Cartridge Compatibility
Casual Viewer -- Sat, 09/23/2006 - 19:43
I have a Rega Planar 3 turntable and am thinking of a new cartridge. Given the quality of the turntable, what price range in general should I consider for a cartridge? I assume it doesn't make sense to stick a $4000 cartridge on an $800 table.
Can you please elaborate on...the vinatge of your Rega 'table, electronics, and speakers? Thanks.
Thanks for the reply. My Rega Planar 3 is the old model before the P3. It is about 6 years old. I have it hooked into a Forte FP1 phono pre-amp connected via TAL Music Link Plus into a Bryston BP20 pre-amp. The pre-amp is connected via balanced TAL Music Link Plus into a Bryston 3BST. That feeds Magnepan 3.5's via TAL Music Wave cables.
Obviously, knowing what equipment a person has helps answer the question. I wonder how people would respond if I said I had equipment a step better in quality. At what point does the limitations of the turntable itself dictate the quality/cost of the cartridge? I guess my question not only pertains to the Rega Planar 3, but to all turntables in general. Is there some general rule of thumb of turntable cost to cartridge cost?
CV-
If I can sneak in before Dr. Garcia, the Dynavector 10x5 would be a great match for your system me thinks. It works very well with the Rega arms, while keeping in mind you may want a 2mm Rega arm spacer to dial it in completely. In the nonce*, it will play music fine without.
I have a hard time getting excited about Rega cartridges although they certainly put the notes and rhythms in the right places. They are the ultimate in set-up friendly options however.
best,
Scott
*cheeky wording for a first post I know
I agree with the cheeky Mr. Naylor’s take on the Dynavector and Rega cartridges.
To answer CV’s question: while there is no general rule of thumb determining turntable-to-cartridge cost ratios, it obviously makes no sense to put an expensive moving coil on a modestly-priced turntable and arm. That said, the Planar 3/RB 300 performs very well with a wide variety of cartridges that more or less match its price (though as Scott also points out, one must keep in mind that the Rega has no VTA adjustment). A few others to consider are the Grado Reference Sonata ($500), Benz Micro Ace ($550), Sumiko Blackbird and Lyra Dorian (both around $750).
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