chuckles304
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Phono and cartridge recommendations
bierfeldt
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Good to hear from you and hope all is well. I would look at 2 cartridges - the Ortofon 2M Blue which sounds great and is easy to replace the stylus when the time comes. The other is the Clearaudio Concept MM. I the they are $200 and $250 respectively. I would call Needledoctor and ask which is best for your needs.

I still advocate for the Pho-8 from Vincent. For the money I don't think you can beat it at $299. That is still the phono stage I have and am extremely happy with it.

commsysman
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chuckles304 wrote:

Hi everyone,
Been awhile since I've posted here. Found a sweet pile of old classical records on a remodel job, and I have decided to finally get a turntable. The one I'm seriously considering is a Music Hall MMF-5.1 (used), but it doesn't have a cartridge. Turns out my NAD T757 doesn't have a phono stage either, so I'm soliciting recommendations for both. For cartridge I'm looking in the $200-400 retail range; for phono, I seem to recall Mr. Bierfeldt effusively praising the Vincent PHO-8, but I'm open to others.
If it matters my speakers are KEF Q900's. Any thoughts?

I can definitely recommend the MMF turntable; I have a MMF-7 myself and love it.

Be aware that Grado cartridges are incompatible with MMF turntables; you get a terrible hum due to ground issues. The Ortophon Blue and Red are good cartridges for that turntable.

I recommend the Music Hall PA 1.2 phono preamp, which runs $175 and is able to work with both MC and MM cartridges.

chuckles304
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I have never owned a table before, so I have one more "dumb" question: what type of interconnects am I looking for to go from table to phono, and phono to receiver?

chuckles304
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I'm looking at an Ortofon Quintet Blue on Audiogon for $400, maybe a touch less. I'm assuming this is worth stretching for?

Ivor Darcy
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Hi,
I have the Vincent PHO 700 and couldn't be happier. A wee bit pricier than the PHO 7 but the build quality is excellent. I have the VIP Scout turntable and the Ortofon 2M Bronze cartridge. The cart retails around $400 and I am super happy with mine.
I can recommend the Audioquest interconnects. My whole system uses them. I have the Big Sur 1.5m lengths and got a good deal on them from NeedleDoctor. As bierfeldt suggests, give them a call instead of ordering online and they will give you a good deal.

David

bierfeldt
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You will need a standard RCA cable from the table to the phono stage and the same from the phono stage to the backof the amplifier. Commsysman has mentioned this in several threads and there is a technical reason for the cable from the turntable to the phono stage needing to be as short as possible. I don't recall what it is and I am sure he will be kind enough to remind us. I think the goal is to keep it at like 2'. The length of the cable from the phono stage to the amp is much less important.

I typically get the Audioquest Golden Gate for RCA cables. Incidentally, it was the guys at NeedleDoctor who recommended the Vincent even before it became a recommended component over at The Absolute Sound.

I have no opinion on the Ortofon Quintet and have never heard it. I personally would never buy a used cartridge so I hope it is new stock that a dealer is trying to move.

chuckles304
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My uneducated guess would be that because it's a low-power signal you need a short cable to prevent signal degrade/loss. But as I said I'm uneducated. The seller says it's "open-box" but unused. Maybe I'll stick with the red-blue-bronze series.

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