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P mount adapters?

Mark W.

Mark W.

Nut house of the Universe
Along my search for a new Ortofon X3-MC cart I found a supply of them but in P mount. Now I know there is such a critter as a P mount adapter. I have seen them on eBay. They look like a bit of molded plastic junk. Is there a quality P mount adapter?

Second question is anyone using one of these and have anything alone the line of a review?

I'm also lookin into a Soundsmith fix with a new cantaliever and diamond for mine. But since that tends to be very close to the cost of what Ortofon recomends as a replacement I hesitate.
 
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Mark W. said:
Along my search for a new Ortofon X3-MC cart I found a supply of them but in P mount. Now I know there is such a critter as a P mount adapter. I have seen them on eBay. They look like a bit of molded plastic junk. Is there a quality P mount adapter?

Second question is anyone using one of these and have anything alone the line of a review?

I'm also lookin into a Soundsmith fix with a new cantaliever and diamond for mine. But since that tends to be very close to the cost of what Ortofon recomends as a replacement I hesitate.
Click to expand...

Considering that most cartridge bodies are made out of the exact same molded plastic...what's the problem?
 
that's pretty much how they all come. i have yet to see a p-mount adapter made of metal, which by the way would not be a very good idea because it would add too much mass to the front end of the tonearm. i have a couple of these and they work fairly well if you want to use a p-mount cartridge on a standard tonearm.
 
Yeah, most of the P-mount adapters that I have seen have been garbage....not very rigid and add more connections to the lowest voltage point in your system...you could always epoxy the cartridge into the adapter to increase it's rigidity....i did that with some kind of P-mount ADC years ago and it worked pretty well, brought the level of performance up a notch...

I've been using an X-3MC since they came out in the eighties, I bought mine mail order back then, I have always cleaned the stylus, formerly with Last stylus cleaner now with LP #9 and Magic Eraser, and treated it with StyLast....makes a cartridge last a long, long time....

The replacement for the X-3 is the MC3 Turbo, seems to have the same stylus but a higher output, the closest available one today is the X-5MC, an even better cartridge....

My X-3 performs at a level that I feel is beyond that of my Grado Sonata....and it originally cost me $175....
 
I have a Grado that you can either mount it with the P mount or standard 1/2 inch mounting. The other P mounts I have I'm so, so on that type of mount.
 
the ones that come with audiotechnica pmount carts

are pretty good. compared to the adaptor that came with my original sumiko blue point (yes, it was designed as a pmount) which was fragile styrene plastic, the AT is more durable.

find a cheeeeeep AT and pilfer the adapter.
 
Thanks Guys. I'm still trying to decide just what to do I'm running a Goldring Eroica H right now but just not liking it as much as the Ortofon X3-MC I bent the cantaliever on. The Turbo MC-3 as well as going MM with a 2M Bronze all keep running through my head.

I'll take a look at the AT offering. But I was also worried about the additional connections.
 
hifitommy said:
are pretty good. compared to the adaptor that came with my original sumiko blue point (yes, it was designed as a pmount) which was fragile styrene plastic, the AT is more durable.

find a cheeeeeep AT and pilfer the adapter.
Click to expand...
Yes, I agree with Tommy. I like the easy mountability of the Shures, but they are too flexible. The AT adapters are plenty rigid. They took their p-mounts very seriously. Look on ebay for cheap AT carts.

With regard to the additional connection (I assume you mean the plug-in pins), as long as they are clean and make good contact, I think it's a non-issue.
 
Who cares if it is plastic?

Ahh, p-mount adaptors.

Does it matter if it consists of plastic? In the end, you would be paying more for a p-mount adaptor that consists of metal. It should not matter, as long as the construction is tight and rigid.
 
Mark W. said:
Along my search for a new Ortofon X3-MC cart I found a supply of them but in P mount. Now I know there is such a critter as a P mount adapter. I have seen them on eBay. They look like a bit of molded plastic junk. Is there a quality P mount adapter?

Second question is anyone using one of these and have anything alone the line of a review?

I'm also lookin into a Soundsmith fix with a new cantaliever and diamond for mine. But since that tends to be very close to the cost of what Ortofon recomends as a replacement I hesitate.
Click to expand...

I've got a couple.
If you want one, PM me and I'll toss it in the mail.
 
hakaplan said:
Yes, I agree with Tommy. I like the easy mountability of the Shures, but they are too flexible. The AT adapters are plenty rigid. They took their p-mounts very seriously. Look on ebay for cheap AT carts.

With regard to the additional connection (I assume you mean the plug-in pins), as long as they are clean and make good contact, I think it's a non-issue.
Click to expand...

The one that came with my Digitrac 200NE seems to be pretty stout, too.
 
The Digitrac adapter is the same as the standard Ortofon adapter, so that would be a good choice. Not all adapters fit all p-mount cartridges. See http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=191553

I've got an X1-MCP (which I use on a p-mount linear tracker) and like it, and have had my eye on the X3-MCP, which seems to be out of production but still available online.
 
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Mark, I've got one of the Digitrac adapters, it is good quality. I'll give you one and you can try it out.
 
I appreciate the offers guys I haven't decided to buy anything yet. When I do if it turns out to be a P mount version of the X3-MC I'll hit you up.

This thread was very much a fact finding mission. Now I can go back to Obsessing over the choices at hand.
 
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