Audio Technica / Stanton HiFi cartridges in Canada

cryogenie · **Posted:** Fri Mar 04, 2011 6:44 am

Hi All.
I find it amazing that with the vinyl resurgence happening (CTV has a news story on it tonight), the Canadian Distributor for AT and Stanton products is refusing to import their HiFi cartridges for the Canadian market. This means no retail availability of 681EEE and AT95e / AT120e / AT440MLa cartridges. Does anyone know if any (local GTA) retailers are importing them themselves?
`

QuadESL63 · **Posted:** Fri Mar 04, 2011 8:46 am

cryogenie wrote:

Hi All.
I find it amazing that with the vinyl resurgence happening (CTV has a news story on it tonight), the Canadian Distributor for AT and Stanton products is refusing to import their HiFi cartridges for the Canadian market. This means no retail availability of 681EEE and AT95e / AT120e / AT440MLa cartridges. Does anyone know if any (local GTA) retailers are importing them themselves?
`

Just get it online. I bought my AT150MLX from Japan via eBay...

OBI56 · **Posted:** Fri Mar 04, 2011 8:53 am

LP Gear and Needle Doctor also carry them at competitive prices. Check first to see if thy are authorised to sell them into Canada (I know that they are not allowed to sell Ortofon to Canadian customers)

banerjba · **Posted:** Fri Mar 04, 2011 8:57 am

OBI56 wrote:

LP Gear and Disc Doctor also carry them at competitive prices. Check first to see if thy are authorised to sell them into Canada (I know that they are not allowed to sell Ortofon to Canadian customers)

LP Gear sent me an Ortofon 3 weeks ago....

OBI56 · **Posted:** Fri Mar 04, 2011 9:02 am

banerjba wrote:

OBI56 wrote:

LP Gear and Needle Doctor also carry them at competitive prices. Check first to see if thy are authorised to sell them into Canada (I know that they are not allowed to sell Ortofon to Canadian customers)

LP Gear sent me an Ortofon 3 weeks ago....

Good to know Babi, Needle Doctor didn't want to send me an OM-10 a few weeks ago due to a dispute with Ortofon's canadian distributor.

rocker77 · **Posted:** Fri Mar 04, 2011 9:47 am

Doesn't surprise me but still amazes me.
Best ecconomy right now and still not recognized as a potential cash cow for international distributors.
I also had to import my Audio-Techica AT-33PTG direct from Japan. Took me 6 months to track one down.

banerjba · **Posted:** Fri Mar 04, 2011 9:50 am

OBI56 wrote:

banerjba wrote:

OBI56 wrote:

LP Gear and Needle Doctor also carry them at competitive prices. Check first to see if thy are authorised to sell them into Canada (I know that they are not allowed to sell Ortofon to Canadian customers)

LP Gear sent me an Ortofon 3 weeks ago....

Good to know Babi, Needle Doctor didn't want to send me an OM-10 a few weeks ago due to a dispute with Ortofon's canadian distributor.

I waited for weeks for my local shop to get one but they could not. I usually buy Ortofons in Canada.

Old Rusty · **Posted:** Fri Mar 04, 2011 12:08 pm

Been thinking of ordering an AT95E from this cat in Germany:
http://cgi.ebay.ca/Audio-Technica-95-E- ... 5d283668f5
Seems like a smokin' deal.

banerjba · **Posted:** Fri Mar 04, 2011 2:33 pm

Old Rusty wrote:

Been thinking of ordering an AT95E from this cat in Germany:
http://cgi.ebay.ca/Audio-Technica-95-E- ... 5d283668f5
Seems like a smokin' deal.

He's got the best prices I've seen. Good chance to try a classic AT. I've had a bunch of them. No magic but good solid performer with no nasties. Always got good service out of my ATs

Weirdness · **Posted:** Fri Mar 04, 2011 3:04 pm

The AT33PTG is a fantastic cartridge--mine had an unfortunate accident with the stylus but I miss it all the time. Not sure if I'm going to have it re-tipped or if an AT33EV or AT33PTGII is the way to go but I would imagine that unless you are spending serious cash it is a tough one to beat.

I am using a Shelter 501 II now and it would still be sitting in its box if the AT33PTG was functional.

J&R Music in the US has the AT33EV for $399 but the shipping is UPS only and I believe $50 to Canada which stinks but even so it's a great value.

It's always interesting to see some of these opportunities being passed by.

banerjba · **Posted:** Fri Mar 04, 2011 4:08 pm

Weirdness wrote:

The AT33PTG is a fantastic cartridge--mine had an unfortunate accident with the stylus but I miss it all the time. Not sure if I'm going to have it re-tipped or if an AT33EV or AT33PTGII is the way to go but I would imagine that unless you are spending serious cash it is a tough one to beat.

I am using a Shelter 501 II now and it would still be sitting in its box if the AT33PTG was functional.

J&R Music in the US has the AT33EV for $399 but the shipping is UPS only and I believe $50 to Canada which stinks but even so it's a great value.

It's always interesting to see some of these opportunities being passed by.

I would love to try one. It looks like one of the old SIgnet designs. How does it sound on your table?

2bornot2b · **Posted:** Fri Mar 04, 2011 5:41 pm

Go here http://www.globalsemi.com/catalog.aspx? ... bsection=7

Global Electronics is on Timberlea in Mississauga..I was there this past Wednesday and was looking through their catalogue while waiting to place an order..I asked about the AT cartridges.They do indeed have them.

tubeornotube

cryogenie · **Posted:** Fri Mar 04, 2011 7:31 pm

I know they're available on-line, but I've always preferred dealing locally, especially if by any chance it ends up being defective. I needed something today so I picked up an Ortofon 2M Red. At least I can go back to the same store to get a stylus when I need one, but it wasn't my first choice since I had my heart set on an AT (95e or 120e).
It just irks me that that the distributor is turning their back on a whole market here and completely ignoring the HIFI market. Basically the entire budget cartridge market here is owned by Ortofon, Grado and Shure. I like a little more choice than that.

banerjba · **Posted:** Fri Mar 04, 2011 8:36 pm

cryogenie wrote:

I know they're available on-line, but I've always preferred dealing locally, especially if by any chance it ends up being defective. I needed something today so I picked up an Ortofon 2M Red. At least I can go back to the same store to get a stylus when I need one, but it wasn't my first choice since I had my heart set on an AT (95e or 120e).
It just irks me that that the distributor is turning their back on a whole market here and completely ignoring the HIFI market. Basically the entire budget cartridge market here is owned by Ortofon, Grado and Shure. I like a little more choice than that.

Nagaoka and Sumiko are also available. I am especially fond of the Nagaoka MP series.

Are you not loving the 2M Red? I run that series on three of my main tables. They are not warm anD euphoric but the best sounding of the modern budget series cartridges that I have tried.

Stark · **Posted:** Sat Mar 05, 2011 1:18 am

rocker77 wrote:

Doesn't surprise me but still amazes me.
Best ecconomy right now and still not recognized as a potential cash cow for international distributors.
I also had to import my Audio-Techica AT-33PTG direct from Japan. Took me 6 months to track one down.

There is one of these on Audiogon right now for $600, appears the new 33PTGII is a shadow of the original model driving the price of the original up.

Audio Technica / Stanton HiFi cartridges in Canada

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