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A Cartridge that Sounds Like $1MM for under $200

That sounds like a great tip! Thanks I will consider it when I am ready to get a replacement for my Marantz when ever it gets here.
 
whell said:
Absolutely. I use this combo on my SL-1210 M5G, which has pretty much the same tonearm as the MK II.
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Your M5G arm has the better arm wires and i believe better calbles as well it's probably why yours sounds as good as it does. So those arms are a bit different plus I just love the finish on the 1210 arms.
 
whell said:
At the heart of the matter is the Stanton 890 SA DJ cartridge. That's right, its a DJ cartridge. Kevin at KAB sells this cartridge with a Pickering D22E stylus, and it's supposed to sound very good. Why a DJ cartridge? Well, this particular DJ cartridge started its life many years ago as a Stanton 881. The 881 was one of the best moving magnet cartridges of its era, and holds up well against the competition today. The 890 SA, therefore, can use the same styli that are available for the 881.
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When I bought an 890SA a few years ago, I had assumed that I could replace the DJ stylus with an 881 stylus if I wanted. When I e-mailed Stanton, they replied that they had made electrical changes to the 890 body to better meet the needs of DJ use. Sound would come out, but it wouldn't be "right." Of course, just because it isn't right by Stanton's standards doesn't mean it might not be enjoyable.
 
m4rz said:
hmm...this sounds very interesting then. I will have to see if I can source these up here. I assume this would be a "large" improvement over my Ortofon 2m
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I've not had a chance to hear the 2M, but I do like this combo a bit more than my OM-30.
 
Stanton681EEES said:
Your M5G arm has the better arm wires and i believe better calbles as well it's probably why yours sounds as good as it does. So those arms are a bit different plus I just love the finish on the 1210 arms.
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I guess when I suggested that the arms were very much alike between the 1200 MK II and the 1210 M5G, I was thinking more along the lines of arm geometry. You're right about the cables/arm wires being upgraded on the M5G, which is one of the reasons I opted for this model.
 
jrtrent said:
When I bought an 890SA a few years ago, I had assumed that I could replace the DJ stylus with an 881 stylus if I wanted. When I e-mailed Stanton, they replied that they had made electrical changes to the 890 body to better meet the needs of DJ use. Sound would come out, but it wouldn't be "right." Of course, just because it isn't right by Stanton's standards doesn't mean it might not be enjoyable.
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Its interesting you mention that. I did note that the D81S stylus I have didn't sound as good as the D22S or the Jico Shibata. I'll have to try the D81S again to confirm this. But, I can suggest that the D22S and Jico options sound very "right"!
 
leepal said:
I was all set to buy this, added to shopping cart, went to checkout etc. Imagine my disappointment when it turns out they charge $82 minimum to ship to the UK. :thumbsdn:

:sigh:
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Any other interested AKers in your area? Pool together and order two; that'll put you just over the minimum!
 
A bump for those who might not have seen this thread when it first made the rounds. I put this cartridge combo back on the tonearm after being off for a while. Man, it is just a very listen-able, enjoyable ride. It seems to have the "rounder" sound of the 681 while pulling out just a bit more detail, but without sounding as clinical as my stock 881S. Ahh, the fun of being a cartridge whore! :)
 
whell said:
Ahh, the fun of being a cartridge whore!
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I love the sound I've gotten since 1985 with my LP12 and, now, WTRP, but neither make cartridge swapping easy. Nevertheless, I've tried a lot of different cartridges over the years--it's just more convenient for me to wear out a stylus with a year of so of use before making a change. For a while, I had a Stanton STR8-80 with three headshells pre-mounted with different cartridges for use with specific applications (78's, older mono, modern stereo), and it sure was fun to be able to change a cartridge in just seconds.
 
Just so you guys don't waste time like I did, audiolines doesn't actually have the cartridge in stock and has no idea if they will get anymore in.
 
whell said:
JICO Shibata: $87.00

LP Gear Shibata: $99.95

LP Gear Pickering D3000 Stylus (Shibata): $86.95

LP Gear Hyper-Elliptical: $49.95

So, you can get into the cartridge for $79.95 or less, and the stylus for $99.95 or less. For that price, you get a cartridge that, I think, competes with the best there is in the moving magnet realm, and many in the moving coil realm, for a fraction of what many of those best of breed cartridges are going for today.
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Will any of those fit the 680EL that I have lying around (they look the same)? I've been told that it is a good cart but it sounds terrible to me. I haven't known how much was the cart and how much was the stylus.
 
markshan said:
Will any of those fit the 680EL that I have lying around (they look the same)? I've been told that it is a good cart but it sounds terrible to me. I haven't known how much was the cart and how much was the stylus.
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No, but all of those same sources offer styli for the Stanton 68x series cartridges that will fit your 680EL. The 680EL is actually a "disco series" cartridge, but any of the 68x series styli will fit it, many of which would be an upgrade to the current stylus that is likely mounted on it. For example:

LP Gear Hyper-Elliptical - $49.95: http://www.lpgear.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=LG&Product_Code=STAD6800EEEMK3

LP Gear Shibata - $79.95: http://www.lpgear.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=LG&Product_Code=STAD6800EEE2S

LP Gear Eliptical - $36.95: http://www.lpgear.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=LG&Product_Code=STAD0680
 
Thanks whell. I saw on the links that LPGear recommends removing the brush from the HE, but didn't mention this for the Shibata (I had removed the brush when I initially didn't like mine.

How do you think the 680 will compare to the cart you started this thread with? Will it be similar?

I have some decisions to make. I have a body for a 680EL and a Shure V15 Type II. Which should I spend the money on?
 
Both Shure and Stanton have their own sound characteristics. It would be hard to recommend one over the other. However, Jico makes their proprietary SAS stylus for the Shure V15 line up. Those styli have received raves from forum members here and elsewhere. They're not cheap at over $100, but you do get what you pay for in this case. The Shibata option isn't cheap either for the Stanton, but I've heard it and its very very nice when broken in. I've not heard the Hypereliptical option on the Stanton, but suspect it would also sound very good.

Decisions, decisions!
 
Thanks Whell for all the info. Its sounds like something I will have to try soon. Again though,which is your favorite stylus for the Stanton 890 that you have tried so far? Thanks
Nash
 
Would the Jico stylus be a worthwhile investment for the 747S? I've had one for a few years with a busted shaft, and though LP Gear has the Shibata D-74S for around $80, I really didn't know if this cart rated that kind of outlay.
 
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