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Following a few weeks with the Rotel, I bought a Thorens TD-160, Need Help Selecting Stylus

Thanks guys. Looked through some other stuff posted online and bought this:

Matching D6003EE Type Stylus for Stanton 600 Cartridges | Stock# 821-DEE
Brand: Japan-Made BLISS™ .3x.7 mil Elliptical

Hope it works out.
 
I believe you will be pleasantly surprised......however, I see no mention of the new belt and other issues to be addressed. How are you coming with that? The new stylus will not likely sound its best without attending to the "rest of the story....." Where are you located? Maybe some AKers in the vicinity who can lend a hand? Carry on, amigo
 
Fishead said:
I believe you will be pleasantly surprised......however, I see no mention of the new belt and other issues to be addressed. How are you coming with that? The new stylus will not likely sound its best without attending to the "rest of the story....." Where are you located? Maybe some AKers in the vicinity who can lend a hand? Carry on, amigo
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Yes, I've got a new belt on the way. And some light oil. And a motor protection bar. And some parts to fix the power cord, which was spliced. I'm working with ChatGPT to figure out all the step to getting it tuned up and dialed in.
 
Good job! Hope you got the Thakker or original Thorens belt as knock-offs don't generally give best results ......
 
Oh man, almost moved there years ago.......see, then I could have helped you out in person. Beautiful spot you have there sir @Parallax982 !!! I can still remember the runs of cutthroats and rainbows coming up the river from the ocean......and the berries, the berries, berries everywhere!!!
 
Fishead said:
Oh man, almost moved there years ago.......see, then I could have helped you out in person. Beautiful spot you have there sir @Parallax982 !!! I can still remember the runs of cutthroats and rainbows coming up the river from the ocean......and the berries, the berries, berries everywhere!!!
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Yes, berries in my yard and all around. I wish you were here. To hang out and perhaps go fishing.
 
loudnoises said:
The Stanton will sound excellent on that arm, don't ditch the oem stylus! The 600 or 800 Stantons are my favorite here.
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From this and your later recommendation of the D6800EE stylus, I think you must have been thinking of the Stanton 681 or 680 series instead of the Stanton 600. Easy to do given how old these things are; even in a thread 17 years ago I was confused about the Stanton 600, writing, "Wasn't that a moving magnet with a low-profile body, but a bit longer front to back than the 500 series? I can find reference to a 600A, 600E, and 600EE, but can't locate a picture of one online. I had one of these once, but too long ago to remember clearly."

I did find a picture this time, though. Hope this works; I've never tried doing a screenshot before.

1791184579828.png
 
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yeah the 68xxxx series are for a 680/681 body. Physically I think the 600 and 680 nails interchange but its moving magnet vs moving iron. I believe a 600 stylus will function in a 680 body but not the other way around.
 
Appreciate the feedback and comments. Just to clarify, I ended up ordering the 600E/600EE replacement stylus from MyNeedleStore, so it is specifically intended for the Stanton 600.

I did not order the D6800EE or another 680/681 stylus. From the later posts, it sounds like the earlier 680/681 recommendation was just a mix-up between the two Stanton families.

I’m going to try the correct 600 stylus first and see how it sounds on the TD-160 before I think about changing cartridges. I understand the 680/681 cartridge would be an upgrade over the 680 so it's something I might consider at some point, assuming I could find a cartridge and stylus in good condition at a price I think reasonable. If not, perhaps I'd consider other alternatives. Or maybe I'll just like the 600 as is. The Thorens will be running with a Fisher 400 and Klipschorns so I imagine even small differences would be revealed by the system.
 
Parallax982 said:
I’m going to try the correct 600 stylus first and see how it sounds on the TD-160 before I think about changing cartridges. I understand the 680/681 cartridge would be an upgrade over the 680 so it's something I might consider at some point, assuming I could find a cartridge and stylus in good condition at a price I think reasonable. If not, perhaps I'd consider other alternatives. Or maybe I'll just like the 600 as is.
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Best wishes on liking the 600 as is! I've enjoyed a lot of Stanton/Pickering cartridges over the years when they were still being produced, but I don't have any experience with after-market styli for them.

As to cartridge upgrades, I'm not too sure that higher-cost cartridges make me any happier with my records. My first experience with a Stanton 500E was about 35 years ago, mounting that up as a stand-in while my 981LZS was shipped back to Stanton for repair, and the much cheaper cartridge still made me want to keep playing one record after another. Twenty-one years ago, I had four Stanton 500 bodies serving all my needs: a 500E MK II on an LP12/Ittok rig and three more 500 bodies for a Stanton STR8-80 turntable, each on its own headshell and with different .7 mil, 1 mil, and 2.7 mil Stanton styli for various purposes. I never thought that my musical satisfaction was at all impaired just because I was using Stanton's cheapest cartridge line. Currently, and for most of the last 4 1/2 years, an AT3600L has kept me happily spinning records on a daily basis.
 
jrtrent said:
Best wishes on liking the 600 as is! I've enjoyed a lot of Stanton/Pickering cartridges over the years when they were still being produced, but I don't have any experience with after-market styli for them.

As to cartridge upgrades, I'm not too sure that higher-cost cartridges make me any happier with my records. My first experience with a Stanton 500E was about 35 years ago, mounting that up as a stand-in while my 981LZS was shipped back to Stanton for repair, and the much cheaper cartridge still made me want to keep playing one record after another. Twenty-one years ago, I had four Stanton 500 bodies serving all my needs: a 500E MK II on an LP12/Ittok rig and three more 500 bodies for a Stanton STR8-80 turntable, each on its own headshell and with different .7 mil, 1 mil, and 2.7 mil Stanton styli for various purposes. I never thought that my musical satisfaction was at all impaired just because I was using Stanton's cheapest cartridge line. Currently, and for most of the last 4 1/2 years, an AT3600L has kept me happily spinning records on a daily basis.
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Thanks. I won't assume it's not good because it's not a higher rated cartridge. Sensible advice.
 
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