Shure M447 vs. Ortofon OM Qbert !!

So these are two very good DJ cartridges/needles. The Shure M447 is legendary and has been a mainstay for turntablism DJs for a long time now. It’s knack for holding the groove is the stuff of legends and it’s proven it’s worth at many a DJ competition throughout the world. The Ortofon OM Qbert is not as old and storied as the M447, but it’s no slouch of a DJ cart itself. When I first got a set I didn’t set them up properly and thus they seemingly didn’t perform as well as my M447s. However, if you secure them to the headshell deathly tight, calibrate your tonearm weight properly, they will hold that groove just as good as the Shure M447. Now spec wise, in terms of output, the OM Qbert is a “louder” cart at 10-11mV compared to the M447s 9mV. That difference is really negligible, especially when you’re running it on Phono output. To me the key difference between these two carts, is the needle cutout on the OM Qbert, and lack thereof on the M447. When you’re using analog vinyl, it’s hard to see the groove you’re dropping the M447 needle into. With the OM Qberts, when looking down on it, you can see exactly which groove you’re dropping the needle into, which during fast and furious mixing, can be a lifesaver. Now I’ll be honest, with the M447, you eventually get a feel for where the needle is on the stylus head, so it’s not THAT big of a deal. For a new DJ not used to either though, I’d say the OM Qbert will be easier to work with analog vinyl on. The Shure M447 cart is discontinued, as is it’s needle, but Jico makes great replacements for the M447. They sell a version with the “guard” on it and it looks just like the original. The OM Qbert still has needles being produced by Ortofon. The only other worthwhile note is that the M447 with Jico stylii is set to track at about 4 to 4.5grams whereas the OM Qbert gets down at 3g. That means that the OM Qbert will be a lot easier on your vinyl in the long run. At the end of the day it’s a matter of preference and really what you like looking at on your decks. Do you like the flatter, fatter look of the M447 with it’s guard hovering over your spinning vinyl, or do you like the sleeker look of the OM Qbert and the ability to see the groove you’re dropping into very easily? Either one will work well for playing music or turntablism. It’s harder to find a Shure M447 at a decent price these days. Right now they are going on Amazon.com for $300+ dollars and ebay isn’t much better. You can get lucky at times and find a steal for some, but you gotta keep an eye out. The OM Qberts are at $79 no matter where you go, so that’s another thing to keep in mind. Good luck and happy Djing!