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I have been Djing for about 10 years now. I've used all kinds of dj needles, Shure's 44mv, Ortofon DJS, Stantons Groovemasters, and few others, none of these compare in sound quality to the Audio technica ATP-2XN. The vocal are clear and crisp, the highs are precise and the lows are not muddy or boomy at high levels at all. These needles come highly recommended for anyone that just listens to music for quality and for any DJ that wants durability and sound quality.
As on the Whitelabels, the ATP was also often balanced slightly to the right. It is not as refined and transparent as the Ortofon, neither does it have the bloom in the low end. This may be the cause of the tracking problem on my arms. The cart body is better shielded than the Grado DJ200i, but is not as immune to EMI as the 680, WL, or NCE. Contact hum, which occurs when the needle simply touches the record, completely went away with record motion. The 2xN does not backtrack as well as the 680HP, WL, or NCE. It is better at suppressing pops & ticks, even more than the spherical diamond on the WL.
The turntables must be totally isolated from vibration or bounce. Its compliance is lower, so it needs higher mass on the tonearm than does the ELII. For the price of a single Ortofon Nightclub E replacement styli, this setup contains an entire cartridge and one extra needle. This is fairly amazing considering the mid-compliance suspension that is barely into the upper limit of what all the DJing arms can handle without needing any extra downforce to compensate for bass breakup. It is likely a result of the tapered, low-mass cantilever. So some power supplies, such as those on CD players, may introduce hum if too close. In contrast, the bassy & rolled-off 680HP tracks well but needs over 3 grams and a high mass tonearm. It's not a forgiving cart, so without properly matched phono stages and set-up, it could come off as dull, dry, harsh, narrow, or lumpy.
The upper mids are also quite pronounced and lacking in that liquid quality. If you want more bloom in the low end, more transparency, better cueing, and don't mind the price or FIM distortion, then the NCE is worth purchasing.just remember it's even lower compliance and definitely does need 3-3.25 grams for both the bass and highs. It's optimal tracking force is 2-2.25 grams, though, not 3-5. I have verfied this with test records and real time spectrum analysis where it gets near perfect FIM distortion, only bested by Grado, 500Emk2, 680EL, and certain hi-fi tips. If you want more prominent upper mids, a cleaner sibilant range, or want to spend more money on records, the ATP-2xN is hard to beat if you have a careful hand and a rock-steady surface. The Shure Whitelabels would be somewhere in the middle of the continuum of tone, tracking, price, and distortion, needing 2.5 - 3.25 grams depending on manufacturing inconsistencies in tips.
My preference at 1.5 grams continues to provide accurate tracing of groove modulations. This cartride arrived as Original Equipment with the Audio-Technica AT-PL120 Professional Direct-Drive Turntable from Amazon. The.4 x.7-mil elliptical tip does provide outstanding performance without the extra mass improving the tracking ability of the stylus assembly, and extends frequency response. I purchased an additional cartridge due to past experiences with reductions in sound quality over time. The recommended Tracking Force of 3-5 grams appeared to be for those who DJ. Essentially, it is tough as nails, and yet provides a well-balance feminine touch on the vinyl.
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