The P-Mount owners club

[Splatter Pak]

I have gotten rid of some of my so-so P-mounts, selling them with TT's I needed to get rid of. Those were the not-so-good ones. What I have left with my Sony direct-drive linear tracker:

Shure M110HE with a Jico stylus

Shure V15 with a Shure stylus.

Both sound great.

The rest of my T4P collection is mostly missing their styluses.

 

[Vinylmasters]

Interesting on the Empire comment. My 290 is pretty blah too..

I also have an Empire 195LT with a 246-DEX. I wouldn't call it 'blah', but more 'flat'. I have an Empire 875-XLT as well, and that is also a bit 'flat', but they have a smoothness that can tame down a bad pressing too. I prefer this to the Stanton's and Pickering's I have though, so it will be interesting to see how the EVG 4606-DEX performs on my Staton L727 (hopefully that arrives today).

 

[SA-708]

7) Empire 195LT with 246-DEX – dull, dull, dull! Maybe the stylus needed time to break-in, but I could not get this off soon enough

I've had very good results with that same cartridge and stylus combination, and used it on one of my turntables for several months some time ago. Chances are that's a NOS stylus that's been sitting on a shelf for a good number of years, and will need some exercise (or chemical help) to loosen up the suspension.

 

[SA-708]

Y'all are a bad influence on me. I just identified a p-mount cartridge I did not own and purchased one via eBay. It's a Sony XL-250G, and will be my first Sony MM cartridge. It is coming with a ND250G conical stylus with unknown hours on it. JICO has an ND250E elliptical available.

This is my first T4P cartridge purchase since I bought the Sony ND-MC3X in January.

 

[Vinylmasters]

I probably did! Also, if you can up your tracking force to 1.5g, the 4606-DEX will gain richness and a lower octave.

Will do. I have two Stanton L7x7 carts. One has a generic stylus (unknown who made it - just plain black plastic housing), and another with an original D72E stylus that I want to replace. The way I figure, for 17 bucks it can't be any worse than this Stanton stylus is!

 

[Decibel_116]

Y'all are a bad influence on me. I just identified a p-mount cartridge I did not own and purchased one via eBay. It's a Sony XL-250G, and will be my first Sony MM cartridge. It is coming with a ND250G conical stylus with unknown hours on it. JICO has an ND250E elliptical available.

This is my first T4P cartridge purchase since I bought the Sony ND-MC3X in January.

How do you like your MC3X?

 

[wualta]

6) Audio Technica LS450/LT w EVG 4212-DEC – Lively! But a bit too bright and bass-shy compared to the other carts.
7) Empire 195LT with 246-DEX – dull, dull, dull! Maybe the stylus needed time to break-in, but I could not get this off soon enough
8) AT216EP – had a major tracking problem, jumped out of the groove a few times on the one track I listened to. There is a gap between the aftermarket stylus and the body that probably shouldn’t be there. I tried forcing it to close the gap with no luck.

I've had very good results with that same cartridge and stylus [195LT + 246-DEX] ...

Something's defnly off with that 195 LT / 246-DEX. As SA-708 said, it should sound very good, and at least in my experience with the NOS styli I have from thevoiceofmusic, the good sound starts right out of the box. A hardened suspension usually makes the sound bassless and shouty, so I'm at a loss to know exactly what's going wrong there. Break-in isn't usually (again, in my experience) that drastic. But let us know what happens with this combo.

The 4212-DEC sounds like the typical "generics-are-bright" problem. See if you can find a NOS 212-DEC.

The AT216EP, one of the series I call the Penguin P-Mounts,

sounds like it's having generic-stylus trouble too. You're right-- that gap shouldn't be there. But the styli do snap in very firmly-- I destroyed my first 216EP stylus learning how much force to apply and where to apply it. FWIW, I have a generic that sounds okay if not spectacular.

 

[SA-708]

Something's defnly off with that 195LT/246-DEX. As SA-708 said, it should sound very good, and at least in my experience with the NOS styli I have from thevoiceofmusic, the good sound starts right out of the box. A hardened suspension usually makes the sound bassless and shouty, so I'm at a loss to know exactly what's going wrong here. Break-in isn't usually (again, in my experience) that drastic. But let us know what happens with this combo.

If my memory is correct, my transparent red S485 stylus came in Empire packaging from Needle Daddy, but I cannot recall how many years ago that was. I need to get some of these MM/MI T4P cartridges out of storage and give them some new exercise.

How do you like your MC3X?

I really like it, a definite improvement from the MC1E it replaced. I accidentally dropped the MC1E needle onto the spinning mat on my SL-M3 attempting to play a 10" record, and decided to splurge on the replacement, from Stereo Exchange on eBay from whom I'd made some previous purchases. I think they still have the 1E and 2E in stock, but one still needs a cartridge 'body" to make them work.

The 3X has replaced the 310MC on my SL-M3 for some time now. I don't know how worn the diamond on the 310MC is, or how much use it has seen since it is a "previously owned" cartridge, but I'm thinking the next step is sending the 310MC somewhere for a new stone (I'd like to keep the cantilever) and perhaps a better LOMC phono preamp. The 310MC still tracks better than the 3X, but soundwise they are both a clear step beyond the rest of my cartridges.

I need to get a closeup photo of the MC3X; the stone on the thin black cantilever is an unusual sight.

 

[Decibel_116]

If my memory is correct, my transparent red S485 stylus came in Empire packaging from Needle Daddy, but I cannot recall how many years ago that was. I need to get some of these MM/MI T4P cartridges out of storage and give them some new exercise.



I really like it, a definite improvement from the MC1E it replaced. I accidentally dropped the MC1E needle onto the spinning mat on my SL-M3 attempting to play a 10" record, and decided to splurge on the replacement, from Stereo Exchange on eBay from whom I'd made some previous purchases. I think they still have the 1E and 2E in stock, but one still needs a cartridge 'body" to make them work.

The 3X has replaced the 310MC on my SL-M3 for some time now. I don't know how worn the diamond on the 310MC is, or how much use it has seen since it is a "previously owned" cartridge, but I'm thinking the next step is sending the 310MC somewhere for a new stone (I'd like to keep the cantilever) and perhaps a better LOMC phono preamp. The 310MC still tracks better than the 3X, but soundwise they are both a clear step beyond the rest of my cartridges.

I need to get a closeup photo of the MC3X; the stone on the thin black cantilever is an unusual sight.

I have the MC2E myself with both the p-mount adapter and the 1/2" adapter. I have not tried it in the 1/2" arm yet, but it performs at a very high level on the SL-QX200. I was truly not prepared for what I heard when I first installed it. I imagine the MC3X sounds better still. I just picked up a 310MC, so we'll see how they compare.

 

[Vinylmasters]

Vinylmasters.... be interested in your opinion here.

Just arrived and is on now. It's not bad - and is exactly as Needlestein claims it is. Not bad at all in fact. Not a Stanton/Pickering (especially in the noise floor), but a VERY nice stylus for 17 bucks without a doubt (and yes, going to 1.5 grams does make it richer sounding too).

 

[SA-708]

I need to get a closeup photo of the MC3X; the stone on the thin black cantilever is an unusual sight.

This is as close as I could get with my camera.
Sony MC3X LOMC with a nude super elliptical diamond on a boron pipe cantilever.

 

[MRL_Audio]

^^^ is that a hens tooth?

 

[Decibel_116]

^^^ is that a hens tooth?

Sure looks like one. Very nice!

 

[Vinylmasters]

Giving that Stanton L727 w/ the EVG 4606-DEX stylus a workout. Popped on Yes 90125 and it just sparkles. Good, tight yet warm bass, and clear highs without being overbearing/fatiguing. This might end up being my 'beater' cart (something cheap that sounds decent that you can play on any record regardless of condition). Might have to grab another one for a spare!

 

[MRL_Audio]

Appreciate you sharing the experience and review. Think I am in... but I'd love to find a Sony MC3X LOMC and a DV-10P from Dynavector.

 

[Vinylmasters]

Appreciate you sharing the experience and review. Think I am in... but I'd love to find a Sony MC3X LOMC and a DV-10P from Dynavector.

Not a prob! Listening to CCR's Bayou Country right now and it's sounds fantastic. It won't be up to the class of the carts you mentioned, but it might surprise you. It doesn't appear to be a great tracker (decent enough though) and has a bit of sibilance here and there, but I expected that anyway. But for $17, it's hard to beat at that price point (and especially if you have a couple of L7x7's just lying around as I do).

 

[Decibel_116]

Which model from Jico is the correct model for the L727?

 

[Vinylmasters]

Which model from Jico is the correct model for the L727?

^ - what he said!

 

[Vinylmasters]

Popped on Freddie King's "Burglar". "Pack It Up" never sounded as good as it does with this cart! Didn't see that one coming!

 

[Vinylmasters]

So I did a quick shootout among 8 of the 9 P-mount cartridges I own .....

4) AT92E w VividLine stylus – brighter for sure, nice treble detail but I can imagine this would get fatiguing to my ears. Very good bass.

Just caught this! I've been waiting to see someone post on the VL's (from LP Gear I'm assuming). I picked up a HE from Gary at VoM (4213-HE) that topped the ML that LP Gear had for this cart (the ML just doesn't have the low end, but is VERY open and clear). Sadly, those aren't available anymore (I think I paid $44 for it). The 4213-HE was much like the original AT92e, but with a bit better low end and no sibilance problems.