boreas
"If it sounds good, it IS good." E.K.E.
Yes, push it out from the rear and then push it into the Saturn V. Alternatively, you can just replace the stylus on the old cartridge with the one you just got.
John
Piezo-Azden-Acutex Thread
- Thread starter boreas
- Start date
Yes, push it out from the rear and then push it into the Saturn V. Alternatively, you can just replace the stylus on the old cartridge with the one you just got.
John
Yeah, it's not pushing out. Stuck in there good. I'm wondering if the plastic has shrunk over time. I'd like to replace the entire cart. In the week or so I had the Saturn V resting in my SL-D2's cart holder, the old M207 has gone SUPER microphonic. I can only assume it was from being vertical. I get actual feedback screech if I turn up the stereo. Might as well just use the "new" M207, assuming I can free it.
boreas
"If it sounds good, it IS good." E.K.E.
Vertical?? Oh, in the spare headshell holder. Cartridges generally don't go bad. Being vertical can't affect them in any way. Acutex actually packaged them vertically.
Keep pushing if you really want to use the new body. It'll come out. Or you could leave it in and use the new stylus with the Saturn V as I said before. Later LPMs, the 300 and 400 Series, had a pinch bolt that you could loosen to slide the body out of the mount more easily.
I doubt that there's anything wrong with the cartridge. The microphonics are due to the stylus not being snug on the body, the cartridge not being snug in the Saturn V or both. I used to have that problem a lot with the Saturn V. I was able to solve the stylus fit problem with a little bit of BluTack but I never could get the cartridge body to stay tight in the Saturn V so I sold the bloody thing.
John
This site has been amazingly helpful during my return to vinyl as it were. Yes, it was just a loose stylus. Thank you.
I still can't get the "new" cartridge out of the adapter mount. Using a considerable amount of force. So I've swapped the new stylus to the old cartridge. Strangely, it's *considerably* hotter. I have to dial back my preamp 3 dB to stop it from clipping where it was just fine at 0 with the old one. That's rather dramatic. And in my limited experience, uncommon, yes?
On another note, though I rather like the (unbranded) Goldring Elektra I have, the M207 with a fresh stylus crushes the holy hell out of it. More open/wider, smoother and transparent. I understand why people like these things. Makes me wonder what a tri-pole sounds like.
Makes me glad I gave the Acutex first play on Bowie's "Black Star".
I still can't get the "new" cartridge out of the adapter mount. Using a considerable amount of force. So I've swapped the new stylus to the old cartridge. Strangely, it's *considerably* hotter. I have to dial back my preamp 3 dB to stop it from clipping where it was just fine at 0 with the old one. That's rather dramatic. And in my limited experience, uncommon, yes?
On another note, though I rather like the (unbranded) Goldring Elektra I have, the M207 with a fresh stylus crushes the holy hell out of it. More open/wider, smoother and transparent. I understand why people like these things. Makes me wonder what a tri-pole sounds like.
Makes me glad I gave the Acutex first play on Bowie's "Black Star".
Sorry it has taken me almost 2 years to get back to reply John (your post #348). To be clear, I went to JICO and bought the replacement stylus for the AKAI RS120E (Jico #e000507). I have been playing around with other cartridges (AT150MLx and others) and remembered I needed to retry this one (and reply). So, I carefully realigned the cartridge in the headshell and tried again at 1.75g. Works just fine. I am not sure about comparisons to the AT150MLx on sound quality. The AT150 seems more accurate and brighter. One thing for sure, the SC-100 is a lot louder than the AT150. It needs more hours to settle in so let's see what happens. Thanks to everyone on the thread for posting and sharing their experiences and knowledge - it has been very helpful.Thanks for the update. Could you fill us in a little more? What stylus did you get?
There are three aftermarket styli floating around that I'm aware of. There's the yellow Pfanstiehl 707-DE and the black EVG PM2891DE. Both of these have a "STEREO" sticker where the "SC-100" sticker on the original was. These both are true induced magnet cartridges and designed to be used with the tri-pole body. They appear to be JICOs.
The third one is the Pfanstiehl 4707-DE. These are black, have no sticker on them, are probably Swiss and are neither induced magnet nor designed for a tri-pole cartridge. Instead, they're moving magnet styli of a V-magnet design like Audo-Technicas. They work but they're not right.
The two JICOs are pretty nice. I've not heard the 4707-DE but I wouldn't expect much from it.
Also, all of these styli like around 2g. VTF. Running it at 1.5g could explain your distortion. Mine, (yellow) is set at 1.9g and it sounds good. Don't be afraid to run it at 2g+. They can take it.I'm listening my YM-308 now. Ravel sounds great.
OOPS! I missed it! You got the JICO! Try running it at 2g or even 2.2g and check the alignment again carefully.
John
Luckyorleans
Super Member
I have a Spectrum SC-100 and was curious about it has a Canada patent number on it. A search online on the patent number 1028628 shoes it was patented in 1978 and that expired in 1995. There is also a 6 page description to go with the pictures below under the documents page.
http://www.ic.gc.ca/opic-cipo/cpd/e...ry.html?type=number_search&tabs1Index=tabs1_1
http://www.ic.gc.ca/opic-cipo/cpd/e...ry.html?type=number_search&tabs1Index=tabs1_1
Luckyorleans
Super Member
I also have an Akai PC-100 which has a red SC-201E stylus. I played it once as a test through a pair of Minimus 7s and it sounded decent but before getting to a better test I bent the flippin stylus moving it.
From the info you posted, for a replacement I should go for the 707 and not the 4707, like the VoMusic has:
https://www.thevoiceofmusic.com/cat...Type=MfgNameNeedles&MfgName=Piezo&Categories=
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After finding a used M 312 STR stylus I am on the hunt for more. My M312 never sounded better even tho this stylus is worn more than the new 707-DE I had on it.
So I also sent a message to Jico, I think the more people who send inquiries the better chance we have of having this done for us Acutex Piezo Azden fans!!!
Here is my message to them:
"Hello, I was wondering if you would be able to make a Shibata stylus for
the Acutex M306,310,312 cartridge. This is also cloned under Akia RS120 Rs100, Piezo YM308/2 , Kenwood N45, Magnavox, Spectrum and others in your line. Right now you only offer this in Elliptical ( Akai RS120) stylus . There has been a resurgence in the Acutex 312 STR III and its clones. I believe Azden is the original manufacture for Acutex and Piezo who sold the majority of these.
Acutex also made a LPM( Lowest Possible Mass) version of the 321 STR. I believe you sell the stylus for the Pioneer version in a conical only. Might be wise to also include a shibata for those as well, as the Acutex LPM 210, 310, and 410 all use the same stylus mount.
These are all try pole induced magnet technology which I believe was the latest and most innovated of the MM,MI , IM designs. I have an original Shibata for my Acutex M312 STR III and it is devine. I have a few other bodies and need replacements for them.
I am sure there are others who would also like this done.
Here is a thread on Audio karma forum where we discus the different iterations from Azden, Piezo and Acutex.
http://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/piezo-azden-acutex-thread.604161/
Thanks for your time and consideration.
Athanasios "
Get them messages going!!!
Here is the link to the contact page !
https://www.jico-stylus.com/contact_us.php
Athanasios
So I also sent a message to Jico, I think the more people who send inquiries the better chance we have of having this done for us Acutex Piezo Azden fans!!!
Here is my message to them:
"Hello, I was wondering if you would be able to make a Shibata stylus for
the Acutex M306,310,312 cartridge. This is also cloned under Akia RS120 Rs100, Piezo YM308/2 , Kenwood N45, Magnavox, Spectrum and others in your line. Right now you only offer this in Elliptical ( Akai RS120) stylus . There has been a resurgence in the Acutex 312 STR III and its clones. I believe Azden is the original manufacture for Acutex and Piezo who sold the majority of these.
Acutex also made a LPM( Lowest Possible Mass) version of the 321 STR. I believe you sell the stylus for the Pioneer version in a conical only. Might be wise to also include a shibata for those as well, as the Acutex LPM 210, 310, and 410 all use the same stylus mount.
These are all try pole induced magnet technology which I believe was the latest and most innovated of the MM,MI , IM designs. I have an original Shibata for my Acutex M312 STR III and it is devine. I have a few other bodies and need replacements for them.
I am sure there are others who would also like this done.
Here is a thread on Audio karma forum where we discus the different iterations from Azden, Piezo and Acutex.
http://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/piezo-azden-acutex-thread.604161/
Thanks for your time and consideration.
Athanasios "
Get them messages going!!!
Here is the link to the contact page !
https://www.jico-stylus.com/contact_us.php
Athanasios
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Straker62
Active Member
I have an Acutex M312 STRIII Long nose and I am very satisfied of it (I love its big deep stage, the air among instruments and the details too): I live in Europe, so I think that when the stylus will be worn (now it has about 200 hours) I'll write to Expert Stylus in England to ask them if they can do a retip with their Paratrace shaped stylus. Perhaps it will be an update over the original triradial Acutex stylus. I'm on a budget and I can't afford a cartridge like Nagaoka MP-500 or Ortofon 2M black, perhaps the only MM cartridges that could better the Acutex. I have also a Shure M91ED with original stylus and a Shure M95ED with Nagaoka stylus, but they are quite inferior to the Acutex, and I don't think that they can deliver its big and deep stage upgrading them with an HE or Jico SAS stylus. The difference IMHO is in the Acutex engine, the tripole induced magnet that give an amazing channels separation (30 db at 1 khz and 27 db at 10 khz).
boreas
"If it sounds good, it IS good." E.K.E.
A company in Milano, ebusinesspoint, ended up with a large quantity of Acutex LPM (Long Nose) cartridges - they still have some of the lesser models - and was selling them on the internet for years and years. By the time I discovered them they were out of the M320III STR, M315III STR and the comparable models from the 400 Series but I bought an M312III STR from them as well as a 412 STR and eventually "assembled" an M315III STR by buying a NOS N315 stylus and an orphan 300 Series body.
The 412 STR was a disappointment but the M312 and M315 are among my favorites.
The Paratrace would be a good choice for a retip. It's quite similar to the Toshiba STR on the Acutex.
John
The 412 STR was a disappointment but the M312 and M315 are among my favorites.
The Paratrace would be a good choice for a retip. It's quite similar to the Toshiba STR on the Acutex.
John
melofelo
Addicted Member
The difference IMHO is in the Acutex engine, the tripole induced magnet that give an amazing channels separation (30 db at 1 khz and 27 db at 10 khz).
...
yup... even a basic generic elliptical ( and it's worth inspecting the cheap generics to ensure the top of the cantilever has the right third element ) on the 1st generation M body bricks ( i.e Akai pc-100 shape)... will give a dual magnet cartridge a run for its money..if not in ultimate detail...certainly in channel separation and depth.
Strapping an exotic stylus shape to a dual magnet body is one way to good sound... but the tri-pole system has a magic of its own too. Tracking force ( and antiskate ) is fussy with these cartridges though. Start at about 1.5..and tune by ear 1/10 gm upwards to about 1.8gm. You'll find a sweet spot somewhere in between ( depending on the effective mass of your arm ) where everything clicks into place in terms of left middle and right separation... you'll know it when you hear it as the detail resolution levels in the treble will still stay the same, as will the bass... but 'extreme' left and right detail will be as easy to follow as stuff in the middle of the sound stage on tracks that have such extreme panning in the recording.
A track like 'free' from Airto's album of the same name is a good gauge of what tripoles can do..
...
yup... even a basic generic elliptical ( and it's worth inspecting the cheap generics to ensure the top of the cantilever has the right third element ) on the 1st generation M body bricks ( i.e Akai pc-100 shape)... will give a dual magnet cartridge a run for its money..if not in ultimate detail...certainly in channel separation and depth.
Strapping an exotic stylus shape to a dual magnet body is one way to good sound... but the tri-pole system has a magic of its own too. Tracking force ( and antiskate ) is fussy with these cartridges though. Start at about 1.5..and tune by ear 1/10 gm upwards to about 1.8gm. You'll find a sweet spot somewhere in between ( depending on the effective mass of your arm ) where everything clicks into place in terms of left middle and right separation... you'll know it when you hear it as the detail resolution levels in the treble will still stay the same, as will the bass... but 'extreme' left and right detail will be as easy to follow as stuff in the middle of the sound stage on tracks that have such extreme panning in the recording.
A track like 'free' from Airto's album of the same name is a good gauge of what tripoles can do..
Just got this In the mail !!!! Saw it on a Turntable on an auction site and asked if they would part with the Cart for 50 bucks.
So I received that and a bent stylus !!!
I have some .4 and .5 mm tubing and might give a go at fixing the cantilever.
Going to try to split the body and remove the can't assembly from it to work on it in the open.
On the old M bodies the stylus is easily removed with a hold down screw ( I think some call it the compliance adjuster but i think its just a hold down screw as if you loosen it at all the cant will twist )
EDIT: Anyone know what the diameter of the cantilever is?
So here are some pics .
So I received that and a bent stylus !!!
I have some .4 and .5 mm tubing and might give a go at fixing the cantilever.
Going to try to split the body and remove the can't assembly from it to work on it in the open.
On the old M bodies the stylus is easily removed with a hold down screw ( I think some call it the compliance adjuster but i think its just a hold down screw as if you loosen it at all the cant will twist )
EDIT: Anyone know what the diameter of the cantilever is?
So here are some pics .
boreas
"If it sounds good, it IS good." E.K.E.
There was an Empire version, the MC+20, though it wasn't part of a headshell & cartridge combination. As far as I know, the only stylus available for the Empire was a 0.3 x 0.7 mil elliptical. The Piezo of course had a line contact stylus, probably the Toshiba STR they used in other applications.
John
John
