Cartridge suggestions?

[RickG]

I have a Kenwood KD-2070 (direct drive) from the mid '70s that I would like to replace the cartridge on. Any suggestions? Since I have my new SVS speakers, I am enjoying my old LPs again and think that they would sound even better with a new stylus but I don't want to pay a fortune. Thanks!

[JohnMichael]

I have a Kenwood KD-2070 (direct drive) from the mid '70s that I would like to replace the cartridge on. Any suggestions? Since I have my new SVS speakers, I am enjoying my old LPs again and think that they would sound even better with a new stylus but I don't want to pay a fortune. Thanks!

The medium to heavy mass of that original tonearm would work well with moving coil cartrtidges. The Shure M97XE should also work well. I have had trouble in the past with Grado cartridges in S shaped toearms. Their lack of dampening would cause the cartridge to shake in heavier arms. I would stay away from high compliance cartridges such as the Ortofon OM series but their moving coils should work well.

[E-Stat]

The medium to heavy mass of that original tonearm would work well with moving coil cartrtidges. The Shure M97XE should also work well. I have had trouble in the past with Grado cartridges in S shaped toearms. Their lack of dampening would cause the cartridge to shake in heavier arms. I would stay away from high compliance cartridges such as the Ortofon OM series but their moving coils should work well.

Hey John, I'm in the process of adding LP playback capability to my vintage system. I recently bought an SME 3009 II to put on my original '74 Ariston and am in need of a cartridge and phono pre. I'm thinking of getting a Bellari tube pre which is somewhat low on the gain side. Ages ago, I used a V15 III with my first SME on the Ariston - sounds like you really like the M97XE. Amazon sells them for around $85. Good deal?

Thanks!

rw

[JohnMichael]

Hey John, I'm in the process of adding LP playback capability to my vintage system. I recently bought an SME 3009 II to put on my original '74 Ariston and am in need of a cartridge and phono pre. I'm thinking of getting a Bellari tube pre which is somewhat low on the gain side. Ages ago, I used a V15 III with my first SME on the Ariston - sounds like you really like the M97XE. Amazon sells them for around $85. Good deal?

Thanks!

rw

E-Stat that is a good price for that cartridge. The cartridge's output should work well with the Bellari. I have not heard that phono preamp but I have read several good reviews. When I bought my first turntable, a white marble based Kenwood, it was during the days when you would buy a table and they would throw in a Shure M91ED or M95ED for a $1. That was long before exotic moving coils became the audiophile favorites. Shures worked very well in that tonearm but my high compliance ADC XLM MkII and Micro Acoustics cartridges did not perform as well.