lynnm Posted January 20, 2005 Share Posted January 20, 2005 Take a look at this link. It does a good job of explaining tonearm adjustment: http://www.theanalogdept.com/tonearm_alignment.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artto Posted January 20, 2005 Share Posted January 20, 2005 ---------------- On 1/19/2005 11:11:45 PM 3dzapper wrote: "Shure also has the advantage of their $20 stylus assembly trade-in, for a new one." Unfortunately, Shure has cancelled that program Artto. Rick ---------------- You're correct Rick. GRRRR. Oh well. I'll be switching back to a Decca soon anyway. Just got a Decca Jubilee and need a spare SME arm wand to mount it on. The Decca doesn't have a cantilever/cantilever suspension to wear out/fatigue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richinlr Posted January 22, 2005 Share Posted January 22, 2005 ---------------- On 1/18/2005 6:00:19 PM joessportster wrote: hello again guys i am somewhat new to tt use but have a vast collection of vinyl(1500 albums), am fairly happy with my thorens 160 with a stanton 681 cartridge/stylus, but have been seeing the mm, or mc cartridges for sale and am wondering what is the better style the mm, or the mc type cartridge, i realize i would have to have a pre amp that would allow use of 1 or the other, (or both), at present my pre-amp will only allow use of the mc, but i am switching my pre-amp in the near future and want to get the best sound possiable, any suggestions on a good quality set-up would be appreciated, also a little information on the difference between the 2 types of cartridges and the benefits of each, i figure a budget for a new cartridge around 100 to 150.00 thanks Joe ---------------- I'll try to answer your real question. You must, however, realize that my response represents the 'eyes of the beholder'. I started out a long time ago using MM carts. At the time I always thought that Empires were the best because everyone I knew always told me so. Then I started listening for my self. Found Empires to be a bit finicky (in my set up at the time) and had problems with mis-tracking. I experimeted with Shures and Audio Technicas and found a definite bias toward the AT's. About 23 years ago I completely abandoned MM carts and chenged over to MC carts. Bought the best stuff I could afford - SOTA TT, Kiseki arm and Kiseki Purple Heart MC. Then bought an Electrocompaniet pre-amp with what was considered to be one of the best MC pre-amps at the time. Note that I had about $2,400 invested in TT and another $2,300 invested in a pre-amp and this was in the 80's!. The fundamental difference between the two types are simple - MC's have a clarity and dynamic unmatched by MM cartridges. BUT, and it's a big but, the cost to get 'that MC sound' are absolutely outrageous. I firmly believe that the point of diminishing returns begins at about $400 for the cart plus whatever is needed in TT and arm to get the $400 out of the cart. As good as a Thorens is, I don't think you will ever get close to the true MC sound with it. Another difference is that good MC's, with the correct setup, are euphonic and sweet as opposed to MM's being a bit clinical sounding. I hope this helps. Now I have gone full-circle with the purchase of a Shure V15VxMR as an experiment. This is because I simply cannot afford the new stratospheric phono playback gear. And as has been mentioned already - I suspect many of us are in the same boat. I haven't yet had a chance to get the full measure of the Shure because, in the process of setting it up, I discovered that one of the channels in the phono section of my pre-amp is fouled up and I have to send the pre-amp off for repair. So I am completely down for record playback right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnyp Posted January 22, 2005 Share Posted January 22, 2005 I haven't used a phonograph for almost 20 years but when I did I tried a bunch of the cartridges mentioned on this thread. After several years (and spending more money than I care to confess), a friend whom I trusted told me to try a a Stanton 881S. Tightest bass and most natural treble I ever heard from a cartridge. I think it still might be available for just less than $150: Stanton 881s MkII Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IB Slammin Posted January 22, 2005 Share Posted January 22, 2005 Just a comment from someone who put the TT in the attic 20 years ago. If you like the Thorens, then install a Rabco arm. Find a NOS B&O cartridge and locate it in another room if you listen to DB's above 100. Regards, Terry Stanton's were used in radio stations, just because they held up. Shure V15's because they were OK and cheap. But B&O and Ortafons(SP?) were the real deal. JMHO not having listened to a warped, static-charged, dirty, poping LP in many years. Terry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joessportster Posted January 23, 2005 Author Share Posted January 23, 2005 hello and thanks for all the advice i found a stanton 681 EEE, nos for 99.00 does that sound like a good deal i have tried cleaning a couple albums and stilli seem to get a lot of static background noise, idont have the tools to try the set up for the tone arm as described in the analog dept. i do have a few audiophile albums and they sound tons better but have minimal background noise to them also i am hopeing the cartridge is a big part of my problems as i have no way of knowing how old or worn it is thanks to all Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
76scalas Posted January 23, 2005 Share Posted January 23, 2005 Cartridges I have: (listed in order of how they sound in my room on my TD160) 1. Shure M95ED 2. Shure M97xE 3. Pickering XSV3000 4. Shure M91ED 5. Stanton 681 EEE 6. Empire RM50 7. Ortofon FF15XE MkII The M95ED and M97xE are very close. M95ED is more foregiving in terms of setup. It's tuff to beat the M97xE for the price they are selling for on Ebay . Hope this Helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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