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Infinity, where are you getting your info about carts ? 'Coz the info you just posted is very VERY wrong man ...
Ok, here goes:
The Shure M44-7 are turntablist / scratch carts and are basolutely the best ones in that field ... no other carts come even close if turntablism is your thing. They require extremely low pressure (about 3 grams for scratching, 1.5 - 2 grams for mixing) and they are suspended extremely soft, so they track very good. On the other side, they don't sound as good as carts designed specifically for mixing, and they are quite fragile, so try to be careful when handling them. Also, their needles need to be replaced a little more often than some other brands.
There are Shures made for mixing, but they don't sound as great as some other carts on the market (keep on reading ...)
Stanton ... hmm, I don't know what to tell you about them. I used to have a pair of Stanton 500 AL II carts and I was quite happy with them (for starting out, that is). They did require quite a bit of pressure to stick in the groove consistently when back-cueing (about 3-4 grams, depending on the record) and they sound quite o-tay. Their main advantage over the other needles is their price - you can get a pair of 500 AL II for less than you would pay for a single high quality cart.
The higher-range Stantons ... well ... a lot of people will probably disagree with me, but I think they are absolute crap. I had the chance to use them at several clubs as well as at the record store and I must say that they have performed way below my expectations - especially the Trackmaster II SK. They kept jumping, especially when back-cueing and generally wouldn't behave properly ... it was horrible ! At the end I ended up setting the tracking to over 4 grams (which would eat records like crazy in everyday use) ... If you still want to go with them, here's the lowdown : Groovemaster have an elliptical stylus - meaning, they (are supposed to) sound better than the spherical, but they are more fragile, don't track as good and wear out the vinyl faster. Trackmaster Roger Sanchez is a hybrid between the normal trackmaster and the elliptical stylus from the Groovemaster ... Trackmaster II SK has a spherical needle - which doesn't sound as good as elliptical, but can stand more abuse, tracks slightly better and doesn't wear out the vinyl as fast. SKs are supposed to be suitable for scratching, but not specifically designed for it ... if scratching is your thing, keep your Shures ! I-Track - the worst carts you can get, I've seen the plastic body fall apart in the middle of the mix. Very poorly constructed and very "gimmicky" like you said. Stay away from them !!! Generally, Stanton carts are WAY too overpriced for what they deliver, IMO.
Ortofon ... now we're getting somewhere! My absolutely favourite carts. No matter which model you get, they are definitely worth the money. If you aren't on a budget, I'd recommend either the DJ or Nightclub spherical Concordes. Myself, I have a pair of Concorde DJ S and I am seriously impressed with their performance. They are running with 2.25g stylus pressure without ever skipping, even on difficult and badly pressed records ! If you are just a mix DJ you don't need to worry about record wear with them (if you scratch, on the other side, Ortofons literally eat your vinyl - so again, stick with Shure for scratching !). They sound amazing, even with a spherical needle - the highs are crisp and clear, the bass is strong and pounding, mids are clearly defined. The good thing about Ortofons is that they are available in OM version too - instead of mounting them directly on the tonearm, you mount them on your headshell. They are quite a bit cheaper than the Concorde version but they deliver the same performance. The only thing is that you should know how to correctly mount them.
So yeah to sum things up, this is what I'd do if I were you:
If money isn't an issue, you should either get Ortofon Concorde Nightclub or DJ (preferably spherical, unless you absolutely positively need the best possible sound quality).
If money IS an issue, get the Ortofon OM Pro (silver). They are quite cheap, and perform way better than the Stantons, at lower cost.
Stay away from Stantons, especially the I-Track
If you want to scratch, or don't have too much money to spend on carts, stick with your Shures ! They are very good carts with good tracking and low record wear - the only thing they are lacking is sound quality (they still sound quite good though).
hope this helps
peace
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