Replacement stylus for Shure M91E cartridge

L

lchiu7

Member
Inherited a Technics SL-5200 from my father. He was bit of an audiophile so he replaced the stock cartridge and shell with an SME cartridge holder (if that is the right term) and a Shure M91E cartridge.

I had to buy a phone preamp to use it with my receiver not having a phono input. It sounds okay but occasionally I can hear distortion in some of the tracks and sibilance. Of course that could be just the limitation of the LP medium but I think I could do better and maybe I need a new stylus ( the current one must be 20 years old now).

I see lots on Ebay but can anybody recommend a good brand replacement? I would assume Shure don't make styluses anymore. And also what is a recommended tracking weight these days?

Thanks
 
There are several brands. The best of the aftermarket are the better (#moreexpensive) models from Jico. I find that EVG is good value in the lower price range and in my opinion better than Pfanstiehl.
 
Research in the famous auction site for Shure N91ed: you will find a Tonar N91ed Stylus in Canada. I bought a Tonar N95ed for my Shure M95ed and works very well.
Otherwise look for an Evg N91ed, it is well regarded as well. Both cost near 20 $. If you want a superior quality one, go for N91ED Vividline at LPGear: 90 $.
 
There is a seller on ebay from Krebs, OK and I think her ebay handle is "needlelady" or something similar to that. Her M91 styli came highly recommended here on the board and there are several threads about them. I bought one from her and they are very good indeed, top shelf replacements.
You may do a search here using that ebay seller's name and come up with a few threads.
Also, I'm sure she ships worldwide.
 
I sometimes get EVG styli from a S Korean seller called dialekt or something similar. Affordable product and good shipping rates plus reasonably fast.
 
lchiu7 said:
Inherited a Technics SL-5200 from my father. He was bit of an audiophile so he replaced the stock cartridge and shell with an SME cartridge holder (if that is the right term) and a Shure M91E cartridge.

I had to buy a phone preamp to use it with my receiver not having a phono input. It sounds okay but occasionally I can hear distortion in some of the tracks and sibilance. Of course that could be just the limitation of the LP medium but I think I could do better and maybe I need a new stylus ( the current one must be 20 years old now).

I see lots on Ebay but can anybody recommend a good brand replacement? I would assume Shure don't make styluses anymore. And also what is a recommended tracking weight these days?

Thanks
Click to expand...

Friends in New Zealand have dealt with the following site with good results. :music:
http://www.styli.co.nz/stylus-266.html
 
I'm sure you'll get lots of suggestions, since this was a very popular cartridge in its day, both it and its immediate successor the M91ED.
I am ignorant of currency exchange rates between the EU and NZ, but I've had very good luck and very good sound from this stylus sold by Pickupnaalden in the Netherlands. It looks strange because it was intended for a later, more advanced cartridge, but it will work just fine in your M91E. The stylus is constructed the way Shure built theirs, with a telescoped cantilever and a "tie wire".
 
Last edited:
dosmalo said:
There is a seller on ebay from Krebs, OK and I think her ebay handle is "needlelady" or something similar to that. Her M91 styli came highly recommended here on the board and there are several threads about them. I bought one from her and they are very good indeed, top shelf replacements.
You may do a search here using that ebay seller's name and come up with a few threads.
Also, I'm sure she ships worldwide.
Click to expand...
You're thinking of stereoneedleslady. I've bought from her a bunch of times.
 
Well according to her ebay.com listing, Stereoneedleslady doesn't ship internationally anymore. But strangely there are about 5 styli available through ebay.ca that apparently do ship internationally. Ebay.com won't let me ask her a question (??) but I sent one to her via ebay.ca. So hopefully we will find out what the score is.

Another source for EVG styli is Voice of Music ... and Gary does ship internationally.

M91 styli have been the subject of a number of threads in recent times.

The Jico m91e is exactly the same stylus as the m91ed except for the colour of the grip (and the price!).

The 'Bliss' house brand at turntableneedles.com is Japan made (not by Jico) and have the tension wire construction (elliptical only ... not hyperelliptical or shibata) ... so perhaps a small notch above the EVG product?
 
Yeah Carole (Stereoneedlelady) only sells to US. International postage costs, cost of lost items and refunds, etc. forced her to make the change.
 
Peter, I should have mentioned Voice Of Music. I am a regular there and in fact just placed another order with Gary. I just wish the exchange rate was better.
 
Thanks for all the replies. Specifically
- the Jico and EVG look good - will check them out
- I do know something about turntable and stylus setup (after I am my Dad's son!). I find setting the tracking weight a bit fiddly with the Technics TT so I am going to get a digital stylus gauge
- Now that I think about it I think my Dad also had a different TT with a SME 3009 tone arm. I recall it had a hanging weight for tracking. I wish I knew where that was now but my parents moved a couple of times and that got lost. I think he bought the Technics because it was automatic but it's not really since it does not lift the arm up at the end of a disc
 
Well after some consideration I think I will go for this one.

https://www.jico-stylus.com/product_info.php?products_id=1024

I don't listen to LP's that often and only want to be able to transfer records that I have in no other format. Then I will fix them in Adobe Audition. I also wonder if the distortion I am hearing occasionally is due to insufficient tracking weight (The Technics tracking weight setting is a bit hit and miss) so I will pick up a digital scale also.
 
A scale is a good idea ... but that's the 1st time I've heard anyone describe tracking force on a Technics as 'hit and miss'. Although I don't have the same model, I've had many Technics and they have always been pretty-much spot-on, checked both with a Shure gauge and a pocket scale.
 
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