favorite turntable & cartridge

**hotdiscomix** · January 22nd, 2002, 03:02 PM

Hi Vinyl-Maniacs

What is your favorite turntable and your favorite cartridge (system)?

I play with Technics SL 1200MK2 and Ortofon Night Club S system.

Steffen

**paul** · January 22nd, 2002, 05:10 PM

I still have my reliable Kenwood KD-2070 direct drive turntable from 1977. It saw a lot of parties and my amatuer DJing. I also used Technics tables but my manual table never failed me and is my favorite. As for cartridges, it depended on use. When I was doing a party, I used either Shure or Empire cartridges. For personal listening enjoyment I used my 1978 Micro-Acoustics MA 2002 cartridge. I still use that 2002 cartridge and prefer it to a Grado cartridge I bought 4 years ago.

**BrunoRepublic** · January 22nd, 2002, 07:28 PM

Well, I have no aspirations to be a DJ, so I've got a Dual CS 505-4 turntable. Kinda mixed feelings on it though... was thinking of getting something a little nicer, but I just took it in for a tuneup so I'll see how it does now. I'm presently experimenting with different cartridges, namely the Ortofon OMB 20 and the Grado Blue (the latter is quite nice, but not a good match for my tonearm).

**Boodikka** · January 24th, 2002, 06:56 PM

Back in the day, the Technics 1200 was de rigeur....always loved it, and still have mine. I always liked the Stanton line of cartridges, and at the tail end of my spinning, I used Disco-Duties. They were made for spinning, and lasted very long. Well worth the price.

**Mixmachine** · January 24th, 2002, 10:41 PM

I still own two vintage Marantz 6300 Turntables I first got sometime around ’77, this are direct drive manual or/and auto with speed control and damped arm lifter, during my spinning days we always used the Technics 1200MK2 (with a few exceptions during the years when Technics stopped production), they are much better all around especially for club mixing, but the 6300 were always good enough for my home setup, for cartridges I still use the Stanton 680EL , but since I don’t mix anymore I’m using the old standard Shure V15 Type III with one of my tables. Some people claim that cartridges age but after all this years they still sound pretty good to me.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Mixmachine on 2002-01-24 23:42 ]</font>

**DJ-Pir** · November 2nd, 2002, 04:26 PM

Hi,

The first turntables we used in a disco were the Lenco L78 with Shure M44 carts, this was in 1977 and the M44's are still used...

I started using the SL1200 MKII the week it became available here in Holland in 1980 and have used since, no sidesteps..
Cartridge has always been Stanton, 500AL or 681EL .

For domestic use the Technics SP15 in my home -studio with Denon DL160 cart and for vinyl to cd transfers the SP10 mkII with EPA100-DL160 (this tt is built in a way that a SL1200 looks like a toy

)

Regards, Peter

**Bernie** · November 2nd, 2002, 04:43 PM

DJ-Pir,

I also have the Technics SP-15 and two 1200s. My SP-15 is complete with the original Technics rubber base and dustcover. I installed an Audioquest PT-5 arm with an Audio-Technica AT-OC-9 MC cart with a few little tweaks thrown in. This baby rocks! Running Straightwire to a B & K MC-101 Sonata pre-amp and using an AQ mat. Good to see another person running this beast :-)

**BrunoRepublic** · November 2nd, 2002, 04:53 PM

I've heard a lot of good things about the Denon cartridges... unfortunately, they aren't available in Canada, so I'd have to get them by mail-order. Actually, this is basically true of almost any decent cartridge these days. I recently got a Shure V15VxMR and I'm quite happy with it. A little on the mellow side, but can track just about anything.

Still looking at turntables, but won't be able to afford one for a while yet...

**NickNack** · November 3rd, 2002, 07:39 PM

My dj setup has always had the Technics 1200 and up until recently Stanton 680EL cartridges. For some reason, I decided to try Stanton Trackmaster II. I'm not really thrilled. I've had more trouble tracking with these than any cartridge I've used before. :x I think someone wrote here that they are actually better for 'scratching', which I don't/won't do to my vinyl. Anyway, when I get truly disgusted I'll switch back to my old stand-by.

**dj phillip esparza** · November 12th, 2002, 08:54 PM

2x1200's mk technics
numark 3002x mixer
2xortofon concord nightclub S
2x moody recording slip mats :P

Really the best way to go for beatmixing
dj phillip esparza
gold coast(west hollywood)

**smartpapi** · December 15th, 2002, 05:28 PM

for listening I use a rega 2 with a grace tonearm ,It used to have a graceF9E cartridge but replacement styli have not been available for a long time so I now use a Grado red cartridge.For mixing I'm using two 1200's with the new Shure white label cartridge. Never liked the stantons ,and toyed with the idea of using the Grado DJ cartridges ,but decided on the Shures. They sound great!

**pumavisor808** · February 18th, 2003, 05:46 PM

I upgraded from 1200s to the Numark TTX's. These things are amazing and am glad I chose to sell my old tech's. I also use the shure whitelabels...

**Forrrce** · February 18th, 2003, 06:35 PM

Everything good you hear about Denon carts is true. I swear by the DL-304 moving coil and I always have a spare. I read recently that they've finally stopped making them and this is a shame. I have 3 1200s, the mixing pair have on rotation Shure SC35Cs (good trackers with passable sound) and elliptical Ortofon Niteclubs. The 3rd is home to the Denon, which tracks light (1.1g) and holds a groove like no other baby on earth, which feeds into a custom Denon head amp. For serious listening and mastering I use a Clearaudio Reference and Sigma cartridge.

**citizengroove** · March 10th, 2003, 07:46 PM

I love my new set up. Denon DP-DJ151's with Stanton Groove Master carts. So far sooooo good.

**billyblackwood** · May 7th, 2003, 05:02 AM

If you're a dj like me 2 Technics mk 1200's r all u
need. Though the latest buzz is the new Numark TTX1's,
I use Sure N44-7 cartridges they don't rip up your records
like those muthafu$%&^% Ortofons. I use a
Rane TTM 54 mixer. Rane still has the absolute best
sound of any mixer out there in my opinion, and just
like Technics they've been used in discos since the late 70's!
so they must be doing something right.

**The Lord of Flatbush** · July 1st, 2003, 07:33 PM

Technics SL1200-MK2 and Ortofon Cartridges are my favorite turntables and cartridges to use.

**Sami M** · September 15th, 2003, 06:34 AM

:D HI!

Finally joined in here! I have had Goldring 1042 cart for years and it gives very vivid and captivating sound. Smooth violins and clear and solid bass. The turntable is Linn Basik from 1990.

I'm trying to get to play out as a dj and thus bought the Technics SL-1200MK2 this summer. I have Shure M-447 cart attached and the difference in sound is annihilating! Haven't tried the Goldring with Techincs yet.

I presume that the new Grado dj cart will give better sound than any other dj cart around.

It is just amazing how good the sound quality in those seventies vinyls can be. I had Sony heavy weight cd-player and the Goldring/Linn always sounded better.