Stylus ID

[archie2]

I picked up a Pioneer PL-7 TT and am trying ti ID the stylus. The cartridge is an Empire TC40 and the stylus has a green housing. If it's a not so hot cartridge/stylus I want to replace it with a better one.

 

[reneborg]

Can't help you with the cart ID, but that is a nice TT! Hope you enjoy it. I have run an A/T and Ortofon/Digitrac cart on mine. Member "Beej" is very knowledgeable about this line of Pioneers and perhaps he may chime in too.

 

[archie2]

Can't help you with the cart ID, but that is a nice TT! Hope you enjoy it. I have run an A/T and Ortofon/Digitrac cart on mine. Member "Beej" is very knowledgeable about this line of Pioneers and perhaps he may chime in too.

It is a nice TT. I have it playing through a Marantz 2010 and BA 5 speaker just to test it and I'm surprised how good it sounds and tracks. I have it set at 0.9 grams and it's tracking like glue. I like the repeat feature it has. I picked it up locally for cheap and didn't expect much out of it. Surprise, Surprise.

 

[Stanton681EEES]

It's an Empire with one of three styluses
http://www.turntableneedles.com/Needle-237-DEC_p_977.html

http://www.turntableneedles.com/Needle-235-DE_p_973.html

http://www.turntableneedles.com/Needle-237-DET-no-guard_p_979.html

 

[Doug G.]

That cartridge is from the Empire era when Benz owned the company and are generally nice ones.

I have an OP4 cartridge with an S400TC stylus (clear red) and it sounds terrific!

Doug

 

[lini]

Needle looks like an S44E to me, though with pics one can never be quite sure - but if it had a greenish tint to it in reality, my guess should be correct.

S681E³S: Nope, nope and nope. These all are older style needles, whereas the exemplar in question belongs to the newer ones (should be 241/242 over on Turntableneedles...). Easiest indicator are those little round "ears", which probably are meant to provide a better grip...

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

 

[archie2]

Needle looks like an S44E to me, though with pics one can never be quite sure - but if it had a greenish tint to it in reality, my guess should be correct.

S681E³S: Nope, nope and nope. These all are older style needles, whereas the exemplar in question belongs to the newer ones (should be 241/242 over on Turntableneedles...). Easiest indicator are those little round "ears", which probably are meant to provide a better grip...

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

Munich, one of my absolute all time favorite cities. I have checked turntableneedles but couldn't find a match. I'll look again.

Edit: I found 241/242. They look like mediocre needles for a mediocre cartridge. I have better cartridges but can't fit the mounting screws to the PL-7 headshell. Does anyone know a source for cartridge mounting screws?

Edit: I found an assortment of mounting screws on that auction site from needledaddy, very reasonable.

 

[Doug G.]

Actually, the stylus on your cartridge looks like the one originally on an OP4. Kind of a light translucent blue-green.

Which is this one:

http://www.turntableneedles.com/Needle-242-DET_p_998.html

Of course, that is not the one that would have originally been on your TC40.

But, as Manfred stated, there are many that will work from the 241/242 series. It just depends on how much you want to spend.

Like I said, I put an S400TC stylus on my OP4 and it upgraded it significantly. I also have a couple of others from that series but I think the red one sounds the best on there.

Doug

 

[Doug G.]

Oh yeah, here's what would have originally been on yours, Archie:

http://www.turntableneedles.com/Needle-242-DEX_p_999.html

Doug

 

[archie2]

Oh yeah, here's what would have originally been on yours, Archie:

http://www.turntableneedles.com/Needle-242-DEX_p_999.html

Doug

That's neither mediocre or cheap. It's orange though but it does say TC40 cartridge. Maybe not so bad a cartridge. I bought the TT from the original owner who bought it from the PX while he was in the Navy. Came complete with original box with seller's name on it, styrofoam packing, and owners manual. Sellel claims to have used it sparingly. Probably true because under magnification there is little wear on the needle.

Edit: Seller also says TT has the original cartridge and needle.

 

[reneborg]

Archie,

You see how nicely it tracks. If you want to try something you don't have, I think the table & arm are worthy of something like an Ortofon Red or maybe an Audio Technica 95E or AT120ET. Maybe a Grado? I saw you have Spica TC-60s. I've never heard them but if they sound like my TC-50s, the Ortofon OM carts sound really nice with the Spicas and this table would do well with an OM cart.

 

[reneborg]

See what Beej likes on his PL-X tables ... he's got a stable of these type of TTs, so he may have run various carts on them.

 

[Balifly]

Try something like the Nagaoka JT-555, excellent Shibata type stylus.
It may be a good match for a light straight arm.
http://www.lpgear.com/Merchant2/mer...t_Code=NAGAOKAJT555&Category_Code=NAGAOKACART

 

[archie2]

I have a new-ish AT VS220E I want to try on the PL-7 as soon as I get the right mounting screws. Also have a Grado Black (I think) somewhere around here.
Yes, extremely nice tracking. I only have it set up to my test system right now but will be moving it to a better system in a couple of days. I do like the sound even where it is, doesn't look like much but puts out a lovely sound. Plus it has some nice features. For 25 bucks I figured I couldn't go wrong.

I haven't used the Spica's in several years. Just don't have the room to properly position them anymore. I bought them new along with their matching cast iron stands around 1995. Still have the original boxes would you believe. Great mid range and imaging.

PS: That's not a hole in the dust cover. It's a reflection of the record.