Brett Eugene Ralph wrote:
Tim Midgett recommends the Grado Sonata cartridge elsewhere on here; is that a "moving coil" cartridge that would be compatible with the P5?
the Grado Sonata is a fixed coil - moving iron cartidge. Joe Grado - although he claims to have invented the Moving Coil cartridge, does not sell any. His top of the line Statement is a hybrid moving iron/moving coil design. I have not heard the Statement or the Sonata.
Moving coils in general present a much easier load for a preamp, although their output is much much lower than a moving iron or moving magnet cartridge. Your phono preamp needs to have a dedicated MC input, or you need a step-up transformer between the MC cart. and a standard MM input. The benefit is a much nicer frequency response (generally) especially in the high end and mids.
I am familiar with the plastic bodied Grados - they are great sounding cartidges for their modest price points. I have owned several. And they have replaceable styli, which is nice. However, I find them significantly colored. They present a nice warm sound, but the high end lacks some detail and the mids are emphasized a bit too much.
You will find as you upgrade the table and the arm and the associated electronics, you need a cartridge that is stiffer (hence metal or wooden bodies) and can track better (more expensive shaped diamond tip and fancy boron cantilever, better spring wire in the cantilever, fancier rubber suspension). I find better moving coil cartridges (I currently have a Linn Troika) present much greater detail, do better dynamics (drums have more snap) have much less fatiguing highs, and voices sound real, not overly chesty.
Any medium compliance cartridge would work on a REga p5, since the tonearm (an upgraded version of the venerable RB300) has good bearings, is very stiff, and is of medium mass. Cartridge compliance (the "springiness" of the cantilever) must be matched with the tonearm.
There are so many variations, it is best to talk to the person selling and installing the cartridge, and ask them if it is a good match to a particular turntable. Rega sells some good cartridges. They have a $300 one that is made for the RB300 tonearm. They also sell a $1700 MC cartridge.
Edited: I was distracted. I wanted to add that Benz micro, Denon and Ortofon make some good less expensive MC cartridges. For mid-priced (and in my system) MC's I am looking at a lyra or maybe the Koetsu Black. I may also stay on the reservation and get a Linn Klyde.
