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Seeking practical real world advice on which is the best OVERALL 78 rpm cartridge for the money.

Ricktptman

Ricktptman

High Fidelity Enthusiast
Subscriber
I'm looking at the LP Gear budget model
LP Gear AT95-78 AT9578
Also, the Vessel AS78SP is from the same website.
Amazon has two AT's, one for around $80.00 and the other for around $150.00. (The AT-VM95SP and the VM 670SP.)

I have a large-ish collection of 78's that were given to me by a College Professor and/or were left to me by my folks.

I've run across a few quasi-valuable ones out in the thrift store Wild (one did not react well to being washed at all) and I have a (recently restored by myself) vintage VV-280 Victrola with which I've played some of my favorite 78s (I was thirteen when I bought it with saved up yard mowing money-dumb considering how cash strapped I was when I entered the ACTUAL Hi-Fi market and could only afford a lowly SX-680) and I feel fairly sure that even though they were played with care, whatever their actual fidelity was has been compromised by now.

I have an AT loss leader 78 rpm capable turntable that has a motor problem that I'm hoping I'll be able to fix myself. I'm doing this on a pretty strict shoestring budget, as I can no longer justify financing other projects by selling off other restored gear. Although I might be doing some horse-trading in the future if opportunities present themselves. Any advice is greatly appreciated.
 
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Can you play shellac records with a diamond stylus?

I have stacks upon stacks of 78 shellac. I only play them, extremely infrequently, on a Victor with a steel needle, one per record, then discard the needle.
 
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I read that you can. But I am NOT an experienced authority on 78 rpm records. I am aware that EQ curves and even speeds varied widely owing to competing standards of the time.
I read a LOT of disparity of opinion regarding stylus width though. Some say 2.5 mil (gets deeper in the grooves where the "wear" isn't), others say 3 mil (better groove wall contact) and there is also a fair amount of grousing about using a cartridge (I suspect that's all of the ones I've listed) that features strapped stereo magnets/infrastructure as opposed to opting for a dedicated vertical motion only two lead mono purist cartridge. At first I looked at the Ortofon 2M 78 because I could use the same cart body to play Mono microgroove records if I dropped the money for the 2M Mono stylus. That is until I saw what that stylus cost... : - )
 
Thanks! Any recommendations as to the best place to purchase one? I can ask the Google-tron, but these days customer service isn't the "given" that it was not all that long ago. TIA.
 
I would strongly consider a GE RPX

designed when 78s were king and styli are still cheap and plentiful.
 
Too massive and too heavy tracking for his tonearm. Won't play well on it. My recommendation, would be Stanton 500/Pickering V 15, or get a Shure M 44. Esoteric Sound has specialty styli for these cartridges, which is what the professionals, 78 RPM users, and archivists use. Which does work well on his tonearm. Available in a wide range of tip sizes.
 
Ricktptman said:
I'm looking at the LP Gear budget model
LP Gear AT95-78 AT9578
Also, the Vessel AS78SP is from the same website.
Amazon has two AT's, one for around $80.00 and the other for around $150.00. (The AT-VM95SP and the VM 670SP.)
Click to expand...
I've never used the AT95-78, but one thing I'd be concerned about is the low tracking force range of 1.5-2.5 grams. My first foray into 78's was using a Shure, but I found the 3 gram upper tracking force a limitation. It's been many years since I researched it, but some sites devoted to 78 rpm playback recommended tracking forces at least as high as 5 grams to better deal with less than pristine 78 rpm records. The Stanton 500 with D5127 stylus and its 3-7 gram vtf range (I used 5 grams) became my preferred cartridge, but that's now discontinued. If it were me, I'd go with the AT-VM95SP, tracking force range 4.5-5.5 grams, for playing 78's at a budget price.
 
EV sounds like it's a ceramic, if so won't be in the same league as the cartridges discussed above.

Regarding tracking weight I run my AT-Mono3/SP at 3 grams (can go up to 5 I believe). I also have an AT95E with aftermarket 78 stylus this too I use at 3 grams. If a disc is so warped it won't play at 3 you're probably better off flattening it in the oven rather than increasing tracking force to try and compensate.
 
Okay, thus far I'm leaning towards the AT-VM95SP (based on cost) and the AT-Mono3/SP. Although the latter is a little outside of my ideal outlay window.

Next question: Some of the cartridges I've been investigating are conspicuously expensive while having almost NO reputational justification. I keep trying to find even ONE review of the Rega (an esteemed brand, yes?) RB-78 cartridge. Lots of places seem to carry it and there are exactly ZERO reviews of it.
The reason I ask is I know someone who wants to sell me their old stock NIB sample for about $70.00. I presume I'll have to strap the cartridge leads, and I've never done that before.

Has anyone ever owned one of these ostensibly mythical beasts? Or perhaps lend advice regarding their installation? I presume that it's meant to play mono 78 rpm records, but the tracking force seems a little bit light.
 
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Images show only 2 pins, so the cartridge is internally strapped. VTF is light as it is probably intended for modern arms. $70 is a good price if it's truly NIB.
 
Ricktptman said:
I keep trying to find even ONE review of the Rega (an esteemed brand, yes?) RB-78 cartridge. Lots of places seem to carry it and there are exactly ZERO reviews of it.
The reason I ask is I know someone who wants to sell me their old stock NIB sample for about $70.00.
Click to expand...
I've never seen or heard an RB78 cartridge, either, but bear in mind that even if the old stock sample is in good shape, the stylus is not user replaceable. Rega offers a $20 discount when trading it in after the stylus is worn, but that still makes it a $165 cost while the VMN95SP stylus is $59.
 
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