Shibata (S70EX4) recommendation for Goldring/Excel ES-70S Cartridge

[its_chicken!]

Howdy everyone,

New to the forums, would be grateful if anyone could help me out here.

I recently picked up a Goldring (Excel) ES-70S cartridge, to hook up to my Sansui SR-313 turntable.
As the original cartridge is equipped with a conical diamond stylus, I am looking to upgrade it to the shibata S70EX4 stylus, which has been recommended by many people. The trouble is, there's a choice aftermarket styli that I'd love some objective info on, as it's more critical I get the choice correct considering postage costs/hassle to get it to Australia.

The supposed S70EX4 shibata styli that seem to be available are:

- Fidelitone 'A-771D'
- Astatic 'EX104-QD'
- '614-DQ' from eBay seller 'merlin!!'

If anyone can provide some insight or has experience with these, or can reccomend any other styli, it would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers

 

[boreas]

Welcome! As you probably know, Excel made versions of that cartridge for virtually everybody, from Sanyo to the Garrott Bros. One such company was Onkyo. Here's a Shibata replacement for their SN-25-ST cartridge. I'm using one in an ES70-S and it's terrific. Cheap too.

https://www.pickupnaalden.com/english/turntable_needles_detail.asp?M=Onkyo_DN-25-ST__4131_5930

John

 

[wualta]

I have a Fidelitone, and it seems voiced more for the ES-70EX4 cartridge, which has lower inductance. This means it's slightly treble-shy way up top in the ES-70S, but that's usually not a problem, especially if you can load your ES-70S at 100k ohms. An excellent stylus aside from this small caveat.

I also have the 614-DQ from Merlin, but the price has risen dramatically since I bought mine. This one is voiced for the ES-70S, but with the exchange rate already working against you, can't say I recommend it.

The Onkyo DN-25 stylus that John recommended is indeed as good as he says. Might even be cheaper for you in the down under, depending on the exchange rate.

 

[its_chicken!]

Welcome! As you probably know, Excel made versions of that cartridge for virtually everybody, from Sanyo to the Garrott Bros. One such company was Onkyo. Here's a Shibata replacement for their SN-25-ST cartridge. I'm using one in an ES70-S and it's terrific. Cheap too.

https://www.pickupnaalden.com/english/turntable_needles_detail.asp?M=Onkyo_DN-25-ST__4131_5930

Thank you sir! I'll take your word for it. Much appreciated.

I have a Fidelitone, and it seems voiced more for the ES-70EX4 cartridge, which has lower inductance. This means it's slightly treble-shy way up top in the ES-70S, but that's usually not a problem, especially if you can load your ES-70S at 100k ohms. An excellent stylus aside from this small caveat.

I also have the 614-DQ from Merlin, but the price has risen dramatically since I bought mine. This one is voiced for the ES-70S, but with the exchange rate already working against you, can't say I recommend it.

The Onkyo DN-25 stylus that John recommended is indeed as good as he says. Might even be cheaper for you down under.

Cheers for the insight, I must say from reading bits and bobs on these forums you piqued my interest in this cartridge and its interesting styli interchangeability, can't wait to give the DN-25 a shot!
Thanks again guys.

 

[EngineerNate]

Welcome! As you probably know, Excel made versions of that cartridge for virtually everybody, from Sanyo to the Garrott Bros. One such company was Onkyo. Here's a Shibata replacement for their SN-25-ST cartridge. I'm using one in an ES70-S and it's terrific. Cheap too.

https://www.pickupnaalden.com/english/turntable_needles_detail.asp?M=Onkyo_DN-25-ST__4131_5930

John

Do they ship to the US?

 

[boreas]

They do indeed. They also have some NOS styli that are virtually impossible to find here. Overseas service is prompt and relatively cheap. I've dealt with them perhaps a half a dozen times and have always been pleased.

John

 

[EngineerNate]

Awesome! I'll gave to bookmark that.

Thoughts on this cart+stylus vs the cheap hyper-elliptical for the AT95 from TVOM?

 

[wualta]

I ditto John's experience. It consistently takes ten calendar days for a stylus to arrive here in Michigan. Once I received a correctly-labeled snap case with the wrong stylus inside and the correct one was sent out immediately, with no request to return the incorrect one. So far, so good.

I should point out that the DN-25 has a tie wire; my other 614-DQ styli do not.

 

[boreas]

Thoughts on this cart+stylus vs the cheap hyper-elliptical for the AT95 from TVOM?

Wualta's your guy for that one. He just bought one of those styli.

John

 

[EngineerNate]

Eeeey @wualta buddy ol pal. Gimme the deets.

 

[wualta]

[puts on cool leather jacket, sprays it with DEET] It's a very good stylus. I could wish for a wider soundstage, but along with the DN-25, it's a stylus that offers very good tracking (in the case of the 710-HE, excellent tracking) at a VTF that suits it to medium-mass arms. The DN-25 is cheaper, but if you don't have or can't find an ES-70 body, but you do have access to an AT95E/AT3400, it's a good bet. Gary said he had only five left, and that was a few days ago, so if you're gonna do it...

 

[EngineerNate]

So if you had both bodies, which would you prefer?

I'm aiming to put it on an AT1005ii. I do already have an AT95e here. I think with the sliding weight on the arm I can get both into a reasonable range compliance match wise.

 

[boreas]

The 710-HE (shouldn't that be 710-DHE? Never mind.) is still available at tVoM but, when they're gone, that's it, no more. finito, and time for the Helvetian take-over.

john

 

[EngineerNate]

By the time I wear out the first one, I'll be bored and wanting to try a new cart anyway.

I figure the stock on the DN-25 has to be somewhat finite as well.

 

[boreas]

I figure the stock on the DN-25 has to be somewhat finite as well.

We don't know, or at least I don't know, who makes these DFR styli but, if it's JICO, you could be right.

John

 

[Balifly]

The 710-HE (shouldn't that be 710-DHE? Never mind.) is still available at tVoM but, when they're gone, that's it, no more. finito, and time for the Helvetian take-over.
john

So if you had both bodies, which would you prefer?

I'm aiming to put it on an AT1005ii. I do already have an AT95e here. I think with the sliding weight on the arm I can get both into a reasonable range compliance match wise.

Pretty good chance that those HE were the same as the ones LPgear and turntableneedles use to have, came from JICO.

I have AT 95HE that came from JICO - $49.00 way back when "Howard" recommended.

 

[EngineerNate]

Found an ES-70S catridge body for under $30, and I already own an At95E, so I ordered both. Now @wualta and I can both give our comparison of the budget-leader advanced stylus shape carts.

Funnily enough, the cartridge body is also coming from the Netherlands. The body is a "Marlux" brand, which is probably some house brand over there.

 

[wualta]

Utterly cool all around. it'll be the Shibata vs the Hyperelliptical, both at 2.0g. It's difficult to do true A-B tests on one turntable, but I'm game. I'll debride my ear canals and wear my leather jacket.

I'll have to look up this Marlux moniker.

 

[EngineerNate]

There's still one left. They almost look NOS.

https://m.ebay.com/itm/Original-Vin...618620?hash=item44160b593c:g:SlUAAOSwkNtabfDP

 

[wualta]

Marlux MC500 bodies. Thanks for pointing me to them.
They've poofed already. Marlux, we hardly knew ye.
When yours comes, measure it if you can. The coloring is like the Excel ES-70F, (conical model a step above the S), but I think you'll find it's around 400mH, like the 70S.

The nomenclature doesn't look quite right, but Gary calls the generic HE stylus for the AT95E "710-HE" The 710 category is from an earlier Pfanstiehl indexing system that differentiated generics from originals by using a higher number instead of a prefixed 4.