I posted upstream about buying a Pickering XV-15/625E from
@JFRACE and a 4606-DEX from TVOM, and the cartridge arrived and I mounted it in a head shell today, swapping in the genuine Pickering Dustamatic brush from the D200 stylus that came with the cartridge. Thanks to JFRACE for passing this cartridge along to another AKer!
I'm listening now, at 2.25 total VTF, which (with brush) should drive the stylus at 1.25 VTF. It's too early to anoint this cartridge of course, all of one LP side in, but I may really, really like it. Nice deep bass, smooth mids, nice crisp highs that work well to my ear so far. I've been honking my horn for months now about my love for the paradox pulse Shure sc35c and how much I don't love the shimmer and air that more advanced cartridges provide. I've also had some very nice times of late with a longhorned Grado blue with
@needlestein .2X.7 retip.
I'll need some time to evaluate, but so far this XV-15 is maybe delicious, providing the Grado-esque sweet mids but with better and tighter bass perhaps. The placement of instruments, voices and percussion seem pretty spot-on so far. Wow is all I have to say for now. Why the heck are these not being made anymore, and why does this vintage cart sound so good?