Cartridge + stylus

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   Hello

I'm looking for some recommendations for cheap'ish cartridges for my decks. I need to get a set as the old ones that came with the decks don't match and are probably damaging my vinyls (they look crap and sound nasty). 

Does anyone have any ideas where i can get some for around the £40 mark for a pair? Or if this is unrealistic, what would be?

I play techno/house/dance and only mix, no scratching or anything fancy. 

Any help?

Cheers

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Mikkel Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Young Croc Joined: 17 May 2013 Location: Huddersfield Status: Offline Points: 549	Post Options Post Reply Quote Mikkel Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Cartridge + stylus Posted: 17 December 2016 at 1:05pm
	Hello I'm looking for some recommendations for cheap'ish cartridges for my decks. I need to get a set as the old ones that came with the decks don't match and are probably damaging my vinyls (they look crap and sound nasty). Does anyone have any ideas where i can get some for around the £40 mark for a pair? Or if this is unrealistic, what would be? I play techno/house/dance and only mix, no scratching or anything fancy. Any help? Cheers

KingGwarn Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Registered User Joined: 19 March 2016 Location: Brighton Status: Offline Points: 193	Post Options Post Reply Quote KingGwarn Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 17 December 2016 at 3:36pm
	Fork out a little extra and get Shure M447s. Best needles I've ever used and I don't use anything else since trying them out! If you really can't afford to spend more than £40 then maybe just get new styluses/tips Edited by KingGwarn - 17 December 2016 at 3:36pm
	Soundman inna Brighton town King Gwarn Sound System

Mikkel Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Young Croc Joined: 17 May 2013 Location: Huddersfield Status: Offline Points: 549	Post Options Post Reply Quote Mikkel Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 17 December 2016 at 4:32pm
	Thanks for the reply. £130 for a pair of carts is far too much for me unfortunately. Surely there must be a decent make/model in the middling price range. I only use vinyl at home, basically for practicing mixing and having fun. Would I be better off getting s/h headshell and cartridges and then buying the styli new seperately?

Mikkel Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Young Croc Joined: 17 May 2013 Location: Huddersfield Status: Offline Points: 549	Post Options Post Reply Quote Mikkel Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 17 December 2016 at 6:07pm
	I've found a pair of S/H Orforton Concorde Pro S for £75. Are these a good buy at that price?

darkmatter Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Old Croc Joined: 26 February 2005 Location: LDN Status: Offline Points: 2425	Post Options Post Reply Quote darkmatter Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 18 December 2016 at 3:33pm
	Regarding the M44-7s - they're good for DJs but I prefer the M44-Gs personally. For just listening I've been using the Shure M97xe. I don't know what the market's like these days but I imagine Stanton 500v3 is a good economical option. I would only buy second hand if I knew I was going to replace the styluses too, they wear out.

empiresoundsystem Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Registered User Joined: 24 July 2015 Location: Derby Status: Offline Points: 100	Post Options Post Reply Quote empiresoundsystem Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 19 December 2016 at 11:28am
	Stanton 500v3/Tonar Banana/Shure M447 all ones I enjoyed. Tonar 3600 C carts are good with Technics headshells, if you're really on a tight budget the QTX are a close copy of the Technics headshell, not sure on the quality of the connecting pins and flyleads though, can be a bit fiddly when swapping them out.
	Failed DJ and fumbling through the world of pro audio. Give me a thumb and make me feel better: www.facebook.com/empireAVWorks

bob4 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Old Croc Joined: 29 February 2004 Location: Finland/Germany Status: Offline Points: 1843	Post Options Post Reply Quote bob4 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 19 December 2016 at 12:10pm
	don't skimp on your cartridges if you value your vinyl collection! Bite the bullet and get some decent cartridges each with a new, fresh stylus. If you can't afford two, buy one and start saving for another one. The old saying applies: "poor people can't afford to buy cheap" because of "buy cheap, buy twice" Nothing ruins your records faster than a damaged stylus! Ortofon Concordes are simple and fun because you don't have to manually align the cart. Just attach it and off you go…. but some people bash Concordes. If you go for a headshell mounted cartridge on the other hand you have to learn to align the cartridge properly. There is no easy way out of this. People tend to underestimate the mechanical delicacy of vinyl playback. It has tradeoffs everywhere. Want a robust cartridge for scratching and back cueing? high Output? It will be at the expense of sound quality……. I have the impression that Stanton 500s should be affordable and plentiful in the UK? (+ cheap replacement styli available)