Dinu

Thank you!!! gurus, for your suggestions and guidance. I have been reading about the Empire 4000D / III and DECCA cartridges. Has anyone used these cartridges? If so, please share your opinions on them, particularly any drawbacks of using vintage options. If I purchase these vintage cartridges and upgrade them with a modern stylus like the Jico SAS, will it improve the sound quality? These styluses are not inexpensive. Would retipping the original stylus be a more reasonable option? My listening primarily focuses on regional music, country, blues, and jazz.

@Tasebass thank you!!! for your suggestion. Any particular model. MP110 / 200 / 300 etc.

Audio gurus, I need advice on whether to choose a modern or vintage cartridge. I own two turntables: a Technics SL1200 Mk2 for my son, encouraging him to explore analog over digital, and a Luxman PD121 for my own listening. Both had issues with speed stability and channel imbalance, but I've resolved all of them and they're now fully functional. I'm seeking recommendations for a cartridge. I recently heard the Ortofon Blue and Black series, which sounded excellent for modern recordings, but I felt they lacked emotional depth—perhaps too analytical and not musical enough. My son, however, enjoyed them. Could you also recommend some vintage cartridges suitable for my luxman turntable? I’ve researched DECCA and EMPIRE cartridges; how do they hold up after all these years? Thank you.

Hi Thelastjedi, Good Day!!! I realize this topic is two years old, but I'm new to stereonet, having joined just a few weeks ago. First, congratulations on your CJ LS17 preamplifier! Which power amp do you have connected to it? I also own a CJ LS17 SE preamp, and it sounds beautiful when paired with the right power amp. I've noticed that CJ preamps perform best with their own power amps. I've had some success matching them with Manley and VTL power amps, but I haven't found any solid-state options that work well with CJ. If you or any other experts have had success with different power amps, please share your experiences. Dinu

@e83cc @PKayThank you & I appreciate all the suggestions and guidance. As recommended by @e83cc, I will begin with Denon or another reasonably priced SUT and upgrade later.

@PKay Thank you for responding. Please keep me updated on your friend's SUT. If incase if he is upgrading. I could be interested.

e83cc / andyr/ Gryffles / PKay - Thank you, gurus, for your valuable suggestions. Based on all your expert advice, I believe SUT + phono is the correct solution. @pkay, I read about ear MC4 phono. It appears to be a suitable product for my needs. By the way, what cartridge and phono stage have you paired with this SUT? Which impedance setting is proving effective for you? Can you provide an estimate of the pricing for this product? Did you purchase it new or used? If you are planning an upgrade, kindly keep me in the loop.

Hi Andy, Thank you for your suggestions. I now grasp the idea of enhancing the subtle cues of LOMC. Kindly inform me if someone in India uses the Paris head amp so I can discuss their experience. Also, please share the best offer available for this headamp. Thank you, Dinu

@e83cc & @andyr, Thank you for your expert suggestions. Yesterday, I borrowed two different SUTs from my audiophile friends. One is the rothwell MC-1 - https://www.analogueseduction.net/phono-stages-phono-boards/rothwell-moving-coil-step-up-transformer.html, and the second is intactaudio - https://intactaudio.com/tran.html. I wanted to share my experience. First, I tried the intactaudio 2-box SUTs. I connected the output from the SUT to the MM connection on the phono stage and tried different cartridge loading settings. There was no significant gain in the output. I had to increase the volume considerably on my preamplifier to reach the optimal listening level. Next, I connected it to the MC input on the phono stage, resulting in a 50% improvement in gain. I had to reduce the volume by half on the preamplifier. The bass was deep, highs extended, but there was excessive loudness making it unsuitable for prolonged listening. Next was the Rothwell MC-1 SUT. This time, I connected the SUT output directly to the MC input of the phono stage. I only needed to increase the volume by another 5-7% compared to the Intactaudio SUT. However, the sound quality was truly excellent. Everything was presented in a smoother manner. There was no overpowering loudness. You could listen for long sessions without experiencing fatigue. I believe a solid tube phono stage is the optimal choice for low output MC cartridges. I have limited exposure to high-quality solid-state phono stages. Experts here can provide further insight based on their experiences. Require your expert opinion on Rothwell MCL - https://www.analogueseduction.net/phono-stages-phono-boards/rothwell-mcl-moving-coil-step-up-transformer.html I believe this will address my needs. I noticed two ads in the classifieds and thought they could bring a valuable experience to my setup. I would appreciate your guidance.

Friends, I have a modest analog system. Technics SL1200 mkii modded with RCA connectors. Recently I upgraded to sparingly used Linn karma MC cartridge. My musical fidelity M1 ViNL phono does not have any gain in MC output. Could you please help in suggesting a matching SUT for Linn karma MC cartridge.