My Best DJ Needles for Club DJs

The best DJ needles for club DJ are compiled right here at the DJ equipment Guide.

If you read my reviews on DJ needles then you have some idea of what to look for when you shopping online for the best ones. Here is an excerpt from that review.

The diamond stylus spherical DJ needles are for scratching and club/dance because they have the highest skip resistance and generally a higher output based on their application. The reason is that they stay in the groove of the record better than elliptical DJ needles.

Ellipticals DJ needles are built for home and Hi-Fi systems where playback is its sole purpose. No back cueing or scratching or in a place where it can get bumped. Usually elliptical needles have a lower tracking force which is easy on your vinyl and has a truer playback sound to the original recording.

Here are some definitions to some words you may encounter in your search for needles and cartridges.

mV (Decibel millivolts) - In this case you need to get the highest mV or millivolts possible because it produces a higher output for better sound. Take special attention to the resonant sound. Choose teh best DJ needle with low resonant sound and a flat frequency response. This reduces ear fatigue.

Tracking Force - This is the force or pressure that is exerted on the vinyl itself when being played. The more force that is applied the faster your vinyl will wear out. Set the tracking force according to the manufacturers' guidelines that comes with your DJ needle.

Cantilever - This is simply a tube that is attached to a magnet on one end and the diamond stylus sits on the other end. When the groove of the record plays against the stylus the signal is sent through cantilever to the magnet. The thinner the cantilever the better the sound quality. From there the electrical signal is sent through wires to your amplifier then to the speakers and viola! Sound!

These three things are very important if you want the best DJ needles. You are looking for a good a high mV, good tracking force that will go easy on your vinyl and a cantilever that offers good signal from the diamond styli to the magnet. Only the best DJ needles have these components.

I took a long hard look online and asked some friends for extra advice. Remember to follow the manufacturers' guidelines when installing your DJ needles.

Here are my top picks for the best DJ needles for club DJs specifically.

The Ortofon Concorde Pro S Cartridge.

Make sure you use your 5% ASCAP discount. Don't know how? Click this ASCAP link to find out.

Ortofon Concorde Pro S Cartridge Black

Let's look at why Ortofons are one of the best DJ needles for club DJs.

Ortofon stresses the same three components I mentioned above for a high quality and rugged DJ needles.

Their best DJ needles are made to withstand the nightly abuse of scratching and back cueing. Their DJ needles have high mV's and cantilevers that are reinforced with aluminum. Aluminum is a strong light weight medal so it reduces the overall weight of the cartridge which in turn allows them to make needles like the Ortofon Concorde Pro S Cartridge with a higher tracking force.

For those of you who are interested in the technical stuff on Ortofon needles here you go.

TECHNICAL DATA	CONCORDE PRO S
Output voltage at 1000 Hz, 5cm/sec.	5 mV
Channel balance at 1 kHz	2 dB
Channel separation at 1 kHz	20 dB
Channel separation at 15 kHz	15 dB
Frequency range at - 3dB	20-22.000 Hz
Frequency response	20-18.000 Hz + 3 / - 2 dB
FIM distortion at recommended tracking force, DIN 45.542	< 1%
Tracking ability at 315Hz at recommended tracking force	7 0 µm
Compliance, dynamic, lateral	7 µm/mN
Stylus type	Special
Stylus tip radius	R 26 µm
Equivalent stylus tip mass	0,5 mg
Tracking force range	3,0-5,0 g (30-50 mN)
Tracking force, recommended	4,0 g (40 mN)
Tracking angle	20°
Internal impedance, DC resistance	750 Ohm
Internal inductance	450 mH
Recommended load resistance	47 kOhm
Recommended load capacitance	200-600 pF
Cartridge colour, body/stylus	Gold/Gold
Cartridge weight	18,5 g
Replacement stylus unit	Pro S

It will run you about anywhere from $90 - $120. Get the Ortofon Concorde Pro S Cartridge.

Next for the best DJ needles for club DJs is the Stanton 680HP MP4.

Stanton 680HP MP4 Matched Pair Cartridges and Flight Case

Stanton Magnetics Inc. was established in 1946 and actually owns several companies under the Stanton Group name: Coemar USA, Inc.

Coemar.it

Flex-World

KRK Systems, LLC.

Pickering

Final Scratch

Cerwin-Vega

Stanton's best DJ needles have been a staple of most club DJs for mixing and dance music. It hasn't changed in years and provides for some of the best sound you can get out of a DJ needle for club DJs. It's been called one of the best DJ needles for mixing and club use. It has extra dB's for that extra kick and its special suspension design has improved stability for those unforgiving unexpected bumps. It holds steady just as intended.

Take a look at the specs. Be prepared to spend between $129 and $169 per pair.

TECHNICAL DATA	Stanton 680HP MP4
Stylus Type:	Spherical .7 mil Super High Polish
Tracking Force:	2 to 5 grams
Frequency Response:	20Hz to 18kHz
Nominal Output:	7.0mV
Channel Balance:	2dB
Channel Separation:	30dB
DC Resistance:	1300 ohms nom.
Inductance:	30 mh nom.
Cartridge Weight:	6.3 grams
Replacement Stylus:	D6800HP

The final choice for the best needles for club DJs is the most expensive one by Ortofon. Like the old adage goes you get what you pay for and this model has the best of all the requirements I mentioned at the opening of this review with the exception of it being an Elliptical style. There are exceptions to the rules and this in my estimation is one of them.

It's the Ortofon Concorde Elliptical Cartridge

Ortofon Concorde Elliptical Cartridge with Extra Stylus Gold

If you want the best in resonance, tracking and overall performance then look no further. This is one of th ebest DJ needles. Even for me it's a bit over priced at up to $270 for each cartridge and as low as $199. I had the pleasure of trying them out and they are amazing. I wish I owned a pair but for the studio work I do they're really out of place. I'll just stick to my Shure M44-7H's thank you very much.

To read my review on the Shure M44-7H, click here. This is one of the best DJ needles you can get.

Here are the specs. For lowest price I could find on the Concord Elliptical Cartridge, click this link.

TECHNICAL DATA	CONCORDE DJ E
Output voltage at 1000 Hz, 5cm/sec.	6 mV
Channel balance at 1 kHz	2 dB
Channel separation at 1 kHz	23 dB
Channel separation at 15 kHz	15 dB
Frequency range at - 3dB	20-22.000 Hz
Frequency response	20-20.000 Hz ± 2 dB
FIM distortion at recommended tracking force, DIN 45.542	< 1%
Tracking ability at 315Hz at recommended tracking force	80 µm
Compliance, dynamic, lateral	9 µm/mN
Stylus type	Special elliptical
Stylus tip radius	r/R 13/25 µm
Equivalent stylus tip mass	0,6 mg
Tracking force range	2,0-4,0 g (20-40 mN)
Tracking force, recommended	3,0 g (30 mN)
Tracking angle	20°
Internal impedance, DC resistance	750 Ohm
Internal inductance	450 mH
Recommended load resistance	47 kOhm
Recommended load capacitance	200-600 pF
Cartridge colour, body/stylus	Blue/Blue
Cartridge weight	18,5 g
Replacement stylus unit	DJ E

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My Best DJ Needles for Club DJs

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Stanton 680HP MP4

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