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Best Cart for Technics SL-M1 P-Mount

C

Canadianprez

New Member
Hi all, new member here but I've always turned to audio karma for info. I recently picked up a Technics SL-M1 off my local Kijiji for $30. Now it's not near mint but all intact and functional. They painted plinth black (which I have removed) the dust cover was very scratched but complete. I am currently looking for a new cartridge for it and am having trouble deciding. I have a budget of about $100 give or take. Any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks very much.
 
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I've got an SL-MA1 - which also uses a p-mount cartridge. By far, my favorite cartridge is a Pickering XL-33U with the original Stereohedron stylus. You might have to stretch your budget a bit and search for a while, but it's definitely worth it.

If you can't find one, pick up a used Technics P23 cartridge body (they're plentiful) and install a ViVid Line stylus. This is a great combination, and my second choice for spinning my albums.
 
Bourbon said:
I've got an SL-MA1 - which also uses a p-mount cartridge. By far, my favorite cartridge is a Pickering XL-33U with the original Stereohedron stylus. You might have to stretch your budget a bit and search for a while, but it's definitely worth it.

If you can't find one, pick up a used Technics P23 cartridge body (they're plentiful) and install a ViVid Line stylus. This is a great combination, and my second choice for spinning my albums.
Click to expand...
I have a Technics P24 cartridge body that requires a new stylus. Would this cart be comparable? Thanks for your input.
 
Bourbon said:
If you can't find one, pick up a used Technics P23 cartridge body (they're plentiful) and install a ViVid Line stylus. This is a great combination, and my second choice for spinning my albums.
Click to expand...

Who sells and makes these Jico? LP Gear? I didn't realize they made VL's for them?
 
Canadianprez said:
Hi all, new member here but I've always turned to audio karma for info. I recently picked up a Technics SL-M1 off my local Kijiji for $30. Now it's not near mint but all intact and functional. They painted plinth black (which I have removed) the dust cover was very scratched but complete. I am currently looking for a new cartridge for it and am having trouble deciding. I have a budget of about $100 give or take. Any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks very much.
Click to expand...
Canadianprez said:
Hi all, new member here but I've always turned to audio karma for info. I recently picked up a Technics SL-M1 off my local Kijiji for $30. Now it's not near mint but all intact and functional. They painted plinth black (which I have removed) the dust cover was very scratched but complete. I am currently looking for a new cartridge for it and am having trouble deciding. I have a budget of about $100 give or take. Any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks very much.
Click to expand...

I've ran AT's, Shure's, Pickerings, Grado's, ADC.... you name it. Best sound I got from those tables was with an old-style Audio Technica p-mount. Getting hard to find now though. I'm going to order a vivid line from LP Gear for one of the carts I have here now and see how it sounds compared to the original.
 
Grado still makes P-mount carts.
Pick up one of the lesser expensive Blue carts and drop the $150 for the Grado 8MZ needle upgrade.
It's the best budget combination i've heard so far
 
I run a ADC PSX 40 on my SL-10. I am very happy with that. Second best to me is the Pickering XL-33U.
 
Another vote for the PSX-40 (and the 30 and 20, which are more easily available). Buying strategy: the PSX (and SER) bodies are all the same, so get a cartridge with a busted stylus cheap on someplace like eekBay, then buy the stylus of your choice. The '30 stylus is available from needledoctor and thevoiceofmusic for less than $50 shipped.

But you might get lucky-- a very slightly used SER-IV (same as the PSX-40) went for $43.15 (shipped) back in August. It's worth the hunt.
mine, Aug 17a.jpg
ADC SER-IV IN ADAPTOR
 
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wualta said:
Another vote for the PSX-40 (and the 30 and 20, which are more easily available). Buying strategy: the PSX (and SER) bodies are all the same, so get a cartridge with a busted stylus cheap on someplace like eekBay, then buy the stylus of your choice. The '30 stylus is available from needledoctor and thevoiceofmusic for less than $50 shipped. But you might get lucky-- a very slightly used SER-IV (same as the PSX-40) went for $43.15 back in August. It's worth the hunt.
View attachment 1021224
ADC SER-IV IN ADAPTOR
Click to expand...

The ADC PSX line would be my recommendation too, although it will take some work these days to get the top-of-the-line PSX-40, as outlined above. For less work (and more money) one can still purchase a new-old-stock PSX-30 from LP Gear. The PSX-40 is my favorite MM (actually induced magnet moving iron) p-mount cartridge, and I currently have one on my SL-MA1 turntable.
 
I have used several P mount Carts from several manufacturers such as AT etc. But the Radio Shack RXT5 made by Shure is an Incredible P Mount Cartridge. It made my Technics SL QD 33 sing like a chorus choir at a Sunday Mass. Awesome sounding Cart. I picked it up on ebay for about $35 bucks, around a half a year ago. After further searching for prices just now, It seems they sell for a lot more now. Wow did I score it so cheap. Mine came in it's original box with all rhe extras for about 35 bucks. Looks like they are about 100 bucks now. Omfg!!!!
 
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I've used the Pickering XSP-3003, Signet TKN6E, and the ADC-PSX with my favorite being the XSP-3003. I've also listened to the Technics MC P- mount version which sounded like the XSP-3003 as well.
 
432HzBob said:
Grado still makes P-mount carts.
Pick up one of the lesser expensive Blue carts and drop the $150 for the Grado 8MZ needle upgrade.
It's the best budget combination i've heard so far
Click to expand...

This is also a good combination. I've got the Blue/8MZ combo in p-mount. It sounds good, but it's my third choice behind the Pickering XL-33U and Technics P23. Maybe it's just my particular system, but the Grado hasn't impressed me...yet.
 
Well... This is exactly what I wanted. So many opinions/options. A few definitely out of budget but many quite helpful. I have been looking at the cheapo AT-3482p. It has some good reviews but is this thing for real? "Carbon fiber cantilever"? I currently have the AT92E on a SL-BD20 that I'm trying to sell and was quite happy with it. I was thinking of giving it a try and save a bit for a stylus for the P24 (thank you Bourbon). Input always welcome!
 
Glad to help whenever I can. I've only been into the hobby for a few years, so I don't have the knowledge and experience of others, and I can only pass along the information that others have graciously passed to me.

And to be completely honest, this thread has probably helped me more than it helped you. I saw all the positive recommendations for the ADC PSX-40 and remembered that I got an ADC cartridge with a busted SL-MA1 that I bought as a parts table. I dug through a box of old parts to find a cigar box with a few headshells and cartridges in it, and found it...an ADC PSX-40 cartridge. I always thought it was junk, but kept it anyway. Now I'm glad I did...and I'm glad I found this thread.

Good luck with your search.
 
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