for those of us that don't have big money

hifitommy

Well-Known Member
i use regularly, my MMT arm which isn't in the elite but is still a damn good arm. i also have in reserve, a grace 707 which also proved to be fairly good if not in the same class as some used here like the point 4, sindre, graham, and others.

the cartridge that is probably my best is the FR1mkIII, i also have an oc9II, a stanton 881s, grace f9e, atML170/150 (the 150 stylus was purchased before they were all gone, the 170s were).

whereas i would love to have a cadenza black or a Kontrapunkt b, that hasn't happened due to financial constraints. are there any out there that have tried the quintet series? the hana seems like a good bet too. low output variety please.

i love to read about the a95 and a90. a friend has an Anna on his Basis tt/arm. still, i would be nice to hear from those who don't go to the stratosphere.
 

Barry2013

VIP/Donor
Oct 12, 2013
2,305
487
418
Essex UK
Have a look at the Origin Live tonearms. Sensibly priced at all levels with very good reputations.
I had an Encounter which I was very pleased with and then upgraded to the Conqueror which many regard as outstanding in that price range and I agree.
 

miniguy

Well-Known Member
Dec 18, 2013
437
168
350
San Diego area
Have a look at the Origin Live tonearms. Sensibly priced at all levels with very good reputations.
I had an Encounter which I was very pleased with and then upgraded to the Conqueror which many regard as outstanding in that price range and I agree.

I second the recommendation for Origin Live arms, and TTs for that matter. Hard to beat the Sovereign TT for considerably under 10K.
 

bonzo75

Member Sponsor
Feb 26, 2014
22,442
13,471
2,710
London
i use regularly, my MMT arm which isn't in the elite but is still a damn good arm. i also have in reserve, a grace 707 which also proved to be fairly good if not in the same class as some used here like the point 4, sindre, graham, and others.

the cartridge that is probably my best is the FR1mkIII, i also have an oc9II, a stanton 881s, grace f9e, atML170/150 (the 150 stylus was purchased before they were all gone, the 170s were).

whereas i would love to have a cadenza black or a Kontrapunkt b, that hasn't happened due to financial constraints. are there any out there that have tried the quintet series? the hana seems like a good bet too. low output variety please.

i love to read about the a95 and a90. a friend has an Anna on his Basis tt/arm. still, i would be nice to hear from those who don't go to the stratosphere.

Hana SL and Art 9 are excellent for the price. A95 is better but relatively you have to pay much more
 

Barry2013

VIP/Donor
Oct 12, 2013
2,305
487
418
Essex UK
No problem Tommy.
My mistake.
Dynavector have been my preferred MC cartridges and have long been tempted by a Decca MM but never quite succumbed.
 

RaceDoc

Well-Known Member
Sep 11, 2017
34
25
125
Germany
Hi hifitommy,

I am not 100% shure what you mean with a "MMT" tonarm. I guess that you mean a
Sumiko MMT which is a Jelco derivate including a SME headhell mount.

So my favourites for this arm under 1k are:

Ortofon SPU #1E
TAD Excalibur black (similiar to the Hana SL but with mounting threads)
Ortofon Quintet black

The first is the most "musical", the last ist the most "neutral one.
 

RaceDoc

Well-Known Member
Sep 11, 2017
34
25
125
Germany
Hi hifitommy,

I am not 100% shure what you mean with a "MMT" tonarm. I guess that you mean a
Sumiko MMT which is a Jelco derivate including a SME headhell mount.

So my favourites for this arm under 1k are:

Ortofon SPU #1E
TAD Excalibur black (similiar to the Hana SL but with mounting threads)
Ortofon Quintet black

The first is the most "musical", the last ist the most "neutral one.
 

gian60

Well-Known Member
Apr 17, 2016
2,503
1,943
343
I listen and sound very well THE WAND,unipivot arm from New Zeland
The PLUS model cost in Italy 1.200 euro and 1.500 the 12"
The MASTER model cost 2.150 euro and 2.750 the 12"

IMG_1841.jpg
IMG_1840.jpg
IMG_1839.jpg
 

hifitommy

Well-Known Member
racedoc, yes, the Sumiko premiere MMT designed by Fletcher (?) is what i have and yes, it is a jelco derivative. perhaps even just a rebadged jelco. so about Fletcher, not actually sure about that. does anyone have knowledge about how jelco emerged. the dual pins on the headshell strike me as great engineering.

i too am a fan of Ortofon cartridges. the Kb for instance. at LAAS 2017 the Gamut room (one of the best in the show for me) used a Cadenza Black which never once sounded wrong. my first orto was a mc200 that i got in a lot purchase of it and the T20 tx4mr, Stanton 881s, at170ML, and a Krell mc cart:

https://www.google.com/searchq=krel...#imgdii=09YYxgoIEhfSDM:&imgrc=9zVVBYM7fstewM:) the owner wouldn't relinquish the billet box for the Krell at the price i paid for the lot.

anyway, the mc200 was a REALLY good cartridge and when i loaned it to my friend, he got a strong hankering for a more current model. the Kontrapunkt b ws it and i fell more deeply in love with the Ortofons.

the MMT is mounted n a sota sapphire which was a rather ubiquitous combo that punches way above its weight. the Sumiko (jelco) and its variations (zupreme etc) are frequently recommended by me to replace the workhorse headshell in the market: the technics and other single pin shells. there are many out there that are worthy contenders like the Orsonic and Ortofon (i kind of think the wood ones will do nicely) and too many to list.

although Brooks Berdan (deceased) objected to detachable headshells and preferred one-piece models like the Rega and SME, i feel the MMT allows enough passage of info to be more than acceptable. the difference between cartridges is immediately discernable. i certainly have enough engineering savvy to understand his stance, i just feel the need to be able to readily swap from one cart to another as i have several mounted and ready.
 

Solypsa

Well-Known Member
Jun 7, 2017
1,811
1,399
275
Seattle
www.solypsa.com
I'm biased, since I am their USA dealer, but Sensitive Sound offers two models at very reasonable prices. Really really good, if you can handle typical lomc output levels.
 

twitch

Well-Known Member
Jun 17, 2010
594
236
1,605
SE Pa
Like Tommy , I too am interested in any feedback on the Hana's.....
 

bonzo75

Member Sponsor
Feb 26, 2014
22,442
13,471
2,710
London
It's a very good cart for the money. Neutral, detailed, you can play orchestral, only when compared with the expensive carts they will b do the same attributes better but if someone does not want to spend the Hana can be quite satisfactory. But then you pay a bit more and you get EMT TSD, so dunno the difference. And Decca is same price
 

asiufy

Industry Expert/VIP Donor
Jul 8, 2011
3,711
723
1,200
San Diego, CA
almaaudio.com
This looks like an exceptional line (Hana). We just got offered the line, and it seems it's going to be an easy decision :)


cheers,
alex
 

About us

  • What’s Best Forum is THE forum for high end audio, product reviews, advice and sharing experiences on the best of everything else. This is THE place where audiophiles and audio companies discuss vintage, contemporary and new audio products, music servers, music streamers, computer audio, digital-to-analog converters, turntables, phono stages, cartridges, reel-to-reel tape machines, speakers, headphones and tube and solid-state amplification. Founded in 2010 What’s Best Forum invites intelligent and courteous people of all interests and backgrounds to describe and discuss the best of everything. From beginners to life-long hobbyists to industry professionals, we enjoy learning about new things and meeting new people, and participating in spirited debates.

Quick Navigation

User Menu

Steve Williams
Site Founder | Site Owner | Administrator
Ron Resnick
Site Co-Owner | Administrator
Julian (The Fixer)
Website Build | Marketing Managersing