• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

Pickering "original" V15 vs. P/AC-1: differences?

R

Rich K.

New Member
I am currently using a Pickering P/AC-1 cartridge in my Garrard AT6 mk. II, with a Pfanstiehl conical stylus for microgroove records (and another to use with 78's). I have the tracking set at slightly over 4 grams, and it sounds pretty decent through my Radio Shack/RCA/Optimus SA-155 mini-amp and the set of cheap speakers I found on EBay.

I recently came across an original Pickering V15 (no suffixes) that checks out okay with an ohm meter, but I have not had a chance to try it out yet.I have read that the P/AC-1 is supposed to be a "cheaper" version of the V15, but that the internals are the same and they also use the same styli. So, what are the differences between the two? Is the tracking pressure going to be different, if I use the same styli, between the two cartridges? All other things being equal, would I probably be better off switching to the V15? Or would there likely not be any difference in performance between the two?
 
Register to hide this ad
To the best of my knowledge, all of the various Stantons and Pickerings with the Stanton 500-type body are internally identical. The native stylus for each model is the only significant difference.
 
Having all of those different extra letters on some of Pickering V15s does get confusing, but for the most part, as beatcomber said, the cartridges will be the same and the same as all of the Stanton 500s. The extra letters and suffixes just reflect what stylus might have been packaged with the cartridge originally.

The good thing is about that is you can put any stylus on one of these carts that works on anyf the others. Few really light-tracking needles are available for the v15/500s, but there are some that track a bit lower than 4 grams. There are also some that track heavier.

Here's an old thread that includes quite a bit of info about some of the styli that are available, as well as various perspectives on this group of carts:
http://audiokarma.org/forums/index....-15-stanton-500-family-who-loves-them.641049/
 
Well, for grins and giggles I tried the V15 in place of the P/AC-1. No difference in sound, but the P/AC-1 had bent mounting tabs (which I had straightened as well as I could - it was given to me in that condition), while the V15 was nice and straight.

I also, while I was at it, used a different 1/2" adapter. I have several headshells that will fit my AT6: a couple of the "shallow" type, and one of the "deep" type, and of the 1/2" adapters I have one is the "long stud" type, and the other is the "short stud" type. I was using the "long stud" one with the P/AC-1, and while it worked it didn't look quite right with that cartridge hanging WAY below the bottom of the headshell, so I switched to the "short stud" adapter. Looks better, and also seems to sit at a better angle. And, it still sounds decent. Like to find an elliptical stylus some time and see how THAT sounds... ;)
 
Most has been said already but the V15 had such a long run that they changed the angle of the mounting ears at one point. I have one of each.
 
beat_truck said:
EVG 604-DET I have one and like it very much. I also have the Pfanstiehl 604-DEC, but it doesn't sound quite as good as the EVG.

https://www.thevoiceofmusic.com/cat...=MfgNameNeedles&MfgName=Pickering&Categories=
Click to expand...

What tracking force do you find to be optimum with that EVG 404-DET, @beat_truck ? I'm guessing it needs more than the bottom of its 2-5 gram suggested range, but maybe somewhere between 2.75 and 3.5 grams might work with a lot of records...depending on equipment, of course.
 
illinoisteve said:
What tracking force do you find to be optimum with that EVG 404-DET, @beat_truck ? I'm guessing it needs more than the bottom of its 2-5 gram suggested range, but maybe somewhere between 2.75 and 3.5 grams might work with a lot of records...depending on equipment, of course.
Click to expand...
I run it at around 2.8 grams. It seems to work fine there. No sibilance or mistracking that I've noticed. I haven't really tried it any lighter than that.
 
Rich K. said:
I got the DEC because I use my AT6 as a changer rather than a single-play turntable (though I do have both spindles).
Click to expand...
The DET would have worked perfectly fine.:dunno: The C or T doesn't really mean a whole lot. Especially since they have exactly the same tracking force range and probably very similar compliance.
 
Rich K. said:
Why the difference, then?
Click to expand...
Just a guess, but in this case, it's probably just to cause less confusion than selling 2 different styli with the same name. It really doesn't matter to me either way. I don't pay any mind at all to the M, T, or C in the name. It's more important to choose the one with the tracking force range that works best with the turntable that it's going to be used on.
 
Last edited:
Rich K. said:
I am currently using a Pickering P/AC-1 cartridge in my Garrard AT6 mk. II, with a Pfanstiehl conical stylus for microgroove records (and another to use with 78's). I have the tracking set at slightly over 4 grams, and it sounds pretty decent through my Radio Shack/RCA/Optimus SA-155 mini-amp and the set of cheap speakers I found on EBay.

I recently came across an original Pickering V15 (no suffixes) that checks out okay with an ohm meter, but I have not had a chance to try it out yet.I have read that the P/AC-1 is supposed to be a "cheaper" version of the V15, but that the internals are the same and they also use the same styli. So, what are the differences between the two? Is the tracking pressure going to be different, if I use the same styli, between the two cartridges? All other things being equal, would I probably be better off switching to the V15? Or would there likely not be any difference in performance between the two?
Click to expand...
Rich K. said:
I am currently using a Pickering P/AC-1 cartridge in my Garrard AT6 mk. II, with a Pfanstiehl conical stylus for microgroove records (and another to use with 78's). I have the tracking set at slightly over 4 grams, and it sounds pretty decent through my Radio Shack/RCA/Optimus SA-155 mini-amp and the set of cheap speakers I found on EBay.

I recently came across an original Pickering V15 (no suffixes) that checks out okay with an ohm meter, but I have not had a chance to try it out yet.I have read that the P/AC-1 is supposed to be a "cheaper" version of the V15, but that the internals are the same and they also use the same styli. So, what are the differences between the two? Is the tracking pressure going to be different, if I use the same styli, between the two cartridges? All other things being equal, would I probably be better off switching to the V15? Or would there likely not be any difference in performance between the two?
Click to expand...
 
Rich K. said:
Why the difference, then?
Click to expand...

Application was why. Pickering had different designations for their applications. And those applications were for things like high end manual tonearm, high end changers, normal changers which needed heavier tracking forces (Garrard AutoSlim based changers generally didn't track lighter than 2.5 grams at lightest and the automatic trip mechanisms function correctly), and stylus type.
 
beat_truck said:
The C or T doesn't really mean a whole lot. Especially since they have exactly the same tracking force range and probably very similar compliance.
Click to expand...
In Pickering nomenclature:

C = for record Changers (originally 3 - 7 gram tracking force)
T = for automatic Turntables (2 - 5 g tracking force)
M = for Manual turntables (1 - 3 g tracking force)

At some point the C styli were reduced to a 2 - 5 gram tracking force (same thing with the Stanton 500AL), when most record changers improved in design and no longer required such heavy tracking forces -- at least until the NP/AC cartridge was reintroduced in the early 2000s as a low-budget DJ cartridge with an extremely high 10 mV output; it then returned to the original 3-7g rating. (Same thing when it was rebranded as the Stanton 400.v3.)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom