Technics EPC-P153 and P531?
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Very good cartridges- the bodies are identical to the EPC22/23/24/25/28 etc... - sold under a wider range of names and codes!
Differences between the various denominations was styli.
The EPC202 was the top of the line from the series.
Currently you can fit theses with a SAS stylus - which is of the same level or better than the original EPC202 stylus....
http://www.turntableneedles.com/JICO-SAS-type-718-DSAS-for-Technics-EPS-202_p_3974.html
http://www.turntableneedles.com/JICO-SAS-type-798-DSAS-for-Technics-EPS-30-series_p_3943.html
You can also step down a whole series of notches.... with styli ranging from basic conical through eliptical and hypereliptical or shibata...
http://www.turntableneedles.com/search.asp?keyword=718-d&search=GO
http://www.turntableneedles.com/search.asp?keyword=798-D&search=GO
(both the 718 and 798 series of styli fit these cartridges)
The core of this cartridge is laminated (as are the Shure V15III/IV/V, top Audio Technica's and Nagaoka's etc...) - this is an excellent generator.
It is one of the "forgotten" orphans of cartridge history.
bye for now
David
Note: - these are p-mount, so you either need a dedicated p-mount arm, or a low mass arm and a p-mount adapter.
Differences between the various denominations was styli.
The EPC202 was the top of the line from the series.
Currently you can fit theses with a SAS stylus - which is of the same level or better than the original EPC202 stylus....
http://www.turntableneedles.com/JICO-SAS-type-718-DSAS-for-Technics-EPS-202_p_3974.html
http://www.turntableneedles.com/JICO-SAS-type-798-DSAS-for-Technics-EPS-30-series_p_3943.html
You can also step down a whole series of notches.... with styli ranging from basic conical through eliptical and hypereliptical or shibata...
http://www.turntableneedles.com/search.asp?keyword=718-d&search=GO
http://www.turntableneedles.com/search.asp?keyword=798-D&search=GO
(both the 718 and 798 series of styli fit these cartridges)
The core of this cartridge is laminated (as are the Shure V15III/IV/V, top Audio Technica's and Nagaoka's etc...) - this is an excellent generator.
It is one of the "forgotten" orphans of cartridge history.
bye for now
David
Note: - these are p-mount, so you either need a dedicated p-mount arm, or a low mass arm and a p-mount adapter.
I have about a Dozen bodies from this family ... they are all identical.
(Measured for resistance and inductance on each channel)
If you can have the resistance and inductance for the two channels measured - take the one where the channels are as close to each other as possible.
My worst one is 329/358mH & 621/592 Ohm
My best one is 352/355mH & 574/567 Ohm
bye for now
David
(Measured for resistance and inductance on each channel)
If you can have the resistance and inductance for the two channels measured - take the one where the channels are as close to each other as possible.
My worst one is 329/358mH & 621/592 Ohm
My best one is 352/355mH & 574/567 Ohm
bye for now
David
Thakker's ebay shop is currently advertising the EPCP540 for $159
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Technics-EP...ltDomain_0&hash=item5d27bbdd89#ht_2681wt_1125
or EU139
http://www.zum-shop.de/advanced_sea...ge=en&osCsid=24e637890283e4d7d641523d3961d336
That is the exact same body (with differing badging and paint obviously) - and an eliptical stylus, with aluminium cantilever.
(The EPC-P550 apparently was the boron cantilever version...)
Roughly speaking that would be on a par with an Ortofon OMP10 or perhaps OMP20.
For around EU24 you can get a stylus of similar quality to combine with one of those bodies for similar results at around half the price!
http://www.zum-shop.de/Technics-EPS-23-ES-EPS23ES-EPC-H23-P23-entspricht-11008_p11551_x2.htm
Al alternative would be to get the Digitrac 300SE cartridge
http://www.zum-shop.de/Digitrac-300-SE-300SE-T4P_p12356_x2.htm
EU70
This one is a real steal - cantilever and stylus is the same as the early (better) versions of the Ortofon OM30 - in a p-mount setup.
Fantastic performer.
Perhaps not quite on a par with the SAS, but very close, and it would be around the price that one of those bodies would cost you when you add the price of a basic eliptical needle, for a much higher level of performance.
bye for now
David
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Technics-EP...ltDomain_0&hash=item5d27bbdd89#ht_2681wt_1125
or EU139
http://www.zum-shop.de/advanced_sea...ge=en&osCsid=24e637890283e4d7d641523d3961d336
That is the exact same body (with differing badging and paint obviously) - and an eliptical stylus, with aluminium cantilever.
(The EPC-P550 apparently was the boron cantilever version...)
Roughly speaking that would be on a par with an Ortofon OMP10 or perhaps OMP20.
For around EU24 you can get a stylus of similar quality to combine with one of those bodies for similar results at around half the price!
http://www.zum-shop.de/Technics-EPS-23-ES-EPS23ES-EPC-H23-P23-entspricht-11008_p11551_x2.htm
Al alternative would be to get the Digitrac 300SE cartridge
http://www.zum-shop.de/Digitrac-300-SE-300SE-T4P_p12356_x2.htm
EU70
This one is a real steal - cantilever and stylus is the same as the early (better) versions of the Ortofon OM30 - in a p-mount setup.
Fantastic performer.
Perhaps not quite on a par with the SAS, but very close, and it would be around the price that one of those bodies would cost you when you add the price of a basic eliptical needle, for a much higher level of performance.
bye for now
David
David: do you know if the original OM/Digitrac magnetic core is laminated like the Technics's?
[UPDATES: All the Technics bodies I've seen/owned, including a boron-equipped P22, have hovered around 360mH, with channels matching closely. Therefore, I'm convinced all the Technics p-mount bodies are the same. There was also a standard-mount version, the Technics U25-- same body.
Also, David claims in a following post that the Digitrac bodies are the same electrically as the Ortofon OM bodies. My 300 SE and four 200 NE bodies have consistently >100mH more inductance than my OM5 and OM-Omega bodies, not that this difference is audibly significant. Merely picking a nit.]
The non-boron Technics P-mounts are of surprisingly consistent good quality (although in my opinion the base ellipticals don't live up to the advanced bodies) and the bodies can be had for much less than the auctions the OP cites-- as little as $10 here in the US. The trick, as always, is to find an original NOS stylus for a reasonable price. I paid < $31 shipped, including a bonded elliptical NOS/OEM stylus, for my P328.
Some Technics p-mounts are simply rebadged Audio-Technicas of the AT92E type, so look carefully.
[UPDATES: All the Technics bodies I've seen/owned, including a boron-equipped P22, have hovered around 360mH, with channels matching closely. Therefore, I'm convinced all the Technics p-mount bodies are the same. There was also a standard-mount version, the Technics U25-- same body.
Also, David claims in a following post that the Digitrac bodies are the same electrically as the Ortofon OM bodies. My 300 SE and four 200 NE bodies have consistently >100mH more inductance than my OM5 and OM-Omega bodies, not that this difference is audibly significant. Merely picking a nit.]
The non-boron Technics P-mounts are of surprisingly consistent good quality (although in my opinion the base ellipticals don't live up to the advanced bodies) and the bodies can be had for much less than the auctions the OP cites-- as little as $10 here in the US. The trick, as always, is to find an original NOS stylus for a reasonable price. I paid < $31 shipped, including a bonded elliptical NOS/OEM stylus, for my P328.
Some Technics p-mounts are simply rebadged Audio-Technicas of the AT92E type, so look carefully.
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I was hoping to get a good "under $50" cartridge for backup purposes
my SL-10 has a 310MC on it now.
Interesting though, he's selling that 300SE on ebay for $135
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Digitrac-Or...489?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5d2daa7d79
but only EU69 on his site:
http://www.zum-shop.de/Digitrac-300-SE-300SE-T4P_p12356_x2.htm
my SL-10 has a 310MC on it now.
Interesting though, he's selling that 300SE on ebay for $135
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Digitrac-Or...489?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5d2daa7d79
but only EU69 on his site:
http://www.zum-shop.de/Digitrac-300-SE-300SE-T4P_p12356_x2.htm
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No they are quite different because it is an MI design and not an MM.
The SuperOM series have slit pole pins, which appears to be the equivalent in the Ortofon design of the laminations in a traditional MM design, so the SuperOM's may be equivalent.
Given the differing design/structure of the OM/Digitrac generators, I don't know whether they suffer as much from eddy current as a standard unlaminated MM.
The improvements claimed for the SuperOM slit pins are very very similar to the improvements claimed for laminated core MM's.
I have no idea whether the digitrac's have slit pole pins or not.
But they do sound great! (this I can vouch for...)
As a cheap and cheerful good sounding backup cartridge - the AT92e is a surprisingly good cartridge...
Which would you take? the Digitrac 300SE or an AT92e with a Jico HyperElliptical?
They're about the same price shipped to my door.
My music tastes are 60s and 70s classic rock (Deep Purple, Sabbath, Zeppelin)
I'm also hoping to add some 90s grunge (Soundgarden, Nirvana) to my list too.
I also have some Joe Jackson...
I've never bought a cartridge before.
If I had to choose between the two...
Choose based on the capacitance of the system..
The Digitrac works best (like most Ortofon's) on a 400pf total capacitance... which is very common.
The Audio Technica gives its best at 150pf capacitance - which require a low capacitance setup from Turntable through to phono stage.
If you don't know the capacitance, assume that 400pf is closer to the mark and choose the Digitrac.
Another differentiator is arm mass - the AT92 is a better match for the SL10, the Digitrac would prefer a somewhat lighter arm (it is VERY high compliance)
Effectively the Digitrac is a "fineline" (Ortofons version of Hypereliptical) - so needles are not a differentiator in this case....
Choose based on the capacitance of the system..
The Digitrac works best (like most Ortofon's) on a 400pf total capacitance... which is very common.
The Audio Technica gives its best at 150pf capacitance - which require a low capacitance setup from Turntable through to phono stage.
If you don't know the capacitance, assume that 400pf is closer to the mark and choose the Digitrac.
Another differentiator is arm mass - the AT92 is a better match for the SL10, the Digitrac would prefer a somewhat lighter arm (it is VERY high compliance)
Effectively the Digitrac is a "fineline" (Ortofons version of Hypereliptical) - so needles are not a differentiator in this case....