Finally got one ... in the Stanton club now (edit: Stereohedron retip)

Hang on to that Stanton 681EEE, Bob!! Don't be stupid and go sell it like I did!! :mad: Had the top of the line 681EEE-S with an original stereohedron stylus in very good condition!! So, I was very shortly in the "Stanton Club". :D What I do remember about the sound quality, very smooth, detailed, natural, sounding. Definitely a keeper!!
 
I'm in the Stanton club, though with nothing fancy. I have the couple Pickering V15s and I also have a Stanton 680EL with a Pfanstiehl 822-DEE stylus. It sounds pretty damned good, to me at least. I also have an EVG conical for it for old mono or beat up records. It is nice and quiet in the groove.

I also have a Pickering V15 Micro IV that I bought an EVG 606-DEX for, but it turned out to have a dead channel.:( I have been watching on and off for a replacement on ebay.
 
I see the forums are back up! Great!

I've been listening to the XV-15 with TVOM 4604-DEX for a couple of long days now and have it tracking at 1.5g without the brush. I experienced occasional skips with the brush, not a one without. This is a goldilocks cartridge for me. Punchy, dynamic, but with warmth and TONE, great bass, solid upper-end extension, texture where I want it but not gritty, not too much "air" or "shimmer" added to the mix, not a Shure, not a Grado, but something that combines the best qualities of both and threads the needle of goodness, at least for my ears. I'm afraid my other carts are going to have to be prepared for some down time for now.
 
David, hope you enjoy!

You could also try an original heavy-tracking conical for that body. All the original sphericals I've tried, sound pretty damn good and one might still find them for not much money.

I really like their rich, lifelike tonality and their big impact/slam.

Good examples are the D100, the D150, the D150DJ, the D350 and the Stanton D680ALII (the latter two are more detailed and less bold). I particularly enjoy the bolder D150DJ and the D100 (unfortunately the tip on the latter droke off..).

I haven't heard yet the D140, the D200 and the D400. These should sound close to the conicals, but they are rather hard to come by.

I must also give those VOM replacements, a try! I hear good things about them.
 
For all the low-bass lovers out there, there is also the Stanton/Pickering 500/V15 series.

I really believe that in terms of authority and impact in the lower registers, they are difficult to challenge.
It is worth having in ones collection.
They are probably my favorite cartridge family, from Stanton/Pickering.
Here is the same recording I posted previously, but with a Pickering NP/AC, one of the bass-heavier examples :rockon::

Pickering NP/AC (Stanton 500 gold body with original PC07C)

Hope it helps others in their "Stantonian" quest.

Yes, those 500/v15 Pickstanterlings have a loyal following, though more limited stylus replacement options than the 680/681/XV15s have.
 
Yes, those 500/v15 Pickstanterlings have a loyal following, though more limited stylus replacement options than the 680/681/XV15s have.

True. They are a bit narrower in their choices.
But you will not need much. A nice heavy tracking conical is all you will need. Or a wide elliptical.

They will never sound extra-detailed and with extended top. But for that type of rolled-off presentation with wide soundstage and huge bass, they are "kings".

The Pickering XV15/150DJ can come pretty close though.
 
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Based on your responses I dug out the Pickering genuine OEM D200 that @JFRACE sent along with the XV-15. I looked it up and it's a .4X.7 elliptical that tracks at 3g. I eyeballed it under a loupe and spiffed it up with a magic eraser and the diamond looked intact, although I could see a small "dent" in the cantilever that luckily didn't create a bend in the pipe.

I've been such a fan of heavy tracking conicals of late that I just had to give this stylus a go. It's tracking Heart Little Queen right now and sounds great. Perhaps a touch meatier and more solid down low than the TVOM 4606-DEX but very similar overall. I'll probably go with the 4606-DEX for now and keep the OEM stashed. I'm also going to grab a conical from TVOM for kicks. Thanks for the feedback.
 
Based on your responses I dug out the Pickering genuine OEM D200 that @JFRACE sent along with the XV-15. I looked it up and it's a .4X.7 elliptical that tracks at 3g. I eyeballed it under a loupe and spiffed it up with a magic eraser and the diamond looked intact, although I could see a small "dent" in the cantilever that luckily didn't create a bend in the pipe.

I've been such a fan of heavy tracking conicals of late that I just had to give this stylus a go. It's tracking Heart Little Queen right now and sounds great. Perhaps a touch meatier and more solid down low than the TVOM 4606-DEX but very similar overall. I'll probably go with the 4606-DEX for now and keep the OEM stashed. I'm also going to grab a conical from TVOM for kicks. Thanks for the feedback.

those are more for changers than single play with the D200's.
 
In the time since my last post I swapped the Shure paradox pulse sc35c in and tried it with the OEM and also an LPGear HE R3X/R25XT replacement stylus, before then swapping back in the XV-15 with 4606-DEX. The Shure is positively smoother, buttery, but is also a little less dynamic than the Pickering. It is very pleasant but just doesn't pop as much as the Pickering and the difference is unmistakable. The thing that impresses me about the XV-15 is that it is dynamic without undue emphasis on the upper end and is not the least bit brittle. How they pull off the warmth and fantastic tone + dynamic punchiness + detail but without the additive air and false shimmer that I sense in other cartridges I've tried is beyond me.

For all of you Stanton and Pickering honks, I get it, I really get it.
 
Welcome to the club. Most Stantons, including yours, are excellent. My Stanton is the 780Q, a CD4 model from the Quad era. It sports the stylus from a Pickering 1200. I also have several Pickerings, the best of which is the XSV-3000 with a fine line "stereohedron" (fine line) stylus. Both are very fine cartridges. The 681 is a workhorse cartridge that will not disappoint.
 
In the time since my last post I swapped the Shure paradox pulse sc35c in and tried it with the OEM and also an LPGear HE R3X/R25XT replacement stylus, before then swapping back in the XV-15 with 4606-DEX. The Shure is positively smoother, buttery, but is also a little less dynamic than the Pickering. It is very pleasant but just doesn't pop as much as the Pickering and the difference is unmistakable. The thing that impresses me about the XV-15 is that it is dynamic without undue emphasis on the upper end and is not the least bit brittle. How they pull off the warmth and fantastic tone + dynamic punchiness + detail but without the additive air and false shimmer that I sense in other cartridges I've tried is beyond me.

For all of you Stanton and Pickering honks, I get it, I really get it.

Spot on! My ears agree.

What you describe is probably the different "house characters" of those two companies. I 've noticed that, more or less, their particular character exists in all of their cartridge families. With some exceptions of course, such as the original Shure M75CS, which sounds very much like an original Pickering V15/AC3 or the original Pickering XV15/350C which sounds almost identical to an original Shure M75G TypeII. Or even the Shure M97xE, that shares almost the same tonality with a Pickering XV15/150. And there are probably others.

By the way, I also tend to gravitate towards the heavier-tracking Stanton/Pickering sphericals. They present a relaxing, natural tone along with that typical, beefy-rich lows. I can crank up the volume pretty high, without ever becoming tired or annoyed.
 
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For all the low-bass lovers out there, there is also the Stanton/Pickering 500/V15 series.

I really believe that in terms of authority and impact in the lower registers, they are difficult to challenge.
It is worth having in ones collection.
They are probably my favorite cartridge family, from Stanton/Pickering.
Here is the same recording I posted previously, but with a Pickering NP/AC, one of the bass-heavier examples :rockon::

Pickering NP/AC (Stanton 500 gold body with original PC07C)

Hope it helps others in their "Stantonian" quest.
Yes , no matter how great I think a more modern cart sounds, when I put a 500/V15 on, a big smile comes across my face. The speed of the low registers, how clean the impact is, and how it pushes the system is addicting.
 
I have found out by trial testing many carts and stylus, that once I got past the new cart Hype, a xv15 with a d1800, and a Stanton 500 can cover anything I wish to hear better then anything else. And I always know exactly how great its going to be.
 
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Interesting. I've never heard a bright stock Pickering before. Usually line contacts brighten up the sound over elliptical styli, not the other way around. Stereohedron are famously silky, though, anywhere they are found. I think this has a lot to do with the interplay between tip, cantilever and suspension with these cartridges. Retipping with standard line contacts usually brightens the sound quite a bit either because of the stone or the new non Stantering cantilever (or both) that usually accompanies a retip. I wonder if your D1200 is a little positive in the SRA department.

Lovely cartridge, though. I wish they still made them.


I should have elaborated a bit. I don't think the D1200 is bright. But the D1800-S is smoother. And the volume is a touch lower as well. Love the D1200. This D1800-S was supposed to have seen very little use, and it looked like it under my scope.

Since dipping into the vintage cartridge pool, I swear that almost every stylus sounds different - even the same models. At least on a high res system. It all depends on age, storage and use. Can't tell as easy in my office system, but on the big ProAcs downstairs it's not subtle.
 
Best overall aftermarket: probably Jico Shibata from the Jico website. Best for the money: Probably the Pickering D1200 Jico replacement from the Jico website. Best bang for the buck and most Stantonlike sound: Pfanstiehl 4822-DEE.

@needlestein ,

I was putting in an order at TVOM and decided to to try the Pfanstiehl 4822-DEE P so I added it to the list. I have the Swiss made .2 x.7 elliptical. Been playing it for a few hours. I had been listening to my AT35E moving coil so this is a challenging change of direction.

First impressions are very positive. I actually think the old stock Stanton stylus must be worn a bit as this low cost aftermarket is right up there. I thought you said to track it heavier than spec so started at 2.0 and like it, now I have it at 1.7 grams and it is ok but maybe less dynamic? Think I prefer 2.0? What VTF do you use?

While it lacks the airy details of the moving coil I had been playing it is very nice, has the vintage sound like the stock stylus. I’m impressed with the sound stage and channel separation too.

I still going to try the Jico Pickering D1200 when I make a Jico order but this was a pleasant surprise and breaking it in will be fun.

Cheers, Bob
 
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The 4822- DEE break-in continues nicely. I put the VTF up to 1.9 and it now sounds richer and better than at 1.7.

I can’t believe that a Pfanstiehl sounds this good? :eek2:

I have read a whole bunch of old threads on Stanton/Pickering. My Pfanstiehl 4822-DEE is Swiss and has a red dot on it. Does that mean it won’t play in a Pickering MM like some others allegedly do?

I have a Pickering UV-15 with no stylus that might be fun to try to resurrect.
 
yeah. I know what you mean. I didn't notice any break-in nuances, just mounted it and played a test record. Gave it 2.4g of VTF and there it stayed. The red dot thing will work both MI and MM's. This is the best part. It's good for my 681eee and for my 881S. I have a bunch of those and the 4822-DEE was a real once-in-a-while surprise.
 
yeah. I know what you mean. I didn't notice any break-in nuances, just mounted it and played a test record. Gave it 2.4g of VTF and there it stayed. The red dot thing will work both MI and MM's. This is the best part. It's good for my 681eee and for my 881S. I have a bunch of those and the 4822-DEE was a real once-in-a-while surprise.
Yes, it has little break in improvements so far, I think what I hear is tube warm up which is normal.

I started at 2.0, then 1.7 which sounded a bit thin for a Stanton, then 1.9 and the goodness came back. I’ll work my way up to 2.4.

Pretty wild that this will play in a MM too.
 
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