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Suggestions for Reference level vintage MM carts.

R

Rexton

Wakefield Turntables

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As the title suggets. I'm after suggestions for vintage MM cartridges. I'm aware of the usual Shure V sheries of cartridges but would like suggestions for the very best ADC / Pickering / Empire / ELAC etc. I'm going through a vintage MM cartridge fetish at the moment, it's a rebellion against all the MC's I own.
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I remember in the 1970s - 80s there were also Stanton cartidges, and discussions on Shure vs. Stanton.
 

This Vinyl Translators YouTube channel is really good IMO. No dialogue, just some original spec sheets and then a listen to the carts on what looks like a fairly high-end Yamaha turntable. I wish he’d list loading, capacitance etc used, but it is still very good and it is surprising how often I’m drawn to the earlier examples. Some of the early stereo MMs sounded so good!

The other thing is whether styluses are still available, and if so are they any good? I’ve been deep-diving vintage Shure carts recently and find myself marginally preferring the original Shure styli to Jico. Not much in it, but there is something.

Thread here:

pinkfishmedia.net

What’s the deal with vintage MM cartridges ???

Hi All, What’s the deal with vintage MM cartridges, I see there are a few web sites and vintage audio commentators extoling the virtues of 60’s Moving magnets from the likes of SHURE, Stanton, and Pickering. I have owned some of these devices and to be honest, I found them vailed, dull and very...
pinkfishmedia.net pinkfishmedia.net
 
I did this to my Shure M55E

IMG-1162.jpg


Debodied the plastic cartridge surround, rehoused in Cocobola wood body and then bought a JICO SAS/B stylus. Sounded sublime then I decided to go for a Panzerholz body and this really did take things to a whole new level. A very rare occasion where I can honestly hand on heart say that I heard an immediate improvement. Next upgrade might be the JICO SAS/R but that might be my Xmas pressie to myself for 2024!
 
ADC XLM, probably mark 3.
Decca London - complicated story, not easy to summarise. Idiosyncratic design, wonderful when it works for you.
Stanton 881s (but remove the brush!!)
 
I have a Stanton 680EE which I like a lot. I bought aftermarket stylii from stereoneedleslady on eBay: I think it was a recommendation I found on Audiogon.

The other vintage MM cart I bought in the last few months was a Townshend EEI800 Parabolic, mint / boxed. Very very nice.
 
Rexton said:
I did this to my Shure M55E

IMG-1162.jpg


Debodied the plastic cartridge surround, rehoused in Cocobola wood body and then bought a JICO SAS/B stylus. Sounded sublime then I decided to go for a Panzerholz body and this really did take things to a whole new level. A very rare occasion where I can honestly hand on heart say that I heard an immediate improvement. Next upgrade might be the JICO SAS/R but that might be my Xmas pressie to myself for 2024!
Click to expand...
EAD in Japan also do a range of these in different woods.

eadrecord.theshop.jp

44Wood | EAD RECORD powered by BASE

高円寺に実店舗あります。杉並区高円寺南4-28-1303-5306-6209開店時間月 14:00 - 20:00火 OFF - お休み水 14:00 - 20:00　木 14:00 - 20:00金 14:00 - 20:00土 14:00 - 20:00日 14:00 - 20:00レコード販売Shure M44G 44-7Woodカスタム44Wood グッツ販売EAD Record in Kouenji Tokyo JapanSuginami-ku Kouenji 4-28-1303-5306-6209Store Open14:00-20:00TUESEDAY OFFShure...
eadrecord.theshop.jp eadrecord.theshop.jp
 
The top of range Stantons like 980LZS with D98S stylus - very high compliance, low output MI I think it was. It came with its own step up transformer. Back in the day it was recommended to install it on an arm like the Infinity Black Widow. I have one, with the step-up device - somewhere around here but sadly no Black Widow or even a turntable anywhere near that class. A search shows that they were available new from Thakker in 2015 for under 500 euro.
 
The best I have heard is the ADC ZLM. It is high-compliance though and needs a lightweight arm.
 
Guys, thanks from the bottom of my heart. There is certainly lots to think about. I'm not going to be seeing on NOS MM carts from the 70's the net is full of scammers and rip-off artists. I will be searing just for the cartridge body and will probably be using people like Thakker, or more probably JICO. I will automatically reject any suggestions for MM carts if I can't get a SAS stylus or equivalent stylus from Thakker. This does limit me, I accept this but it also enables me to try some excellent new (to me) old carts.
 
Are Thakker shipping to the UK yet? They weren’t last time I tried to order there thanks to the Brexit catastrophe. Same story with many companies; just not prepared to deal with the absurd bureaucracy and red tape.
 
Tony L said:
Are Thakker shipping to the UK yet? They weren’t last time I tried to order there thanks to the Brexit catastrophe. Same story with many companies; just not prepared to deal with the absurd bureaucracy and red tape.
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I'm not sure! Well I guess that lessens my options even further! :(
 
I had to import Jico stuff from Japan, which is easy enough, but I got hit with customs etc.
 
Importing from JICO is his and miss I've had 4 or 5 stylii over the years, all SAS variants. Sometime I've been hit with customs other times not. I'm still happy to pay the customs fees as I believe that JICO currently make the best Stylii available.
 
Rexton said:
Guys, thanks from the bottom of my heart. There is certainly lots to think about. I'm not going to be seeing on NOS MM carts from the 70's the net is full of scammers and rip-off artists. I will be searing just for the cartridge body and will probably be using people like Thakker, or more probably JICO. I will automatically reject any suggestions for MM carts if I can't get a SAS stylus or equivalent stylus from Thakker. This does limit me, I accept this but it also enables me to try some excellent new (to me) old carts.
Click to expand...
FWIW I have had a Stanton re-tipped by Joseph Long here in the US and it was a great investment, not significantly more expensive than a SAS for compairson.
 
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