Info on ADC PSX-30 cartridge?

I just got a Thorens TD-320 MkI table with an ADC PSX-30 cartridge. I can't find any info on the cartridge except that original replacement styli seem readily available. It looks like an RPSX-40 stylus (nude) might be an upgrade, but I have no idea if this is just a low-end cart series or what. I played some albums with this setup and while it sounds "good" and tracks extremely well, I don't know the hours on the stylus. The PO said he bought the TT 9 years ago from a friend but hasn't used it in years. It definitely does not compare to the Pickering XVS-3000 that I have on a Technics SL-D2 with a new Shibata stylus.

I intended to mount the Pickering onto the Thorens, thinking that the TP16III arm would be a great match. Now I'm not so sure. The Pickering cantilever is very "free" compared to the one on the ADC, which barely seems to move with increased tracking force or over warps.

I guess what I'm trying to decide is if this cart might be something special with a new stylus or was only "so-so" at it's best.

Thanks.

I have an ADC SER-IV cartridge, which is the same as the PSX-40. It's a p-mount induced magnet cartridge, and has been one of my favorite cartridges on my Technics SL-M3 linear tracker. Your PSX-30 would also have been sold as the SER-III model.

The RPSX-30 stylus is a nude elliptical .3x.7 mil on a tapered aluminum cantilever. Upgrading to the RPSX-40 will get one a nude elliptical high polish .2x.7 mil on a tapered titanium cantilever. I found the best price on the RPSX-40 stylus from lpgear.com, IIRC. The 40 stylus has dark amber transparent plastic vs the white of the 30.

I had the stylus off the cartridge yesterday, and the metal bar inside the stylus assembly (between the magnet and the base of the cantilever) came loose. Looks like the old glue holding it in had dried out. I was able to get it back in position inside the stylus assembly and the stylus back on the cartridge, and it sounds wonderful once again. Since it is working again without having reglued it in (it'll stay in place as long as the stylus is on the cart) I may leave well enough alone.

On a high-end p-mount turntable like my SL-M3 this cartridge really shines. I have not tried it with an adapter on a 1/2" mount arm.

Thanks for the info. Searching on SER-IV got me a thread you posted in, which led to others... Searching on 3-letter words like ADC tends to produce mostly frustration. Sounds like ADC made some very well-regarded carts. I wonder if the PSX series was a P-mount descendent of the XLM series?

I hadn't even noticed while resetting it that it's a P-mount in a 1/2" adapter. The cross screw at the back is the giveaway that the black plastic part is an adapter, I guess. The body must be just the square cross section gold colored metal part.

Can you tell me the tracking force range? I set it up at 1.25g and it seems to be happy.

Like I said, my PSX-30 tracks great and sounds quite good - about like the Shure M110HE (another P-mount w/adapter) on my original Sanyo TT and definitely better than the M97 on my PL-530 - but it doesn't have the amazing HF detail and "airiness" of the XVS-3000. I guess I'll try the Pickering out on the Thorens first and if it isn't a great match with the TP16 III arm then maybe try an RPSX-40 stylus. Interesting that the RPSX-40 is the most expensive ADC stylus LPGear lists. In the mean time I should swap it onto the Pioneer to see if it's the M97 that sounds bad or something about the table that needs attention. Things sure were simpler when I owned one TT, one receiver and one pair of speakers.

Yours has a gold body? Mine does too, but I think that some of the lesser models have silver bodies from a photo I once saw in an eBay listing. There are also 10, 20 and 25 models in the PSX line. I wonder if there is an internal differences between the gold and silver cartridge bodies as well.

My SER-III & SER-IV booklet lists 1.25g +/- 0.2g as the tracking force for both. I run mine at 1.25g on my p-mount table, and haven't experimented with varying the VTF because it does seem happy there.

I think that the high cost of the RPSX-40 at lpgear is partly because it is an original ADC stylus, and not an aftermarket like most of their other stylii for ADC carts. You can shop around, but back when I was shopping around they had the best price I could find on an authentic RPSX-40.

Thanks. I did try 1g and 1.5 g but quickly went back to 1.25g. I heard no obvious improvement and thought it might have sounded slightly worse at both the other settings.

I think you're right about the cost being due to the fact that it's an ADC vs. LPGear stylus. On the LPGear "by stylus" page there are 2 others (RXM, RZL) that cost the same ($59) and 2 (RSZ, RLMA1) that go for $99. The other sites I saw when I was searching wanted at least $20 more than LPGear for the RPSX-40.

I saw -10 and -20 versions, haven't seen mention of a -25. Don't know if it'll be quite up to the level of an XLM series (seems to be a number of folks who consider the XLM to be the "best" MM cart ever) but it seems like this cart might be worth trying with the -40 stylus. I suppose there are so few mentions of the PSX line because it's P-mount. Just like I've seldom seen the Shure M110 mentioned, though tonight I came across a reference to an ML120HE that was touted by the source as perhaps the pinnacle of Shures. A person could spend years just learning about all the versions of phono cartridges offered back when vinyl was king.

SA-708 said:

Yours has a gold body? Mine does too, but I think that some of the lesser models have silver bodies from a photo I once saw in an eBay listing. There are also 10, 20 and 25 models in the PSX line. I wonder if there is an internal differences between the gold and silver cartridge bodies as well.

My SER-III & SER-IV booklet lists 1.25g +/- 0.2g as the tracking force for both. I run mine at 1.25g on my p-mount table, and haven't experimented with varying the VTF because it does seem happy there.

I think that the high cost of the RPSX-40 at lpgear is partly because it is an original ADC stylus, and not an aftermarket like most of their other stylii for ADC carts. You can shop around, but back when I was shopping around they had the best price I could find on an authentic RPSX-40.

Click to expand...

I assembled my first audio system in 1985. I bought a Denon DP-35F TT and an ADC PSX-40 cartridge. I ran it through a JVC RX-500 receiver and Boston Acoustic A-150's. I use the same system today and it still sounds superb. Just today, I received a replacement RPSX-40 stylus from LPGEAR. My original still sounds great, but I figured after 25 years, it must be time to replace it. I compared the two several times on the same record (45 of Squeeze - Tempted) and found the replacement to be putting out a bit lower volume. They both sound nearly identicle at low volume (wife's asleep), but the graphic eq on the JVC shows slightly higher decibal levels on the old stylus. Maybe it needs a little break-in? What do you think?

I saved all of the original manuals/receipts of my system including the little PSX-40/PSX-30 manual. Tha manual says tracking force is 1.25+/-.2g. If anyone is interested in the rest of the technical specifications of these two stylii, let me know.

My guess is that it could use some break in, as I suspect these are new-old-stock stylii that lpgear is selling. Some exercise of the cantilever suspension can only be a good thing.

I think all I have left from my first audio system is a Pickering TL series p-mount cartridge and a pair of Cerwin-Vega D-1 speakers.

I was using most of the same starter system I bought in 1983 up until about 3 months ago. Now I own 4 TT's with good carts, 4 sets of speakers, 4 receivers, 3 tuners, an integrated amp, a preamp and a power amp! I still have all my original stuff but none of it is in use at the moment. Discovering vintage audio may not have been such a good thing after all!

I think I've got the "Vintage Bug" as well - and I don't mean my 1985 stuff. It's just not old enough yet. However, I have a MAC 1500 in for repair and a Dual 1019 TT that needs service (both 20 years in storage). Now I need another set of vintage speakers to complete this classic set up. I have a feeling this is just the beginning of my re-entry into the non-home theatre audio world...

Just confirmed with LPGear that the RPSX-40 stylus is genuine ADC (not aftermarket) and they need approximately 50 hrs. of break-in... Happy Thanksgiving!