JICO revives the Shure classic M44
- Thread starter johnjhazel
- Start date
None of the screws have been tampered with in many, many years.
I measured the coils from the headshell pins.
Resistance 617/624 ohms
Inductance 783/840 mH
This is the model my father had, 1964-1982. But not in a console. Exact same model cartridge. The 2000+ records played on this model 50 are in perfect shape today. I know, because I have all of them.
I measured the coils from the headshell pins.
Resistance 617/624 ohms
Inductance 783/840 mH
This is the model my father had, 1964-1982. But not in a console. Exact same model cartridge. The 2000+ records played on this model 50 are in perfect shape today. I know, because I have all of them.
KentTeffeteller
Gimpus Stereophilus!
I have one of those old M55E bodies mounted in an AT-MG 10 headshell. I use a Jico N44-7 stylus in it. Another one of those AT-MG 10 headshells has a Shure M91E installed in it. A Technics headshell has a Pickering XV-15/400.
Studio_D
Active Member
Depends of your definition of a good price.
Kyowa VN-35E on Ebay for $23 sounds like a perfectly decent elliptical on the V15 V.
EVG PM3146DE is the nude VN-35E that might be the best bang for the buck if the latest batch turns out to be good. They're not in wide circulation in the U.S. at the moment but hopefully back soon?
Jico VN-5MR SAS for about $200 has a big fan base and will get you as close as possible to the original sound.
I'll also add that the Kyowa VN-35E and N55E styli that I recently bought look like nude diamonds to me, but I'm no expert. I posted some photos in another thread but never got any comments confirming or refuting my suspicions about that. Take a look if you want:
https://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/kyowa-needles-for-shure.864887/page-9#post-14076895
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Studio_D
Active Member
Really? I don't see a metal shank on either of them, they both look like one piece mounted straight into the cantilever to me. Anyway I'll be interested to know if yours look the same. I bought both of mine this past August so they're probably from a recent production run.
triode
Well-Known Member
This brings back so many memories..sigh.
It was childhood memorablia. This exact model was the only TT I had ever used, until cassettes and CDs took over. Although ours was in the original Garrard plinth. I dont even know what oem cart it came with but I suspect it was a ADC 220 (cant forget that bright red cartridge).
Then fast forward 2-3 decades I get back into Vinyl with a LAB-420 and then to my current YP-D71 with Stanton 881S and M97HE.
We didn't have much of a "high end" setup back then and I dont remember much of the sound , but today when I know all about cartridge alignment and vta and azimuth and leveling and vtf, and anti-skating ofcourse, I cringe when I think how horribly we used that tt
. let alone the records.some other things in our shack was a Sony TC-250A and TC-560D , and I vividly remember that tape sound! Today I have a Akai GX-635D.
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Studio_D
Active Member
This isn't a V15 thread but yes, you can put a VN-35E onto your V15 V. It's an economical solution but won't have the stabilizer brush. I have that exact configuration mounted on one of my headshells right now.
I think it is not known in the west, but M44 has an almost cult following in Japan.
And I can definitely understand why, since I am a solid fan of the series myself.
Especially of the original M44-7.
The other one with a following is the Shure V15, but that is not so much of a surprise since it still has a crowd here.
And I can definitely understand why, since I am a solid fan of the series myself.
Especially of the original M44-7.
The other one with a following is the Shure V15, but that is not so much of a surprise since it still has a crowd here.
I just checked both of these.
Bonded. The HE is a 2x7 bonded elliptical. The 75 is a bonded 3x7.
The ellipticals are the typical flatted conicals; 2 flat facets ground on front and back of the conical.
They have shiny metal “Stubbs” that synthetic black tips are glued to. Pressed into the cantilever foot.
When I look at the ellipticals, I look at the width of the flats ground on the front and back of the conical black (color) diamond tips. A 4x7 has barely perceptible flats. A 3x7 is easily seen. A 2x7 is relatively very broad flats. The Kyowa N95HE has the very broad flats. Not a true HE, but at least better than a typical 3x7.
The construction of the 95 is interesting. I’ve never seen it before. The end of the cantilever is pressed into a “V” shape inside the housing. There is a magnet cylinder glued to that cantilever “V” shape; the tie wire is attached to that “V” and is soldered to the brass housing’s end.
So the tie wire is counterfeit. There is no bearing plate as is used on a real Shure stylus. A Shure stylus has a brass plate that forms the fulcrum of the cantilever movement. The suspension is strictly for damping and spring, aft of the center of rotation (fulcrum) of the cantilever. So even the Kyowa uses the suspension block as a fulcrum, spring, and damper; just like the Pfanstiehls and EVGs. That means it has center of rotation of the cantilever in the middle of the suspension block; damped fore and aft of the rotation. Just like Pfanstiehls and EVGs.
I don’t have that Kyowa stylus.
Doubt that I’ll get one. The Swiss nude works for me on the M44-7. But, when I get my 1964 Garrard Model 50 changer fully restored, I’ll need a stylus for the M44C that’s on it. Maybe a Kyowa for that setup, but a conical. If they have one. Or a good old Pfanstiehl. Better stylus once I know all about how it performs, and IF I can align the cartridge. (230 mm PTS distance, but a short arm.)
For magnification, I have a 1975 Zeiss metallurgical microscope for 600X magnification, but no image capture. I use a 25X loupe for routine inspection. I also have one of those cheapy phone clamp-on 60-100X loupes. But no stand to hold everything steady for decent pics. The 25X (LED light) loupe is my workhorse. With that, I can see down inside the cantilever housing and see how it’s put together. I can see the facets cut into the tip, see if everything is lined up square. Can’t measure wear though.
Doubt that I’ll get one. The Swiss nude works for me on the M44-7. But, when I get my 1964 Garrard Model 50 changer fully restored, I’ll need a stylus for the M44C that’s on it. Maybe a Kyowa for that setup, but a conical. If they have one. Or a good old Pfanstiehl. Better stylus once I know all about how it performs, and IF I can align the cartridge. (230 mm PTS distance, but a short arm.)
For magnification, I have a 1975 Zeiss metallurgical microscope for 600X magnification, but no image capture. I use a 25X loupe for routine inspection. I also have one of those cheapy phone clamp-on 60-100X loupes. But no stand to hold everything steady for decent pics. The 25X (LED light) loupe is my workhorse. With that, I can see down inside the cantilever housing and see how it’s put together. I can see the facets cut into the tip, see if everything is lined up square. Can’t measure wear though.
johnjhazel
PhxJohn
DJ market. (The 'scratch' type DJ's).
johnjhazel
PhxJohn
EVG PM3146DE were a surprise when they arrived. Not sure when they will be available again. I have never before seen a model sell out so quickly. The early Black Diamond(brand) VN35E's were a disaster. There was so little clearance between the tip and the grip that the cartridge body dragged on the records. The recent and only batch of the PM3146DE exhibited good clearance from the record surface. Recent Black Diamond brand should be the same as the EVG's. I.E. Improved.
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Have you gotten or heard any feedback on the last batch of PM3146DE needles?
