Red. I have the Blue and it retails for $80, the Red retails for $110. I removed my Sumiko Oyster quickly after I bought my table and the Blue has served me well. http://www.amusicdirect.com/products/category.asp?category=110&filter=&fl=&sort= &order=&page=3 Good luck! |
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Silver Member Username: Stu_pittNYC, NY Post Number: 783 Registered: May-05 | I agree whole heartedly with Art here. Ortofon does still make cartridges. If you liked the sound of those, you may want to look into them. I've heard Ortofon and Grado sound somewhat different, but are pretty much comparable dollar for dollar. I've never heard them side by side, so I can't elaborate on the differences. |
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WoodyS Unregistered guest | Sechler: One thing to consider, will you be mainly listening at mid to high volumes, or low to mid volumes? From what I remember about the MA6100, it doesn't really come to life until you get to @ 11:00 on the dial, which can be pretty loud. The NAD will offer more detail at a lower volume, which may make it more suitable to your needs (if you haven't chosen one already). |