Picked up my first TT in years so this is my first post in this forum.
I was hoping to get some info on the cartridge that came with it as well.
I picked a BIC 981 with a Shure MT500HE cartridge no styles though for $15.00 at the thrift store. I guess what I need help with is do I replace the styles or get a new cartridge all together. If I should replace any ideas as where to get one.

Thanks
Alfaman

PS was it worth $15.00 the TT is in great shape everything seems to work.

Welcome to AK Alfaman !!!

15.00 is a great price on any working TT in my book !!!

As far a the stylus/cartridge I would suggest reading this post as there are lot's of opinions on them...

Link here... (http://audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=31863&highlight=grado)

Good luck and welcome backt to Vinyl !!! :yes:

Nice catch. Not all BIC 'tables are created equal, but some are actually pretty nice. If you need any original parts, there is a very reliable shop out on Long Island that is well-stocked.

Seth
Forever Analog

The last stylus Shure listed as compatible with your cartridge was the N97ED, which they list as now discontinued and no longer available. There are after-market styli which you could fit to it; LPGear has an N97Ed replacement for about $45.00.

I would recommend a new cartridge for which original equipment styli are still available. I used to have a BIC 960 (a step down from yours), and my favorite cartridge for it was the Stanton 680EE. I did try some of Stanton/Pickering's higher-priced models, but the BIC didn't seem able to extract better sound quality from the more expensive cartridges, so why pay more?

The currently available Stanton 680 HiFi replaced the 680EE and looks to be very similar (though sadly, no more dustamatic brush). If you can't find it locally, it is available for about $70.00 from several vendors (Needle Doctor, KAB, J & R Music World, etc.). Of course, as Mike pointed out, there are lots of opinions about cartridges.

Thank you all for the guidance. After reading through the post I went with shure M97xE for $63.00 with free shipping. I wanted to go with Grado black but the tracking issues and humm were to concerning.

alfaman