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There are plenty of decent carts. A lot of SL-1200 users pair it with Dynavector MC. I use Sumiko MM like the Moonstone.
The quality and synergy with your phono stage will play a big role too. Ortofon seems like a great match with the Technics also but donāt always play nice with Naim phono stages.
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FWIW I used my 1200 with the Sumiko into my Luxman ampās MM input and it was, quite frankly, crazy good.
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If you are crazy enoughā¦ but need to order special weights from Japan as well. A real heavy cart
My other cart is the Denon 110 Anniversary DL- A110
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DV 10x5 on my 1200G - nothing to compare it to, but very very happy with the sound.
Not sure thereās any good reason to start with a cheaper one other than affordability. Just take time and care mounting it, and cue up equally carefully at first, you should be fine. Whatās the reason you want to start cheaper? The 1200s are very easy to use, so accidents should be rare if youāre careful.
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The detachable headshell makes mounting much less stressful too!
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Just make sure the cartridge height is 17mm or greater - thatās as low as the SL1200G arm can go. Otherwise, youāll be messing with cartridge shims or thicker mats.
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Lots of choice all down to your wallet id recommend any Ortofon 2m cartridge or the Project which are rebadged ones cheap as chips too
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Iāve tried a fair few carts over the years and Iād suggest you start by buying a Denon DL103R and enjoying it for a while. Itās such a great VFM cartridge, it takes quite a lot to beat it. Itās not the last word in refinement but boy oh boy is it good fun to listen to! Itās the cartridge equivalent of the SuperNait amps.
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I paired the Hana SL moving coil (Ā£639) with my new Technics 1200 GR through a Rega Aria phono stage. Sound quality is very impressive and a massive upgrade over my previous Project Experience Ortofon blue and Rega fono. Your deck is a higher spec than my GR so surely it deserves the best cartridge you can afford to get the best from it.
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Yes it probably does but the OP stated heās dipping his toe into the world of vinyl, so youāve got to start somewhere and dropping mega bucks on a cart you donāt really know/havenāt heard is probably not the way to go.
Letās say you have a Ā£1-1.5k budget, there are tens and tens of cartridges at that price point which are all excellent in their own way, but Iām not sure Iād want to spend that kinda money on something I wasnāt sure would be what I really wanted. Better (imho) to buy something relatively safe but decent for now and then explore further afield later.
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Unfortunately, this is one of the cartridges that falls foul to the SL1200Gās limited adjustability. Itās only 14mm tall, so your VTA is off unless you want to use a 3mm spacer or a 3mm thicker mat.
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Fair point (although who knows how the OP likes to have their VTA set), but a friend of mine had a G with a ācappedā 103r and it sounded wonderful. The Cap adds about 1.5mm I think and it certainly worked well.
Another option Iād recommend for this situation, is something from the Ortofon Quintet range (Blue or Bronze) as they should be a good fit from the off, sound great and can be used as an exchange towards any of the more expensive Ortofons at a later date.
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Another vote for the Ortofon 2M series of cartridges.
Ortofon offer these in a āpremountedā version. These allow the headshell supplied with the deck to be removed and replaced with a premounted 2M cartridge and headshell. So much easier than fiddling with bolts and wires, and allows for swapping of cartridges as and when required.
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Hana ML would be a great match at sensible moneyā¦
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Depends on your definition of sensible money. Iād say that an ML is venturing into āProperā money!
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in reference to a 1200g I reckon itās an appropriate level of cart choice for the deckā¦ Agree it is proper money - but so is a 1200gā¦ I can only imagine the trouble i would have gotten myself into if my first foray into Vinyl had been a deck like this instead of my el cheapo Akai!!
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