What are you playing with your Shure M3D cart today?

illinoisteve

Super Member
The Shure M3D came out about 60 years ago, at the dawn of the stereo LP era, and even though original Shure styli for it are very hard to find, some good sounding generics are still available, and those of us who appreciate this cartridge keep playing records with it.

I've just been playing an LP of Gene Mayl's Dixieland Rhythm Kings performing selections by Isham Jones and Jimmy McHugh. They play old hot jazz numbers with a distinctly Chicago (or upper Midwestern) style, and the M3D doesn't miss a lick of it.

What are you playing with your M3D? And feel free to tell about what kinds of records this classic cartridge seems to like best when heard on your system.


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Dave Brubeck, Bossa Nova USA. Dave just sounds so ALIVE with this cart! Funny, I had just dropped the needle and started rocking my three year old to sleep when I saw this thread. Rufus and I always listen to the M3D at naptime, usually Chet Baker Sings- it just sounds right. Rudy's almost too big to rock but he loves his music time with me and my old stereo and the M3D.
 
I'm not listening to it right now but the last disc I had on it was this Gene Ammons.

Gene Ammons - Blue Gene & Thorens TD-134 by Buhduh, on Flickr

I've put the Td-134 (I saved it seconds before it went into a recycling bin) aside for now while I replace the RCA cables and perhaps build a new plinth. It sounds pretty good as is with what might be an original stylus. I reduced VTF from the 5 grams it was at to about 3.5. However I might soon be running it at 2 grams with the replacement stylus I just got from VOM. It might have been his last too as I see it is out of stock now. It's a 3 digit Pfanstiehl package 757-D7 and says it tracks at 1.5 to 2.5 grams. Also as you see it is packaged in the little pill style capsule.

Shure N21D stylus replacement by Buhduh, on Flickr
 
Shure M3D Stereo Dynetic Cartridge; the world’s first moving magnet stereo hi-fi cartridge (1958)
Channel separation: over 20 dB
Frequency Response 20 to 15,000 cps
Output Voltage per channel at 1000 cps: 5 mv
Recommended Load Impediance: 47k ohms
Compliance: 4.0x10-6 cent. per dyne
Tracking Force: 3 to 6 grams
Inductance: 420 millihenrys
DC Resistance: 280 ohms
Stylus: N3D: .0007 inch radius
Price: (1964) $12.00

For wider frequency response, higher compliance and lower tracking force, use the N21D stylus.
A mellow sounding cartridge with emphasis in the mid-range frequencies. I need to turn up the treble for a balanced sound.
 
Shure M3D Stereo Dynetic Cartridge; the world’s first moving magnet stereo hi-fi cartridge (1958)
Channel separation: over 20 dB
Frequency Response 20 to 15,000 cps
Output Voltage per channel at 1000 cps: 5 mv
Recommended Load Impediance: 47k ohms
Compliance: 4.0x10-6 cent. per dyne
Tracking Force: 3 to 6 grams
Inductance: 420 millihenrys
DC Resistance: 280 ohms
Stylus: N3D: .0007 inch radius
Price: (1964) $12.00

For wider frequency response, higher compliance and lower tracking force, use the N21D stylus.
A mellow sounding cartridge with emphasis in the mid-range frequencies. I need to turn up the treble for a balanced sound.
I think it was the second in the US, the first in the US being Shure's own integrated arm/ cartridge. The design was licenced from ELAC Germany, so I suppose they were world's first.
 
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Great to see the responses to this thread starting!

A little earlier in the day I was playing Buffalo Springfield's "Last Time Around" album (1968), a record with some distortion from wear and the fact that I had some pretty crappy equipment the first couple of years I had the record, and it was amazing how the M3D's conical needle smoothed out the raspiness of those worn grooves. Now listening to a Tony Bennett album that I just picked up. It's not going to be one of my favorites of his albums, because of the less-than-jazzy song selection, but Tony's voice comes through very lushly with the M3D.
 
I think it was the second in the US, the first in the US being Shure's own integrated arm/ cartridge. The design was licenced from ELAC Germany, so I suppose they were first.

So the question would be whether ELAC had only designed it, but not yet brought it into production yet, by the time that Shure had both licensed it and started selling the cartridges.
 
Correct, let me find some stuff. Brb.
From Shure's website:
1958: Shure introduces the M3D stereo Dynetic Cartridge. It is the world's first moving magnet stereo cartridge and features stereo channel separation at 1,000 Hz of 20 dB or better.

Maybe Elac's had separation less than 20 dB...
 
From Shure's website:
1958: Shure introduces the M3D stereo Dynetic Cartridge. It is the world's first moving magnet stereo cartridge and features stereo channel separation at 1,000 Hz of 20 dB or better.

Maybe Elac's had separation less than 20 dB...
It's common knowledge that Shure acquired rights from ELAC, I dunno if Shure actually marketed before ELAC. Anyway, afaik, that's the ELAC patent application drawing.
 
Not the first moving magnet cartridge, but the first STEREO moving magnet cartridge.
Question: what is the minimum separation between channels to qualify as Stereo?
I'm guessing Shure is claiming the M3D is the first moving magnet cartridge that met the technical definition of "Stereo".

1958
The M3D Phonograph Cartridge is the world’s first cartridge to successfully meet performance requirements of stereo recording.
 
It's possible that Shure was in communication with ELAC when/ before the design was submitted to the patent office in 1958. The design nonetheless is ELAC patent.
 
Did everyone notice now I skirted the issue of whether it could be called the first by saying that it came out at "the dawn of the stereo LP era"? I don't mind the debate and investigation continuing here, but let's not forget to tell what you are playing with your M3D in the process. :)
 
Did everyone notice now I skirted the issue of whether it could be called the first by saying that it came out at "the dawn of the stereo LP era"? I don't mind the debate and investigation continuing here, but let's not forget to tell what you are playing with your M3D in the process. :)
Mine hasn't seen service since I acquired it over 2 decades ago with a couple older Pickering's and some other stuff.
 
Love the hell out of my Shure M3D/N3D on my red/white/gray Garrard Type A and mono Fisher receiver. Sam Cooke's Night Beat...Pithecanthropus Erectus by Mingus...Pet Sounds/Beach Boys...any Stax LP...it's like I'm right there at that glorious point in time.

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I bought my first M3D in the mid 1970's and in the late 70's upgraded to the V15 Type lll but I still use the M3D in my Rek-O-Kut L37
 
My Rek-O-Kut L37 with Shure M232 tonearm and M3D cartridge with JICO N3 stylus....

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...playing one of my favorite Funkadelic records, "Free Your Mind And Your Ass Will Follow"
 
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