New styli from LP Gear arrived!

bully

member
Wow, happy guy!
Got the two new AT styli I ordered last week from lpgear.com.
Got the Optonica table spinning Waron Zevon's Excitable boy, and I like it!
The album, too ;)
Sitting on top of two very large receivers on top of a largish TV stand, there is easily 150+ pounds underneath the TT.
I'm using the Concept 16.5, and listening to my surprising American Acoustics D-5550 (just 'cause they're here, and I needed a pair of speakers for the 16.5).
This cart is the AT LS200, and the other cart is the AT-666. Both are discontinued carts, and I've only found the barest info on the LS series (apparently an 'upscale' series, Lab Series, or similar). The 666 stylus actually cost $6 more.
Anyone remember these?
WHAT a HUGE difference a new stylus makes. :D :D :D
Makes up for working the closing hours (12-9).

pete
 
Now for something with a little more of everything. Leftoverture by Kansas.
Lots o'instruments, lots of bass, lots of heavy hands, lots of delicate hands.
these guys could flat out rock a big bar/dance hall. we were kinda sad when they broke out and became monsters. they were great in small bars, too.
Y'know, I'm not hittin' these records with more'n a brushing with the old D4 & Discwasher brush.
Darn, I was so eager, I haven't doublechecked the balance of the arm with the new stylus installed. The TT may have a 'repeat' problem, it seems to want to repeat play.
I could be a poster boy for disclaiming the idea of 'synergy' though I do think there is a strong body of evidence/anecdote supporting the concept. I have a lot of gear, and many of the combos I put up are serendip, and mebbe I'm real lucky with the stuff I've got, but I've mixed-and-matched some pretty fair sounding sets. Never claimed to have golden (or even silver) ears, but I've been around the block with stereos and live bar listening, known lots o'friends that played in bands and spent a lot of er quality time hangin' with 'em, both when they were workin' and when they were jus' playin' y'know?
Well, my instrument is the stereo.
Man, like that riff on Miracle out of nowhere just slammed, bro!
Mebbe you'll ignore my future comments and ideas 'cause of my apostasy, & the fact I think so much of this stuff sounds so similar in their own ways, it can be so difficult to say this amp is so much better than that one, or that receiver is ne plus ultra, and the other one just OK.


:dunno: :dunno:
 
Say Pete...

Do you have any kind of scope that allows you the chance to really view your used stylus? I have one but I often wonder just what exactly I am looking for.

I have to agree with you though "WHAT a HUGE difference a new stylus makes". That is without a doubt eh?

Do you happen to know how one can find out the STF of a given cartridge? I have a few that I wouldn't have a clue on. Oh I can "ballpark" it and such but it would be nice to know what the manufacturer says.
 
I use my brightest lamp and use a (crumby) magnifying glass. I look for good definition 'cause I can't see a lot more.

No, from the manufacturer, or try and find some of the cartridge-devoted web sites/retailers.
I do the old fashioned eyeball balance of the arm/cartridge zero the dial, and start within spec, say 1.5 to 2 grams TF.
Need a TF guage. Etc.

pete
 
About all you can check with a typical stylus scope is if the tip is excessively dirty, broken or chipped. Stylus tips are so small that it would take a high power microscope to determine the amount of wear.
 
I had a great micro scope as a child. Funny thing is, I kept it. One of those Christmas presents! (Nice metal one ya know, pre plastic! LOL) Anyway, I can get some serious viewing going on. I guess I have to merely spend more time viewing various stylus and shapes to learn what I am seeing I reckon. Hmmm this might be fun! :)

Yeah Pete. I figgured as much...I have been starting at about 1.25 g and going up from there. And as you say, often you hear about this or that cartridge or you read something somewhere. I thought I read/heard somewhere that the V15 IV tracks around 1.25?

I find it a real blast foolin with getting the tonearm/cartridge set up just right. I have found that I can make some presision tools for measurements etc. Templetes so to speak. Make the process more consistant and exact evertime. Rolling carts in me Thorens should be a hoot!

Thanks guys! ;)
 
That would about right on for the V15's. With the proper arm, or say a capable arm. Most of the better 'regular' brand TTs would certainly benefit from the cartridge! The upper tier of Technics, Pioneer, Kenwood (!!), et al would easily handle the very light tracking forces the V15 would be capable of using.
 
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