Stanton L720EE Phono Cartridge : Product of the Day 3, 2010
Stanton L720 EE P-Mount/Universal Cartridge
Jerry at Jerry’s Records (see my tour of Jerry’s) first clued me in on this one. He uses Stanton cartridges on the turntables in his store, and the music playing throughout it certainly sounds good. Kevin at KAB Electro Acoustics is a big fan of Stanton as well. I have a Technics SL-MA1 turntable that needed a new P-Mount cartridge and I had planned on spending much more, but decided to try the Stanton before laying out a few hundred for something fancier. Boy, am I glad I did as the Stanton sounds simply great on the SL-MA1! I like it much more than the Grado Black I evaluated not too long ago and consider the Stanton the best buy going in a low-priced P-Mount cartridge. Absurdly low priced, in fact!
Adapter is visible in bottom of blister pack
The Stanton L720EE is a P-Mount cartridge that is supplied with a universal adapter for use on any turntable using a standard 1/2 inch mount. I recommend you stick with P-Mount applications for this one, and get a different cartridge if you are using a standard mount as some performance is lost when using the adapter.
L720EE mounted on my SL-MA1
How does it sound? Smooth, with a touch of warmth and good balance… all in all, a pleasant listen. Bass is nice, tight and well-controlled and high frequencies are rolled off just a little bit. Though the sound is very good and excellent for the price, it isn’t what you would call a high-resolution cartridge. For example, when I play Xanadu from Rush’s Exit: Stage Left you can hear the crowd cheering between Geddy Lee singing “Xan-a-du…” and the synthesizer kicking it. When I use my Pro-Ject RM-5 with Blue Point No. 2, the cheering crowd is rendered very clearly and distinctly,with a sense of space. With the L720EE the crowd is a bit muffled and recessed. Comparing a $1,000 setup with the L720EE is not exactly fair, though. If you want that kind of resolution from vinyl you can get it, but it can be expensive. For what this cartridge costs, it’s great and if you want to put an old P-Mount turntable back into action you will be very happy, especially at the going rate, which makes it practically a giveaway.
The Stanton L720EE sells for only $44.95 at Amazon. You would be better off surfing over to KAB Electro Acoustics though because Kevin sells the L720EE for a mere $34.95. If you have a P-Mount turntable and need a good sounding cartridge without breaking the bank… and even if perhaps you have more money… look no further. The Stanton L720EE satisfies with its clean, natural sound.
See you tomorrow for the Product of the Day!
Questions? Email Don
