HiFi Subjectivist ¦ Audio Forum ¦ NVA User Group

What is the best tonearm mc cartridge combination with this deck. I am using the Docs Phono 1 M.C. through the NVA P50sa and NVA A60mk2.
The cartridge I am using is the Denon 301 mk2 my current arm is an old hadcock GH 228.
Your thoughts would be very much appreciated. Thank You.

Id look at something like the audio technica at f7 moving coil for that arm, compliance is a little higher than usual and the hadcock is fairly light low mass

Cheers will check it out and see if I can get one cheap.

Answer would probably be a Swedish Analogue Technologies arm and Ortofon A95 - but you would hardly put that lot on a Gyro. I suppose the stock upgrade might be an SME 309 and AT ART 9. Would certainly work nice. Frankly I would upgrade to an Orbe first. Despite misleading information there is a big difference between Gyro and proper Orbe (not adding just the platter). For Hadcock maybe stick to MM. The Music Maker 2 has long been the most common recommendation but maybe for less a Nagaoka MP500.

Dont really want to go down the MM route I like the detail I get from MCs, thanks for the advice though.
I have thought about going down the SME309 route, as far as the Orbe goes that would be one upgrade to far for my misses, she would notice straight away.I have never heard of the Swedish Analogue Technologies arm, so will check it out. Thank You.

Swedish Analogue Technologies that is wayyyyyyy to much to pay for a tone arm. The doc meantion a RB200 the other day in one the articles on here has anyone used it on a gyrodec. I used to have the RB300 but always felt there was something missing from the music. The hadcock is a lot more musically but with grand kids running around, I fear the it may get damaged.

It is R200 = Rega 200 made in Japan. RB300 = Rega 300 made here, the B is for British. the problem is the Rega British ones are crap in my opinion unless you get a highly selected one like the bigger numbers, and they cost. I have said why I think it is crap and bad engineering many times and it is the archive here. Apart from failed bias belts the R200 is a bargain even though the prices are going up.

Imo the hadcock is better than the r200. I have rebuilt and used a few r200s so i know it inside out. And the hadcock too, ive used one recently. However, the r200 would be a better match to most mc carts as it is medium mass. And it sounds good. I just wouldn't right off the hadcock just for the sake of a change. I wouldn't have an rb arm thrown at me now having had a 251 for a long time, modded it, tried everything to get it to sound how I wanted, and failed.
I agree with Richard that the rb series was not a better arm than the r series arms they replaced

Thanks for the replys guys its given me food for thought. If I need any more answers I know who to speak to. Cheers.

The R200 has an 'SME-style' (Ortofon?) headshell on it and this fitting is a blessing or curse depending on whom you speak to. The Hadcock was a badly finished abortion of a thing that fell apart when first taken from its packing box (in the late 70's KJ days before Rega came to my horizon, I set up dozens of the effin' things), BUT, the effort in re-constructing and setting them up was amply rewarded as the sound quality was superb with many cartridges including Deccas..

The F7 is a great £200 worth and it's well enough optimised. You should be able to use it in almost anything I reckon. You'll have something called 'highs' that I often find less evident in a DL103 with conical tip - cough... and tracking should be better too if that matters