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Is Shure V15 Type IV worth keeping?

sruddy

sruddy

Super Member
I just picked up a turntable at Goodwill with a Shure V15 Type IV cartridge but no stylus. I'm currently am running a N97xE on my Empire 298 with stock 98 arm. I was initially pleased with it however now I'm wanting a little more. Especially in the high end and a little more midrange. I just received a Jico SAS for the N97xE today but haven't mounted it yet. I'm wondering if the V15 will be better and if I can use the new Jico stylus on it. Aparently Jico has a SAS type 772-DSAS for it but I would rather use the new one I just got if possible.
 
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YES, most certainly! Put a Jico SAS on the IV and be amazed. After about 40-50 hrs I was. As far as I know tho, the stylus is not interchangeable.
Having 2 Shure carts both with a SAS stylus is pretty good grazing IMO.
 
I bought a JICO stylus for my V15 type 3 (not SAS), it sounds and tracks better than the original Shure stylus. Both were mounted on my Technics SL 1800 MK2.

If I were to buy a stylus for the V15 type 4 to be mounted on the Empire arm, I would go with the standard JICO stylus, not SAS.

So, to answer your question, " ïs the V15 type 4 worth keeping?", I would say yes, but it needs the right stylus in the right arm.
 
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One more thing, you are using a M97xE on the Empire that you are somewhat pleased with.

I don't know if you use the stabilizing brush or not, but it's been said to be forgiving with heavy tonearms. I've also read that the JICO stabilizing brushes are not as effective.
 
Absolutely! That Shure V15 IV is definitely a keeper. It is one of my favorite cartridges out of the four that I own. Unfortunately, the NX97E stylus won't fit as far as I know, but give us an update on how you like the SAS stylus on the NX97E cartridge and if you get the midrange and high end that you re looking for.
 
The Shure V15 Type IV was one of the best MM cartridges available between 1978 and 1982, and sounded very good - much better than most MM/MI cartridges. The Jico SAS is probably at least as good, if not slightly better due to a lighter boron cantilever, as the best ever Shure V15 Type IV stylus, the VN45MR.

However, the M97xE Jico SAS stylus definitely won’t fit your V15 Type IV, as the shaft that locates the stylus in the cartridge is thicker on the M97xE than on the V15 Type IV. So you’ll need the Jico replacement for the V15 Type IV.
 
sruddy said:
I just picked up a turntable at Goodwill with a Shure V15 Type IV cartridge but no stylus. I'm currently am running a N97xE on my Empire 298 with stock 98 arm. I was initially pleased with it however now I'm wanting a little more. Especially in the high end and a little more midrange. I just received a Jico SAS for the N97xE today but haven't mounted it yet. I'm wondering if the V15 will be better and if I can use the new Jico stylus on it. Aparently Jico has a SAS type 772-DSAS for it but I would rather use the new one I just got if possible.
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Since you already have a SAS stylus for the M97xE, why not try it in the Empire arm to see if the stylus can handle the tonearm mass?
 
dosmalo said:
YES, most certainly! Put a Jico SAS on the IV and be amazed. After about 40-50 hrs I was. As far as I know tho, the stylus is not interchangeable.
Having 2 Shure carts both with a SAS stylus is pretty good grazing IMO.
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Unfortunately before reading your post I tried installing the Jico N97xE SAS on the V15 and although I didn't think I was pushing to hard however it was enough to pop the cartridge off the body. Can I simply re glue it and if so what type of glue should I use.

So, to answer your question, " ïs the V15 type 4 worth keeping?", I would say yes, but it needs the right stylus in the right arm.
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I haven't found any info about what arm mass is best for it. I understand my Empire 98 tone arm is high mass.

I don't know if you use the stabilizing brush or not, but it's been said to be forgiving with heavy tonearms. I've also read that the JICO stabilizing brushes are not as effective.
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I use the brush on the N97 if I have a warped record. I did have someone who listened to a needle drop sample I did and said that I should use it to eliminate arm/cart resonance that was @ 5Hz and, in his opinion, muddying the sound. The brush on the Jico SAS for the N97 seems defective. About 1/5 or so of it is missing. Also it seems to have much less dampening. It took me 3 samples to get a good brush on the Shure N97 stylus that came with the cartridge. I'm deciding if I want to go through the same with the new Jico I just bought.

The after market Shure V15 IV HE-hyper elliptical stylusis also worth considering.
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Thanks

Unfortunately, the NX97E stylus won't fit as far as I know, but give us an update on how you like the SAS stylus on the NX97E cartridge and if you get the midrange and high end that you re looking for.
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Yes found that out as you can see from my reply. I was not impressed with it at all on the first LP played. I thought the extra detail made the vocals way less engaging. After about the third LP I was liking it better. So far it definitely has more detail. Highs and Mids are still how they were but since there is more detail there is the perception that they are higher but I'm pretty sure a stylus replacement won't affect frequency response. Could be wrong though.
 
A sparing amount of any kind of glue will do (I wouldn't use urethane glue, since it foams up) to put the Type IV back in its mounting cap. Just make sure it's square in there (ie, not tilted) before you walk away. Use rubber bands to make sure it stays square as the glue dries/cures. You might even try hot glue. I usually use a little dab of contact cement.

Don't know what to tell you about the 20% missing SAS brush. Brush fibers missing or structural parts?

Some AKers are experimenting with adding tiny droplets of zillion-centiStoke silicone oil to SAS brushes to up the damping. Don't have any results of my own yet.

A stylus replacement is almost guaranteed to affect frequency response. In my experiments, the unusual dark, laid-back sound of the M97xE is due almost entirely to the N97xE stylus, and the JICO SAS is much flatter/brighter. You should be hearing a significant difference in the sound of those two styli.
 
Keep It!!

I have the V15 Type IV also. Was using the original Shure VN45MR stylus but was noticing the bass was starting to go. That puzzled me but from studying the forums found this was stylus wear and it was time to replace.

As everyone here knows, that's not gonna work as Shure doesn't make 'em anymore (thank you EPA, OSHA, and other regulations..........not). :confused:

I plunked down some money for the Jico 772-DSAS shibata stylus.

WOW! Clarity and deep, clear bass restored. The mid's and high's are what you would expect.......really, really good. :thmbsp:

I also have the AT4412XE with a shibata needle, and it sounds very good, but the mids/highs on the Type IV are very audibly clearer and more detailed.

The dust/static brush on the Jico stylus is not as full or nice as the original Shure stylus, but not too bad. The needle itself is stellar.

Best of luck and happy listening!:music:
 
The N97xE-SAS won't fit the narrower opening of the V15IV body...

The styli other than the diameter of the shank, are in fact identical.

The V15IV should sound a little better in the midrange and upper midrange than the M97 with both running SAS styli - due to the laminations of the core poles on the IV body.

The SAS brushes are less damping than the original Shure ones - the also need a mere 0.25g to compensate for them as opposed to the 0.5g needed for the original Shure.

Adding damping fluid to the hinge is likely to improve this - but complete testing results are still pending (from another AK member who is experimenting with this).

The SAS brush DOES however provide damping, and you should definitely use it with your arm, as the arm is somewhat too heavy for the high compliance SAS....

Hope that helps

bye for now

David
 
Shure V-15

Send it to me. Anyone knows that this thing sucks and you would do well to dump it.

Paul
 
sruddy said:
I just picked up a turntable at Goodwill with a Shure V15 Type IV cartridge but no stylus. I'm currently am running a N97xE on my Empire 298 with stock 98 arm. I was initially pleased with it however now I'm wanting a little more. Especially in the high end and a little more midrange. I just received a Jico SAS for the N97xE today but haven't mounted it yet. I'm wondering if the V15 will be better and if I can use the new Jico stylus on it. Aparently Jico has a SAS type 772-DSAS for it but I would rather use the new one I just got if possible.
Click to expand...

I lucked into one with it's original stylus just this past January.

Has given me cause to rethink everything I thought I knew.

Got it with the purchase of a thrift store $25 Sony table.

Amazingly nice! :yes:

Table not too shabby either! :yes:
 
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