Cartridge/needle upgrade suggestions

Hey folks! So I recently bought a used Kenwood KD-3070 turntable, and it came with a Pickering P/AT-1 cartridge. I know you're supposed to replace the needle on a used table, but should I go ahead and replace the cartridge too, or is this a good one that I should hold onto? Thanks!

 

Hi, welcome to our hobby. Assuming the needle (stylus) isn't visibly damaged it might still be good, but it takes a good microscope and some experience to check (I have neither). It's safer to start with a new one just to see if everything works. Do make sure you get sound from both channels when you carefully (!) touch the stylus with a soft brush. It's rare for a cartridge body to develop a fault but it can happen. I would hold on to the old one, in case you have an opportunity to get it checked later.

The cartridge you have is better known as the Pickering V-15, which is identical to a Stanton 500; Stanton and Pickering were the same company. It's NOT the same as a Shure V-15, though. This cartridge was produced for decades and you'll find lots of recommendations in this forum and elsewhere. I have a couple of them and I like them, but good styli are becoming rare and relatively expensive. The DE stylus I have in mine would cost me $40 to replace today, or about as much as a brand new cartridge of similar performance from current production, such as AT 95E, Shure M92E or Ortofon Omega.

Here's one thread on the subject. Most of it is three years old now but Gary at The Voice of Music (see links in first post) is still a trusted and reliable source. http://audiokarma.org/forums/index....-15-stanton-500-family-who-loves-them.641049/

 

Thanks for the info! I didn't realize it went by another name, that would explain why I couldn't find much online about it.

It does appear to be in good shape, so if I can find one that's reasonably priced I think I'll see if I can just swap out the stylus rather than the entire cartridge.

 

I believe the most economical stylus at the moment is a generic or aftermarket one, actually made by TEI in Colombia (as in the South American country between Ecuador and Venezuela) and regularly sold on eBay for $10 plus a little shipping. I haven't tried it myself but our intrepid stylus expert @needlestein has and raves about it. He runs a Technics 1200 which is somewhat comparable to your Kenwood.

I'll let him chime in as I'm not 100 percent sure which is the correct listing.

 

I think it comes from the Normarh factory, but it’s marketed by a company called TEI out of Miami.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/261397239351

It’s great for what it is: a heavyish tracking conical that sounds just like the original Stanton version. I love it.

For the V15:
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/261057216300

 

Another option...

https://www.jico-stylus.com/index.php?cPath=91

 

My favorite stylus for the V15 that I've tried so far is the EVG (4)604-DET. It sounds great, and The Voice of Music has them for $16.
https://www.thevoiceofmusic.com/cat...=MfgNameNeedles&MfgName=Pickering&Categories=
Ebay has them sometimes, too.

 

The cartridge is definitely a keeper. The Kenwood is also a nice turntable and deserves a good stylus. I experimented with the cheapo's for a few years until I found JICO, they cost a bit more but are worth it in my opinion. Spending 20 or 30 dollars more for a stylus will go a long way in terms of sound quality and tracking ability.

 

I also noticed that The Voice of Music has several flavors of the original Pickering styli in stock. Supposedly, none of the aftermarket styli are as good as the OEM. These include the brush, but that can be removed if you wish.
https://www.thevoiceofmusic.com/cat...=MfgNameNeedles&MfgName=Pickering&Categories=

 

I gave up on NOS (New Old Stock) styli after receiving several with either corroded cantilevers, collapsed suspensions, dried suspensions and in one case, the glue that held the stylus tip to the cantilever failed while the record was playing.

 

I have a Pickering V-15 that originally had the AT-2 needle on it. It still sounds great, just with a newer needle.

 

For $12, what do you really have to lose? If you want a nice light tracking stylus, try the Pickering DE or DLE for the P Mount cartridges. These are still easily found. They run closer to $40 but often appear on eBay for $20 or less. Caveat: a few V15 models had a longer top bracket that will interfere with the P Mount styli. Just snip the plastic a little if you have one of these.


This works great!


If your bracket is like this, you will have to snip the P Mount stylus slightly.

 

You could apply that $12.00 towards getting a high quality stylus.

We spend hundreds, even thousands of dollars on vinyl, audio gear, and accessories. What's the point of saving a few dollars on probably the most important component in the vinyl chain?

 

The cheap conical will be easier to set up (cartridge alignment wise) and will be less finicky about tracking. Also one is risking less playing records that are in poor shape, if part of one's record collection is from thrift shops and yard sales.

Some people are especially fond of conical needles, and for them the it might be worth getting an original Pickering conical, and not settle for a generic. If you doubt people do actual love conicals, see this thread: http://audiokarma.org/forums/index....on-a-cartridge-most-dont.679064/#post-9063542

On the other hand, some of the cheaper .4x.7 or .3x.7 generic ellipticals will sound better on better recordings than would the average conical and may be fairly inexpensive, if one doesn't want to go for a more expensive one.

 

Back to the OP's question, the cheapest stylus could actually be an upgrade if it was the kind of stylus that played the kinds of records the OP has better than more expensive records. Besides, showing the spectrum of styli available for the OP's cart actually offers the most options to chose from.

 

That's all I was trying to do.

 

"Thanks" guys for ruining this thread for everybody else. Reported to moderators.

 

The interpersonal tiff seems to have been deleted from the thread, even the part of my post that jokingly engaged with it.

 

TVOM has some lighter-tracking OEM Pickering V15 styli in stock, such as the 604-D7M and 605-DEM. They're not as cheap as the aftermarket styli, but as others have said, if you want quality sound, it's worth spending a few extra bucks.