Anyone know what Pickering DTL-2S, DTL-3S styli will fit. Also, are these nude stereohedrons?
They're for the P-mount version of the XV-15 but will fit the 1/2" version as well. Both are Stereohedrons.
John
Interesting. Let us know.I ended up buying one of these, "Pickering Stereohedron DTL-3 stylus XL-35U P MOUNT" on the auction site for $50. It looks like it has never been touched. I will try the stylus in another 681 cart that I have. It seems there is a debate on whether the DTL-3 stylus is a stereohedron without the "S" stamped on it. According to this is would seem so... http://www.pickeringuk.com/styli.html#T4P
I'm looking at my TL Series guide and the DTL-3 stylus is listed as Stereohedron. In Plainview, and not Florida, Pickeringese, "Stereohedron" only means one thing, and it's not elliptical.
I think the confusion comes from people comparing the similar Stanton styli which are similarly marked, but not identically marked. The D72E, comes only in elliptical, the D73 comes in either "E" or "S" suffix and the D74S is only "S." But there is no D71 in the nomenclature, so there's no direct line up in the numbering to the DTL-1. The DTL-1 is a .4 x .7 elliptical like the D72E. The D73E is a finer elliptical, .3 x .7, like the DTL-2(E).
Plus, at some point, who knows why, Pickering either added the Es and Ss or stopped using them, which was probably meant to clear up confusion, but now only adds to it. My guide lists no Ss or Es. It only shows the DTL-1, DTL-2 and DTL-3 as replacement styli. My guide doesn't show a DTL-2S, but those were obviously made available at some point because with the recent release of the warehoused XL-33U, those are probably the most abundant right now.
I know this thread started on Christmas day , however , I am new to this forum and thought I would give my opinion since I once used to own the Stanton 681 EEE 38 years ago , WOW , how time flies by. Great cartridge and the sound was and is amazing and the tracking was very good. I just recently spent at least 1 full month researching today's modern cartridges to replace a 30 plus year old ADC Series 1 cartridge and after boggling my brain with information from various brands , features , specs , price , etc. I decided on Audio Technica's new VM line of MM cartridges. I chose the VM 740 ML cartridge with the " Micro line " stylus and at a price of $329 , was by far the best cartridge under $500 due to it's Aluminum Alloy cantilever and body allowing less distortion and much better performance. The Micro line stylus tracks superbly and the sound is amazing with crisp ( not too bright ) high's and deep rich smooth and warm bass. Since Stanton doesn't produce cartridges anymore ( I checked before purchasing ) I read reviews on the Shure , Ortofon , Denon ( they specialize in Moving Coil only ) , Sumiko Pearl , Grado just to let you know that I researched all the current name brands and found the Audio technical line to offer the most value and best sound and build quality under the $500-$600 price point. My Denon AVR 3300 A/V Receiver has a Moving Magnet phono input and so I was somewhat limited to the brands that I already mentioned. I would have tried perhaps the Denon or Dynavector line , however , they specialize in only Moving Coil. The 700 series from Audio Technica is their premium line of MM cartridges and there are 3 in this line up. 1. The VM 740 ML ( the one I chose ) with the Micro Line stylus and Aluminum Alloy cantilever and housing , $329 price tag 2. The VM 750 SH with the Shibata Stylus and Aluminum Alloy Cantilever and housing , $399 price tag 3. The VM 760 SLC with the Special Line Contact Stylus and Aluminum Alloy cantilever and housing , price tag $639. I hope this comment helps for those in the same predicament that I was in to get a high quality and great sounding cartridge without breaking the bank and causing a " Divorce " . BTW: These 700 Series Cartridges have interchangeable Stylus' and I find that to be a really valuable feature if you want to try another type of quality styli. Thanks for reading.
Nothing really sounds like a 680/681/XV-15. There are a lot of good carts out there but if you love the Stanton sound the best thing you can do outside of high priced OEM styli is buy the best Jico you can afford or do a custom retip job. I tried the Jico route and although I found it quite satisfying overall I crave more and will be getting a custom retip when funds allow.
Was that Jico the shibata? If that's the case I'll do a retip, I'm worried about the suspension being so old but hey, it sounds great now so what's another few years on it? There's is a retip option that's the same price as the Jico and probably a slight upgrade to the .2x.7 elliptical I have.