Micro-Acoustics MA530mp cartridge - is it worth getting a new stylus?

[Dick Schneiders]

I recently acquired an old Micro-Acoustics MA530mp cartridge. The cantilever on the stylus is horribly bent and the stylus, under magnification, looks as if it is almost all gone.

I am curious about the sound quality of these old electret cartridges. I have read the information on the Roger Russell site ( http://www.roger-russell.com/sonopg/micropg.htm ), but am not familar with this make of cartridge. Should I try and locate another stylus assembly, or just toss the cartridge away?

Anybody know a source of a stylus for this cartridge? I found this site ( http://www.adelcom.net/MicroAcousticsStylus1.htm ), but they are out of the stylus for the 530mp.

Thanks,

Dick Schneiders

 

[Dan ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ]

I had one on my Dual many years ago. Loved its sound, but was under the impression, even way back then, that they had gone out of bidnezz. :scratch2:

 

[dwhillsboro]

i hane a 2000-e that needs a stylus, so if you find one anywhere let us know as i have been looking for years......this ma stuff is really superior in the sound quality and was considered state of the art....they have a micro computer inside that elimanates impedence matching problems that plague other carts.....i remember them as being really suited to the infinity black widow tone arm.......anyway, i have very good feeling about mine, but alas it sits alone and lonely in my case without its stinger......

 

[idlerwheel]

I don't know about the "micro computer," but the MAs were very advanced, and probably really the ultimate refinement of the lowly ceramic cartridge, which is why both they and Weathers fudged this factor with a name that sounded more respectable.

I've been interested in non-magnetic cartridges for many years, and I have a few of them and look forward to using them. Two or three of my styli are new, but I'll also have to have them retipped in the future per my remark below.

The MA company was trashed in court by Bose over their loudspeaker design in 1984. The founder had died the previous year. Of course, that was the end of styli, too. One site lists one stylus by "Vertron," which is a puzzle. Nobody at any part of Vertron seems to have any knowledge of this.

The best hope is to have your stylus rebuilt with a new tip by Expert Stylus, in England. I'm not sure if they can save one with a trashed cantilever, but you may be able to get your hands on someone's used stylus and then have that one re-tipped. Whatever, the MA styli appear vulnerable to my eye, and need to be handled carefully.

A marvelous advantage of having Expert do this work is that you can have them put any tip design that you want onto the cantilever. In other words, you could wind up with a better needle than it had in the first place. Neat, huh? Almost all MAs came with a .2 x .7 mil elliptical stylus, good, but often not my favorite profile. Two or three models used either a parabolic or a special advanced proprietary design. These would offer improved performance from many records.

Richard

 

[emaidel]

I am very familiar with the 530 Micro Acoustics cartridge. It was a highly refined version of their excellent 2002e, and considerably more expensive. I was unaware of the site mentioned by the previous poster, but one key element in the cartridge design was the very long and slender cantilever. It actually served as a damper for the tonearm when playing warped records, and also quite effectively dampened low frequency resonance. Getting yours re-tipped with a different, and possibly shorter, cantilever will produce poor results, I believe. And, if you're able to find a replacement stylus for the 2002e (which will be difficult) you can use that in your cartridge body and get pretty decent results.

 

[Dick Schneiders]

Thanks for the replies. I really didn't expect to receive such knowledgeable and helpful answers. I was about to simply trash the MA 530 cartridge, but I will keep it and see what can be done about the stylus.

Yes, I noticed that the cantilever is very long. When I started this discussion by stating that it is badly bent, I might actually be mis-stating the problem. The cantilever is pulled down away from the cartridge body so that it is hanging almost at a right angle to the bottom of the cartridge body. It is centered, though, on the body when looking at it from the front. I can, gently, push it back up to a more normal position, but there is what looks like a small rubber band at the rear of the cantilever that pulls it back down to the low position.

I assume that this dropped-down position is not correct? Is there anything that I can do to correct the situation?

The stylus doesn't look very good, either, but I would like to at least test the cartridge out on an old record to see if it is functional.

Thanks for any suggestions you might have,

Dick Schneiders

 

[emaidel]

Your cantilever is trashed, so don't expect to be able to fix it. Again, good luck finding a replacement stylus - I think it's highly unlikely you will, but there's no harm trying.

 

[NoTransistors]

As I recall, the cantilevers are suspended by tiny rubber bands. They dry out. I have a Hi-Fi buddy who has one of these cartridges in the same condition; the cantilever hangs low, like the spigot on a pet dog with prostate problems.

Seth
Forever Analog

 

[redglobe]

I recently acquired a Micro-Acoustics MA530MP. Here are the specifications from the website listed below. (Response 5Hz -20kHz +/- 1.25dB, Output 3.5mV, Tracking 0.7 to 1.4 grams, load capacity NA, stylus Micro Point, $220). The site refers to it as and Electret (sic).

It is a very fine performer and tracker. It is very refined with a smooth high-end, the mid is well defined, the low-end is good, as well. I thought I would be quick to resell it. However, now I am no so sure. I have a Denon DL-S1. I have to compare them side by side in the same deck. However, what a surprise, especially, with a cartridge from 1984.

http://www.roger-russell.com/sonopg/micropg.htm#cartridges

 

[rnorton]

...
I am curious about the sound quality of these old electret cartridges. I have read the information on the Roger Russell site ( http://www.roger-russell.com/sonopg/micropg.htm ), but am not familar with this make of cartridge. Should I try and locate another stylus assembly, or just toss the cartridge away?.

The quality was stupendous. If I could get styli, I'd still be using the ma2002e that I bought in '77 as my main cart.

Unfortunately, the styli are not available unless you want to have one built from scratch (which I've actually considered).

Then again, there's not much data on how the electret element ages since almost no one's been able to use one for decades.

 

[crossram]

The quality was stupendous. If I could get styli, I'd still be using the ma2002e that I bought in '77 as my main cart.

Unfortunately, the styli are not available unless you want to have one built from scratch (which I've actually considered).

Then again, there's not much data on how the electret element ages since almost no one's been able to use one for decades.

They can be had if you are diligent. I bought a NOS 2002e cartridge and stylus (still in the original box with paperwork) on eBay a couple of months ago and also got a good condition 530mp mounted on a Dual tonearm (had to straighten the cantilever but it came out great). Total investment was under $200 and both sound fantastic.

 

[mythless]

Anything is possible if you have the patience to wait for it. I have a nice 2002e cartridge and I think it sounds fantastic, and it was used too. I would think if they haven't been harshly stored away the electret elements should be fine. They do have a MI quality to them.

 

[rnorton]

Anything is possible if you have the patience to wait for it. I have a nice 2002e cartridge and I think it sounds fantastic, and it was used too. I would think if they haven't been harshly stored away the electret elements should be fine. They do have a MI quality to them.

Patience and TIME. I have the patience but the time is getting shorter and shorter.

 

[Pio1980]

As I recall, the cantilevers are suspended by tiny rubber bands. They dry out. I have a Hi-Fi buddy who has one of these cartridges in the same condition; the cantilever hangs low, like the spigot on a pet dog with prostate problems.

Seth
Forever Analog

Hey there, Seth & Group!
We did a thread on these a while back with info on history and construction, the cant' pivot is a plastic axial tie wire #17(breakage of which is the usual irrepairable failure mode of the stylus) and the suspension is partly the transduction structure plus #18 on the patent drawing.
Thread here;http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=469559
M-A history here; http://www.roger-russell.com/sonopg/micropg.htm

 

[rnorton]

Hooorayyyy!

Thanks to a heads-up from balifly, I'm now the owner of a NOS ma2002e stylus for the ridiculous price of $130 (which is exactly what I paid for the cart in 1977 at Pacific Stereo).

I think I'll start it out on my HK T-25 and possibly later give it a run on the Sanyo Q40+.

I haven't heard this cart since 1981. I'm SO glad I didn't toss it when the styli became unobtanium.

For those who never heard one, I replaced my Shure V15 type IV with it and was blown away by the improvement.

 

[sanlanman]

Still go a 2002e with a bent stylus, purchased new in the early eighties. Wish I could find a new stylus. Picked up a second used one off ebay, but it sounds dull and lifeless, suspect worn stylus.