Art Dudley touches this topic in last edition of Stereophile: https://www.stereophile.com/content/listening-186-miyajima-saboten-l-phono-cartridge
This has been a great thread and I've gained conviction that standardizing my "fleet" of turntables with heavy tracking conicals is my answer for now. I've been actively switching styli in and out of Shure carts the last few weeks, listening against Grado, AT, Ortofon and Clearaudio cart variations. The one that I repeatedly prefer is the Shure sc35c with OEM conical.
Would you mind summarizing what other stylii you've tried on the Shure SC35C, as well as what tables you are running it on? I have two new, unopened SC35C and will eventually get around to doing my own listening tests with a variety of stylii (stock conical, N35X, a couple JICOs and maybe a NOS made in Mexico N44GX) , but it would be a good starting point to know what you've tried, on what tables/tonearms and what you thought of each.
Reading thru those links regarding the findings by Decca's employee I think it is safe to say that 1960's was quite a while ago and near the end of his findings the statement that smaller tips if equipped with lighter cantilevers can negate any increased harmonic distortion, is something that needs to be considered since most all of the fine line and more exotic tips and the fact that many of us are using MC or LOMC carts which have most likely far less tip mass than anything out there in the 1960's needs to be consider when taking such old findings into consideration. I have had a lot of carts and a lot of tables in my life, and other than my old Mono table I won't be going back to any conical profile, their is just to much lost in my opinion. As for wear on the groove, not worried, I have enough records that I never play any record that many times anyme that anyone of them will ever get enough play time that I could hear any wear due to numerous plays. Perhaps some tables depending on their capabilities are less able to provide one with sufficient results that stylus and cart choices make a lot of difference.
1) Three turntables: Marantz TT-15 (sc35c paradox pulse), U-Turn Orbit Special, Fluance RT81
2) Styli tried on the Marantz/sc35c: N97HE, N97xe, .7 light-tracking conical from TVOM, OEM, R3X, R3X .3X.7 from LPGear and R3X HE from LPGear.
3) Styli tried on OEM-bodied sc35c mounted on Fluance RT81: same as above.
4) Styli tried on OEM-bodied sc35c mounted on U-Turn Orbit: same as above except for the OEM heavy tracker.
So, seven different styli in the sc35c paradox pulse, from HE to heavy tracking OEM. The OEM sounds best to me.
I hope that helps. FWIW, mounting the sc35c in the paradox pulse opens up a small universe of stylus options to the user. I will stay with the OEM heavy tracker for the time being because it simply sounds the most right to me.
I've never used a plug on a fly rod, but I suppose it would be interesting to try....
Might contribute to the larger knowledge of fishing if you did, which you would never do by sticking with what everyone else says you must do.
In my never ending quest to fiddle in unorthodox ways, I spent a little time today installing the heavy tracking ss35c conical stylus in a sc35c cartridge on my U-Turn Orbit Special Walnut to see how such a heavy tracking cartridge might sound on a light minimalist tonearm. I had only used a light-tracking conical in this cart on the Orbit, along with elliptical and HE tips as noted above. It seemed an odd combination to throw a heavy tracker on such a light tonearm. The sc35c is, after all, designed for use in massive broadcast tonearms and an obvious mismatch for something like the Orbit tonearm. Let's try it!
I had previously added little outrigger tungsten weights to the counterweight on this tonearm to accommodate another older project, an epoxy-potted and longhorned Grado blue that weighs a ton. I mounted the little tungsten weights on the outer edge of the counterweight, down low, and liked them so much I've kept them there ever since. They look nice, add weight that lowers the center of mass, and the sheen of the tungsten weights matches the tonearm. Neat.
To make the sc35c with ss35c work, I added a small "roll" of flexible tungsten putty, normally used to add weight to model cars and widely available online, to the upper junction of the ss35c and the tonearm head shell. Easy enough and it made arriving at 4.5G of VTF easy. So now I have this added-weight counterweight balancing a now-heavy cartridge, with a slender aluminum tonearm running between. Apostasy! Shouldn't work well right?
I've now been listening for two hours, running through a small EL34 ChiFi tube amp and into Klipsch R-15Ms in desk top near field. How does this entirely unnatural and unorthodox arrangement sound? Fantastic, as in other applications of the sc35c I've tried and noted above. The Orbit has no adjustable anti-skate, but this thing is tracking perfectly, as it should at 4.5g VTF. Balanced, smooth, just right.
You're much more adventurous than I am. For a tonearm with a 10 - 12g effective mass, like your U-Turn, I'd probably just slap a reasonably high compliant, light tracking elliptical on it in a Shure M75 body and call it good.
When I read your previous post, I wondered if you had to do any similar mods to make such a low compliant stylus in the heavy Paradox Pulse body work with your Marantz TT-15. Assuming you have the stock Clear Audio Satisfy tonearm on your Marantz, the effective mass of the arm is only 9.5g.
I'm looking for a conical that tracks well in the 2 - 3g range for my Elac Miracord 45 specifically for used vinyl in less than pristine condition. For the SC35C, I'm trying to track down a N35X stylus and will probably also try the JICO N44-7X replacement. I'll probably pick up a couple more of the stock Shure SS35C replacement stylii while I can still get them locally for 19 bucks a pop. The Elac does surprisingly well with both the original Realistic R700E (OEM Shure M75) with a 0.3 x 0.7 mil elliptical tracking at about 1.25 - 1.5g. I am currently using it with a Sonus Silver E (another elliptical) tracking at 1.3g (listening to Steely Dan - Gaucho as I type this). I know the N44GX is a conical capable of tracking this light, but I think for this cartridge, with this table, in a conical, something that tracks in the 2 - 3g range would be the best match. Guess I'll find out...
In addition to the Shure SC35C with various stylus options, I also plan to try it with the AT-3600L (stock stylus is reported to track well at ~2.5g, which should be a good match for the Elac). Good thing I have multiple sleds for my Elac. It makes swapping carts a breeze. I've been busy completing other projects (JBL L300 Nelson Pass crossover builds, speaker restorations, etc.), but I'm really looking forward to diving into this.
Thanks for sharing your experiences.
I inherited a Shure M 95G along with the AR XA that one of my friend used to listen to his opera collection - excellent for the female voice so he claimed.
It should have tracing similar to the spherical tip, minus the pinch effect issue.This is a great discussion.
I am loving what a good conical brings to the table.
Having said that is a biradial the same as a conical with a shaved front and back?
Does it also act like a conicsl or more like the elliptical it is trying to be?
1) Three turntables: Marantz TT-15 (sc35c paradox pulse), U-Turn Orbit Special, Fluance RT81
2) Styli tried on the Marantz/sc35c: N97HE, N97xe, .7 light-tracking conical from TVOM, OEM, R3X, R3X .3X.7 from LPGear and R3X HE from LPGear.
3) Styli tried on OEM-bodied sc35c mounted on Fluance RT81: same as above.
4) Styli tried on OEM-bodied sc35c mounted on U-Turn Orbit: same as above except for the OEM heavy tracker.
So, seven different styli in the sc35c paradox pulse, from HE to heavy tracking OEM. The OEM sounds best to me.
I hope that helps. FWIW, mounting the sc35c in the paradox pulse opens up a small universe of stylus options to the user. I will stay with the OEM heavy tracker for the time being because it simply sounds the most right to me.
No surprise the heavy tracker sounds better than the N97HE, the paradox pulse body adds a lot of mass that the OEM conical like and the 97HE may not.
I have M35x in a paradox pulse body. The N97xVL sounds fabulous in it, but you need the damping brush down.
The paradox body opens up more stylus options but you should also consider the added mass and avoid high compliance styli with it.