Recommendations for stylus replacement

[Kingfisher]

Last summer I picked up nifty Sansui SR-2050C TT at a garage sale, but instead of the original Sansui cartridge, it had a black and gold Pickering with XV-15 printed on the side of it. The woman who sold it to me said it needed a new needle. The front of the cartridge says "750E dustamatic". Any recommendations on what to get for a new stylus?

 

[Kingfisher]

Stylus is broken...nothing with a magnifying glass. I even ran my fingertip underneath it...completely flat (yeah, I know...I'm not supposed to do that. My bad.) Basically, I need a new one.

 

[Kingfisher]

What kind of quality are you keeping for records? Condition-wise, etc.?

I can tolerate a few scratches and pops, but I don't like skips or warping. As long as the grooves in the record aren't worn out from some knucklehead using a bad/broken stylus. I listen to rock and jazz primarily.

 

[Kingfisher]

I think whatever cartridge search parameters you used for your Thorens would apply with this table, too.

6DZ7,
you can read my mind...I neglected to mention I still have the Thorens (It has other issues) and the new AT120E cartridge I bought for it. I was thinking of using the AT120E on the Sansui and then looking for a needle for the Thorens (an old AT cart) instead. That's for another thread. Is Pickering not a good brand to use anymore, or are replacement needles now impossible to find?

 

[beat_truck]

Is Pickering not a good brand to use anymore, or are replacement needles now impossible to find?

Yes, Pickering/Stanton is still a VERY good brand to use. They have MANY fans that love them. There are several good to great stylus options available, depending on what you want to spend. Do a search. @needlestein is our resident expert on everything Pickering/Stanton.

 

[illinoisteve]

I second what beat_truck said and wish to add that the Pickering XV-15 also can use any stylus designed for its identical cousins the Stanton 680 and 681.

 

[beat_truck]

Does that include D6800EEE type stylus?

Yes.

 

[beat_truck]

I'd be really tempted to try a EVG 4822DEEE on it then. Stay with a .3 tip.

Needlestein claims that the EVG versions of the Stanton aren't that great. The angle of the stylus body is shaped so it almost drags the record if I remember correctly. The Pfanstiehl .2 elliptical 4822-DEE is recommended and I can vouch that it is pretty good. The EVG 4606-DEX is another good budget stylus. I have one of those also, and it is good, but I like the Pfanstiehl better.

I can't really comment because I don't own them, but the Jico XV15 D1200 is supposed to be very good. The Jico shibata and LP gear VL are supposed to be excellent, as well.

 

[illinoisteve]

The Pfanstiehl .2 x .7 4822-DEE does sound good, but needs more tracking force than the packaging calls for.

Since both Pickering style and Stanton style needles that will fit your XV-15 usually come with a brush, you should know that if you use the brush you must add an additional 1 gram of tracking force. If it is a Phanstiehl, EVG, or other generic replacement you might find that the brushes are stiffer than they should be. The brushes can be removed if you don't want to use them. The one that came with my Pfanstiehl 4822-DEE squeaked (!) so I took it off.


.

 

[beat_truck]

My Pfanstiehl came with an OK brush, but the EVG 6800AL copy I bought had a HORRIBLE brush. It was WAY too stiff and it squeaked and actually chattered jumping up and down. I'm not really a big fan of the brushes, so I usually just take them off anyhow.

 

[malden]

Last summer I picked up nifty Sansui SR-2050C TT at a garage sale, but instead of the original Sansui cartridge, it had a black and gold Pickering with XV-15 printed on the side of it. The woman who sold it to me said it needed a new needle. The front of the cartridge says "750E dustamatic". Any recommendations on what to get for a new stylus?

I've tried others in the past but my go-to after market stylus replacements are JICO...

https://www.jico-stylus.com/index.php?cPath=91

 

[Kingfisher]

This is good information! I had an old box of needles I bought several years ago that had some black and gold Pfanstiehl cases in it. I finally found it after searching everywhere high and low on the long-shot chance one would fit a Pickering XV-15...no such luck. The Jico D1200 looks like a very good option assuming it will replace the 750E that came with the XV-15 cartridge. Since I paid very little for the TT, I am willing to splurge a bit more on a good stylus.