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OEM styli in aftermarket or competitor packaging

specialcase

specialcase

i really have no idea
I grabbed a nos N72 ej in Arista packaging the other day for a song. Now, I mostly bought it based on a vague memory of a comment I read here. To wit, at one time Electro-voice sold oem Shure and, further, Electro-voice sold oem Shure through third party distributors like Arista.

It all seems a bit dubious since I haven’t been able to find that comment again. My N72 ej looks aftermarket insofar as it has no markings identifying Shure or the model number. Anyone know the provenance of Arista packaged Shures?

I’ve also picked up some Shure, Stanton, and Pickering styli in Empire packaging recently. These, by appearance at any rate, do seem to be oem. Yet, nowhere in the packaging text does it confirm the stylus is oem. Here I’m thinking of those old Pfanstiehl oem styli one can still find now and again with text on the back stating, manufactured by Pickering Corporation or the like.
 
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EV sold both generic and OEM in their own packaging.

In my experience, OEM always looked OEM. They have the OEM (Shure or Audio Technica or whatever) logos, etc.

Some of the vintage generic styli are pretty decent, though.
 
As the vintage phono cartridge/companies we loved changed/adapted, a few even changed their priorities.
Downsizing and outsourcing could increase profits. We know Shure did that. Empire may have done something like that.
Most of the styli I have seen inside those Empire red/white n clear cases are genuine, although some were "outsourced."
Even the aftermarket Stylus-Needle replacement companies eventually outsourced.

Genuine, NOS, brand name styli, kept by caring collectors, in temperature controlled storage, is our best bet for replacement styli.
Some, if not many, still caring collectors are around. We are just not ready to sell it all, yet...
 
revox-b77 said:
The packaging usually indicated if it is OEM. Like Empire replacements will have " Genuine Shure" on them.
Click to expand...
I’ll need to check again to be certain, but that was my point. The Empire replacements that I picked up recently don’t have that. Like I said though, it’s pretty clear looking at the actual styli they’re oem.
 
specialcase said:
The old Pfanstiehl oems I’ve come across say manufactured by Shure (or Pickering, Audio Technica, etc) Corporation.
Click to expand...
And many had a * before the number as well.

I've managed to keep myself stocked with OEM styli thankfully, unless you want to pay exorbitant prices the extra sleuthing is absolutely required.
 
Pfanstiehl typically used a three digit prefix for OEM styli, and a four-digit prefix for generic styli.

Typically, but not always.

Sometimes the back of the package indicates it was made by the OEM, sometimes not.

You need to know what you're looking at.
 
I have also gotten several OEM/NOS in various distributor packages. They have all been obvious OE, with the same markings and such that you'd expect. The generics almost never have the stylus numbers on them.
 
I checked the packages on the Empire replacements again. No genuine Shure, Pickering, or Stanton stylus type language to be found, but they’re clearly oem.

Fairly convinced the Arista N 72ej is aftermarket. Think that clears it up. Thanks to everyone chiming in.
 
Well the seller is certainly legit. And this is a perfect example of what we're discussing.

17387932140024127785118991441171.jpg17387932316048752625179213537318.jpg
So this is a phanstiehl package. Not only doess it have the star, it has a genuine shure sticker (we all forgot this!) and it has shure on the grip. The rear clearly states it was made by shure.

In this case, ain't no question.

And thanks again for the killer lead! They only had one so I bet someone found a drawer in the back.
 
specialcase said:
I checked the packages on the Empire replacements again. No genuine Shure, Pickering, or Stanton stylus type language to be found, but they’re clearly oem.

Fairly convinced the Arista N 72ej is aftermarket. Think that clears it up. Thanks to everyone chiming in.
Click to expand...

I've never seen a single Empire-packaged stylus on eBay carrying an OEM stylus. And I've looked at hundreds.
 
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