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Shure M91ED vs. AT-13E

BDS

BDS

New Member
Hi guys, I'm new to the forum but I've known about Audiokarma for quite a while now. The reason I joined is that I've finally decided to get my Yamaha YP-B4 up and running again and I'm realizing that I'm going to need some help with that.

The title pretty much sums up what I'm trying to decide on, but I do have a handful of other questions
that I'd also like to ask. I know that there are better tables out there, but this one has sentimental value so it is the one I'm going to stick with. I've had this YP-B4 for about 25 years now and it has sat most of that time due to the stylus breaking and me just moving on to cd's. Right now I know it needs a belt (any recommendations/warnings?) and it has the Shure M91ED in it. I also have a non working Pioneer PL-12D with an AT-13E in it that I'm assuming I could transfer to the Yamaha if need be, but maybe I'm wrong. That one also needs a new stylus. I'm interested in knowing if these two carts are at all similar, or if one is way better, etc. etc. I'm also wondering about stylus upgrades to either one (in the $100 or less range).

For the time being it is going to be hooked up to a Pioneer VSX-D503S receiver, but ultimately I plan on getting my old Harman Kardon 330B that I got along with the Yamaha working again. Who knew you couldn't just put any ol' fuse in there? Doh!

I plan on listening to some old vinyl (I have a lot of Pink Floyd in good shape) but mainly I'd really like to start adding to my 180g collection and listen to brand new vinyl. I'd like a stylus that's going to really get in there and pick up what's on the album, but I need a good match for this turntable. No sense overdoing it if it isn't worth it. Based on reviews I was considering just ordering a Ortofon 2M red, but if I can do something with either of the carts I have I may as well use them.

My musical tastes are all over the place, but if anyone's interested in getting a sense of what I plan on listening to, the 180g I have right now is stuff like: Clutch - Blast Tyrant, Mark Lanegan - Blues Funeral, Pink Floyd - The Endless River, Kathleen Edwards - Asking for Flowers. Definitely a lot of blues influence and acoustic music on those albums. Other things I'd like to get would be U2 - The Joshua Tree and Unforgettable Fire, older acoustic Neil Young, etc. Hopefully that helps you guys help me out. My internet access can be a bit limited, but I will check back here as often as possible. Thanks!
 
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Welcome back to the rabbit hole, er, I mean vinyl playback.

Plenty of opinions should be coming your way. I expect Malden will come along shortly; he's your man for all things Shure.

I'm not familiar with those cartridges you have, but, I believe you'll get that the AT is more clinical, the Shure is warmer. Neither overly so, I expect, but, the more experienced will tell you.

If you haven't already, go to the HI-Fi Engine site, look up your turntable/tonearm in the database. Hopefully they your tonearm effective mass listed. If not some one may have an educated guess. Helps when matching cartridges to tonearms for best playback,

No new Shure styli available, plenty of AT.

Regardless, welcome to AK. And getting there is half the fun.
 
However, for the superb Shure, there's Jico styli (equal or better to Shure's own depending on options). I have a M91ED of my own, and it too will get Jico styli to keep the good old sound I love alive. And tracking is comparable also.
 
BDS: In terms of technical quality the AT13E would be the best, with the M91ED hardly behind - while the 2M Red would be last and quite a good bit behind the other two (original needles on each provided). Individual preference may deviate from that ranking, though - foremost due to individual taste and system synergy.

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini
 
ctjetta said:
Welcome back to the rabbit hole, er, I mean vinyl playback...
Click to expand...

Thanks ctjetta. Looking forward to hearing what other people have to say about these two carts, especially the "experts". I've done a lot of research recently on the clinical vs. warm debate to get an idea of where I fit in so I could better describe the sound I'm looking for. What I've learned is that a lot of it comes down to gear and production quality. I think you can get great sound out of each, and I have a ton of cd's, but what I'm looking for is that "warm" playing live in your living room feel from my turntable. Will some albums I buy let me down? Maybe, but either way I plan on sticking with "favorites". Albums I can play all the way through, and hopefully pick up on stuff I wasn't hearing on their cd counterparts. I have no use for that clinical, compressed sound. I want to feel the music like I'm at a live concert...except the beer is cheaper. And I don't have to remember where I parked. And thank you for the info on where to find tonearm info. I'm debating whether or not I should just take it in and get it looked over or not. It worked fine when I stopped using it, but that was 25 years ago, and I didn't know half as much as I know now. I just dropped the needle and music came out. Wish I'd stuck with it.
 
I used to have an AT13E, very nice cartridge with a nude elliptical stylus. I didn't have the Shure you are comparing it against, but did have an M35X, a M70B, and a M97xE at the time. I preferred the AT to all of them with one exception - the M35X was rebodied and fitted with a VividLine stylus, that was a cartridge that got quite a bit of play in my system when I ran MM cartridges and was into cartridge swapping.
 
KentTeffeteller said:
However, for the superb Shure, there's Jico styli (equal or better to Shure's own depending on options). I have a M91ED of my own, and it too will get Jico styli to keep the good old sound I love alive. And tracking is comparable also.
Click to expand...

I've read a lot of good things about Jico. Sounds like they're the "go to" place if you have a Shure and need a replacement. Wish I could remember better how my M91ED sounded compared to other carts, but I knew nothing about that stuff at the time. I just remember that, along with the turntable and receiver, my dad gave me a Styx live album (Caught In the Act) and "Suite Madame Blue" and "Crystal Ball" sounded AWESOME.
 
mprince said:
I used to have an AT13E, very nice cartridge with a nude elliptical stylus. I didn't have the Shure you are comparing it against, but did have an M35X, a M70B, and a M97xE at the time. I preferred the AT to all of them with one exception - the M35X was rebodied and fitted with a VividLine stylus, that was a cartridge that got quite a bit of play in my system when I ran MM cartridges and was into cartridge swapping.
Click to expand...

Thanks for replying. What was it about the AT that you liked better? I know we all have different preferences, but I'm interested in what people have to say about both of them so I can maybe pick up on some descriptions that I can relate to. Who knows? I might just have to do something with both of them down the road just so I can experience the whole different cart/different sound thing.
 
lini said:
BDS: In terms of technical quality the AT13E would be the best, with the M91ED hardly behind - while the 2M Red would be last and quite a good bit behind the other two (original needles on each provided). Individual preference may deviate from that ranking, though - foremost due to individual taste and system synergy.

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini
Click to expand...

Thank you for the heads up about the Ortofon. I definitely don't want to be going backwards.
 
BDS said:
Thanks for replying. What was it about the AT that you liked better? I know we all have different preferences, but I'm interested in what people have to say about both of them so I can maybe pick up on some descriptions that I can relate to. Who knows? I might just have to do something with both of them down the road just so I can experience the whole different cart/different sound thing.
Click to expand...
The AT had more upper end than any of the Shures, without being too much as some of the more recent AT cartridges have been reported to be. Overall, I liked the total sound signature of the AT better than most of the Shures. Been a few years so I don't remember all of the details.

One thing that I found to be a PITA is the changing of stylii on that generation (and some current) models of AT. Shure is easy peasy, the stylus slides right in and out of the body. The AT is a very tight fit and "snaps" in. Getting one in isn't too bad, but removing one can be a chore.
 
mprince said:
The AT had more upper end than any of the Shures, without being too much as some of the more recent AT cartridges have been reported to be.
Click to expand...

From the research I've been doing,that's something I was worried about. Too much upper end from certain carts. Good to know that these don't have that problem. I'm guessing sound signature is just something I'm going to have to experience for myself.

I could tell just by playing around with it the AT was going to be fun to change...
 
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