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Are some Shure styli interchangable?

natedogg643

natedogg643

Active Member
I'm eventually going to get the M97xE, but I don't have the $$ right now and I have a lot of hours on my current stylus.
My cartrige is a Shure M95HE, which takes the N95HE stylus. PartsExpress has a N95ED stylus for cheap. The PE stylus and mine look identical. Anyone have any opinions on whether I could interchange this one? Would I lose sound quality?
Thanks in advance,
Nate
 
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Nate,
The stylii on the N95HE and N95ED are interchangeable. The HE stylus is a hyper-elliptical design whereas the N95ED stylus is simply elliptical. I have the N95ED and it sounds quite good. I have been wanting to hear the N95HE to see if there is a difference. I suspect, depending on your setup that you wont hear a lot of difference.

Steve
 
I think that most of the PartsExpress styli, at least the cheap ones, are "aftermarket" styli; i.e., not made by Shure. I am not so shure :-) of the quality of the aftermarket stuff; caveat emptor.
 
The M-95 was a pretty highly regard cart in it's day, bested only by the V15 if I'm not mistaken. I'd give an ED styli a spin in it.
 
You can't buy a 12 pack and have that much fun anymore for that price. Just be sure to set it up properly, give it a little break in and report back your impressions. I have a 95 floating around here somewhere, who's selling 'em for 8 bucks, Parts Express?
 
Anyone have a clue what stylus I would need for my M91ED cartridges?
I have looked but don't seem to find a match for it.

Gary
 
Thanks Absolon.

Now for a more demanding question. They list that stylus at PE for $8.40 and I have not seen it elsewhere yet in exact SHURE replacment.
Has anyone had experience with the ones sold by PE and do they work as well as OEM stuff?

Other sites list a replacment of this number but again, not OEM and all much pricier.

Opinions welcome???

Gary
 
I just got a replacement for an M-70 EJ off the auction site for $10.00. Looks identicle without the Shure on the front. I plan on checking it out this weekend to see how it sounds. It's obviously another generic, so I'll let you know. Not a steller cart to start with, but at least I'll be able to A/B an original and a clone without a lot of messing around.
 
Gamalot - i am going to get the one for my 95 from PE. After I get it, I'll post what I think (although I'm not very experienced - this will be my first stylus replacement job).
 
If you can sharpen a pencil, you can handle it! Hope it works out good, maybe buy the $8.00 one for thrift store finds as well, and see how it does.
:scratch2:
 
The only problem I have ever had with PE is their stupid shipping costs.
I would order the $8 stylus in a minute and never bitch if it is not OK but by the time they figure in the shipping it will likely be around $28 to get it here.

I almost always end up waiting until I have a substantial order to place with them but then find another supplier who has similar prices and no minimums or outrageous shipping charges.

Gary
 
I'd be leery of a stylus that could be sold for $8 at a profit. There is some truth to the adage "you get what you pay for". No doubt it will work but I'd be inclined to look for a true Shure in order to get the most from the cartridge and to do the least harm to the records.
 
I was looking for replacement stylus for my Radio Shack/Shure RXT6. This is the RS version of the Shure M111HE, at the time a very good P-mount cartridge. The most likely to find stylus for the RXT5, RXT6, M111E, and M111HE is the Shure N111E stylus.

Here is what I found in all this.

N104E, upgrade with N105E, upgrade with N111E, upgrade with N111HE.

N111E is elliptical, N111HE is hyperelliptical stylus. They are interchangable.

These stylii will also fit the M92E cartridge, still in production, and for that cartridge are a big upgrade.

N105E, N111E, N111HE all have the brush/stabilizer. Of these, the N111E can still be found occasionally, the N111HE seems to be all gone.

The N105E (white brush), N111E (black brush), and N111HE (red brush) appear to be identical to the N97xE (blue brush) which is current production on the M97xE cartridge.

Update: Thorough study of the Shure knowledge base and other sites, I am pretty sure the M97xE will replace:

N92E, N94E, N99E, N104E, N105E, N111E, N111HE, and a few others.
 
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Wow Nitro, thats a tough site to figure out. Looks like they do have the OEM replacmaent for $47.95 + $20.00 for the OEM or a total of $67.95.

It won't take a brain surgeon to figure out I should just spend $57 on a new M 97Xe cartridge and be done with this search.

I could be reading this wrong but even if the additional $20 does not get added in, I am still buying just a stylus for a 30 year old cartridge for just $10 less then a new M97Xe that I would hope is a better all around cartridge.

I have to say I have never purchased just a stylus but I do have a number of old cartridges that have very few hours and bent or broken styli. Back in the mid 70s we played our music while in somewhat altered states and accidents did happen. I always just went out and bought a new cartridge for the next party. All this stuff has been in boxes stored away for 25 - 30 years and some things might be better left burried.

Would anyone reading this spend $47 or $67 + S&H on a new stylus for a 30 year old M91ED cartridge?
Guide me here guys, Please.

Gary
 
No, not a M91ED. I would buy a new M97xE.

Edited: This is not to say the M91ED is not a good cartridge... but if the cost of getting a new stylus is so close to replacing with an M97xE, might as well do so. And buy a new spares for the M97xE.
 
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