ELAC Miracord 50H II - What cartridge?

[bimmerlucas]

I recently picked up an ELAC Miracord 50H II, and I am looking for cartridge options. It came with an ADC 230XE, information is sparse and new needles are hard to find. I could get a pfanstiehl(?) needle as a replacement but I am not sure if it would be worth it. I also have a shure M75 on hand with an EVG needle. Other options are a new audio technica cartridge, such as a VM95C or E. I am on a fairly limited budget of about 100 USD but would like to extract the most from this turntable. Of the options I presented what's the best? Any other options?

 

[62vauxhall]

I have one of those ADC 230 cartridges and after installing a new stylus, listened to it for about an hour then put it away. That was over 10 years ago. Cannot remember what table I used it on. Several Elac 50H's have come into and left my posession. I still currently have one with a Pickering XV-15 on it.

In your case, I would use the Shure M75. I don't think your going to do better. Countless thousands of those would have wound up on changers like an Elac 50H.

I've had several of those Shure's and again, still have one. But it's a type D so meant to snap into certain Dual cartridge carriers. Mine came to me as a body only - no stylus and I wanted to duplicate the original. I found the exact match from Mr. Stylus in Germany. Same tip 0.06 conical and same tracking force 1.5g to 3.0g and it has a tie wire. It was also the least expensive stylus they offer for an M75 so bonus for me.

Elliptical tips are available for M75's which may or may not sound any different. It's in the ear of the beholder. Mr. Stylus even sells a nude Black Diamond elliptical by Analogis to fit an M75 and it's relatively cheap.

But for the time being, that EVG stylus you already have will likely do nicely.

EDIT: I used to frequent a vintage audio shop that specialized in turntables - sales & repair. The shop owner showed me some obscure table with a 30lb platter. Don;t know what the arm was but it was expensive. Mounted on it, he had an Shure M75. I questioned why a humble Shure on an esoteric turntable? His answer was: "an old Shure just does everything so right".

 

[malden]

His answer was: "an old Shure just does everything so right".

and he is right as well

 

[malden]

....I also have a shure M75 on hand with an EVG needle...... I am on a fairly limited budget of about 100 USD but would like to extract the most from this turntable. Of the options I presented what's the best? Any other options?

Since you already have it, the Shure M75 is your best option. With a $100 budget, get yourself a JICO N75ED stylus for it. This combination will be better than any new $100 cartridge.

JICO N75ED stylus replacement for Shure N75ED Type 2 stylus - for US Sale Only

Check out the deal on JICO N75ED stylus replacement for Shure N75ED Type 2 stylus - for US Sale Only at LP Gear

www.lpgear.com

 

[Greenie]

I recently picked up an ELAC Miracord 50H II, and I am looking for cartridge options. It came with an ADC 230XE, information is sparse and new needles are hard to find. I could get a pfanstiehl(?) needle as a replacement but I am not sure if it would be worth it. I also have a shure M75 on hand with an EVG needle. Other options are a new audio technica cartridge, such as a VM95C or E. I am on a fairly limited budget of about 100 USD but would like to extract the most from this turntable. Of the options I presented what's the best? Any other options?

My Elac 50H II is running with the Shure (M44) black diamond and imo sounds really good at 1.8g.

I use it in both changer and single play mode, certainly an improvement on the Elac cart it came with or the AT3600L I tried for a while.

 

[Stack]

Here's what I've tried on my 50H so far:

• Grado Gold with:
  • Standard elliptical stylus
  • 8mz microline stylus
• Elac STS 444 with 344 elliptical stylus
• Audio Technica AT3600 with:
  • Standard conical stylus
  • Upgraded LPGear elliptical stylus (this is what I'm currently running.)
  • 3 mil stylus for 78RPM playback

In addition, I have a Technics SL1200 MK2 with an Audio Technica VM540ML set up for more critical listening, and a frame of reference for what detail is being lost with cheaper styli.

This might ruffle some feathers, but it's been my opinion for a long time and I haven't been quiet about it: despite being the most expensive thing I tried on the 50H, the Grado Gold sounded the worst to me in this setup. I keep that cartridge around in vain hopes that it's going to work well with some table eventually because people have no end of praise for Grado, but no matter what I try it sounds dull and sibilant to me. Would not recommend the Grado.

The STS 444 has a very nice sound. Not the most detailed but quite pleasant. It has very nice bass, not boomy but room filling if that makes sense. This is what shipped with the table, it has its own headshell and I'll swap this on from time to time.

I find the AT3600 with the LPGear elliptical the best compromise setup. The conical is okay, but has noticeable tracking issues towards the middle of the record and the detail really isn't there (but it's good to keep it around for the occasional record that has some damage that the conical doesn't pick up.) The elliptical tracks quite well up to the inner grooves of the record (some slight IGD becomes noticeable on loud tracks right at the end of the record) and is actually pretty close in sound to the 444, which was a surprise to me given the price and age difference between these two carts. It's close enough to where I tend to run the 3600 more, just because it's is so easy to swap styli for 78RPM playback; the 444 technically has available 3 mil styli but they're a massive pain to find and not cheap.

Obviously a 3600 isn't pulling nearly as much detail as the VM540ML (which to me is reference level, close to HD FLAC quality on some records) and rolls off the highs to a degree, but it sounds quite pleasant, and it works with how I'm using the player.

My 50H is my "jack of all trades convenience" deck while my 1200 is my more "audiophile" oriented setup. I often use the 50H as a background music player, and don't shy away from the changer spindle; an elliptical is forgiving enough of VTA misalignment that I can get away with stacking the 10 records Elac says that the table is capable of without noticeable loss in fidelity. The 3600 is also stupid cheap, styli are easily sourced and great value for the money. That shouldn't be seen as an insult to the 50H as a table or the cart; in honesty I tend to run it more than the 1200 these days.