Please see guidance notes below on picking the right cartridge for your system

	zyx
	London (Decca)

Cartridge Choice Philosophy

One of the most common enquiries we receive is 'What cartridge should I use with this arm/deck? We have reduced the massive list of options as much as possible by offering tried and tested cartridges that work in the vast majority of systems. These have been selected from both personal experience and the opinions of trusted dealers and reviewers. You can be sure these offer above average performance and excellent value for money.

Although making specific recommendations we still offer most makes of hi fi cartridge so that you can order any brand from us direct. Details and specifications of phono cartridges are provided on separate pages (see links). Our hot list of audio cartridges shown below, include many audiophile models chosen for performance and flexibility. These cartridges all come highly recommended by those with wide experience.

All prices include 17.5% VAT so deduct this for export orders.

NOTE on abbreviations
mm = moving magnet cartridge with high output and 47 Kohm impedance
mc = moving coil cartridge with low output usually and 100 ohm impedance
A number of the high output moving coils use moving magnet input at 47 Kohms

Cheap cartridges?

There are sources that offer seemingly amazing prices on cartridges - we would urge caution on these purchases as you may not know what you are getting. For example some Kouetsu's are made specifically for the Far East market. These Kouetsu's have a suspension system suited for hot climates and will not give optimum performance in colder climates.

HOT LIST OF CARTRIDGES WITH STRONG RECOMMENDATION

It is quite hard nowadays to purchase a "duff" cartridge so the choice boils down to personal taste, compatibility and system matching. For this reason we can only offer guidelines on which cartridge to choose because sometimes it is a question of synergy.

The first question is moving coil or moving magnet? Ultimately low output moving coil cartridges deliver the best performance but you need a decent active phono stage (around £300 and above) to really get the benefit. A lower cost alternative is moving magnet or high output moving coil - these can deliver fine performance into a wide variety of phono stages although we would recommend a minimum of the GSP Gram 1 phono stage at £85.

Higher end cartridges

High end cartridges such as koetsu, Lyra, Clearaudio, Microbenz, Van den Hul transfiguration etc all have their various strengths and reviews help to clarify your choice depending on your system and priorities. We particularly recommend the Lyra cartridge range but there are many other excellent cartridges which will work as well depending on your system and phono stage balance.

Mid market cartridges

The Dynavector Karat 17d2 mkII is a moving coil cartridge at £550 and represents great value for money. The Lyra Dorian has also gained and excellent reputation and a safe choice.

If you do not have a reasonable moving coil phono stage with adjustable gain settings (above £300) then the Music Maker cartridge at £575 by "The cartridge man" is almost legendry as a moving magnet design.

Cartridges below £250

The high output moving coil Dynavector DV10x5 II at 250 GBP is a truly superb cartridge in any arm and is designed for most moving magnet inputs - this cartridge has consistently been reviewed as the best available at this price point.

The Goldring 1000 Series starts at £80 GBP - we particularly recommend the Goldring 1042 mm cartridge at £150
The Low output Goldring Eroica cartridge at 130 GBP are excellent for a budget moving coil cartridge and in our view the low output Eroica LX is slightly preferable to the 1042 if you have a decent moving coil stage.
The Grado prestige range mm cartridges starting at £40 are also excellent - these cartridges have a slightly better bass than the Goldrings but not quite such a good treble performance.

Please see our web site shop for all prices and quotes on delivery charge etc.

Remarks on the sound character of various cartridge makes

Cartridges marked with an * are the ideal choice for Origin Live tonearms. However this is only a rough guide as speakers, amps and phono-stage also play a part in the best choice of cartridge for your system. The remarks below are by no means definitive and are only intended as a guide to help those in no position to audition the multitude of options available.

* Audio Technica OC9 £ 330 GBP (or £ 250 GBP exchange)- noted for definition, speed, clarity and detail - can be a little lean in the bass in some arms - seems most suited on Linn LP12 / Ittock or Akito combinations. The budget Audio Technica's are extremely good value.

* Clearaudio - very clean sounding catridge, highly detailed, not exactly warm or deep.

* Dynavector - Excellent all round mc cartridges - high output versions are 10x5 and 20XH suitable for moving magnet inputs, low outputs are also available higher in the range.
Dynavector 17D Karat is a favourite at its price point. The xx-2 seems rather system dependent.

* Goldring - Rich sound with plenty of warmth and bass depth - a popular phono cartridge with Rega arm users - a very safe choice that sounds good on most systems.

* Koetsu - Older Koetsus are great all round cartridges that deliver an integrated portrayal along with great sense of power and authoritative bass. Sound slightly "thick"and less free in comparison to "zyx cartridges". Latest Koetsu's have been critisized as sounding thicker and not having the same magic as their predecessors since the death of the founder.

* London (Decca) - Outstanding Cartridges that lead the entire field in terms of vivid realism, dynamics and lifelike sound. Unique in construction and parformance these cartridges have developed a loyal following for good reason. Drawbacks are poor tracking on damaged records and slight crackle on very worn records due to the fact that they pick up every tiny detail. The sheer dynamics, of these cartridges can cause compression effectsand show up failings in poorer systems. This manifests itself in brightness and lightweight bass. In spite of these things many reviewers give Londons the highest praise. The benefits are so great that once heard there is no going back.

* Lyra - Great tacking cartridges that deliver an organic presentation - may not go quite as deep as Koetsus or have the same bass warmth but have the edge in other aspects such as transparency and imaging.

Rega cartridges - Tend to work well with Rega decks but can sound dull on other makes.

Reson - Similar to the Goldring but added definition due to closer tolerances (made by Goldring). The Reson cartridges are good if your system has a lot of bass and you like high resolution with a nice top end. There is a slight loss of bass warmth relative to the Goldring 1000 series.

* Grado cartridges are excellent on bass and midband - in treble shy systems they can sound slightly dull.

Sumiko - A good choice for systems that are slightly bass heavy and need speed and agility adding - these cartridges have great resolution and are improved over previous models that tended to be lean in deep bass and low in warmth for some systems

* Transfiguration - Good all round cartridge and a very safe choice, strong on subtlety with wonderful delicacy rather than an emphasis on hard hitting and impact.

* Zyx - Very good tonal balance with slight emphasis on dynamic and deep bass. One of the most natural sounding mid bands available, excellent clarity and seperation of instruments, sweet top end without the explicitness or slight overemphasis of some high end contenders.

Please contact us to place an order or obtain a quote on the pick up cartridge of your choice

Cartridge matching

Most cartridges will be compatible with modern tonearms even those well outside the theoretical ideal effective mass. For medium mass arms a compliance of 10 - 15 x10-6 cm/dyne is ideal.

Exchange cartridges - (your current cartridge has expired or been damaged)

If you have a cartridge that is damaged or simply come to the end of its recommended life (normaly 2000 - 3000 hours of play). There are several options.

a) Trade it in for an exchange cartridge from the same manufacturer - generaly you get between 20 to 25% of the value of the cartridge you send in, offset against the cost of the new cartridge whether it''s a direct replacement or a trade up to a better model.

b) Purchase a new stylus - this is usually only a small saving on an exchange cartridge and not worth it in our view unless your cartridge is very new and only has a bent cantilever. The reason is that once a cartridge has had a lot of use the inside gets gunged up with debris. Most companies do not offer a new stylus option.

c) Purchase a new cartridge - this is often the best option. Cartridges are advancing in quality steadily and older designs are sometimes poor value in comparison even on an exchange basis.

d) Get the cartridge repaired or retipped by a specialist company - this option will usually be a minimum of £150 but often seems very attractive for more expensive cartridges. It should be carefully noted however that you are highly unlikely to get back a cartridge close to the original. The parts used in rebuilds are rarely from the original manufacturer or of the same specifications. For this reason it is a slightly dubious path although some owners have been pleased with the results. Retipping can be worthwhile providing the catridge insides can be cleaned thoroughly and the cantilever suspension is still in good condition. We provide no further advice on this subject so please do not ask us, neither do we give out the names of companies that offer this service for various reasons.