MM cartridge for XS3

Hi-Fi Corner
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I’m trying to prevent myself from buying a separate phonostage or a step up transformer to be connected to my XS3. I just plan to get a better MM cartridge for it.

Being an MC cartridge user for XX years, I’m now out of touch whether there are also great MM cartridges nowadays….

I’m currently using a Rega P3 with the supplied Elys 2 MM cartridge. What’s a good MM cartridge replacement for it?

Is there an MM cartridge that has Koetsu’s lush midrange, Lyra’s separation and air, and Clearaudio’s explosive dynamics? Or am I asking too much? :slightly_smiling_face:

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I have an Ortofon 2M Black on my Rega 8 and it’s excellent, used into the Supernait 3’s phono input. Whether the Black is a bit much for the 3 I’m not sure. It worked fine on a 6 so I can’t see why the 3 would not be fine for it.

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I think you may have answered your question with your last question :wink:

FYI I previously used an Ortofon 2M Black on a P3 and it’s an impressive MM cartridge, with lots of dynamics and detail but I wouldn’t say it has a lush midrange. But I’d certainly recommend auditioning it if possible. Maybe one of the “lower” models too, perhaps the Bronze.

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Thanks for the suggestion on the Ortofon Black. I’ll try to check that out.

In the past, I frowned upon high output MCs. How are these nowadays? Best of both worlds, or just a big compromise?

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Rega Exact. Substantial improvement over the Elys2.

Or an AT VM740.

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A couple of sensible suggestions there.
A bit less sensible and maybe a bit short on air and separation compared to top MCs but majoring on excitement and explosive dynamics are the London (Decca) cartridges. The late and lamented Art Dudley in Stereophile reviewed a maroon (Listening 156) and there’s mention of it working on a Rega arm, though it wasn’t used in the review itself as far as I can see.

I have a maroon wired for mono that I’m running into a stageline N and it suits the Naim phonostage rather well.
The 2M Black and AT cartridges will be safer bets admittedly.

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Never mentioned on the forum, but the Sumiko MM cartriges are excellent in my limited experience. They have a high out MC too for use with MM stages.

Of course finding cartrige to deck synergy is almost harder than finding speaker to amp synergy so other than saying a specific MM is well made and sounds clear, I’m not entirely sure how to subjectively recommend a specific one.

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I wouldn’t fit a 2M Black on a P3, never.
Get a better deck first or just pick another cheaper MM.

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Dynavector…? 10 X or 20X…? Both available as High Output MC - effectively MM in output terms. But MC sound…

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Nagaoka 110 has a little warmth

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traits that wouldn’t show off on a Planar 3 anyway , if you get what I mean.

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Thread title stipulates matching a MM cartridge to an amplifier. I’d rather match it to turntable.

Goldring 2400. The most MC like cartridge performance I have ever heard from a MM.

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