Your Top 5 older cartridges
- Thread starter Tonyqt
- Start date
DustyOldPile
Vinyl Goddess
Shure V-15 Type II
Empire 2000E/III
Empire 2000E/III
Shure V15 Type 3 with MR stylus
Stanton 881S
Grace F9E
Shure V15 Type 4 HE and MR
Pickering XSV 3000 and XV15 1200
Stanton 881S
Grace F9E
Shure V15 Type 4 HE and MR
Pickering XSV 3000 and XV15 1200
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I installed the 2000E/III on my brother's turntable in the late 1970s and didn't buy another one for myself, so I can't offer any guidance on where to get a good stylus for it today. Sorry.
https://www.lpgear.com/product/EMPS2000EIII.html
Jico in Japan makes one, it's pricey though.
https://www.jico-stylus.com/index.php?cPath=6&sort=2a&page=2&osCsid=nb5ifior4tel7u57f85o67bkh6
garpt
"Analog is BACK!"
Sorry, I did my "5 Favorite"- well, three are older anyway....
#1- Dynavector 20x2L
#2- Ortofon 2M Black
#3- ADC XLM Mk III, Shibata stylus
#4- Ortofon OM 20
#5- Stanton 681EEE (I LOVED this cartridge when I was much younger, with my '70's prog rock and jazz. When I got back into vinyl about 10 years ago, the first thing I did was to buy an original one on eBay and a new stylus. The thrill was gone. Found it too mellow and lacking in other ways. This is before I had even heard the better cartridges on my list. Funny how that works. The hardest thing for the human mind to "remember" IMHO, is sound.)
Special mention: Nagoeka MP110. Great "PRAT", fun to listen to, great value. Like to pull it out sometimes for my '80's stuff.
#1- Dynavector 20x2L
#2- Ortofon 2M Black
#3- ADC XLM Mk III, Shibata stylus
#4- Ortofon OM 20
#5- Stanton 681EEE (I LOVED this cartridge when I was much younger, with my '70's prog rock and jazz. When I got back into vinyl about 10 years ago, the first thing I did was to buy an original one on eBay and a new stylus. The thrill was gone. Found it too mellow and lacking in other ways. This is before I had even heard the better cartridges on my list. Funny how that works. The hardest thing for the human mind to "remember" IMHO, is sound.)
Special mention: Nagoeka MP110. Great "PRAT", fun to listen to, great value. Like to pull it out sometimes for my '80's stuff.
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bobins08
Celebrating Life
Put the MP 200 stylus on that MP 110 for a nice treat.
ETI_5000
Super Member
First made 1979 or 80 (roughly), by the Japanese Asakura Brothers, hence the name Linn used for it. It was certainly available for sale in 1980.
It was an excellent match (resonance 9.5Hz) with the Linn Ittok LVII, according to a review in Audio magazine, March 84 - see https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Audio-Magazine.htm . It was quite a good performer, with a flat frequency response, effectively 30Hz – 20kHz ±1.5dB, with a slight rise below 30Hz due to a slightly undamped arm/cartridge resonance. That’s excellent for a cartridge, so it’s not a surprise it sounds good, as most cartridges with flat responses do.
432HzBob
Lunatic Member
Not had the funds to go through a bunch of carts yet but so far the list is:
5) Shure M95E. Low compliance, works well on the Pioneer PL-115
4) Shure M97xe, HE stylus. Doesn't do anything bad really
3) Grado GF-3 w/Blue Stylus. The midrange!!
2) Grado F-3 w/8MZ stylus. The midrange but with better highs
1) Pickering XSV-3000. My absolute favorite sounding cart. Only know of it because a Dual TT I bought came with one.
.... Liked it so much I bought a 2nd one and currently run one each on the Technics SL-1600 and Dual 721 (subject to periodic cart rolling)
That's my limited experience with old carts on a budget.
Would like to try the Denons someday.
5) Shure M95E. Low compliance, works well on the Pioneer PL-115
4) Shure M97xe, HE stylus. Doesn't do anything bad really
3) Grado GF-3 w/Blue Stylus. The midrange!!
2) Grado F-3 w/8MZ stylus. The midrange but with better highs
1) Pickering XSV-3000. My absolute favorite sounding cart. Only know of it because a Dual TT I bought came with one.
.... Liked it so much I bought a 2nd one and currently run one each on the Technics SL-1600 and Dual 721 (subject to periodic cart rolling)
That's my limited experience with old carts on a budget.
Would like to try the Denons someday.
johnjhazel
PhxJohn
I hope that was not a Tonar stylus that was crap. They are usually quite good as they are sourced from ****. Here in the States, save time and money on shipping by buying JICO styli from LPTunes. Even though I plug them all the time, I have no vested interest. If you wanted a Swiss stylus, I would recommend Needledaddy1 on eBay. I just try to point people in the right direction for what they want.
KentTeffeteller
Gimpus Stereophilus!
Shure M 44 series
Shure M 75 series
Stanton 680/681, Pickering XV 15 series
Stanton 500, Pickering V 15 series
Ortofon VMS
Shure M 75 series
Stanton 680/681, Pickering XV 15 series
Stanton 500, Pickering V 15 series
Ortofon VMS
johnjhazel
PhxJohn
Shure M44/M55*
Pickering V-15**
Pickering XV-15**
GE VR 1000**
* = had
** = have
Pickering V-15**
Pickering XV-15**
GE VR 1000**
* = had
** = have
