Stanton 500 and Ortofon f15 S
- Thread starter RJee
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muovimies
Super Member
I haven't heard neither, but I have owned all the VMS-series carts and that F15S was a spherical budget version. Ortofon has the tech data in their historical products section and they still sell somekind of replacement styli, albeit not the really good ones. It is a good cartridge I bet, even the humble VMS 10 I found very enjoyable.
The Stanton 500 is a very old and primitive design, but I hear it's a fun and enjoyable cart to listen to - if it's worth a new stylus is up to you, but it would probably be very nice for old and beat up records.
The Stanton 500 is a very old and primitive design, but I hear it's a fun and enjoyable cart to listen to - if it's worth a new stylus is up to you, but it would probably be very nice for old and beat up records.
Compared to what though? Aren't most of the cartridges we have an old design?
muovimies
Super Member
Yes, but the 'old design' we are mostly stuck with is one or two generations younger than the 500 design, meaning we are stuck in the 70s instead of the 60s
Of course materials have gone forward since then. Being old and primitive is not necessarily a bad thing, but it usually means you're not looking into most transparent, accurate and detailed delivery, but on the other hand sometimes the simplest and cheapest things deliver something else fundamentally enjoyable, at which point you won't care.
Comparing the two carts in question, the Ortofon F15 could be compared to the later Stanton 680 series I think, both moving iron 4-coil designs (unless I'm mistaken), while the Stanton 500 was earlier and uses only two coils.
Brian
An Old Geezer
The 500, a rebadged Pickering was put into a lot of tables and universally well liked. No, not a 68x level cartridge but on a price performance competition very competitive. I think I read somewhere they are still produced, will not swear to it.
As for the 2 vs 4 coil fight, either can be 1st quality or trash, just a matter of design and whether the assembly person was sober of drunk that day. I think for consistent quality of a mass produced cartridge, so to speak, the only company was Grado when it hit the dealer's shelf. Next was Micro Acoustics. All, others were hit or miss; even their totl hand picked, tested and check pieces.
You may want to look at the Grados, also. Even for most of their older bodies they can supply a replacement stylii for. If I were to need a cartridge today, Grado would be at the top of the list.
As for the 2 vs 4 coil fight, either can be 1st quality or trash, just a matter of design and whether the assembly person was sober of drunk that day. I think for consistent quality of a mass produced cartridge, so to speak, the only company was Grado when it hit the dealer's shelf. Next was Micro Acoustics. All, others were hit or miss; even their totl hand picked, tested and check pieces.
You may want to look at the Grados, also. Even for most of their older bodies they can supply a replacement stylii for. If I were to need a cartridge today, Grado would be at the top of the list.
yarvelling
Active Member
I have an old Pickering V-15 which I believe is also the Stanton 500.
Mine came with a basic elliptical, and is designated the V-15 TE, and sounds fantastic in both my Technics SL-Q303 and SL-1210mk II. Very clean and detailed, but with a very powerful bass and smooth midrange
Not the easiest thing to find a stylus for, but I'm still on low milage with the original ugly old original!!
Going from memory, those old Ortofon cartridges used to sound good too.... back around 1980!! I don't know the F-15 S, but I do remember the elliptical; the FF-15E sounding pretty nice
Mine came with a basic elliptical, and is designated the V-15 TE, and sounds fantastic in both my Technics SL-Q303 and SL-1210mk II. Very clean and detailed, but with a very powerful bass and smooth midrange
Not the easiest thing to find a stylus for, but I'm still on low milage with the original ugly old original!!
Going from memory, those old Ortofon cartridges used to sound good too.... back around 1980!! I don't know the F-15 S, but I do remember the elliptical; the FF-15E sounding pretty nice
Brian Wilson
Member
I have the Stanton 500 in my MK2 and ordered the pickering floating stylus suggested to me by a person here on AK. I love the sound of this cart and have been hesitant on changing to my new Shure 97. if the Shure falls flat(doubt it will)I will be changing back.
Brian Wilson
Member
wait. back up. did I say the 500 was good?
it's junk man. pure junk.
mail it to Pittsburgh 15202 and I'll make sure it never leaves here.:yes:
it's junk man. pure junk.
mail it to Pittsburgh 15202 and I'll make sure it never leaves here.:yes:
KentTeffeteller
Gimpus Stereophilus!
Yes, and a lot of the Pickering V 15 ellipticals are upgrades over their Stanton counterparts to boot. Pickering was marketed more to consumers, Stanton marketed more to professional users. Both sister companies with comparable cartridge offerings.
skabillyrebe
New Member
Stanton 505 cartridge Would this one work D5300E MKIII
Hi All
i'm new here my setup is Technics sl 1210 mk2
Yamaha m50 and Yamaha c60
yamaha ns-99 av speakers
all mounted on technics headshells
cartridges audio technica
stylus AT120E
stylus AT440MLa
cartridge Stanton 505
stylus 5100 11sk
stylus d5127 78 rpm
cartridge Stanton 505 v3
stylus 505
I want to get Elliptical Stylus for my Stanton 505 cartridge
Would this one work D5300E MKIII anyone got any ideas
Hi All
i'm new here my setup is Technics sl 1210 mk2
Yamaha m50 and Yamaha c60
yamaha ns-99 av speakers
all mounted on technics headshells
cartridges audio technica
stylus AT120E
stylus AT440MLa
cartridge Stanton 505
stylus 5100 11sk
stylus d5127 78 rpm
cartridge Stanton 505 v3
stylus 505
I want to get Elliptical Stylus for my Stanton 505 cartridge
Would this one work D5300E MKIII anyone got any ideas
Gravelyguy
Active Member
I also want to add that there is an eBay seller right now with D5300E MKIII styli available right now. These are .4 x .7 ellipticals rated for only 1 g tracking force so very compliant. I bought one of these a while back and it is a truly excellent performer at a bargain price.[/QUOTE]
Needlestein, just wondering if the D5300e is the best option for the Stanton 500 in your opinion. I have a gold bodied 500 that I have never heard and would love to hear how it sounds on my lightweight h/k Ito arm.
Thanks,
Dave
Needlestein, just wondering if the D5300e is the best option for the Stanton 500 in your opinion. I have a gold bodied 500 that I have never heard and would love to hear how it sounds on my lightweight h/k Ito arm.
Thanks,
Dave
idlerwheel
Active Member
I can't talk about the Mk. III needles: they're products of the lately-departed Florida Stanton company. The roughly-equivalent Mk. II needle from the "real" Stanton company in New York, from the early '80s, was well-reviewed in the UK. The Florida outfit was very shaky about product information, but from what I could gather, all their 500s, 400s, and more, were the same as the previous Mk. IIs.
The traditional gold body was slightly different electrically, so to get the best sound from a Mk. III needle, I'd want to use it in the appropriate cartridge body: a Mk. II, Mk. III, or 400. Don't forget to ensure that your load capacitance is a total of 275 picofarads.
Your painted brass-color body is for the traditional needles that dated from the 1960s through approximately 1983. The great range of styli made them very versatile (same body as Pickering V15 and original "N" models).
Richard Steinfeld
The traditional gold body was slightly different electrically, so to get the best sound from a Mk. III needle, I'd want to use it in the appropriate cartridge body: a Mk. II, Mk. III, or 400. Don't forget to ensure that your load capacitance is a total of 275 picofarads.
Your painted brass-color body is for the traditional needles that dated from the 1960s through approximately 1983. The great range of styli made them very versatile (same body as Pickering V15 and original "N" models).
Richard Steinfeld
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