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Shure M95ED, M55E, M91ED, M97xE

Blackdog61

Blackdog61

AK Subscriber
Subscriber
I’ve been on a vintage Shure kick over the last few weeks and really enjoying it. I went down the Grado path years ago and hadn’t had a Shure since the 1970s, until buying the 97xE and quickly buying the VL stylus a few years ago. That combo is very smooth and detailed, but a bit too safe, in my opinion. Having a Shure branded SME 3009 II unimproved arm, exploring Shure cartridges is something I wanted to do.
-About two weeks ago I bought an N.O.S. M95EDM off the big auction site which was being sold by a guy in Argentina for just over $100. The ‘M’ designation I believe is for cartridges that were bulk or installed by another manufacturer. Whatever. This seller has a bunch of these for sale. Other than some corrosion of the pins it looks to be new. It’s made in the US, and the stylus alone is worth what I paid, I think. Right away, I noticed that it presents more detail than the others with good dynamics, although it may be rough around the edges. Hopefully a few hours of break in will help it.
-M91ED with original Hi-Track was given to me a few weeks ago. Right away, I found it to be very smooth and musical, it has good detail. Low end is leaner than the 55.
-M55E in a Stanley Engineering cocobolo body. After sorting through some stylus frustration which caused bad tracking, I found an original N55E stylus. This is one fat, dynamic combo with a vivid midrange and whole lot of fun. Separation isn’t great and I don’t sense much soundstage beyond the width of the speakers. I was still experimenting with styli before I got the wood body but I believe the wood body tightened up the low end and midrange.
-M97xE. Very competent but as exciting as generic white bread.

After getting the 55 sorted out, all of these Shures track well at about 1.25g, handling everything I can throw at them. The Shure Obstacle Course doesn’t give them much trouble until level 4, although it’s a pretty boring test.

After some time, I think the ratings will be 55,91,95 mostly due to increased detail and retrieval of information, although the 55 is a lot of fun. The 97 is the outlier. Frustrating.

I’ll leave the new 95 on and see how it responds to some trips around the track.
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As a bit of qualification, Each cartridge is mounted in a generic SME type headshell with the exception of the 95 which is in the real thing. They seem very similar. I take the time to set the lateral balance weight and try to give each one the best setup I can.

Most of my listening is to jazz, solo piano and some classical. I have a fair amount of rock and fusion but won’t suffer through poorly recorded stuff, even if the music is good. There are limits.

Right now, I’m spinning a George Shearing solo piano LP called My Ship which I’ve listed to through each cartridge. Immediately, the 95 has more air, weight and attack than the others. The attack, sustain and decay of the piano isn’t easy to capture. It sounds more like a live piano on this cartridge. The recording is warmer than some of the Chick Corea and Keith Jarrett LPs I have.

The 55 made a Dixie Dregs LP more enjoyable because it sounded smoother and fatter.
 
Great thread! I'm running a Grado Gold/8mz on a Rega rb330 but await m95 and m75 bodies that I picked up from another AKer. I've been looking at options for styli for them and am looking forward to trying them out. I've had Shure carts before (V15 Type IV, m97xe, SC35c, Realistic RX25 and RX47, maybe others I can't remember right now) but it's been a while.
 
I’ve run a lot of Grados and liked the 8mz. After buying a Platinum Woody, I was set and used it for years before wearing it down and then sent it to Joseph. That one is beautiful, but I sense that the low end is a bit wooly compared to the Shure sound. Especially in this 95, I hear a full, but punchy low end that has more control. I think it’s more true to what’s in the groove.
It’s plowed through several albums and is sounding much better. My impression is that the 91 has more top end.
 
Nice! I have a M75 with different styli, of which the Black Diamond is the worst, a Me97HE, one of the very last M97xE. Today I will receive a NOS M95 ED. Onto which I really look forward. Up to now the Me97HE is the one I use mostly, followed by Ortofon F15E and the ADC Astrion. The last one I do not use very often because of the unobtanium stylus. I think the M95 will be the daily driver.

The Me97HE gained a lot of transparency and "bite" after I applied a drop of silicone oil on its suspension. It was in the attic for perhaps 20 years. Mounted in a Lenco L78 I totally forgot about...
 
You assessment of the four Shure cartridges was interesting and I am in broad agreement, although I have no experience of the M55 (and don't really have an urge to). I find the M95ED to be by far the best in terms of balance and detail, and it just has a much more liveable sound for me. I have mixed impressions of the M91ED (and the equivalent M75ED) - people describe it as smooth but I find that the midrange can be a bit hard/abrasive. I think it depends on the stylus fitted.

It's strange that in their day, the M75ED was frequently recommended (here in the UK) but I don't recall ever seeing a recommendation for the M95ED. Back then, I upgraded from the M75ED to the M95ED as it seemed a logical step and the cartridge was available, and it turned out to be a very good step. Still, it must have sold well as there are plenty of vintage M95s around today. For heavier arms, I would also recommend the lower-compliance M95EJ (same body, different stylus), which shares much of the M95ED's charm with maybe a warmer balance.
 
I don´t believe it! I just received my M95 ED from the well-known bay. Completely undamaged original packaging with all paperwork. Definitely NOS. Even the price badge is still present (210 Deutsche Mark). I mounted it to the lightest Thakker headshell and put it into one of my CEC BD-3200. The test LP showed a trackability in bass and treble at a vtf of 1,25 that bested all my other carts! So I chose 1 p.

Much more important: The sound. The cart did not play for more than 40 years. Full, clear, it oozes musicality. Perhaps the Astrion is better. But nothing else I have. I am just listening to Bach, Albinoni, Vivaldi. Good recordings (I Musici, Maurice Andre, English Chamber Orchestra,...). How good will that thing be when it´s broken in?

I have to say: Forget about Me97 HE or M97 xE. They are good. But they are good like a VW Passat is good compared to a Jaguar. Another class.
 
I never would have tried the 55 had I not been gifted them with two Duals several years ago. It is definitely a vintage thing but it does sound very musical with the original stylus. I have one on a 1019 and it sounds good. Your comment about the 91 aligns with my thoughts, although I sense more extension in the upper range but it is very smooth. After some more time, I’ll be able to better compare.
My phono stage is an EAR clone but I don’t know which loading is baked in. That would be another variable. Pre is a modded PAS and I’m using a Dynaco 70 into Canton 920 monitors. The system is very transparent but probably not the most extended at the frequency extremes.
 
I've thought of Shure as smooth, full with outstanding bass and clean highs, while Grado, when good, tends to sound beautiful and warm to me in the midrange. I've loved both 'house sounds' but need to hear the m95 and m75 with good styli. I'm thinking JICO SAS/B for the m95 and Jico HE for the m75.

In the time since Shure left the market, I've seen an increase in the number of posters on forums who believe it not worth it to try Shure carts, especially because of the very few serviceable OEM styli available for them. I think they are worth sticking with because they can be fantastic and aftermarket styli will be available for them for many years.
 
DavidTT said:
I've thought of Shure as smooth, full with outstanding bass and clean highs, while Grado, when good, tends to sound beautiful and warm to me in the midrange. I've loved both 'house sounds' but need to hear the m95 and m75 with good styli. I'm thinking JICO SAS/B for the m95 and Jico HE for the m75.
Click to expand...

Pretty much sums it up. The Grado sound might be a bit like the knock on tubes vs solid state; added warmth and distortion. It’s not quite as clean as this. The Grado mids can be lifelike.
A word that comes to mind in describing the low end on this 95 is ‘quick’. It is full and deep but very punchy. One thing I’m noticing is that the soundstaging cues are all there. My earlier comment about ‘air’ is really this, the space between instruments as well as the room reflections on the recording itself.
 
I've always loved my Shure cartridges! I'm using the M95ED in my Dual 1219. The stylus is from Ed Saunders...when they were good styli!! My favorite is my M75E-Type 2 with a Jico eliptical, mounted in my Technics SL-Q2. A really nice combination. I'm thinking about trying the Jico HE stylus!
 

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DavidTT said:
I've thought of Shure as smooth, full with outstanding bass and clean highs, while Grado, when good, tends to sound beautiful and warm to me in the midrange. I've loved both 'house sounds' but need to hear the m95 and m75 with good styli. I'm thinking JICO SAS/B for the m95 and Jico HE for the m75.
Click to expand...
I'll be interested in your assessments when you get your M75 and M95. I assume they are coming without useable styli? I suspect the Jico SAS won't give you the 'typical' Shure M95 sound. I have a friend who was using the M97HE with original stylus and then got the SAS. I think he found it brighter and still liked it but preferred the original. To get the essence of the M75 and M95 sounds, it might be worth starting with ordinary elliptical Jico or Tonar styli, and then investing in the better styli if you like them.
 
I'm considering buying a NOS M95EDM like the one @Blackdog61 bought off the bay. @Thorsten R. Did you buy one of those or from a different seller in Europe? Thanks.

Blackdog61 said:
N.O.S. M95EDM off the big auction site which was being sold by a guy in Argentina for just over $100
Click to expand...

Thorsten R. said:
I don´t believe it! I just received my M95 ED from the well-known bay. Completely undamaged original packaging with all paperwork.
Click to expand...
 
Blackdog61:
One thing to bear in mind when comparing the sound of various Shure cartridges is that they changed the recommended capacitance load in later products. Earlier designs such as your M55 and M91 need 400-500 picofarads for flattest frequency response. Your M95 gives flatter FR with 200-300 pF. The M97xE also also specifies 200-300 picofarads load although a flat FR apparently wasn't a design objective.

Similarly, whereas the first V-15 and Types II and III show flattest FR with the recommended 400-500 pF load, the later V-15 Types IV, V and xV need the lower 200-300 pF load.
 
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