OK, so a few have been talking about the Pickering cartridge, specifically the XSV3000 or the like. I have one of these but the D3000 stylus is pooched... I know there is really no more D3000's left, and what are available are pretty pricey.. I need advice on a decent replacement stylus that leverages the cartridge's sound but wont set my retirement back! Any advice?
(I have read through some of the threads on this cartridge and have some ideas, just curious if there is different info here)!
Thanks!
Dave
Hey Dave, LP Gear makes a decent D3000 replacement that's only $79, I ordered a 2nd one and it just showed up today for breaking in.
The original D3000's are tough to find and some say superior due to their propietary Berrylium shaft construction.
I do know that the last D3000 I had (before it broke) sounded pretty good and I assume it had alot of miles on it by the time I got it. They do show up on ebay time to time and about a year ago some guy was selling 2 for only $70 each. I was too broke to jump on one at the time.
For a long time, a decade perhaps, looking back on various website chats, the D3000 needles were not being made which saddened many fans of the XSV cartridges. Several are now being made due to renewed interest in this series; Jico makes one, there's a supposed Shibata model out there (for $170) and several $20 DEX-608 budget models.
I have not felt the need for the high dollar models yet as the LP Gear model satisfies me entirely.
The budget $20 model isn;t terrible, but it makes the XSV sound more like a Shure M95 or M97XE, not bad, but gives up the clear, yet understated, crisp highs. The XSV also is no slouch in the mids either.
Though I don;t use the EQ section very often at all, I picked up a Yamaha GE-60 EQ a few years back just for the LCD display and the Pickering is the cart that best exhibits a quite flat response across the whole spectrum.
Good luck and I bet you'll be happy once its dialed in.