Sony PS-X6: is the VL3xG cartridge worth upgrading?

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Fuhgawz

New Member
Sony PS-X6: is the original Sony VL32G cartridge worth upgrading?

Hello guys! :) I'm new here. After a few years of playing my Sony PS-X6 turntable I thought it would be wise to buy a new needle. Then I started thinking: maybe it would be a good idea to upgrade the whole cartridge! I have been reading since then. I have learned that the Sony PS-X5/6/7 have a great reputation. I cannot find much info about the cartridge itself though.

To be honest, I am not sure which Sony cartridge it is. I cannot find any markings on the thing. Perhaps it's on the side that is attached to the headshell, but I don't want to remove the cartridge from the headshell because I'm afraid it will mess up the setup. The stylus does have markings though. It is a red ND134G stylus, which means the cartridge could be VL30G, VL32G or VL34G.

So, back to the main question. What is the reputation of these original Sony cartridges? Would it be worth it to replace it with a good budget cartridge? I have been reading good things about Shure M97XE and Ortofon 2M Red. Would this type of cartridge bring a significant sonic improvement or will it just be slightly different? I don't want to spend more then 100 euro's since it's an old turntable that I bought for 50 euro's.

The Sony is the only turntable I have ever owned, so I really don't know how it compares to other types. What would you do in my situation? I'm playing this through a Denon amp and Boston A26 speakers.
 

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Judging from your pictures, the cartridge is a sony, but the headshell is not the original Sony PS-X6 headshell. It might have come from another sony unit.

They are great tables that run under the radar and 50 euro's is a bargain. In the Netherlands, they go for more. If you don't know whether the needle is good, you can always install one of the usual suspects under 100 euro. Like the Audio-Technica AT-95, Nagaoka MP-110, Shure M97XE, Ortofons, ...
It all depends on your taste, what you have available locally and the size of your wallet.
 
Fuhgawz said:
So, does anyone have experience with replacing this type of Sony cartridge?
Click to expand...

Welcome to the AK turn table forum.

The Sony VL-34G cartridge with the Sony ND134G (Yellow) stylus is a standard 1/2 inch cartridge set up.

Most user can replace the cartridge and/or the stylus without too much difficulty or problem.

Is there somethiing specific that you would like to know? :scratch2:
 
That’s an excellent turntable. If you haven’t discovered it yet, there is some more info about it here http://www.thevintageknob.org/sony-PS-X6.html and here http://www.vinylengine.com/library/sony/ps-x6.shtml . There weren’t too many turntables around when it was new which had quite as many features to improve sound quality, and fewer still which were as good as the PS-X6.

The cartridge you have, or more specifically the stylus (since it could be any one of 3 Sony cartridges), has a conical stylus, so it can be improved – there don’t seem to be any obvious stylus upgrades available for it. If you look for something that tracks at around the same tracking force of 2g, plus or minus 0.25g, you shouldn’t go wrong – look for either an elliptical or line contact stylus. Those stylus types should be an improvement in a few areas, such as having slightly better tracking and slightly lower distortion.

The two cartridges you mentioned are probably the best choices at $100 or less – the Ortofon OM5E is the only other choice I’d consider in that price range, which is what I'd consider as a budget cartridge.
 
Essay said:
They are great tables that run under the radar and 50 euro's is a bargain. In the Netherlands, they go for more.
Click to expand...

Actually, I did buy it in the Netherlands about five years ago. :) Any idea where I can buy good headshells that fit? Since it isn't original anyway it might be easier to just buy a new headshell, so I can swap them more easily.

Balifly said:
Is there somethiing specific that you would like to know? :scratch2:
Click to expand...

Yes, I would like to know some specific things:

1) Can I expect a sonic upgrade from a cartridge of around 80-100 euro's?
2) What would match my turn table best?
3) Is setting up a new cartridge something I could do myself or should I leave it to a professional?

louisjames said:
not sure if the VL-37G cartridge is better or worse than the VL34-G, but the VL-37G with a ND-137G stylus which i believe is conical and came with a TT i bought sounded pretty mediocre and i promptly swapped it out for a Shure M70 with an EVG that sounds very nice. not sure if this helps or not but thought i'd mention it.
Click to expand...

Thanks. :)

ETI_5000 said:
The cartridge you have, or more specifically the stylus (since it could be any one of 3 Sony cartridges), has a conical stylus, so it can be improved – there don’t seem to be any obvious stylus upgrades available for it.
Click to expand...

Thank you too. :) Actually, I did find a replacement needle with an elliptical stylus: http://www.pickupnaalden.com/grammofoonnaalden.asp?M=Sony_ND-134-G_Geel_5805 Would it be worth 31 euro's or should I just go ahead and spend 90 euro's for a whole new cartridge?
 
Fuhgawz said:
Yes, I would like to know some specific things:

1) Can I expect a sonic upgrade from a cartridge of around 80-100 euro's?
2) What would match my turn table best?
3) Is setting up a new cartridge something I could do myself or should I leave it to a professional?
Click to expand...

1. What cartridge is available in the 80-100 euro price range?

2. That depends on what is available in the 80-100 euro price range.

3. You can try it yourself first and go to a proffesional if you are not happy with your own effort.

You can do it! :yes:
 
1) At least you get a new cartridge from which you know that it will not plough out your records. Very often, these needles have never been changed since the record player was bought.

2) Just have a look around the internet and see what other people suggest. Check what's available in your neighbourhood. I hear good things about william thakker in Germany, although I have not yet ordered with them (I intend to).

3) You should be able to do it yourself. There are tutorials on youtube on this subject. In the case of the PS-X6, you can have a template for cartridge alignment from vinylengine.com, or I can send you the pdf if you send me a pm with your e-mail.

P.S. I've been hanging around Delft for some years of my life.
 
Okay, new plan! :)

Since I cannot find any real info on the cartridge I think it might be a good idea to buy a standard cartridge and see from there what I need. I found one: the Audio Technica AT95E. Several posts suggested that it's a neutral sounding cartridge that works well with heavy tonearms, like on the PS-X6. That would give me a good starting point to find out what I need. Plus, it costs only 8 euro's more than a new stylus for my current cartridge (39 euro's vs 31 euro's).

What do you guys think of this plan?
 
You can't miss with an AT-95. I have one on my PL-516.
It lacks a bit in the lower end with respect to more expensive cartridges, but hey, it's a cheapo.
 
I like the ortofon om10 better than the At95e and is usually around $50-60 on the bay.

The OM10 has better tracking and a cleaner and flatter frequency response, not as muffled as the AT95e.
 
That stylus is conical. This is the elliptical one: https://www.turntableneedles.com/ND134G-Type-Stylus-for-Sony-VL34G--Our-Needle-675-DE_p_4188.html Or from the original link, go down to 'Related Items' for the 675-DE.

If you're interested, the actual model of that Sony should be labelled on the top of the cartridge.

The headshell is a SH-135 from one of the lower-models of Sony. The one for the PS-X6 is a SH-145. There are a few on eBay right now.

Somebody's mentioned not to scratch, clean, touch, etc. the magnetic strip on the inside edge of the platter? Part of the X-TAL speed control system.
 
I have a Sony PS-4300 that is a close cousin to your PS-X6. It came with a red ND-134G stylus on a VL-32G cart. This was in 1980 and THAT stylus was elliptical . I substituted the green ND-133G conical stylus one time and it did not sound nearly as good. I have noticed that many after market red ND-134g replacements are also conical. Go with the elliptical if you can find one. Mine sounded sweet in the day!
 
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