What phono cartridge(s) are you running and why?
My own personal favourite is the Dynavector DrT XV-1S. The current cartridge is the third one that I’ve owned in the last 12 years. It is currently out of service as I’ve sent it to Northwest Analogue for retipping with a Fritz Gyger II stylus.
It presents an incredibly realistic soundstage and wonderful top to bottom coherence with real power and air.
In the meantime I’m fortunate to have an Ortofon Quintet Black S on loan from my dealer. Whilst it’s not in the same league as the Dynavector it, none the less, delivers an incredibly musical performance with detail, air and seismic bass power.
Troika, a Russian word for a vehicle ( cart) driven by three horses abreast.
A reference to the innovate three point fixing mount between cartridge and tonearm head shell.
Like all Linn product naming, it also conveniently includes a “ K “.
This later version Troika ( first built 1992 ) was rebuilt by Goldring and installed - anew - on our original Ittok tonearm - to keep everything within period - when our 1986 LP12 was refurbished and upgraded to Selekt in 2021.
Sounds sublime with a little help from a Naim SuperLine.
To my eye, one of the most attractive cartridge designs around.
A beautifully balanced curvaceous shape, with a rich red striking colour.
I rotate between an Asaka, Klyde and Troika. I send two at a time out for rebuild when the time comes. I’m happy listening to any of them. Currently using the Troika that was recently put into service in 2025.
I also have a DRT XV-1s. It’s an excellent cartridge, but mine sits in its box for now. I am using two Lyra cartridges. For stereo records I have the Atlas Lambda SL and for mono records the Atlas Lambda Mono. Actually, the SL and the Mono look exactly the same. The only way to tell the difference – short of opening them up – is by the serial number.
I was originally a huge Ortofon fan way back when, starting at entry level and moving up to the Kontrapunkts range…I then drifted away for reasons I can’t remember and ended up going through a range of Shelters, Dynavectors (XX2 mk2) but in my system they always sounded a little bright (don’t get me wrong as they are superbly detailed cartridges)…and a Kiseki (Purple Heart)…nightmare story as an accident saw a bent cantilever that was unrepairable and with little sympathy from the company or the importer.
Post the Kiseki I purchased an Ortofon Cadenza Black…oh boom, there was that sound I loved so much and shortly after I was able to trade the black in to this amazing end game Ortofon Windfeld Ti cartridge…all I ever wanted and more…
I personally like Troika’s predecessor Karma better – same taste, but with a fatter and more relax sound fitting my vintage setup, it’s Supex style. A MC cart that is as warm, as meaty and musical as it could.
My other favourite is Grace F-9E, one of the ultimate sounding MM carts. Musical, weighty and full sounding with 3d soundstage. It’s sadly in the drawer as my Naim 322 boards got too high loading. Hope to get another pair 322 and service for lower loading.
Interesting Grace is Supex’s sister company, apparently I’m big fan of their sound!
Coming from you, I’ll take that as a compliment. Thank you.
Your own pictures of two LP12’s always look brilliant.
To be fair, when it went into Basically Sound - for some TLC and a few upgrades in 2021 - it looked its age, at maybe 35+ years young.
If I recall, they did a little bit of careful and sympathetic work on the woodwork, including oiling all the plinth, etc.
This is my current DV-20X2, which will be replaced with a DRT XV1-S in the next 2 or 3 months.
I must admit the D20X2 punches well above it’s weight in my view. But having now heard a DRT XV1-S, once you have heard something, you simply can not unhear it.
- but it does a good job of making music…
