Pickering VSX-3000 or SHURE M3D?

Snerp

Snerp

I solder while you sleep...
Pickering XSV-3000 or SHURE M3D?

I have lucked out this month and ended up with both of these cartridges. As far as I can tell they seem well liked. I can't afford a stylus for both right now. I'm wondering which one I should get up and running first? Thanks.

:EDIT: I just realized I had a dyslexic moment. It's the Pickering XSV-3000, not VSX-3000. Sorry about that.
 
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The Pickering should be much better, but it depends. What tonearm are you using?
 
I will be using the SHURE M232 that is on my ROK until I get the funds together for an upgrade. With the holidays coming up, it will be a while.
 
Glad you mentioned that last part. Odds are it will be much, much cheaper to get the Shure cartridge up and running than find a NOS stylus for the XSV-3000. Even the aftermarket styli for this model that attempt to approximate the original stylus are uncheap.

Having said that, once you can afford it, the payoff of a NOS stylus is worth the expense, in that you can really hear where the money went, but it's not worth making your wallet whimper when there are other priorities.

Besides, you have a Kyocera R-651. Life is good.
 
I remember that model Pickering from back when it was new...and it was the best Pickering had made (at least up to that point) and it was indeed very good. I liked it a lot--though some thought it was too bright.
I have one myself that is not mounted in any head shell currently but may go into the TT I acquire.
When you have the funds, get the stylus for it. You will probably find you like it.
 
That's about what I was thinking. I think I can swing the JICO replacement. Thanks guys.
 
Low mass, high compliance like the SME 3009 II Improved or the III, the Infinity Black Widow, the Hadcock, the Mayware Formula IV, and similar.
 
KentTeffeteller said:
Low mass, high compliance like the SME 3009 II Improved or the III, the Infinity Black Widow, the Hadcock, the Mayware Formula IV, and similar.
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Any recommendations that are a little more reasonable on the wallet? $300+ is definitely out of my price range. I can sell some stuff to get there, but that's a lot of money that I would like to put towards vinyl.
 
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If you don't plan on using the Shure M3D, you could sell it for a decent buck. It really has a following and goes for good money these days. I use one with my Empire 980 tonearm and really like it's full, slightly rolled off sound. It's a heavy tracker, 3-4 grams, using the N3D stylus. The N21 stylus tracks lighter at about 2 grams.

It's great for playing older microgroove LPs with. Your Shure 232 tonearm might be too light to work well with the low compliant M3D. However...both were sold by Shure during the early 60's, so it would seem that they would be compatible. I'd give it a try and see how the M3D sounds with the 232. You never know.....it might actually sound nice and track well! If you don't like what you hear, you could always sell them together and use the money for a better arm/cartridge.
 
Snerp said:
Any recommendations that are a little more reasonable on the wallet? $300+ is definitely out of my price range. I can sell some stuff to get there, but that's a lot of money that I would like to put towards vinyl.
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ADC LMF-2 is a good low mass arm that goes for less than the Infinity or SME.

Or you could pick up an entire turntable with a low mass arm produced in the 70's or 80's when low mass arms were the trend. For example, I had better results using a BIC 960 (with LM arm) with my Pickering xsv300 than I did with a modified RB300 tonearm on my Lenco.

It's gotta be the arm, cause it sure isn't the turntable! BICs can be had for cheap but usually need work. There are lots of other TTs with low mass arms, too.
 
grooveman said:
If you don't plan on using the Shure M3D, you could sell it for a decent buck. It really has a following and goes for good money these days. I use one with my Empire 980 tonearm and really like it's full, slightly rolled off sound. It's a heavy tracker, 3-4 grams, using the N3D stylus. The N21 stylus tracks lighter at about 2 grams.

It's great for playing older microgroove LPs with. Your Shure 232 tonearm might be too light to work well with the low compliant M3D. However...both were sold by Shure during the early 60's, so it would seem that they would be compatible. I'd give it a try and see how the M3D sounds with the 232. You never know.....it might actually sound nice and track well! If you don't like what you hear, you could always sell them together and use the money for a better arm/cartridge.
Click to expand...

That's the combo my ROK came with. I was kinda surprised when Kent said it wasn't a good combo. Then again the guy had a p mount Grado gold on a POS plastic fisher. I may as well give it a try though since I have it and a new stylus is cheap.

kirk57 said:
ADC LMF-2 is a good low mass arm that goes for less than the Infinity or SME.

Or you could pick up an entire turntable with a low mass arm produced in the 70's or 80's when low mass arms were the trend. For example, I had better results using a BIC 960 (with LM arm) with my Pickering xsv300 than I did with a modified RB300 tonearm on my Lenco.

It's gotta be the arm, cause it sure isn't the turntable! BICs can be had for cheap but usually need work. There are lots of other TTs with low mass arms, too.
Click to expand...

I'll look into that. I have no problem parting something out.

KentTeffeteller said:
With the Shure arm, the M 44 line is great. And Stanton 680/Pickering XV 15 broadcast options are superb.
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I have a M44-7 somewhere around here. Should I just Jude the shure arm and it as a stepping stone to the low mass/Pickering setup?
 
I have the Pickering XSV with the D3000, and I can tell you that it approaches a MC cart in the retrieval of detail, stereo separation and sound.

About the best non-MC cart I have ever listened to.

Cheers
 
Ok, thanks. I'm just trying to collect as much info as I can. With any luck, I'll get one soon.
 
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