how-to block ads
|
royphil345
Premium
join:2004-12-10
Lakewood, OH
clubs:
4 edits | reply to Steely
Re: Vinyl anyone?
I really like the Shure a lot. You'll find a very favorable review on Amazon by me... also a pic I've seen e-Bay sellers use to sell the M97xE for years... lol. That would be my second choice out of all the carts I've tried based on sound. It doesn't give me quite high enough recording levels for recording to digital though. I'm using a Denon DL-103 low output that sounds similar, but performs just a little better and actually turns out to have higher output when I set my phono stage for moving coil. I didn't recommend the 103 for you because it works best with higher mass S-shaped tonearms and a phono stage with moving coil capability and some tweak settings is really required to get the best out of it. Another $400.00 at least for something with enough loading / capacitance options...
Check out the last customer photo of the M97xE on Amazon... The guy says..."The Shure 97xE ended up to be a great cartridge for the money!!"... and it looks like he crimped his cantilever and the cartridge body is sitting on the record. Probably sounds great... lol.
I too have heard good things about the AT150MLX. Haven't heard one myself... It's supposed to be a little richer sounding than the 440MLa or 120E. If that's true, I'm sure it's a winner. I almost settled on using the AT120E as my main cart because it had higher output than the Shure. I actually prefer it over the more expensive 440MLa. I've never been a sucker for fancy stylus shapes and super-detailed sound, usually at the cost of warmth in the lower price-range. For a little more money you can maybe get some warmth AND some detail. The AT120E had some very clean and involving sound going for it. It was just a little too bright for my system and room... maybe just my taste in the long run. Although, I didn't even put the break-in hours most people recommend on it before I switched back to the DL-103 for keeps. It might mellow some over time.
That ADC we talked about via messaging looks very tempting. I had one a long time ago and I'd swear it sounded more accurate than anything I've tried since. But, modern systems are a little more revealing. Not sure how it would sound on a modern system.
Your Pickering is a very nice cart. Too bad you can't find a new old stock OEM stylus for that. Most of the replacements I've seen are from aftermarket manufacturers. I'd probably stay away. Never know what you might find on eBay though... I've found some very rare new old stock styli on eBay.
I haven't heard the OEM version of the Ortofon 20 either, but many "budget high end" turntables come with the OEM version of the 10 installed and people seem fairly satisfied with that. The Ortofons are supposed to be a great match with the Dual arms. The retail version of the 20 sells for about $200.00. I think the "Super" cartridge body is supposed to be slightly different and better sounding, although the stylus is the same on both versions.. | |
Steely
Dumped Comcast for FiOS
Premium
join:2000-10-15
Princeton Junction, NJ
2 edits | OK...I pulled the trigger on the Shure M97xE! Between the consistently positive reviews and the invitingly low price ($55.49 w/ free shipping and no tax) I couldn't resist.  Tomorrow I'll order an extra cartridge mount for my Dual 510 to use with the new Shure so that I can easily go back to my Pickering if for some reason I don't like the new M97xE. (The cartridge mount holds the cartridge in place and snaps into the headshell of the tonearm.) Even if I ultimately decide against the new Shure for my Dual it wouldn't be a waste as I could always employ it in either of my other two turntables (an Ion and a Sony) where it would certainly be an improvement. In that unlikely event I would just go back and buy one of the other recommended cartridges for the Dual.
I'm not too concerned about output volume for digital transfers as I also just ordered an inexpensive but favorably reviewed USB/Line phono preamp with adjustable gain which can be used for that purpose.
In anticipation of the new cartridge arrival I ran over to the Princeton Record Exchange today and picked up three new sealed audiophile Mobile Fidelity LP's as well as a few other records, both new and used, that were conspicuously missing from my vinyl collection. Add to that a set of protective inner sleeves and a bottle of D4+ Discwasher solution (which I plan to dilute with distilled H2O) and a used CD, just for good measure. Yesterday I got my 180-gram re-released copy of Gaucho from Amazon (remarkably the only one of the original main seven Steely Dan LP's I didn't already have in vinyl).
I think I'll order myself a good carbon fiber brush and and a stylus brush....and together with the new Shure stylus gauge I got the other day I should be good to go!
Many thanks for your help royphil345  , here and via PM! And don't worry...I don't plan on crimping my cantilever any time soon!!! 
Thanks drjim , too!  | |
-
|
