Stanton 681EEE New Cartridge Equivalents

It's not correct to equate the sound of cartridges based on similarity of type. Empires sound quite different to Stanterings, just as ADCs sound different to these and Grados sound different to all of them.

It's also not correct to say that someone won't like something, anything, just because it's in some way different to another thing that they do like. You're free to say that you don't like something, but not that someone else won't.

John


True, I mostly listen to my Acutex M312 STR and my EVO III Soundsmith re tip. Yesterday I brought my amp testing Philips 877 TT up from the shop to try in my daily listening rig
which sports SOTO Sapphire TT. On the 877 I have a Shure M 44G I got cheap at Guitar center just for testing out amps I repair. I put on some familiar music Like Dexter Gordon, The Cars, Oasis, Son Volt and Holy Crap I like the sound of that inexpensive Shure.

So yes you cant tell people they wont like the sound of something just cause you assume one tech they like is all they may like.

Athanasios
 
The NOS 680 showed up today. I've noticed this before on some NOS stuff on ebay, but why is it in Pfanstiehl packaging? Did Pfanstiehl buy a ton of stock to sell of different OEM stuff back in the day?
 
Questions, questions. Do you have an opinion as to whether or not the 881S would be a good match for a Pioneer PL-520? My turntable is only designed to track up to 3 grams if you use the VTF front weight to adjust the tracking force.
 
I’m not familiar with that arm. The 881 is very compliant and also forgiving. I’ve run mine in an SL-1200–an arm this is arguably too heavy for it. But I use the lightest headshell I can find, aluminum hardware and the brush. Resonance frequency figures work out right, so it’s a good match for the SL-1200 with that configuration.
I saw an 881S for sale but I don't think it's an old stock type needle. I just was contemplating whether to waste time running up the bid for it or just buy one of the two needles you linked to and stick with my 681. When it's on, i'ts wonderful, but with this EVG stylus I am growing increasingly frustrated the more use it gets..
 
The DTL-2 is .3 x .7 elliptical, the DTL-1 is .4 x .7 elliptical. I don’t know why the DTL-1 is more expensive, but you can see from the packaging that the original price is lower—which reflects the usual pricing scheme. .3 x .7 is a finer elliptical and usually more desirable. The .4 x .7 is broader and usually less desirable in the marketplace. But the Stanton .4 x .7 is excellent. In this case, they’re cheap enough that Is grab both. Why not? But if choosing one, I’d get the less expensive “better” profile, which is the DTL-2.
Well, I just nabbed the DTL-2. Still thinking about the 881S what do you suppose this stylus is? https://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-Stant...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2055359.m1431.l2649
 
Well now I will have to see which arrives first, the Jico D1200 or the DTL-2. Surely one of these styli will give me what I am looking for.
 
They both will, and you’ll have a spare.

Incidentally, I discovered by reading another post of yours that my supposed EVG 822EEE is actually a Pfanstiehl with the hole in the grip and the red paint on top of the cantilever. Can't understand why it's so hit and miss on the sound quality as I thought this was supposed to be a better stylus. Sure tracked like crap on that Demons and Wizards album and the sibilance drove me bonkers.
 
I think my D680 is a dud (or bad NOS which I imagine is very common). The cantilever is bent and it sounds terrible, even aligned to the cantilever.
 
What tracking force are you using?

This is pretty much why I recommend the Jico (from Jico) D1200 now. I realize that the Pfanstiehl 4822-DEE can behave badly on different arms or maybe they are just inconsistent.
I tried it with about 1.25 grams and at about 2.25 grams. Seemed not to make much difference other than at the heavier force, the arm didn't jump around as badly.
 
EVG buys styli. They make nothing. It's possible, therefore, that they bought your stylus from Pfanstiehl's Swiss supplier.

John
 
By the way, did anyone else with the Stanton have an issue with the brush causing additional skating? I could never apply enough anti-skate force with my settings to completely overcome the brush. I finally decided to remove the brush and now I can adequately compensate on the bias.
To me, the brush was never worth the amount of anti skate I had to apply to compensate for the bias it introduced. I had a Stanton 680 and it had the same issue on any table I put it in that had a tonearm with a weak anti skate. Still have a Pickering 625E and I don't use the brush. It makes cueing a pain in the ass for me at the height I have the table at.
 
Minor quibble here. The Technics gauge is great for setting overhang but not azimuth. The "keyway" for the headshell locating pin is cut improperly on every gauge I've ever seen so aligning the stylus tip with the notch isn't possible without skewing the cartridge in the headshell.

John
I have one, have the exact same problem, but I only use it for overhang, but I did notice it and I already wondered if it was just mine or if others were like that.
 
Tried the TEI (the auction lists the maker as "NPA") 790D. Mine came marked "D6800 SL". Tracks happily at 3.0g and sounds just right-- no aftermarket brightness disease.
I chose 3.0g because that VTF gave me a just-noticeable amount of "sink" of the suspension when placed on a spinning record. Possibly it can track well at a lower VTF. Will try that later.
 
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Is it me or have these gone through the roof in the last 6 months? Especially the stereohedron variety. I have been looking for one more cart for my YP D71 with a stereohedron but the pickings are pretty slim. Even a decent 681 with an EEE stylus is getting up there. I would pay for an equivalent or step up to my 681 MkII S combo if I could find something that really looks like NOS.
 
He got some ADC RXT-IV "Aliptics" in as well (115-DEZ). They're gone too. He must have found these in very small quantities. I now buy in twos when I buy rare styli from him or else buy individual styli as backups if I already have one in good nick.

John


ARRRRRG!!!!!! I would have loved to have grabbed one of those!!!
 
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