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Marantz 6100 - cartrdige, stylus, or turntable?

wetshaver

wetshaver

Active Member
I found a beautiful mint condition 6100 at a local fix-it shop the other day with a Stanton 680 EE and Stanton stylus for $90 so I impulsively bought it. My regular turntable is a Technics SL-QL1 which I've owned for 30 years only needing to replace the stylus on occasion. To my ears, it sounds great (run through a Yamaha RX-V990).

I unplugged it and hooked up the Marantz and put an album on. It tracked and spun true but was pretty thin sounding and rather muddy. I'd checked the stylus under a 10x loupe and other than needing a cleaning, there was nothing obviously wrong.

I called needledoc and asked what they thought and the guy I spoke to thought those symptoms were more endemic of a worn cartridge rather than the stylus. I decided to get an AT95E to try out as it wasn't much more than a replacement aftermarket stylus for the Stanton anyway.

The 6100 gets mixed reviews but, generally, positive. Anyway, what's your guess as to the sound issue? Does the 680 EE wear out or would a stylus have fixed the thin and muddy sound?
 
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The Marantz 6100 is decent but probably a sideways step, at best, from your SL QL 1.

The Stanton cartridge is most likely fine and the problem is with the old stylus. NOS OEM Stanton styli are expensive and hard to find. Aftermarket stylus are out there but they do not get great reviews here when compared to OEM.

AT 95E is a decent budget cartridge that can be upgraded with after market stylus from LP Gear.

Your best bet with your $130 May have been to upgrade the cartridge/stylus in your current table. The stylus had a major impact on the overall SQ.

Much of what people like in a cartridge hinges on personal preference, the overall system integration, and the listening room.

Have fun experimenting with your new table.

Cheers, Bob
 
Thanks for your response. No point in upgrading the Technics as I'm happy with it as is. I needed another turntable for my other house. I also have a Denon DP-23F but liked the looks of the Marantz better (plus I have a Marantz PM6004 at that house).

I may order an aftermarket stylus for the 680 EE as well. I ran a 681 EEE for a couple decades in an old Pioneer table and all it ever needed was a stylus replacement now and then.

I'm not big into vinyl anymore but still have a few hundred LP's from the old days so I like to have a turntable available for when I'm in the mood.
 
I wouldn't chuck that Stanton cartridge/stylus, as you did all it probably needed was cleaning the stylus to remove dust/dirt/gunk. From your description of the Marantz table being mint my guess is the Stanton cartridge has very low milage. After not being used for possibly many years the suspension may need to loosen up with use, also I'd check the Marantz owners manual and re cartridge/stylus overhang, alignment of the Stanton, tracking weight, antiskate etc. I'd give the Stanton a number of hours on a disposable record to break in. You also may have to check your receiver/preamp for proper settings for the Stanton cartridge. Stanton cartridges aren't known to be thin or muddy.
 
Thanks for your response. That was my thinking too having used Stanton cartridges almost exclusively for decades. Don't worry, I didn't chuck it but I did thoroughly clean the stylus. I posted this because I was kinda surprised by the salesguy's claim that it sounded more like the cartridge going bad vs. the stylus.

I just now opened the turntable up and took the platter off to look at the belt. This thing is in terrific condition. The Stanton would have to be a replacement and perhaps it's not balanced properly. I downloaded the Marantz manual and will reinstall the Stanton using the 45 adapter/stylus tool.

I may not even try the AT cart coming from Amazon and opt for a new stylus instead if I find the cart is correctly installed.

BTW, I used "thin and muddy" perhaps inaccurately. What I noticed was really just a lack of clarity and dynamic range.
 
Another possibility is the stylus is a cheap generic and by most reports they fit the description of thin and muddy. There's some 60+ year old original New York Stanton cartridges still going strong, I doubt there's anything wrong with the cartridge body. Make sure the cartridge is properly aligned, tracking weight and antiskate. The Marantz 45 adapter is for the overhang, Marantz might of had an alignment tool, the manual should advise as to cartridge installation/setup.
 
No, the stylus is the Stanton marked original, not a copy/aftermarket. But I will be checking all the other stuff tomorrow or the next day.
 
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