Review of Rondo Red

[skularatna]

I've found this online:

http://www.superfi.co.uk/index.cfm/page/moreinfo.cfm/Product_ID/2755 a considerably good price for a moving coil? But I cant find the review on this site?

Can someone point me to the lnk. Also my preamp is a cambridge Azur 640P. If I were to get this MC would my Azur be sufficient. It can switch between MM and MC

 

[floyd droid]

Google rondo red review mate, its out there. I would web trawl harder if i were you in regards to the price

 

[skularatna]

The cheapest ive found is £359 but will look for cheaper, only thing is can I use it with my Project Genie III also will my Azur 640P switched to MC have enough voltage and load impedance to handle this ?

 

[floyd droid]

Its just registered what deck you have. In my honest opinion mate just get a 2m red, that will do ya. Spend the rest on albums.

 

[skularatna]

Appreciate the feedback I heard hte moving coil picks up detail not heard in MM and i have a pretty good ear playing live music and all and Ive have a lot of jazz and classical vinyl and there is certain lack, i.e i can hear some detail that i hear in live performances. I can afford upto £400 and the rondo red is an entry level MC. ?

 

[floyd droid]

Its your money my friend, and there are loads of carts out there that will bladder the rondo at or around that price point, but you will not be getting the best out of it with your setup.

Can a diplomat step in here please.

 

[chebby]

A £400 MC on a £150 turntable is a bit a__ about face.

You will get better results with a £150 cartridge on a £400 turntable.

A bit like why a humble Ford 1600CC engine works well in a Caterham 7 whereas a Ferrari engine dropped into a Ford Focus would be a disaster.

 

[John Duncan]

Here I am! Putting a Rondo Red on a Genie would be like putting Bugatti Veyron tyres on a 2CV, and wondering why it was still sh-t at going round corners.

A moving coil cartridge is a delicate instrument, and needs a stable platform for it to give of its best. Bearing in mind that I once gave a presentation on the physics of turntables in which I equated the job of a turntable's cartridge to trying to cut your fingernails with a chainsaw stuck on the end of twenty drinking straws whilst standing on a washing machine on spin cycle, might I respectfully suggest that a Genie, whilst fabulous for what it costs, is not that stable platform.

 

[John Duncan]

(ooo jinx on the car analogies chebs)

 

[chebby]

I did a presentation on cartridges once as well!

I equated it to superglueing a diamond the size of the Empire State building upside down to a cantilever made of 10 Supertanker hulls welded end to end and scraping the whole thing down Cheddar Gorge at mach 3.

 

[John Duncan]

chebby:
I did a presentation on cartridges once as well!

I equated it to superglueing a diamond the size of the Empire State building upside down to a cantilever made of 10 Supertanker hulls welded end to end and scraping the whole thing down Cheddar Gorge at mach 3.

Which is probably more accurate, technically, but I could only get hold of a chainsaw at short notice.

 

[skularatna]

I see your point my friend, I guess i was being overly keen. So What would be the best cartdige to go form. Are there moving coils in the range of £150 or a bit more? that would work well with my genie?

 

[skularatna]

or should I stick with MM? I'm just not overly keen with the cartridge supplied. Certain records like Queen absolute greats seem to lack detail in the vocals?

 

[John Duncan]

Stick with moving magnet. And I'd second the suggestion above that a 2M Red (£50 or so) is about the limit of what I'd use on a Genie. if you want to use a moving coil cartridge, I'd say you need to upgrade your turntable to something like a Rega P3-24 or Pro-ject RPM5.2.

 

[chebby]

Going from your previous posts (and this one) you have a budget af around £400 for a cartridge and a Genie III that is only a week or so old.

Is it possible to go back to your turntable 'purveyor' and exchange the Genie for a £400 turntable and pay the cash difference?

If so, then (in theory) you will have enough left over for a fine MM cartridge like the Ortofon 2M Blue.

 

[skularatna]

Thanks. Maybe some day ill be able to afford a turntable with MC. 2M it is . Can you confirm that it is worth it. The ortofon site says that it will pickup detail in the records.

 

[John Duncan]

The 2M is a good cartridge yes - certainly better than the OM3 that comes with the stock genie. Note that a price search suggests it costs nearer the £65 mark though.

 

[skularatna]

Yep I believe I have seen it for £65 on superfi. The 2m blue is around £125? should I go for that instead or is that not suitable for this genie?

 

[John Duncan]

That's starting to push it, so I'd stick with the Red to be honest - any more and you'd be better off upgrading your turntable.

 

[skularatna]

Cool. Thanks. Think I'll be placing an order for the 2M. Really appreciate your feedback. I must say I hardly listen to CD now. And with the 2M im guessing I prob wont ever again.

 

[chebby]

skularatna:Thanks. Maybe some day ill be able to afford a turntable with MC. 2M it is . Can you confirm that it is worth it. The ortofon site says that it will pickup detail in the records.

The Ortofon 2M Red and 2M Blue cartridges are superb.

I used both on my old Rega P2...

And this is the reaction from a WHF forum friend who has it now....

http://community.whathifi.com/forums/t/349735.aspx

(He thinks it sounds better than his Rega Saturn CD player.)

 

[John Duncan]

chebby:I used both on my old Rega P2...

Albeit a somewhat better turntable than the Genie (IMO)

 

[plastic penguin]

ClearAudio Classic Wood cartridge works very well with budget Pro-ject decks. The only real snag with this cartridge is it has doubled in price since I've had mine. It cost me £110 three years ago....

 

[floyd droid]

Ah ,so back to the red it is. Chebby , john, thanks chaps. I could feel my not so subtle head coming on hence the call out,as you may have sussed.

Cheers guys.

 

[skularatna]

thanks for all the help. BTW just read the review for Goldring 2500 once again im guessing that's for a more higher end turntable?