The P-Mount owners club

Bourbon

Bourbon

Drinkin' and dreamin'
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P-mount cartridges get a bad rap. However, some of these carts perform quite well. This thread is dedicated to those p-mount carts that are surprisingly good - or bad.

Feel free to list the p-mounts that you own, the stylus/styli that you use with it/them, and the table that you have or are using. Hopefully, others might read this and add one or two to their collection.

I'll start: I've got a pair of Technics SL-MA1 tables. One is a convertible and uses both standard and p-mount carts. The other is a more common p-mount only table.

On these tables, I use a few different cartridges:
1. Pickering XL-33U. It's an outstanding cartridge with the Stereohedron styluys, and is easily my
favorite...so far.
2. Technics P23 with a hyperelliptical stylus that I picked up from LP Gear. It's the cart I go to when I move
away from the Pickering.
3. Grado Blue/8MZ stylus. I like this combo, but have found that I prefer the sound of a different cartridge with the stylus.
4. ADC PSX-40. I didn't even know I owned this cartridge until a recent thread sent me scurrying for my
collection of turntable parts. I just ordered a pair of PSX-30 styli for it, and have yet to receive them.

That's my meager collection to this point. Please add your own.
 
Technics SL-QL1 linear tracker, given to me by an older brother. It has a Technics p22 cart, and from the sound of it, needs a new stylus. Right now it is not in any sort of rotation but am keeping it should my older Technics SL-1401 have some sort of breakdown.

I wouldn't mind finding a decent cart for SL-QL1 in the near future so am interested in what others have in experience with p-mount carts, particularly for linear trackers.
 
I started my p-mount collection by acquiring an example of all the early Shures. I created a thread documenting the LT Shure cartridges here:

http://audiokarma.org/forums/index....eries-cartridge-photos-specifications.546746/

Since then, I have collected over 60 T4P cartridges by AT, Shure, ADC, Empire, Grado, Pickering, Stanton, Sony, and Technics. I will add the list to this thread after I update the list.
 
I don't know much about them but it seems to me that they should perform better than a standard mount cartridge. There is less mass at the business end of the tone-arm, fewer connections and preset alignment.

I wonder if the "bad rap" received is because they were used in lower end turntables of the 80's when vinyl was on the decline.
 
Decibel_116 said:
I started my p-mount collection by acquiring an example of all the early Shures. I created a thread documenting the LT Shure cartridges here:

http://audiokarma.org/forums/index....eries-cartridge-photos-specifications.546746/

Since then, I have collected over 60 T4P cartridges by AT, Shure, ADC, Empire, Grado, Pickering, Stanton, Sony, and Technics. I will add the list to this thread after I update the list.
Click to expand...

That would be great. I've got Shure M91ED and M95 carts...but I don't have a Shure cart in p-mount. I'd like to find one if it's reasonably priced - but I don't know which one to look for. I can't wait for your input.
 
malden said:
I wonder if the "bad rap" received is because they were used in lower end turntables of the 80's when vinyl was on the decline.
Click to expand...

I don't know a lot about them either, but I definitely subscribe to this theory.
 
Shure p-mounts? They're fun because Shure made it easy for us. Except for the V15 models, their p-mount bodies are essentially the same-- they're all M95ED/M97EDs-- so you can buy any non-V15 body, from either the LT series of Era IV or the M92E's relatives from Era V. Shure tried to sow fear, uncertainty and doubt by tossing out bushels of p-mount model names and prefixes, but the bodies were the same. I finally got bored measuring them.

Once you have a body, the trick then becomes finding a good stylus; the really good ones are all out of production. But we know that the aftermarket seems to've caught on to the Shure way of doing things well enough to come up with some really good-sounding generics. The Shure way, in the good old days, included a round-shank nude-mount diamond, a soldered tie wire and a telescoped cantilever. You won't get the nude diamond, but you should look for the other two-- in my experience, they're likely to have a bigger impact on the sound.

Generic or genuine, I'd recommend getting a stylus shaped in the Era IV style, which looks kind of like a fat upside-down letter T; this kind will fit nearly everywhere:
M94LT starter in an M35X body.jpg
The Era V style, typified by the M92E, isn't so universal and won't fit many Era IV bodies-- or M35X bodies, for that matter.
 
I gave a Technics DD table with a new AT cart on it to my dad, and I have one at my cottage up north. They're great, reliable workhorses and sound pretty good. Model of cart escapes me but it's the common elliptical from AT that comes in a blister pack and includes the awful standard mount adapter.
 
000_0789.jpg

All p-mounts, many with original styli, LOTS of AT's, Shure's, Stanton's, Pickering, ADC, Ortofon, Grado (BLECH!!!), Technics and an old 'Red Ed', of which I just ordered a hyper-elliptical for. I have spare styli for many as well (like that Empire 875-XLT, which is a hard one to find now). All have their own individual sound. While I do have a couple conicals and .003 ellipticals, most are "HE" or above (line contact, shibata, ect.) however.
 
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Bourbon said:
That would be great. I've got Shure M91ED and M95 carts...but I don't have a Shure cart in p-mount. I'd like to find one if it's reasonably priced - but I don't know which one to look for. I can't wait for your input.
Click to expand...

Here's a way to get a good p-mount cheap (other than the AT-92e anyway). Find a used Shure p-mount body (there are a LOT out there cheap - $10-15 dollar range), and pop a LP Gear N97xE replacement on there for $40 (https://www.lpgear.com/product/SHN097xSE.html). It outperforms the original Shure stylus ($62) too.
 
Bourbon said:
That would be great. I've got Shure M91ED and M95 carts...but I don't have a Shure cart in p-mount. I'd like to find one if it's reasonably priced - but I don't know which one to look for. I can't wait for your input.
Click to expand...

FYI

The Shure Encore Me75P is quite good. :)
 
Let's see, I have my SL-MA1 set up at work and my SL-M3 running at home. I have a few other Technics T4P turntables in storage such as an SL-Q5 and an SL-BD22, and both the SH-90S and SH-80S T4P headshells for use with my SL-1700Mk2 which needs a new cuing belt at the moment.

Currently, the MA1 has a moving iron ADC SER-IV (PSX-40) and the M3 has a cross-coil low output moving coil Sony XL-MC3X.

This list of T4P cartridges only includes ones for which I have a working stylus. I've got several more duplicate T4P cartridge bodies without a stylus to call their own.


Dynavector DV-10P (HOMC)

Grado Silver

Sony XL-MC104P (HOMC)
Sony XL-MC3X (LOMC) in SH-4P plug in head shell

Sumiko Andante P-76
Sumiko Blue Point (HOMC)

Nagatron IMS P-2000
SONUS PME .2/NE
Empire 195LT with S485 stylus
Empire RM95GT with S100S stylus
Azden YM-P20E
Empire 205LT
Tonar 611BE
Pfanstiehl MG-29P

Marantz CTS-151
Marantz CTS-551

ADC SER-IV with PSX-40 stylus
ADC SER-III with PSX-30 stylus
ADC PSX-20
ADC PSX-10
ADC XT-I (underweight RiverTone, long story)
ADC XT-IV

Ortofon X3-MCP (HOMC)
Ortofon X1-MCP (HOMC)
Ortofon TM with 10 stylus
Ortofon OMP with 10 stylus
Ortofon 320
Digitrac 200NE

AT AT231LP
AT AT201EP with 211EP stylus
AT DR400E
AT 2002
AT TR485U with 152LP stylus
AT LS580/LT with 122LP stylus
AT SLT88E
AT SLT88E with gray RS 'E' stylus

Stanton L720 with D71EE stylus
Pickering TLE
Stanton L747S
Stanton L727E with D74S stylus
Pickering XL-28U with DTL2 stylus
Pickering XL-33U with DTL-2S stylus
Pickering TL series (black) with DTL2 stylus
Stanton L837S with D80S stylus
Stanton L680EL
Stanton L500AL

Shure V15LT
Shure DT25P with N94LT stylus
Shure VST-III-P with N104E stylus
Shure HA95E
Realistic/Shure RXT5 (with brush)
Shure MP94E
Shure MP94 with N110E stylus
Shure M92E

Techincs P24 with JICO SAS
Technics P23
Technics P153S
Technics EPS-310MC (LOMC)
 
As promised, here is the list of my current collection of P-mount type cartridges along with a list of my T4P tonearm equipped turntables. If anyone needs photos of any particular cartridges for ID purposes, just let me know. Sorry for the long post. Am I "in the club" now?

Turntables: Technics SL-7 (2), SL-QX-200 (2), SL-QX-300, SL-Q30, SL-QD-33

Shure LT Series (Era IV). These have the keyhole style stylus grips.

V15LT - P-mount version of the V15 Type IV w/aluminum telescoped cantilever. Makes an excellent pairing with the SL-7 turntable both of which I purchased new in 1981 - one of my all time favorites.
M97LT - I have both versions of this stylus for this body with the original telescoping cantilever and the newer versions without (made in Mexico)
M96LT
M94LT
M92LT
Others with this same style of stylus grip.
DTP-25 (same cartridge body as the M94LT with a bonded elliptical stylus w/gray grip) NOS (never used)
DTP-35 (same cartridge body/stylus as the M97LT) (NOS stylus)

Shure - later style with the larger stylus grip and some with the damping brush

M110HE - I have several of these with NOS styli and one new in the box. One of the better mid-grade Shures with a nude hyper-elliptical stylus
M111HE - I also have a couple of these, one new in the box and also several of the N111HE styli. High quality hyper-elliptical nude mount stylus AND the damping brush!
M105E
M104E - New in package
M92E
PRO-8 - appears to be the same as the M104e
1000E
1200HRP
RX3P - Realistic branded version of the M104E made for Radio Shack - New in package
RXT5 - Realistic branded version of the M104E with the damping brush added made for Radio Shack - New in package
RXT6 - Realistic branded version of the M104E with the damping brush added made for Radio Shack - New in package

Audio Technica (early style metal body). All of these with the exception of the MC AT-312 will accept the ATN-152LC stylus w/beryllium cantilever and nude line contact diamond.

AT-155LC/U - One of the best-sounding/performing cartridges I own. Gold body color.
AT-312ep LC OFC - Moving coil cartridge (I don't have much information on this one yet)
LS-480/LT
SLT-88E
TR485U
Signet TK2ep
Signet AM10p
Realistic RX1500 - made for Radio Shack (.3 x .7 mil elliptical)

ADC

PSX-30 - New in package
PSX-40 - Titanium cantilever w/nude special elliptical diamond - one of my personal favorites

Pickering

XL33-U - One of my favorite cartridges.
TL-3 w/ 3DTL stylus (2) - Gold body

Sony

ND-MC2E with SH-4P Head Shell (allows this plug-in style LOMC to mount on a P-mount tone arm). I love the sound of this cartridge. It works particularly well in my SL-QX200.
ND-MC1E

Stanton

737S - D73S stylus - Another favorite. Very similar in sound to the Pickering XL33-U

Grado

XF3

Technics

P24, P28, P33

Ortofon

OMP 5E, OMP 10

Empire

480LT
 
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