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Technics SL-M3 questions

RevAmish

RevAmish

Active Member
I'm test driving a beautiful Technics SL-M3 that my friend owns. I've always loved linear tracking turntables and have loved the look of this table. It is dead quiet but my only issue is the p mount setup. I'm using a Goldring Maestro cart on my other table and love it. This technics has a Shure N92E cart on it and I know I can purchase a Jico S.A.S stylus or buy a better cart but it seems I can only go so far. This might be a deal breaker.

Has anyone ever been able to modify a p mount only table like the technics, to support a standard cart, or would that completely screw up the works?

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No point, there are other better 1/2" mount TT options like the Mitsubishi LT-20 0r LT-30. This could use any of the Ortofon OMP or Digitrac options, a Digitrac SE-300 would be good candidate.
 
RevAmish said:
I'm test driving a beautiful Technics SL-M3 that my friend owns. I've always loved linear tracking turntables and have loved the look of this table. It is dead quiet but my only issue is the p mount setup. I'm using a Goldring Maestro cart on my other table and love it. This technics has a Shure N92E cart on it and I know I can purchase a Jico S.A.S stylus or buy a better cart but it seems I can only go so far. This might be a deal breaker.

Has anyone ever been able to modify a p mount only table like the technics, to support a standard cart, or would that completely screw up the works?

IMAG0266.jpg
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Fantastic table.

I see no reason why this couldn't be modded with a stock headshell.

If one was close, I'd love to have a look. I'm quite confident it could be made to work with short effort.
 
The concept just feels wrong.

Anything can be modded - and any mechanism can be made to work (given enough time, money and effort)... but you would end up with your own custom designed tonearm, it would not be an SL-M3.

Taking a fairly rare design like this one and converting it like that just seems wrong to me.:thumbsdn:

As others have stated, there are a number of very good LT's designed with a 1/2" mount... (Yamaha PX1/2/3, Mitsubishi, Revox, Pioneer, PhaseLinear, Harman Kardon, Sony, etc...)

bye for now

David
 
But this could be easily reverted back.

Looks like you could keep the tone arm intact. Add some slightly longer internal cardas wire, a standard headshell collet, and a lightweight headshell.

Or you could replace the arm tube from the mount with some carbon fibre tubing or aluminum tubing modded the same way.

It's easy to revert back.

And... you give yourself lots more flexibility with what kind of cart you can use.

The Technics T4p (or "P" mount) cart was a brilliant idea. Unfortunately some folk wrongly deemed it a "gimmick" and this excellent design did not catch on.

This leaves one with a limited selection of carts.

Now, Technics made some killer T4P/P mount MM carts, but they sell for big bucks. Still, it's an option if you decide to keep it stock.

The only issues I see are possible tracking force issues, but I imagine that's adjustable, and mild issues with height of the cart, also addressable with either shims or perhaps adjustable as well.


I mean, I understand the desire to keep something as original as possible, but if it's a limiting factor, such as B&O's proprietary carts, or this T4P mount, why not modify it?

The T4P system, no matter how excellent it is, limits this table.
 
FWIW, I have the SL M2, which is the same table with a regular, non linear-tracking arm, but still a p-mount and I'm using a grado green cart, it works quite well...
 
P-Mount was good, but it was too limiting. Not every record tracks best with a sub 1.5 gram tracker. If you had P-Mount and tracking force and ruggedness options, you could do much more with the system. For those who had modern records and didn't need specialty options or higher tracking forces, P-Mount was OK. But 1/2" still served more needs and had more options.
 
There are a few P mount carts worth considering, check Ortofon.

This TT is worth having and getting a decent cart should not be a deal braker.
 
SaSi said:
There are a few P mount carts worth considering, check Ortofon.

This TT is worth having and getting a decent cart should not be a deal braker.
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Agreed.

And whether you chase down an excellent T4p cart or modify the arm, this is a great table.

I hope you get it, and I wish you luck.
 
Great P-mount carts-

Shure V15Vp
Shure V15HR-P
Ortofon OMP-30/OMP-40
Ortofon X1-MCP (high output MC)
Digitrac 300SE (like an Ortofon OMP-30)
Grado Gold1 P-mount
ADC PSX-10, 20, 30 & 40

There's also the Technics P-mount, Technics EPC-P100MK 2, 3 and 4, which is incredible. I can't stress how good these models are. A close second is the nearly as good EPC-205CP.
 
Thanks for your input everyone. I think I will end up purchasing it and keeping it stock. I love the table and i'm surprised how well it already sounds with a low end cart.
 
I'm using the Ortofon omp30 on my M3.
Sounds great to me. KAB sells them.
Only thing I dislike about the table is that some of the adjustment potentiometers are difficult to access.
Dont turn any pots till you know for sure what they affect.
 
Pio1980 said:
The Digitrac 200 NE is a very respectable cart if one turns up NOS.
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Agreed. I have a few tested/working with unused styli here at my place. Grabbed 'em when I had the chance- very good carts.

The 300 NE is even a bit nicer, and available on eBay.
 
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If you get, and like this table, hunt down the Technics carts if you can. Van Den Hul thought the world of them.
 
I use an SL-M3 as my daily driver in my main home system, and have taken up the extra hobby of collecting p-mount cartridges.

thedelihaus said:
Great P-mount carts-

Shure V15Vp
Shure V15HR-P
Ortofon OMP-30/OMP-40
Ortofon X1-MCP (high output MC)
Digitrac 300SE (like an Ortofon OMP-30)
Grado Gold1 P-mount
ADC PSX-10, 20, 30 & 40

There's also the Technics P-mount, Technics EPC-P100MK 2, 3 and 4, which is incredible. I can't stress how good these models are. A close second is the nearly as good EPC-205CP.
Click to expand...

There's also a JICO SAS stylus available for the lower end Technics p-mount cartridge bodies, the P23 and similar. Trying one of them out is still on my to-do list.

Some other great p-mounts in my collection:

Shure V15LT (the earliest p-mount V15, a series IV hyperelliptical)
Dynavector DV-10P (high output MC, currently in use on my SL-MA1 in my office)
Sumiko Andante P-76
Empire 195LT with a S-485 stylus (not very well known, but I love mine & it is what I have mounted on the SL-M3 at the moment)
Stanton 747S & Pickering TL-4S (stereohedron p-mount versions of the 681)

The ADC PSX-40 (aka Digital Series SER-IV) mentioned above is another particlular favorite of mine. LPGear has new-old-stock replacement stylii, and I have stocked up on them.

I purchased these either new-old-stock, or paired up a used cartridge with a new stylus.

I have not had great results from a Grado Silver on the SL-M3. Nothing wrong, just not very engaging.
 
SE-Special elliptical IIRC, NE-Nude elliptical. The SE is the upgrade.
(edit)I see a pile of simultaneous postings while I was doing this one.
 
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Ortofon cartridges are excellent, but there are no Ortofon conical options in P-Mount. I play a lot of 45 singles, and no ellipticals or line contacts will do for styrene anything. I now have a Broadcast E and several Ortofon OM compatible conical styli options on my 1/2" setup. But not knocking P-Mount if your LP collection is post 1970. It is good for fumble fingered LP users who meet that criteria. I love Ortofons.
 
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