Cartridges

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I've gotta few I've used.Shure M44GShure M35X [awaiting a new needle - haven't used it yet]Numark CS1Ortofon Concord Pro SSome other relic Shure cartridge on a SL-Q5 that's not importantI've been using shure cartridges for awhile and have always thought myself to be a kinda shure patron, but recently while mixing between the CS1 and the M44G using doubles of the same 12" I noticed that the CS1 sound seems more detailed than the latter. Came as a suprise to me. Which cartridges would you recommend for Scratching/mixing?Which one for sound quality? (not necessarily the above)

Mad Drama Teacher

I use and am happy with the Shure M44-7

ayres

Ortofon QBert OM cartridges on Technics headshells. Very loud, tracks great, gentler on records than Concords, doesn't bend, break or pick up crazy dust like Shure.



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spelunk

Just got the Shure Whitelabels and they are hands down the best carts I've ever used. Basically like having a pair of Ortofon concordes without the stylus overhang issue and with much less record wear. Big bass, great tracking. The one thing is that Shure manufactures their styli really stiff direct from the factory, so it takes a few days for them to loosen up and become more skip resistant.

447s track unbelievably well but also sound pretty bad to my ears.

djbrigidope

Ortofon QBert OM cartridges on Technics headshells. Very loud, tracks great, gentler on records than Concords, doesn't bend, break or pick up crazy dust like Shure.



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i find the qberts dont track as well as my m447s. most times i spin with someone who uses em, i have to switch carts. alot of battlers i know say the q's dont track as well and they cut the crap out of their records. but ort. styli are more durable than the shures

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so what about for sound quality?

ZEN2

Just got the Shure Whitelabels and they are hands down the best carts I've ever used. Basically like having a pair of Ortofon concordes without the stylus overhang issue and with much less record wear. Big bass, great tracking. The one thing is that Shure manufactures their styli really stiff direct from the factory, so it takes a few days for them to loosen up and become more skip resistant.

Worst carts I've ever used beyond the budget range. I would take a pair of Stanton 500-al over these for sure, but 44-7s are my weapon of choice.

Fatback

i like the sound quality and lack of record wear on the whitelabels. (i don't scratch.) but i've had some feedback issues with them.

ayers, i think i'm gonna try those q-bert jernts--i've seen you mention those many times. i'm assuming your positive reviews are not only based on microwave use, but also "normal" records?

mannybolone

Bogdon at Labcabin in NYC seems to really prefer the White Labels and I didn't get the sense he was pushing it, just for the sake of.

That said, I've never been unhappy with my Shure M-477 but I feel like I could do better, sound quality-wise.

Snagglepus

I just picked up a set of Whitelabels after reading numerous positive reviews on this and the Fryer-Mantis forums (those "Cartridges for Funk 45s" threads a month or so back).

So far I like them a lot as far as sound quality goes (I don't scratch). The low end is very pronounced. No real complaints as of yet. (though ... I'm coming from an old set of TrackMasters so almost anything would be an improvement)

spelunk

i like the sound quality and lack of record wear on the whitelabels. (i don't scratch.) but i've had some feedback issues with them.

I noticed this the other day, but it was on turntables that a) weren't Technics and b) were poorly isolated from the speakers. Definately something to watch out for. What I really dig about the Whitelabels is that they are never harsh in the high end, and the bass always comes through very round and clear. I do a lot of listening through headphones, and these two factors help immensely.

mannybolone

I'm debating going with the White Labels b/c I want some better sound quality for digitizing vinyl. I'll probably keep my 447s for DJing use however. Any other recommendations for superior sound tracking needles/carts?

Random question btw: did Vestax ever made a needles case in aluminum that was BUILT LIKE their wood cases? They sell an aluminum case now but all it has inside is foam as opposed to the custom cart holders. I seemed to recall, BITD, they sold an aluminum version of the wooden cases but now I wonder if I'm just remembering wrong.

spelunk

O-Dub -

If you're just looking for something good for digitizing vinyl, look no further than the Shure M97xE. The cart works magic at making surface noise and clicks sound quieter, tracks really well (even on warps), and sounds real nice. It's not as warm and bass-heavy as the whitelabels, and it only takes light backcueing and such, but I really reccomend it, and it's around $50 last time I checked.

mannybolone

O-Dub -

If you're just looking for something good for digitizing vinyl, look no further than the Shure M97xE. The cart works magic at making surface noise and clicks sound quieter, tracks really well (even on warps), and sounds real nice. It's not as warm and bass-heavy as the whitelabels, and it only takes light backcueing and such, but I really reccomend it, and it's around $50 last time I checked.

I think I'd like something that's more back-cue friendly - I don't anything too delicate given how many 447 needles I've busted in my time. That said, I'll still look into it. THanks.