Replacement stylus for Shure M97xE Cartridge

[tubewade]

Hmmmm. In that case the stylus tip should be the same cut, MicroRidge and MicroLine, So the difference you hear in the sound might have a lot to do with the cantilever. When using aftermarket styli we hope to get "close" to the original house sound, but "close" is about as good as we can expect since the manufacturers aren't working with the original materials and under the same conditions that the OEM styli were manufactured. Depending on what one is hoping for, sometimes a marked change in the sound can be perceived by some people as improvement. Variables and more variables.

 

[beatcomber]

Thanks! But now I'm even more confused. The listing for the HE stylus you provided says that it is manufactured by JICO. It does have a photo of a stylus with a "Shure" logo on it, but the caption of that photo says "OEM provided for reference, only" I guess to show that it "looks" like a Shure-designed stylus.

It doesn't say so in the listing, but is the JICO-manufactured stylus designed by Shure but not manufactured by Shure? Or does that change your opinion?

Thanks, again!

Shure and JICO have no business partnership.

 

[Jim Creek]

On a price to performance basis a DenonDL110 for $229 on that auction site is more bang for the buck than a SAS for $200-$300 to retrofit your M97xe.

The stock stylus for the M97xe is actually pretty good. Plus it was designed by Shure to sound like it does with its own unique presentation.

 

[Jim Creek]

On the first point, yes, until projected longevity of the diamond tip is considered. The Denon has a .4 x .7 elliptical, which wears relatively quickly. The SAS tip being a hyperbolic is touted in sales literature to last twice as long at least and also never to change shape until, well, I guess it just crumbles

Needlestein, are you sure about the DL110 stylus tip? The specs say: Stylus tip: 0.1 x 0.2mm special elliptical diamond. That is .004" x .008", four thousands by 8 thousands of an inch.

 

[beej]

Another VL aficionado here. To my ears (and apparently others as well) it is a noticeable improvement over the stock.

 

[Jim Creek]

Needlestein, you were close enough.

My real question is this. Have there been actual tests that confirm that the smaller /more complex diamond tips last longer?

 

[Lawrence-lp]

Thanks again for all the replies and information. FWIW, I ended up getting the LP-Gear line-contact diamond stylus replacement.

It sounds fantastic and achieves exactly the improvement I was looking for. More clarity on the high end, more depth on the low end, a better ability to read nuances, and fewer "pops and clicks" by being able to read deeper into the groove, below many of the surface scratches.

Thanks again!