I need to change my cartridge.

[Shaspar]

Hello everybody, It's my first thread here.

Today my pickering stylus broke. I have a V-15 Micro cartidge. I was thinking changing everything but not spend too much money (the situation with taxes here in Argentina is obscene).

Well, I saw the Ortofon Omega and the Shure E92.

Specs:

Technics SL-D3.


Thoughs?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Decibel_116]

Hello, and welcome to the forum.

You could buy a new stylus. Of course it will be a 3rd party replacement. If you want a new cartridge, it would help to know how much you want to invest in one. There are so many choices these days for cartridges that your choices vary greatly in cost and performance. The SL-D3 is a more than a decent table and can sound quite good if setup properly. If I were mine, I would probably put an Audio Technica AT-VM540ML on it. Other contenders would be a Nagaoka MP-150 or 200, Ortofon Omega is fine too. Stay away from the Shure since it is a T4P type cartridge. Buying a Shure is like having a Pickering because both companies no longer support phono cartridges. Without knowing what kind of phono preamp you are using, I hesitate to go any futher.

 

[Shaspar]

Hello, and welcome to the forum.

You could buy a new stylus. Of course it will be a 3rd party replacement. If you want a new cartridge, it would help to know how much you want to invest in one. There are so many choices these days for cartridges that your choices vary greatly in cost and performance. The SL-D3 is a more than a decent table and can sound quite good if setup properly. If I were mine, I would probably put an Audio Technica AT-VM540ML on it. Other contenders would be a Nagaoka MP-150 or 200, Ortofon Omega is fine too. Stay away from the Shure since it is a T4P type cartridge. Buying a Shure is like having a Pickering because both companies no longer support phono cartridges. Without knowing what kind of phono preamp you are using, I hesitate to go any futher.

Thanks for the reply, I have a Technics SUMA10.

Nagaoka and the audiotehcnica are expensive here.

I think the Ortofone is the best option.

 

[Crab33]

The Ortofon Omega may be a good starting point as it is well-liked and the stylus could later be upgraded with any of the Ortofon OM styli from 10 to 40.

A serious alternative should be the Audio Technica AT-VM95E. This is a great sounding cartridge for a very low price and will also allow you to upgrade through stylus replacements, and probably more economically than with the Ortofon. The MicroLine and Shibata styli for the AT-VM95 range are relatively accessible price-wise, although I don't know about in Argentina.

 

[jrtrent]

Thanks for the reply, I have a Technics SUMA10.

Nagaoka and the audiotehcnica are expensive here.

I think the Ortofone is the best option.

I think the Ortofon is a safer choice, too, in part because I don't know the capacitance of your phono input. From the service manual, it appears to depend on where it was purchased, with units in some areas having 270 pF while in other areas it was 100 pF (and your turntable's cable capacitance needs to be added to get the total). Argentina is not listed among their country codes. The Ortofon OM type cartridges generally are specified as being good anywhere in the 200-500 pF range, while Audio Technica has a lower and narrower 100-200 pF range.

 

[sberger]

Hello, and welcome to the forum.

You could buy a new stylus. Of course it will be a 3rd party replacement. If you want a new cartridge, it would help to know how much you want to invest in one. There are so many choices these days for cartridges that your choices vary greatly in cost and performance. The SL-D3 is a more than a decent table and can sound quite good if setup properly. If I were mine, I would probably put an Audio Technica AT-VM540ML on it. Other contenders would be a Nagaoka MP-150 or 200, Ortofon Omega is fine too. Stay away from the Shure since it is a T4P type cartridge. Buying a Shure is like having a Pickering because both companies no longer support phono cartridges. Without knowing what kind of phono preamp you are using, I hesitate to go any futher.

Originals for that very good cartridge can still be had from Gary at Voice Of Music. The 607-D7M is an excellent conical that tracks 1-3g. If you're looking for something with a bit more heft, or less expensive, the 607-D7T is another good choice.

https://www.thevoiceofmusic.com/cat...=MfgNameNeedles&MfgName=Pickering&Categories=

 

[Cade Jackson]

Hello, and welcome to the forum.

You could buy a new stylus. Of course it will be a 3rd party replacement. If you want a new cartridge, it would help to know how much you want to invest in one. There are so many choices these days for cartridges that your choices vary greatly in cost and performance. The SL-D3 is a more than a decent table and can sound quite good if setup properly. If I were mine, I would probably put an Audio Technica AT-VM540ML on it. Other contenders would be a Nagaoka MP-150 or 200, Ortofon Omega is fine too. Stay away from the Shure since it is a T4P type cartridge. Buying a Shure is like having a Pickering because both companies no longer support phono cartridges. Without knowing what kind of phono preamp you are using, I hesitate to go any futher.

Hello!

I, too, have an SL-D3 and I think getting a new cartridge/needle will help my table.

I put an aftermarket cartridge/needle on it about a year ago and everything has sounded pretty bad since. Will you look at this link and tell me if I really messed up buying this cartridge?

Honestly, I'm hoping that I just bought a bad cartridge so that I can at least pinpoint where I think the issue is with my record player.

I see you're recommending the Audio Technica AT-VM540ML for the Technics SL-D3, correct? If so, I'm going to pick one up, too.

Thank you very much!

 

[Cade Jackson]

The Ortofon Omega may be a good starting point as it is well-liked and the stylus could later be upgraded with any of the Ortofon OM styli from 10 to 40.

A serious alternative should be the Audio Technica AT-VM95E. This is a great sounding cartridge for a very low price and will also allow you to upgrade through stylus replacements, and probably more economically than with the Ortofon. The MicroLine and Shibata styli for the AT-VM95 range are relatively accessible price-wise, although I don't know about in Argentina.

Hello Crab33,

Are you saying the Audio Technica AT-VM95E will work well with the Technics SL-D3?

Thank you

 

[Crab33]

Hello Crab33,

Are you saying the Audio Technica AT-VM95E will work well with the Technics SL-D3?

Thank you

The cartridge you bought (in your link) looks like a cheap Chinese cartridge with conical stylus. I haven't tried one but can confidently say that it won't bring out anywhere near the best from your turntable.

Yes, the AT-VM95E would work well with your turntable and is an excellent budget cartridge. It has a bonded elliptical stylus. Give it a try and if you're happy with it you could later upgrade the stylus to the nude elliptical (EN), MicroLine (ML) or shibata (SH).

When you install your new cartridge, be sure to re-balance the arm, set the recommended tracking force and anti-skating for it, and also align the cartridge properly in the headshell for optimum tracking performance.

 

[Decibel_116]

The cartridge you bought (in your link) looks like a cheap Chinese cartridge with conical stylus. I haven't tried one but can confidently say that it won't bring out anywhere near the best from your turntable.

Yes, the AT-VM95E would work well with your turntable and is an excellent budget cartridge. It has a bonded elliptical stylus. Give it a try and if you're happy with it you could later upgrade the stylus to the nude elliptical (EN), MicroLine (ML) or shibata (SH).

When you install your new cartridge, be sure to re-balance the arm, set the recommended tracking force and anti-skating for it, and also align the cartridge properly in the headshell for optimum tracking performance.

This is good advice. The AT-VM95 series is a high value option. I can whole heartedly recommend the VM95ML. I cannot think of a better bang for buck in the present market. It should be an excellent match to the SL-D3 tonearm.

 

[Cade Jackson]

This is good advice. The AT-VM95 series is a high value option. I can whole heartedly recommend the VM95ML. I cannot think of a better bang for buck in the present market. It should be an excellent match to the SL-D3 tonearm.

Good to know!

I went with the AT-VM95E for $50... do you still think that'll be a good choice rather than the AT-VM95ML? The ML was about $120 more than the E... Should I have forked up the extra $120 or will I probably be happy with the E?

And thank you for your reply!!

Happy Holidays

(I'm new to this site as of yesterday but I'm already loving it. You guys/gals are great!)

 

[Crab33]

I think you will be happy with the VM95E but you can always upgrade to the ML stylus later. The ML stylus may be a bit more fussy about alignment, so better to practise on the E stylus first.

 

[Tiver]

Good to know!

I went with the AT-VM95E for $50... do you still think that'll be a good choice rather than the AT-VM95ML? The ML was about $120 more than the E... Should I have forked up the extra $120 or will I probably be happy with the E?

And thank you for your reply!!

Happy Holidays

(I'm new to this site as of yesterday but I'm already loving it. You guys/gals are great!)

The beauty of the VM95 series is the stylus options and the price. The SH and ML styli are not inexpensive, but they have a good following. The E may be the best "bang" option for balancing price and performance. You may learn more about carts and styli as you proceed. The VM95 series allows upward mobility with just a stylus change.

Back to economy.....The VM95E is a bonded stone. Basically that is a smaller stone attached to a metal post. The very small amount of stone contacting the record is the same, bonded or nude. The nude is a stone that is connected directly to the cantilever. The logic here is that one piece of stone will be more faithful in reproduction compared to a stone connected to a post connected to the cantilever. The whole bonded idea allows for the manufacturer to produce for less cost.

Only you will know if an upgrade will give you a better experience. If the VM95E gives you satisfaction that's what matters. In these matters a little knowledge is a dangerous thing because we tend to believe (or have been told by those who believe) more money spent will give us a better experience. But the true test is our own ears in our own rooms. So your new VM95E can serve you faithfully for 300 - 500 hours. More than that and the level of faith in its ability begins to erode. When it's time to replace or if you choose to get another stylus to have on hand as an alternate, perhaps you will get the EN stylus (nude elliptical). This would be the definitive way to see what's better by simply swapping styli.

The same goes for the ML or SH. Yes they are technically better. But only your experience with them can tell you if they are worth it in your system.

 

[tubeactive]

@Shaspar , I agree with @sberger . Why not simply consider a new stylus for the Pickering ? Especially, if you liked the sound, a genuine Pickering stylus may be even less than the new bargain item. Newer does not automatically mean better. If you look hard enough, you can also find desirable stylus assemblies for the Pickering V-15 families of carts...

Even budget priced, aftermarket styli can be found, which will work fine. Isn't the TEI stylus brand available near home ? I know about the constantly increasing shipping and mailing rates, too. The usps has successfully minimized small, mail order companies, way before Amazon showed up and cut corners. Around 2009, postal rates for small packages nearly quadrupled, stateside. That same year, tolls on our roads went up drastically. These "fees" dented many companies...

 

[Cade Jackson]

The beauty of the VM95 series is the stylus options and the price. The SH and ML styli are not inexpensive, but they have a good following. The E may be the best "bang" option for balancing price and performance. You may learn more about carts and styli as you proceed. The VM95 series allows upward mobility with just a stylus change.

Back to economy.....The VM95E is a bonded stone. Basically that is a smaller stone attached to a metal post. The very small amount of stone contacting the record is the same, bonded or nude. The nude is a stone that is connected directly to the cantilever. The logic here is that one piece of stone will be more faithful in reproduction compared to a stone connected to a post connected to the cantilever. The whole bonded idea allows for the manufacturer to produce for less cost.

Only you will know if an upgrade will give you a better experience. If the VM95E gives you satisfaction that's what matters. In these matters a little knowledge is a dangerous thing because we tend to believe (or have been told by those who believe) more money spent will give us a better experience. But the true test is our own ears in our own rooms. So your new VM95E can serve you faithfully for 300 - 500 hours. More than that and the level of faith in its ability begins to erode. When it's time to replace or if you choose to get another stylus to have on hand as an alternate, perhaps you will get the EN stylus (nude elliptical). This would be the definitive way to see what's better by simply swapping styli.

The same goes for the ML or SH. Yes they are technically better. But only your experience with them can tell you if they are worth it in your system.

Sounds good, Tiver!!

I really appreciate you explaining all of that to me! I'm saving all that information in a word doc now, haha.

Happy Holidays

 

[Cade Jackson]

I think you will be happy with the VM95E but you can always upgrade to the ML stylus later. The ML stylus may be a bit more fussy about alignment, so better to practise on the E stylus first.

Sounds good, Crab!

On the alignment part... I just take my record player down to this audio shop in town and they charge me $30 to install the cartridge and align it and all of that. I've looked into what it takes to do that yourself and I know I would just end up messing it up, for sure, haha.

Thanks, again!