danger boy
08-16-2007, 04:46 AM
I've been wanting to try out a bit higher end cartridge and stylus on my Pioneer PL-530 turntable. I had been using a new stock $30 stylus for about 7 months now. It was ok... but I could never solve the problem with the right channel volume being a little bit louder than the left channel. It bugged the hell out of me. :mad:
So today in the mail came a Audio Technica 440MLa cartridge and stylus. Took me about 25 minutes to unwire the old cart and change the short lead wires and put in the new one. Yeah, i know.... i'm slow.. but my big manly fingers made it a little tough to get those tiny wires properly installed. But i got er done. :D
I popped it on the S shaped tone arm and I put on a little Dire Straits.. Brothers in Arms :D :D :D
Wow.. what a nice jump up in sound quality over the OEM stylus... I think changing out the 4 very thin lead to the cart really help out a lot too.
The highs are much better now.. bass is about the same. I'm hearing of course as expected.. much more out of my albums than I ever have. The soundstage widened too. I could swear that on some songs that the sound stage is so wide, that it's sort of like listening to SDA's. I kid you not.
I am very impressed with this cartridge and now I have a better appreciation for this turntable. I know it's not a Rega or a Music Hall or any of the really expensive ones.. but any little improvement I can gain from just changing out one small item.. instead of buying and swapping out this or that component and not gaining the same improvements in sound quality... well, this was a no brainer.
Here are a couple pics of the Audio-technica cartridge in action
So today in the mail came a Audio Technica 440MLa cartridge and stylus. Took me about 25 minutes to unwire the old cart and change the short lead wires and put in the new one. Yeah, i know.... i'm slow.. but my big manly fingers made it a little tough to get those tiny wires properly installed. But i got er done. :D
I popped it on the S shaped tone arm and I put on a little Dire Straits.. Brothers in Arms :D :D :D
Wow.. what a nice jump up in sound quality over the OEM stylus... I think changing out the 4 very thin lead to the cart really help out a lot too.
The highs are much better now.. bass is about the same. I'm hearing of course as expected.. much more out of my albums than I ever have. The soundstage widened too. I could swear that on some songs that the sound stage is so wide, that it's sort of like listening to SDA's. I kid you not.
I am very impressed with this cartridge and now I have a better appreciation for this turntable. I know it's not a Rega or a Music Hall or any of the really expensive ones.. but any little improvement I can gain from just changing out one small item.. instead of buying and swapping out this or that component and not gaining the same improvements in sound quality... well, this was a no brainer.
Here are a couple pics of the Audio-technica cartridge in action