Stylus & Cartridge Round Up

A look at Needles & Cartridges:

We take a quick look at some classic and modern record player stylus and cartridges.
 
STANTON 500AL

 
Anyone ever into DJing will remember this industry standard cartridge that was supplied with many DJ decks. Perhaps not the best for audiophiles but can withstand the force of scratching and that's what it was really designed for, a club environment and turntablism.
 
 
Ortofon Concorde

The next step on in the DJ carts world with a sleek design for enhanced tracking, several
models and spinoffs available. Spherical diamond stylus.
 
 
 
Shure M44-7
 
Brilliant sound, great grip on the grooves and very hard wearing.
Fantastic reproduction - engineered for DJs with "ultra high" skip resistance too.
Also popular amongst audio enthusiasts too. The Shure M44-7 is excellent mid range kit.
 
 
 
REGA CARBON
 
A nice all-round modern cartridge for standard record players thats not too expensive.
Said to offer great bass and midrange and be very reliable to boot. Fantastic for the money.
 
 
 
BENZ GLIDER
 
Advanced coil windings and refined pole pieces/damper designs to produce a neutral frequency response & Wide Soundstage.
Excellent Separation Between musical parts & Tight Deep Bass...........at around £400 you could have 16 Rega or this?
 
 
AUDIO-TECHNICA AT95E
 
 a high performance moving magnet cart that is great quality for the money and performs well. A popular budget choice and all-round cart.
 
 
 
SUMIKO PEARL
 
A lovely gold record player cartridge.
The Pearl has smooth highs, sweet detailed midrange, and a solid bass.  
The Pearl is the same as the infamous Sumiko Oyster with a conical type stylus.
 
 
 
ORTOFON 2M RED
 
From Danish company Ortofon this cart is inspired by the diamond shape.
Split pole pin technology for flat response, easy to mount and fits most modern decks.
Stylish quality!
 
 
DENON DL 103
 
This is the weapon of choice for many sound engineers and costs from around £160
It was actually designed in the 1960's. Apparently it can take some setting up correctly but is well loved by many and said to rival even the most expensive audiophile models!
It provides super awesome audio detail! - Probably the best of the bunch.
 
 
GENERIC TURNTABLE CARTRIDGE
 
This common modern design which goes under many brand names and is supplied with most if not all budget decks of recent years.
Most have sapphire stylus and basically you get what you pay for. Certainly not one for audiophiles or DJs for that matter but if you just want to play a record it will do that for you. Don't expect amazing sound or tracking or for the needle to last very long!
 

Don't forget we supply stylus care products - they can be found here