Boboli, Benz Ace, Denon Dl304 (And An Absent Oc9) Do The Biz

[Paiboon Pokpoon]

I've tried the Denon DL-304 and Benz ACE SL. Both of them are superb budget cartridges and look attractive too. I also want to try the Bluenote Boboli but don't know where to obtain it at a good price. As for the OC9, its current version is OC9/MLIII, which is, IMO, no longer friendly to consumer's wallets (usually sold at US $6xx on eBay).

[bubba45]

To add a bit more to this my ATOC9ML II arrived yesterday. Set it up last night ad staright out of the box and wow!! fantastic. All the detail you get from the AT Micro Line stylus but a much more rounded sound.
The AT 440MLa (of which I am a fan) needs very careful arm matching otherwise it can be harsh and bright.
But this OC9 is different again. Superb.

Gents I got mine from here:

http://www.lpgear.com/product/ATC01.html

Including postage to UK, Import duty and handling charge - £230. Absolute bargain for the performance you get. A few hours play and I can see its excellent value and only going to get better and better.

Guys you oughta get one. Really you should.

[satanfriendly]

Very nice choice Bubba and glad to hear you're enjoying its virtues. Great price as well. I bought my ex OC9 from LP gear when I was in the US working and the dollar to pound was favourable.

I think 13oots will agree with your comments, he seems happy enough with the one I sold on. I found it very unfussy to set up, nice n easy. Some people don't like it, but I remain a big fan.

If you look towards the US there are some great bargains to be had in comparrison to what we pay in the UK. My second hand Benz was ex States side and like you, by the time I'd paid tax etc it was half what we'd pay here.

I now have a pair of speaker outrigger/stands ex USA on their way being as I found it so easy to bring the cartridge in.

[bubba45]

I was surprised at the ease of set up for an ML stylus, the AT440 can be a bit fiddly but this took me about 20 minutes all told. The DL304 took me bloody ages to find the sweet spot
Of the 2 the DL304 is more to my liking but its almost all down to the broader soundstage on the Denon.
There wasn't a huge difference in price between the 304 2nd hand and the OC9 brand new which makes the OC9 MLii the better bargain if both were at barnd new price IMHO.

Both lovely carts though.

P.S. If I was to buy either an OC9 MLiii or a 304 brand new I'd choose the Denon DL304 I think. Most people who have had an OC9 MLii & MLiii apparently find there isn't much difference and never mention the soundstage as being any better.

[RED_One]

I know about the torch needed but ..

To help my set up I've started using a clip-on 50 watt halogen spotlight - clipped to a camera tripod so I can adjust height & angle as well as position of the light itself - leaves all hands free

[Paiboon Pokpoon]

To add a bit more to this my ATOC9ML II arrived yesterday. Set it up last night ad staright out of the box and wow!! fantastic. All the detail you get from the AT Micro Line stylus but a much more rounded sound.
The AT 440MLa (of which I am a fan) needs very careful arm matching otherwise it can be harsh and bright.
But this OC9 is different again. Superb.

Gents I got mine from here:

http://www.lpgear.com/product/ATC01.html

Including postage to UK, Import duty and handling charge - £230. Absolute bargain for the performance you get. A few hours play and I can see its excellent value and only going to get better and better.

Guys you oughta get one. Really you should.

The price is very good, though I feel rather surprised to see it still sells at this price. If so, I think I'd better get one soon.

[bubba45]

I've found the weakness of the ATOC9 MLII and the Denon DL304......They make sh**t quality pressed LP's sound.......Well......S**t.

I'm not saying other (lesser quality) carts I've used could polish a t**d but they didn't highlight how bad some pressings are quite as much as these 2 do.

These 2 carts do cut through crackles and pops and signs of age but they really do show up the difference in quality of vinyl pressings and are quite unforgiving in that respect.

Luckily it's only about 1 in 10 LP's so far.

God they track like nothing else though. I have a couple of rare(ish) LP's with some ssssssibilance especially on the inner grooves, but there is very very little distortion when using the 304 and OC9.

They're still delighting me and getting me to want to play all my vinyl all over again. Sublime little hobby this.

[nabil]

My trust OC9-ML/ii is up for sale. I recently purchased a Denon DL-S1 so the Audio Technica has to go. As has been offered here the OC9 is a wonderful cartridge. Please check the vinylengine for sale area if you are interested.

Bill

[abril]

I've found the weakness of the ATOC9 MLII and the Denon DL304......They make sh**t quality pressed LP's sound.......Well......S**t.

Ah

But when you get a really great recording/pressing boy is it sublime

[bubba45]

Absolutely Abril.
Both carts are magnificent with a good quality pressing. An absolute joy. As you say sublime.

Also both carts seem to explode the myth I have oft heard repeated that 180g vinyl will beat thinner everytime.

They both just briiliantly give you everything thats there on the vinyl no matter the thickness and really show up where an LP is lacking.

[abril]

Also both carts seem to explode the myth I have oft heard repeated that 180g vinyl will beat thinner everytime.

Agreed - some of my best recordings are early seventies on RCA 'Dynaflex' -

and you can't get much more scrawny than that

[bubba45]

I have a Nina Simone and a Jose Feliciano LP on Dynaflex and apart from the old 45 EP's you once got free with music mags, they are the 2 thinnest, flimsiest, wobbliest LP's I have put on a TT. Both sound great.

The RCA Dynagroove stuff is not so good though.

Just playing Bowie's Young Americans on a very thin piece of RCA vinyl (not Dynaflex) and sounds spot on, lovely bass etc etc.

Another Audio Technica MC offering I like is the AT F3. I think it's their bottom of the range MC. I bought mine as a 2nd hand lightly used offering and for the money, even brand new, its damn good. Sells for about the same as a 440MLa and TBH I'd go for the F3.

Tracks as well as the 440ML, good detail retrieval, nice tight bass - (greater depth than the 440MLa but not as much as the OC9 or DL304) and can be used with Phono stages like a CA640P. Where it definitely betters the 440MLa is that it doesn't have the propensity to shrill at the top end extremes. Much easier on the ear in that respect.

Got mine on a Jelco 250ST / JVC QL-70 / Achromat at the moment and right now its keeping me smiling, foot tapping, singing (thank god I live alone) and most importantly just really enjoying listening.

It just isn't anywhere near the DL304 or OC9 though. They are something else.

[satanfriendly]

Agree totally with your thoughts about the ATF3. The old ATF5 was my first ever moving coil adventure well in the past and I hung on to it for some 20 years I was so impressed. Great (and overlooked) cartridges.

Nice to hear your thoughts about the OC9 and 304 still being positive.

As for your 1 in 10. You need to try the Benz ACE to destroy those figures again. If the Glider is presumed a step forward again I wouldn't want to touch it in fear that I won't have a collection worthy of playing.

[bubba45]

Hi SF

I'm keeping a watchful eye out for a Benz. They appear to have a very good reputation and get recommended in the price range quite often. Will need to be a 2nd hand cart.

Not so sure I want anymore of my record collection relegated to the s**t heap yet though. I'm going to keep one of my decks set up with a more forgiving cart like the AT F3 so I can still play them. But its not the same.

I see you're going Idler Drive for your next experiment / project?