Cartridge for Shure M7DM?

SchweinHaus

Well-Known Member
Hey gang,
I just picked up an old TT and I was thinking of repairing it or parting it out.
I noticed the cartridge is an M7 DM, and I've heard good things about this cartridge.
I'm sure the stylus is uber shot and I want to replace it. What would be the right call? I'd running it on a Elac Miracord 40A. Is it a cartridge worth putting the effort and money into?
Bonus points given for a link to an online source.
Thanks!
 
Do a search for the Shure M3D. Everything that has been said about the M3D applies to the M7D (the M7DM is the same cartridge as the M7D). They use the same stylus.

The best stylus for the M3D and M7D (and M8D) was the light-tracking N21D. It was actually better in the M7 body than in the M3 because the M3 rides lower and sometimes its "belly" would rub on the record. Problem is that the N21D is no longer made by Shure and most aftermarket "N21D" are actually aftermarket "N3D" which track heavier and are made with a cantilever stamped from sheet metal, instead of the N21D's tubular aluminum cantilever which is lower in mass and more rigid. The tubular one costs more to make, and "the cheap way out" is what most aftermarket stylus makers follow. If you can find a genuine Shure N21D stylus at a reasonable price, it should be a sterling performer in your M7DM, though it still would have a spherical stylus (it dates from before ellipticals).

And don't anybody go suggesting JICO. They don't make anything close to a genuine Shure N21D, only the inferior N3D design.
 
M3

Another cart. for your museum. There are better for all the work to get it up and running. I use mine to clean out pops and clicks on old unplayable lp's. I load the head with 25 grams and play the offending LP once. It has worked on some. Not on others. Usually gets the LP to play a little better but not a miracle worker.

M7 good for that. Played on an old Sony TT.

Paul
 
Do a search for the Shure M3D. Everything that has been said about the M3D applies to the M7D (the M7DM is the same cartridge as the M7D). They use the same stylus.

The best stylus for the M3D and M7D (and M8D) was the light-tracking N21D. It was actually better in the M7 body than in the M3 because the M3 rides lower and sometimes its "belly" would rub on the record. Problem is that the N21D is no longer made by Shure and most aftermarket "N21D" are actually aftermarket "N3D" which track heavier and are made with a cantilever stamped from sheet metal, instead of the N21D's tubular aluminum cantilever which is lower in mass and more rigid. The tubular one costs more to make, and "the cheap way out" is what most aftermarket stylus makers follow. If you can find a genuine Shure N21D stylus at a reasonable price, it should be a sterling performer in your M7DM, though it still would have a spherical stylus (it dates from before ellipticals).

And don't anybody go suggesting JICO. They don't make anything close to a genuine Shure N21D, only the inferior N3D design.

True, the Jico stylus for the M3D cartridge is not a N21D, they don't claim it to be. Their stylus is labeled "N3" and like the original Shure N3D, it tracks between 3 and 6 grams. I disagree with the assumption that the N3D is inferior to the N21D. This is an apples and oranges comparison. The N3D was designed for tonearms that were available during that era. The N21D was developed for the Shure M212/216 tonearms that required a lighter tracking stylus.

In my opinion, the N21D stylus would be a waste in the M3D cartridge body. There are numerous options for cartridges that track under 3 grams that would sound better than the M3D. For me, the M3D is still relevant for heavy tonearms that require a stiffer stylus suspension, like the Jico "N3", which, by the way, sounds just as good as the original N3D.
 
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And that EVG/JICO stylus sounds quite excellent.

That said, NOS N21Ds are available, hidden in plain sight, if one knows what to look for. The clues are buried on this site.
 
And that EVG/JICO stylus sounds quite excellent.

That said, NOS N21Ds are available, hidden in plain sight, if one knows what to look for. The clues are buried on this site.

So has enough time gone by for a few more clues:D?
 
Gary at VM has aftermarket styli for M3Ds and M7Ds. The .7 mil conical is the one for Lps and 45s. He lists it as by Duotone, not EVG. Somebody else might have the EVG version. Note, importantly that the EVG he lists a 3 mil for 78s only.

I don't know the value of an M7D exactly, but quite recently an M3D without a stylus sold on 'bay or about $125.00. I had seen $90 before, but that did surprise me a bit.

Here's that link to the VM page, but do check around for others:
http://www.thevoiceofmusic.com/cata...Type=MfgNameNeedles&MfgName=Shure&Categories=
 
Greetings all.... Stumbled on this old thread and in fact I too am searching for a stylus for the Shure M7DM. I have been sending out feelers to folk asking for info on the Shure M70-M because my stupid bifocals did not pick up that after the M7 it was a D and not an O. :)

Anyway, I just got a console that is sporting the Garrard 88 mkII and the stylus is shot. I am absolutely utterly out of my league in any of this and would like some help. I do not have any 78's or 45's. The turntable would need too much work to get it back to auto dropping records on the platter so I am sticking with playing 33 speed albums. However, some of the albums I have date back to the 60's so the vinyl in my limited collection seems to all be of a different consistency.

Please, since the last response to this thread in Sept of 2015.... can someone spell out what stylus I should use for the Shure M7. Thank you for your time!
 
Thank you sooooo much! But....just a warning. That was my first question of 3,212,456 to come about my Stromberg-Carlson and Garrard 88
 

Their "Description" of the stylus is confusing:

"Shure N3D Type Needle

if chosen, the OEM option is a genuine Shure N3D needle. The Shure N3D is the needle with the "fat" cantilever. The obsolete N21D is the needle with the "skinny" cantilever.

Shure M8D & needle
install literature here.

• Replaces: Shure needle N3D N7D N8D (Direct replacement for N21D)
We only offer the Shure N3D model. The Shure N7D, N8D & N21D models are obsolete.
• Used In: SHURE M3 M7 M7-21 M8 M21 M22 Series"


as is their "Specs"

• "D7" =Diamond 0.7 mil conical tip needle.
• 16 or 33 or 45rpm
• NOT for 78rpm (unless you choose that option above)
• 1.5 - 2.5 grams tracking pressure. - N3D 3-6 grams tracking pressure.


It's really not clear if the stylus they are offering has a VTF of 1.5 to 2.5 grams (N21D) or 3 to 6 grams (N3D)
 
The one in the link is a "Bliss" brand. Whatever that is.

It's the aftermarket brand of Turntable Needles. They're a good outfit, and their house branded styli are good also. The stylus that I linked is a good substitute for the original. Voice Of Music(another excellent dealer) offers their version, a Duotone, for considerably less. I don't know what the difference's are, but I suppose you could try that one first and see if you're ok with it.

https://www.thevoiceofmusic.com/cat...Type=MfgNameNeedles&MfgName=Shure&Categories=
 
I do appreciate you all bringing this thread back to life with your info. A month or two back my 16 year old ordered some "record" player off of the Amazonian website. He is so proud of it. He told me that it even had Blue Tooth to which I explained why would there be the need for blue tooth on a record player. My wife and I then began to tell him of the console type stereos that our parents and grandparents had and how it was a completely different sound. I then took the young one to a record shop in Athens Georgia, Wuxtry Records http://www.wuxtryrecords.com/ so he could buy local rather than new pressed vinyl. It was my first time in this store and the smell....maybe a better word, scent, of records and old album sleeves filled the air. The kid impressed me. He did not go for much new pressed vinyl except for a Beatles album. The rest was old stuff. That night I began hunting an old console stereo so that he could truly hear what the wife and I heard growing up. We found one at a local vintage shop in Athens and it fired right up. Problem was the turntable, more specifically the cartridge. When setting down on a record it would slide right across the album. It was their album so no worries. So my Stromberg-Carson is now in the house, back cover removed so I can see where the magic comes from and I am now faced with tons of tubes, old speaker wires and tons of fun! The man who sold us the console told my wife that we can get needles for $9 on eBay all day long... Well....that is why I found this group and will become an askhole with bunches of questions from all of you wise sages of audio from years gone by. Again, thank you for your help!
 
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