Al ears
Well-known member
Nah, might as well go the whole hog and get the MP500..... sorted for life
Al ears
Well-known member
I always said wives and turntables should never be in close proximity..... along with small children and dogs.....
EricLeRouge
Well-known member
Regarding the original question, I can say that I have installed a Quintet Black on a Rega (P9/RB900) for almost two years. I had to use spacers (at least 2mm, I think it's worth trying 4mm, 3mm would be ideal).
So if this is any indication for you, the result is simply stunning in terms of imaging, depth, dynamics, etc, so much so that most standard LPs sound like 45rpm pressings, lots of dynamics. In some ways, it's like looking at a movie in 4K, or through clean glasses — Well, some people would say maybe too much detail and dynamics, in a way, and I think it may produce listening fatigue after some time.
As a disclaimer, however, my phono preamp has automatic loading (Audiomat Phono 1.6) so it may be that you can adjust the loading in a more subtle or precise way with your Graham Slee (never had one).
I hear some people say that in Ortofon lines, the 'bronze' model is usually the best compromise in terms of imaging/musicality and from a price/performance ratio, so in any event I would probably extend to the bronze if your budget can be stretched a bit.
Before the Quintet Black, I had the 2M Black for 2 or 3 years, and it was a very good compromise in terms of detail, musicality, etc, but some people call it too 'polite', and say that for the same price you can get better alternatives, but I am not knowledgeable enough about other brands. Anyway the 2M line works great with a Rega table, and does not require a spacer.
Before that I had Clearaudio cartridges all the way to Virtuoso, and I think they are a cool choice, but nowhere near the Quintet in terms of detail and dynamics.
Even before that I had a Rega Exact, which I did not like and would not recommend.
I have had two Rega Elys, and I really enjoyed the cartridge, I still have one installed on a Thorens TT, and I think it's a great all-rounder, probably underrated by many.
Anyway, long story short : I love it the combination of Quintet and Rega, have a lot of fun with it and never tire of discovering new things in my records, but my next cartridge will probably be warmer, or cooler, depending on the choice of words you want to use.
I hope this helps. Have fun.
So if this is any indication for you, the result is simply stunning in terms of imaging, depth, dynamics, etc, so much so that most standard LPs sound like 45rpm pressings, lots of dynamics. In some ways, it's like looking at a movie in 4K, or through clean glasses — Well, some people would say maybe too much detail and dynamics, in a way, and I think it may produce listening fatigue after some time.
As a disclaimer, however, my phono preamp has automatic loading (Audiomat Phono 1.6) so it may be that you can adjust the loading in a more subtle or precise way with your Graham Slee (never had one).
I hear some people say that in Ortofon lines, the 'bronze' model is usually the best compromise in terms of imaging/musicality and from a price/performance ratio, so in any event I would probably extend to the bronze if your budget can be stretched a bit.
Before the Quintet Black, I had the 2M Black for 2 or 3 years, and it was a very good compromise in terms of detail, musicality, etc, but some people call it too 'polite', and say that for the same price you can get better alternatives, but I am not knowledgeable enough about other brands. Anyway the 2M line works great with a Rega table, and does not require a spacer.
Before that I had Clearaudio cartridges all the way to Virtuoso, and I think they are a cool choice, but nowhere near the Quintet in terms of detail and dynamics.
Even before that I had a Rega Exact, which I did not like and would not recommend.
I have had two Rega Elys, and I really enjoyed the cartridge, I still have one installed on a Thorens TT, and I think it's a great all-rounder, probably underrated by many.
Anyway, long story short : I love it the combination of Quintet and Rega, have a lot of fun with it and never tire of discovering new things in my records, but my next cartridge will probably be warmer, or cooler, depending on the choice of words you want to use.
I hope this helps. Have fun.
Last edited:
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