A customer recently asked me this, and I thought it would be interesting to document the cartridges I’ve owned, and potentially useful for readers.
In chronological order, then, from oldest to most recent, let’s look at the cartridges I’ve owned over the years that I can remember. Note that some of them are discussed in more detail in my cartridge inspection and cleaning article, and elsewhere on the site.
| Cartridge | Notes |
| Ortofon OM-10 | Fitted to my first proper turntable, a Dual CS505-2 I bought new in 1985. These are cheap and cheerful, similar to a 2M Red now. Not very exciting, but it serves a purpose. |
| Shure M97xE | Fitted to my Kenwood KD-600, SME Series III, these are another decent, if somewhat low-resolution MM cartridge. Beautifully made and nice if you don’t care too much about the details! |
| Goldring Elite | This almost unknown gem replaced the Shure on my SME Series III. I ordered my Elite direct from Goldring UK. This is a superb-sounding high-compliance MC cartridge, a very rare thing these days. Spectacular value in my opinion, on the right arm. |
| Ortofon MC Kontrapunkt h | I bought my Kontrapunkt h new, as my first ‘serious’ MC cartridge to be fitted to my Jelco SA-750D. A gem of a cart, super smooth, neutral, and never fatiguing. The Cadenza Red is the current iteration of this great cart. |
| Fidelity Research FR-1 Mk3 * | Purchased from Japan in NOS condition, this wonderful and legendary cart spent time on my Jelco and Koestu tonearms. Another gem, not the most neutral or resolving, but a genuine high performer and superb bang for the buck. |
| Ortofon MC Jubilee | My best cartridge to that point, I bought this cartridge new and loved it for many years. This is better than everything that came before it, a true high-performer. RRP was around $3000 AUD. Brochure here. |
| Fidelity Research MC-202 * | My friend Jason gave me this lovely MC cart, in need of a re-tip. It’s a modest design but sounds lovely, though perhaps lacking the authority of the FR-1. |
| Ortofon MC A90 * | I purchased this limited edition best cartridge Ortofon made to that point, and it still sees regular service on my FR-64S tonearm. I love this cartridge. The new cost was around $4200 USD / $7000 AUD. A serious and superbly made transducer, it comfortably outperformed my MC Jubilee, which I sold. |
| Supex SDX-1100D * | My rarest and probably most valuable cartridge, the Supex SDX-1100D cost $3200 AUD in the ’80s, and yes, I’m serious. Featuring a diamond cantilever, line contact diamond stylus and ultra-low impedance, these impossible-to-find carts sound sublime, and I will never sell mine. This is at least as good as my MC-A90. |
| * I still own these models |
I followed a fairly typical improvement-focused path, starting with affordable MM designs and moving to MC carts, as tastes and equipment improved. Some folks get stuck with magnets or cheap coils, and I strongly suggest not doing that. You need the best gear to get the most out of good MC carts, though, and this is where most fall over.
I also suggest bypassing as many low-end cartridges as possible. Yes, this means spending money, but that’s part of serious turntabling. That said, pre-owned cartidges can offer superb value. Just avoid the only-50-hours ruse.
There will inevitably be questions like: “Why have you never owned XYZ?” etc. The simple answer is that each cartridge I have owned has been great in its own right; some have been best in class. I’ve fitted and listened to hundreds more, though, and there are many great cartridges that I’ve not owned. My goal is not to own everything, but to own great-sounding pieces.
This is a technical topic, requiring genuinely experienced and knowledgeable folks to assist, and they are about as rare as my Supex! Those needing advice on cartridge selection and matching, and anything turntable-related, are welcome to use our advisory service.
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