I have been struggling to think of something if I am honest, but I have always wondered what a decent cartridge would sound like in my system.

As such, what cartridges do people have experience that sound really good? I have no preference about MM/MC, and I have a few good MMs such as the AT20SLa, EPC-205, AT150mlx etc. I have a couple of MCs as well, such as the SAE1000LT, AT33PTG/II, EPC310MC and a modified Denon DL-103 with Shibata tip.

I am after something that works well with Rock etc. So it needs to have good dynamic swing. I don’t want to spend more than £1k as it seems like a large chunk of money, for possibly a small performance increase. And the last sentence is part 5he reason I am not sure I want to go down that road.

What are people’s experiences of the cartridge upgrade path?

Will my money be better spent elsewhere?

   If you’re running a Rega arm, the Ania MC is a delightful match. I use the Apheta2 but have decent experience with the Ania as well. If you want to rock...

Mick.

I have always wanted to try one, and one popped up recently, so I have taken the plunge.

According to one review I read, it appears that Mr Gregory used a Reflex M during the development of the cartridge.

I have fitted it, and have to say I am happy with this cartridge. It seems to be a good compromise between MC and MM, and just gets on playing the music with great tone, good dynamics and instrument spacing.

I need to live with it a bit longer to see if it is a keeper, and if so, start thinking about thinning down my cartridge collection a bit.

I have the arm set slightly tail down, as this seemed to be the best sounding position to my ears.

It is a nice cartridge and I am really not sure it is worth me getting an ART-9 now. It will sound different, sure, but will it be much better?

Is it really worth it? What I mean is does it give a substantial improvement in performance.

To put this into perspective, I bought the Classic for £300.

For £1k, I could get myself something like an IQ3, and have replaceable styli.

I could also get an ART-9.

I could also do nothing....

The biggest issue is that it is nearly impossible to hear these things before you buy them.

Out of interest Rich, what cartridges have you compared the MusicMaster to?

I am contemplating the upgrade at the end of April, if I do it.

sound a touch bright in the wrong system. It suits the Audiomods 6 arm & Elevator/ReflexM 
pair really well.
The AN IQ3 is a serious contender too I have to say.
Good luck.

More investigation is required, and when this COVID-19 is over, I may see if I can get a bit of a bake off with a few cartridges to narrow the choices down.

My other option is to just enjoy what I have for the time being, and stop chasing the next upgrade.

Thank you very much, gentlemens! Very interesting thread for undecided newcomer. I just closed my loan (thx, Kevin!) and realized that I "need" not only new phono pre. :-) GS Accession is very fine but needs good companion. I believe AN IQ3 is more than serious contender. Audio Note wrote IQ is in stock and "will indeed work well in your ATP-12T tonearm." I´m looking forward to real price quatation by Czech distributor.

Michal

Mick.

Enjoy!

Mick. 

I am not sure I will be able to sell my current speakers here easily or not, but I will need to try.

That will free up the cash for me to build myself another, more powerful amp to really get them going.

I hope this was the right decision, but I have a 14 day trial period to see if these work in my room.

I am lucky in that I have the “European Loan Scheme Toy Box” at my disposal, so I can try a set of Proprius if my current amps do not work.

I will also be trying my different cartridges out with the new speakers to see which works best. I may as well, as we are not allowed off the property unless we have a good reason. Gendarmes are stopping people to validate the reasons why they are out and about.

Carrying a 32kg box up two flights of stairs, twice, was fun.

It is now done. The speakers are installed and bedding in. Apparently they will need 150 hours to loosen up properly. They have had 4 so far, at low volume as I am working from home, as is the wife.

I am happy with the tone and detail with them so far. I hope they settle in quickly.

I decided to set up a minimalist system, with the Accession M feeding my DIY amps directly. It sounds pretty good, but the Accession needs to warm up properly.

The Music Maker Classic was developed using the Reflex M (apparently), so it should also sound on the Accession.

The only downside is that the prices of these have nearly doubled over the past 3 for years....and im not sure why

Before that I had an Ortofon 2M Black another good cartridge and only changed it because I carelessly managed to bend the cantilever. Ortofon also do a replacement arrangement but the repair is not far off a new one hence my IQ3. There is now a replacement for the 2M Black you may want to check that out.

I am happy with the IQ3 but am reluctant to give a definitely buy this recommendation as different systems / rooms etc can give different sounds. What I can say is a recent loan of an Accession MM and Enigma power supply made a big difference and I note you have an Accession mm. Hope this helps.

You say there is a replacement for the 2M black. Just had a look, Do you know what it is called? I don't seem to fine anything about it.

I see what you mean about replacement price, It's only £70 more to buy a whole new cart (Bronze)

I also sold my modified DL-103, as I think it was too heavy for the FX1200. I also sold my EPC305 as the P mount did not work that well with the FX1200.

The cash I got from these helped me buy a Dynavector XX2 MkII. This is a superb cartridge, which I thoroughly enjoy, but is kept for “Sunday best”. I heard one in a friends system, and was something I always wanted, however, I could not justify the cost. I found a low hours cartridge at a U.K. dealer.

So now, I am in a position where I have enough cartridges to last me a while, from my cheap Frankencarts (modified AT95s) to the rather splendid XX2. The modified AT95 sounds great, and is a cartridge I could live with, and the replacement cost is very reasonable. So if visitors with small kids come, this gets fitted, as you never know when accidents can happen. Currently doing the honours though, is the EPC-U205 with the Jico SAS/B stylus. A great combination.

What I have found (most are already well known) during my search for a better cartridge:

1. The law of diminishing returns kicks in quite quickly. 

2. The stylus profile can make quite a difference to the sound, but it needs to set up well to get the most out of it. Slight differences in setup can give big changes when using more complex profiles.

3. MCs are not always better, in my opinion. VFM certainly takes a big hit. As easy stylus replacement is not possible, the cost of ownership can be quite high.

4. There are plenty of older MM cartridges available at reasonable prices that have very good after market/original styli available, and these should not be over looked. Prices do seem to be on the increase recently though.

5. It is important to match the cartridge with the arm and phono stage.

6. Being in the right place at the right time can yield some serious bargains.

I maybe looking at getting a technics turntable some time next year but this all depends on overtime but there is no guarantee on overtime so this maybe a vary long wait and I have said this before some times you need to just sit back and enjoy what you have. Just like you said, sit back and enjoy the results "of your past expenditure"