New Member, New to Vinyl – Looking for Some Advice

[santtt]

Hi everyone,

I’m a new member of the forum and also fairly new to the world of vinyl, so I wanted to introduce myself.

One of the reasons I decided to get into vinyl was that I had grown tired of the endless abundance of streaming services and the way we tend to listen to music today—playlists, individual tracks, and constantly skipping from one thing to another. I wanted to go back to the way I experienced music when I first fell in love with it: listening to complete albums, taking my time, and being fully present with the music. So far, it’s been a wonderful experience.

I recently added a Pioneer PL-518 turntable to my early-2000s Yamaha hi-fi system, along with a Fosi Box X5 phono preamp. The turntable currently has a Stanton 500 cartridge.

Overall, I feel the sound is fuller and warmer than what I’m used to from CDs or streaming, with more emphasis on the bass and midrange. However, it also seems to have less high-end detail and clarity. I know it’s probably not fair to compare vinyl directly to digital sources, and I’m still learning how to appreciate the format and train my ears, but I’m curious whether upgrading to something like an Ortofon 2M Red would be a worthwhile improvement.

Another thing I’ve noticed is that a few of the records I’ve bought seem to have one channel that sounds less detailed than the other. Could this simply be because they need a proper cleaning, or is it more likely to be wear or damage?

I apologize in advance for my lack of experience. I’m just beginning this journey, and I’d really appreciate any recommendations or advice you might have.

Thanks, and I’m looking forward to learning from all of you!

Santiago

 

[ramjet]

Hi everyone,

I’m a new member of the forum and also fairly new to the world of vinyl, so I wanted to introduce myself.

One of the reasons I decided to get into vinyl was that I had grown tired of the endless abundance of streaming services and the way we tend to listen to music today—playlists, individual tracks, and constantly skipping from one thing to another. I wanted to go back to the way I experienced music when I first fell in love with it: listening to complete albums, taking my time, and being fully present with the music. So far, it’s been a wonderful experience.

I recently added a Pioneer PL-518 turntable to my early-2000s Yamaha hi-fi system, along with a Fosi Box X5 phono preamp. The turntable currently has a Stanton 500 cartridge.

Overall, I feel the sound is fuller and warmer than what I’m used to from CDs or streaming, with more emphasis on the bass and midrange. However, it also seems to have less high-end detail and clarity. I know it’s probably not fair to compare vinyl directly to digital sources, and I’m still learning how to appreciate the format and train my ears, but I’m curious whether upgrading to something like an Ortofon 2M Red would be a worthwhile improvement.

Another thing I’ve noticed is that a few of the records I’ve bought seem to have one channel that sounds less detailed than the other. Could this simply be because they need a proper cleaning, or is it more likely to be wear or damage?

I apologize in advance for my lack of experience. I’m just beginning this journey, and I’d really appreciate any recommendations or advice you might have.

Thanks, and I’m looking forward to learning from all of you!

Santiago

Is the stylus on the Stanton 500 new? A worn stylus could be part of the problem. Other members are sure to weigh in on what you should get to replace the Stanton, long out of production and not a premium cartridge in it's time. Your selection of the Ortofon 2M Red, with its new stylus, will clearly outperform the Stanton if the stylus is worn. Welcome to AK.

 

[malden]

The turntable currently has a Stanton 500 cartridge.

Stanton 500 is a fine cartridge but finding quality styli for it is difficult.

Overall, I feel the sound is fuller and warmer than what I’m used to from CDs or streaming, with more emphasis on the bass and midrange. However, it also seems to have less high-end detail and clarity.

as @ramjet stated, it could have a worn stylus

I know it’s probably not fair to compare vinyl directly to digital sources,

actually, it is a fair comparison. I have numerous recordings in CD and LP format, sometimes one is better, sometimes the other and sometimes the same. Too many variables to generalize

but I’m curious whether upgrading to something like an Ortofon 2M Red would be a worthwhile improvement.

Any new (current production) cartridge will be better than a vintage cartridge with either a worn stylus or a new inferior after-market stylus....Go for the Ortofon

Another thing I’ve noticed is that a few of the records I’ve bought seem to have one channel that sounds less detailed than the other. Could this simply be because they need a proper cleaning, or is it more likely to be wear or damage?

could be that the stylus has been used without proper anti-skate and one side of the needle is worn more than the other side

 

[Thorsten R.]

And if you choose a 2M Blue instead, it´s getting really interesting.

 

[beej]

Welcome to AK. Rest assured you are in the best of hands.

 

[tubeactive]

Don't be in a rush to replace that cartridge.
Not only was it a Broadcasting standard in its heyday, there are still pro transcribers who use a 500. Transcribers are professionals who transfer discs to digital and tape formats.

There are still many quality styli available for the Stanton 500 as well as the Pickering V15 series cartridges. Their styli are interchangeable. Their sound is quite endearing...

 

[TomD62]

Welcome to AK! Your imbalance between channels could be a worn stylus or your cartridge / head shell azimuth needs adjustment. Not knowing your budget, I would skip the Ortofon 2M Red and get something above the entry level.

 

[Fishead]

I'll second that welcome to AudioKarma, @santtt! Let's slow down a bit here, shall we, and first off do a thorough check of your Stanton, a worthy cartridge, to include cleaning the stylus (which I trust you have already done, but dip it into some blutak to make sure you have everything off of there), followed by a careful check of all the setup parameters, including VTF, VTA, zenith, and azimuth. If you are not familiar with these terms, you will be well-served to learn about them and there are many threads here that deal with each. Then, let's remove the little wires on the rear of the cartridge and use some Deoxit D5 to remove any tarnishing (oxidation) that might have occurred there creating the imbalance of sound you mention. Again, there are threads here that will help you with this, being careful not to damage either the wires, the clips, or the posts in the back of the cartridge. Then, clean your RCA connectors from the turntable to your phonostage and also those from the phonostage to your receiver. Now you're hitting on all cylinders if you have done things properly and only then can you make an informed decision about whether or not to keep the cartridge. By the way, that Stanton is a far nicer-sounding cartridge to my ears than the Ortofon Red......not even close, and the Ortofon Blue might get you closer but I really think you will benefit by doing some work with your present, very appreciable setup! Good to meet you, amigo, and I trust you will be happy with your time here......carry on

 

[onepixel]

Welcome to AK!

Like the guys suggested, upgrading the cartridge should pull out more hi-end.
That said... having good speakers to play the full range of sound, is crucial.
The music makes a difference too, the recording, issue.
All records are not always created equal.

Good luck and have fun!

 

[PDQBob]

Welcome aboard! I have no knowledge of the Stanton but I would heartily recommend the Audio-Technica VM95 line as a replacement phono cart. That line gives lots of options for upgrades with just a stylus change. Start with the 95E and go from there. That said, there is a lot to recommend a vintage cart. A quick search showed replacement styli available at LP Gear. Again, welcome to this particular brand of madness! Enjoy the ride!

 

[squirrelnest]

Welcome to the forum from Virginia.

 

[Jeff449]

a few of the records I’ve bought seem to have one channel that sounds less detailed than the other

It could be a lot of things. Some causes have already been mentioned. If the records in question are from the 60s or 70s, look for the words "electronically re-channeled for stereo." That means they took a mono recording and changed the EQ for each channel (among other things). The results are usually worse than the original mono.
If you have a true mono record, play it and compare L & R channels. They should sound the same if your setup is set up correctly. Download the manual for your turntable and follow its directions regarding alignment, anti-skate, etc.

 

[mr_petit]

HHowever, it also seems to have less high-end detail and clarity.

A 2m red or blue is not gonna give you that. both have a simple elliptical profile.
A microline stylus is the way to go. Get an AT-VM95ML. Costs about $170
Best stylus shape to get high end detail (well, best stylus beside some exotics costing 3k and up)
Added bonus is that the Microline stylus has a longer lifespan than the other stylus shapes so it's a solid investment.

 

[Mr Boochie]

Few of the records I’ve bought seem to have one channel that sounds less detailed than the other.

Welcome to the forum!

This could be an anti-skate setting issue. How did you adjust this setting?

I use a test record. That seems to make the A/S the best for the two tonearm/cartridge setups I own.

 

[DLStryker]

I do not have one myself, but I have read many, many posts where people were not happy with the sonic characteristics of the Ortofon 2M Red. I have a 2M Blue. It's "OK". I am a fan of the Audio Technica cartridges in the $200 to $500 price range. You seem to get more bang for the buck with the AT cartridges.

 

[TomD62]

I do not have one myself, but I have read many, many posts where people were not happy with the sonic characteristics of the Ortofon 2M Red. I have a 2M Blue. It's "OK". I am a fan of the Audio Technica cartridges in the $200 to $500 price range. You seem to get more bang for the buck with the AT cartridges.

I had a 2M Blue as well and thought it was just "OK". Sold it on Bartertown and went with a Denon DL-110. That has since been upgraded to a DL-103R. To each there own.

 

[santtt]

Is the stylus on the Stanton 500 new? A worn stylus could be part of the problem. Other members are sure to weigh in on what you should get to replace the Stanton, long out of production and not a premium cartridge in it's time. Your selection of the Ortofon 2M Red, with its new stylus, will clearly outperform the Stanton if the stylus is worn. Welcome to AK.

Thanks for the reply, Ramjet!

The seller told me the stylus was in good shape, so I assumed it still had plenty of life left. What’s interesting is that the issue only seems to happen with some records. On others, it’s much less noticeable—or at least I don’t really notice it—which makes me wonder if the stylus is really the main culprit or if record condition is playing a bigger role.

 

[santtt]

Stanton 500 is a fine cartridge but finding quality styli for it is difficult.


as @ramjet stated, it could have a worn stylus


actually, it is a fair comparison. I have numerous recordings in CD and LP format, sometimes one is better, sometimes the other and sometimes the same. Too many variables to generalize


Any new (current production) cartridge will be better than a vintage cartridge with either a worn stylus or a new inferior after-market stylus....Go for the Ortofon


could be that the stylus has been used without proper anti-skate and one side of the needle is worn more than the other side

Thanks for the advice Malden!

That makes a lot of sense. Since I don’t know the history of this cartridge, it’s entirely possible the stylus has uneven wear from being used with improper anti-skate or other setup issues.

I think replacing it with the Ortofon is probably the safest way to eliminate that variable and have a known starting point. At least then I’ll know any issues I hear are more likely coming from the records or the rest of my setup rather than the stylus itself.

That said, I’m also open to considering a Japanese cartridge if there’s one you’d recommend in a similar price range.

 

[santtt]

And if you choose a 2M Blue instead, it´s getting really interesting.

Thanks for the suggestion, Thorsten R.!

No doubt, I understand the 2M Blue is a much better cartridge. I’m just not sure if, given my lack of experience, it makes more sense to take things one step at a time rather than jump straight to a more expensive option.

If you have any recommendations for a Japanese cartridge in a similar price range, I’d be very interested to hear them as well, especially since the turntable itself is Japanese.

 

[santtt]

Don't be in a rush to replace that cartridge.
Not only was it a Broadcasting standard in its heyday, there are still pro transcribers who use a 500. Transcribers are professionals who transfer discs to digital and tape formats.

There are still many quality styli available for the Stanton 500 as well as the Pickering V15 series cartridges. Their styli are interchangeable. Their sound is quite endearing...

Thanks for your perspective, tubeactive!

That’s really interesting to know. I wasn’t aware the Stanton 500 had that kind of reputation or that it’s still used by professionals for transcription work.

Maybe I’m being a little too quick to assume the cartridge itself is the problem. Based on all the feedback here, it sounds like I should first verify the condition of the stylus before replacing the whole cartridge. I appreciate the insight!