JVC QL-A2 cartridge/stylus advice

[BROOKSIE]

Hello,

I've been using this awesome resource for the past couple of weeks to help research the selection of a turntable and eventually some speakers.

I'm totally new to vintage audio and turntables.

Yesterday I picked up a good condition JVC QL-A2. I've figured out it has an Empire 66 QE/X cartridge.
I tested it out with a record I don't care about to see how it sounds. It sounds pretty good overall. And I'm really excited to get this thing performing at it's best.

The most prominent problem I can hear are harsh S's. And maybe a little faint distortion overall. I know from reading up here that it's recommended to at least replace the stylus and I see they're available.

Are there any tuning / adjustments issues that could cause this symptom?

I'm wondering if the Empire 66 QE/X is a good match for this and I should go ahead and just replace the stylus, or if I should look into an upgrade. I'm not looking to spend hundreds to get a little better performance but if there are clearly better options at a reasonable cost I would consider them.

 

[55Redneck]

I have a QL A2 and the best upgrade I ever did was put a Stanton 881S cartridge on it.

 

[benricci]

The cartridge might not be set up properly, you should confirm that. Have you checked its alignment with a cartridge protractor? Have you set the tracking force to the recommended range for this specific cartridge?

Those setup issues might be one of the causes of the sibilance (the S's you're referring to) and distortion, and of course another cause might be that the stylus is just plain worn out.

 

[Montycat]

Benricci might be right.

See that little circle next to the word "overhang"? If you don't have any other alignment tool, use that. Make sure the tip of the stylus is directly above it, while making sure the cartridge is square in the headshell (parallel to the sides). That's the manufacturer's suggested alignment though not the only way to skin a cat.

 

[Redd House]

Could also be that that stylus is completely worn out and is actually damaging records now...
Or the record you played was damaged already and you're just hearing what a damaged record sounds like. Lot's of possibles that need narrowing down. First start with the overhang and a good cleaning of the tip.

 

[Crab33]

As others have pointed out, it would be wise to check alignment, although you don't know to which regime the stylus may have been previously aligned.

In my experience, excessive sibilance is often caused by a poor-quality stylus. Your stylus may be worn, so it would be wise to replace it, but I suspect it's an aftermarket stylus that may not be of great quality. Comparing with a photo of an original stylus, it should say EMPIRE on the front if it's genuine but your stylus doesn't look quite like the original anyway.

https://www.turntableneedles.com/empire-cartridge-66-qex-stylus-239-pde-empire-66-qex

If I were you, I would replace the cartridge with something for which you can get good replacement styli in the future. The AT-VM95E is an excellent starting point and not very expensive.

 

[BROOKSIE]

The cartridge might not be set up properly, you should confirm that. Have you checked its alignment with a cartridge protractor? Have you set the tracking force to the recommended range for this specific cartridge?

Those setup issues might be one of the causes of the sibilance (the S's you're referring to) and distortion, and of course another cause might be that the stylus is just plain worn out.

Wow, what a difference!
I watched a video about turntable setup, made a simple protractor and followed the steps for cartridge alignment and tracking force adjustment.
It made a huge improvement! Thanks for the advice.

 

[BROOKSIE]

Benricci might be right.

See that little circle next to the word "overhang"? If you don't have any other alignment tool, use that. Make sure the tip of the stylus is directly above it, while making sure the cartridge is square in the headshell (parallel to the sides). That's the manufacturer's suggested alignment though not the only way to skin a cat.

Good to know. I wondered what that was for. When i did the calibration with the protractor it ended up "not square" to the head shell as expected from the video I watched. Although it's not square, should the stylus still be directly above the circle? It ended up slightly forward of the circle.

 

[BROOKSIE]

As others have pointed out, it would be wise to check alignment, although you don't know to which regime the stylus may have been previously aligned.

In my experience, excessive sibilance is often caused by a poor-quality stylus. Your stylus may be worn, so it would be wise to replace it, but I suspect it's an aftermarket stylus that may not be of great quality. Comparing with a photo of an original stylus, it should say EMPIRE on the front if it's genuine but your stylus doesn't look quite like the original anyway.

https://www.turntableneedles.com/empire-cartridge-66-qex-stylus-239-pde-empire-66-qex

If I were you, I would replace the cartridge with something for which you can get good replacement styli in the future. The AT-VM95E is an excellent starting point and not very expensive.

Before I did the calibration with the protractor, the cartridge was square to the shell. So I'm guessing it was aligned to the manufacturer's recommended method.

Thanks for the recommendation on the cartridge. Not knowing the history of the one that's on it I'm definitely going to go ahead with a replacement.
I found that lpgear has a replacement available for the stylus on the Empire 66 QE/X. Any opinion of whether these are quality? If so, would you still recommend the AT-VM95E over this?

https://www.lpgear.com/product/EMPS0066QEX.html

 

[gregj]

The cartridge might not be set up properly, you should confirm that. Have you checked its alignment with a cartridge protractor? Have you set the tracking force to the recommended range for this specific cartridge?

Those setup issues might be one of the causes of the sibilance (the S's you're referring to) and distortion, and of course another cause might be that the stylus is just plain worn out.

+ 1

 

[Montycat]

Good to know. I wondered what that was for. When i did the calibration with the protractor it ended up "not square" to the head shell as expected from the video I watched. Although it's not square, should the stylus still be directly above the circle? It ended up slightly forward of the circle.

As I mentioned, it's not the only way to set up the cartridge. Ignore the circle if you are using other gauges or templates.

 

[Crab33]

Before I did the calibration with the protractor, the cartridge was square to the shell. So I'm guessing it was aligned to the manufacturer's recommended method.

Thanks for the recommendation on the cartridge. Not knowing the history of the one that's on it I'm definitely going to go ahead with a replacement.
I found that lpgear has a replacement available for the stylus on the Empire 66 QE/X. Any opinion of whether these are quality? If so, would you still recommend the AT-VM95E over this?

https://www.lpgear.com/product/EMPS0066QEX.html

Actually, the LP Gear Japanese-made styli have a good reputation, so you could go down that route. If it doesn't work out, you haven't spent a great deal of money.

I recommend the AT-VM95E as an alternative as it's a nicely balanced cartridge that should appeal to most people and is excellent value at well under $100 - it is very well liked in the audiophile community. But since I don't know the Empire, I can't tell you how they compare sound-wise. You can also upgrade the stylus of the VM95 at a later date, if you wish. If you want to spend a lot more money, there are other worthy options, of course.

 

[BROOKSIE]

Actually, the LP Gear Japanese-made styli have a good reputation, so you could go down that route. If it doesn't work out, you haven't spent a great deal of money.

I recommend the AT-VM95E as an alternative as it's a nicely balanced cartridge that should appeal to most people and is excellent value at well under $100 - it is very well liked in the audiophile community. But since I don't know the Empire, I can't tell you how they compare sound-wise. You can also upgrade the stylus of the VM95 at a later date, if you wish. If you want to spend a lot more money, there are other worthy options, of course.

Thanks for the info. Based on your input I'll probably go ahead and get the AT-VM95E. Good to know it's a well liked cartridge and nice to have the option to upgrade the stylus later.

 

[JohnT123]

I have the 66 QE/X and the LP gear replacement does not sound as good as the originals. It's OK, but not great.

PM me if you want to sell the Empire, I love them.

 

[MacGM]

I'm in the Empire ship.

I've had AT95E, AtVm95e. Sold them on. They can't hold a candle to these 66 series empires. I have a few.

You do need to find a good stylus and keep it clean, I am currently using an aftermarket bonded elliptical that is much more prone to sibilance and pickier with setup than the original nude elliptical. Both sound excellent.

Search for a S66QE/ XRD.
There's a NOS on eBay at the moment. Dive before it's scooped.

 

[BROOKSIE]

I'm in the Empire ship.

I've had AT95E, AtVm95e. Sold them on. They can't hold a candle to these 66 series empires. I have a few.

You do need to find a good stylus and keep it clean, I am currently using an aftermarket bonded elliptical that is much more prone to sibilance and pickier with setup than the original nude elliptical. Both sound excellent.

Search for a S66QE/ XRD.
There's a NOS on eBay at the moment. Dive before it's scooped.

I went for it! Got the NOS Empire S912E from ebay. It was a tough decision though. I like the idea of seeing what the Empire can do with a good stylus. But they'll be hard to find when I need a replacement ( the originals ).
The AT95E seems to be well liked and will be easy to get replacement styli for.
Can't wait to give it a try.

 

[JohnT123]

You won't regret it. I have the same cart with a slightly different stylus and the sound is great. My stylus is still working after 40+ years. The repro's just don't have the same sound.

 

[MacGM]

No, the aftermarket don't sound the same. Still good, just not as good.

I have a bonded elliptical reproduction from an unknown manufacturer, alongside that same purple 66 nude elliptical that OP just bought. The repro is okay but slightly more worn than my original, and is very prone to sibilance - so much that it must be cleaned every turn of the disc.
I am tracking both at under one gram VTF, however. I know that the aftermarket is happier around 1.5g but I like the balance of sound with the low tracking force better.

OP, search the magic eraser method and see if that stylus you currently have comes better.

I'd also get a cheap loupe or microscope so you can visually check your stylus.
That way you may have a spare if the one it came with it still sharp and kept clean. Better to have two than one.. You don't know when more originals will surface again. I'd have bought one of those myself, but with shipping the way it is during whatever the hell is happening in global politics I couldn't justify spending $200 AUD on a stylus at the moment.

And well done OP. You might have a 50 year old Empire cartridge, a defunct company that not many would have heard of, but IME you're at the top of the ladder in moving magnet cartridges.

To get similar results with a modern cart you're looking at Benz Micro - the company Ernst Benz moved onto after Empire folded, and from there onwards you're into high end equipment

Keep those Styli clean, be gentle with them and look after them properly and they'll keep making music sound incredible for decades to come.

And if you don't like the sound, sell them on and make back what you spent. You really can't lose..





These are the specs of my 1001Z/EX III - a 66 clone. Try to match those specs with a modern cart and see what you'll need to spend.. And they do sound every bit as open and detailed as that frequency response and separation would suggest.

 

[JohnT123]

Be sure not to track that stylus too heavy. You're arm is much heavier than my Thorens so that will make a difference, but I track mine at 1.0 gm. I also had to get my tone arm level to get the tracking angle correct. It's well worth the effort to try and get it perfect. It'll never be perfect but when it's close the sound really opens up.

I think your table is pretty good, I wish I still had mine.

 

[KentTeffeteller]

Benricci might be right.

See that little circle next to the word "overhang"? If you don't have any other alignment tool, use that. Make sure the tip of the stylus is directly above it, while making sure the cartridge is square in the headshell (parallel to the sides). That's the manufacturer's suggested alignment though not the only way to skin a cat.

Yes, your cartridge's overhang is way off, that post's advice is what I'd do. Bet after you do a proper setup your records will sound better.