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UPDATE: Shure V15 LT stylus???

Bourbon

Bourbon

Drinkin' and dreamin'
I've got one of these cartridges, and I'd like to know which was the original stylus. It's either the N35 or N45, but I'm not sure which. I only ask because JICO still has some of the SAS styli in stock, and I'd like to order one. I just need to know which one.

This one....or this one?
 
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Either one of those would actually work, because the V15LT's body was essentially a V15III / IV in p-mount form and would produce a flat response from the III stylus if loaded at ~450 pF and from the IV stylus if loaded at ~250 pF. But neither of the ones linked to were the stylus that originally came on the V15LT, namely the VN45LT, which looked like this when installed. Notice that the stylus fits in a keyway created by the stuck-on chrome-plastic cap:
V15LT w VN45LT stylus.jpg
I have one of these myself. If the rubber suspension bits are in good shape, it's an awfully nice-sounding p-mount. Now-- you can use the standard-mount styli in your links, but some linear-tracker tables don't have room for anything wider than a typical p-mount cartridge. There's another problem: you'll have to remove the chrome cap (easy, no tools required) to fit anything but the VN45LT all the way in [UPDATE: but see post #9!]
 
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and some specs for your cartridge...

V15LT:
Stylus - VN45LT Black Grip
Type - Hyperelliptical .2 x 1.5 mil
Output: 4mv
Frequency Response: 10-25,000 Hz
Channel Balance: Within 2 dB
Channel Separation: 25dB at 1 kHz, 15 dB at 10 kHz
Recommended Tracking Force: 1.25 grams
Trackability
400Hz - 36cm/sec
1,000Hz - 52cm/sec
5,000Hz - 59cm/sec
10,000Hz - 46cm/sec
Inductance: 500 mH
DC Resistance (DCR): 1380 ohms
 
Thanks for the info. I just bought the JICO VN35HE SAS for my cartridge. I'll post an update when it arrives and I give it a break-in period.
 
I just put the VN35HE on the old p-mount Shure. At first, I didn't think it was going to fit, but after exerting a bit of force, it snapped into place. I then put it on my Technics SL-MA1 and dropped Springsteen's Born to Run album on the platter. Absolutely amazing. If you have one of these cartridges, the SAS is definitely a top-shelf option.
 
Here's a couple quick shots...

p2718023715-4.jpg


p2718023714-4.jpg
 
Aha! Thanks for the photos. Happily, I was wrong-- the III stylus is thin enough to fit in the bottom opening of the keyway.
If you have a scale, when it comes time to swap in another p-mount cartridge, see if you can weigh the cartridge with the stylus guard, as we see it in the photo. That will be helpful for folks who have tables with nonadjustable VTF.
 
It fits, but I had to use some force to get it in. I was a bit nervous, as I really didn't want to scrap a new SAS that I broke in a moment of stupidity. As a p-mount table owner, this is a real coup for me. I've always wanted one of these carts, and now that I know that aftermarket styli exist, I'll be more apt to use it.

I currently don't have a scale, but I'll order one soon and resurrect this thread with the results.
 
As of this writing, you can get a good 0--200g x 0.01g scale from a Chinese seller with good feedback for less than $5 shipped. That range will let you weigh everything from cartridges to counterweights. Mine looks like this:
digital scale (mine).jpg
 
I have another scale similar to that, and it's a good'un. Always good to have other scales handy to cross check.
 
wualta said:
Aha! Thanks for the photos. Happily, I was wrong-- the III stylus is thin enough to fit in the bottom opening of the keyway.
If you have a scale, when it comes time to swap in another p-mount cartridge, see if you can weigh the cartridge with the stylus guard, as we see it in the photo. That will be helpful for folks who have tables with nonadjustable VTF.
Click to expand...

According to my new scale, the cartridge and stylus weigh 6.22 grams.
 
So if you never touched the factory-preset VTF, and we can trust the factory to set the VTF to 1.25g with a 6.0g cartridge, you're tracking at 1.47g, within Jico's guidelines for the boron SAS. But of course you can check the actual VTF with your scale (remove the mat and place your scale on the metal platter for best accuracy).
 
wualta said:
So if you never touched the factory-preset VTF, and we can trust the factory to set the VTF to 1.25g with a 6.0g cartridge, you're tracking at 1.47g, within Jico's guidelines for the boron SAS. But of course you can check the actual VTF with your scale (remove the mat and place your scale on the metal platter for best accuracy).
Click to expand...

I followed your directions to the letter and my scale read 1.28 grams.
 
Updating this old thread in case anyone else has a V15 LT. I just installed a Kyowa VN35e available for $26 on ebay (https://www.ebay.com/itm/402467615033) and can confirm that it fits the V15 LT without modification, and that it tracks and sounds great in the TP4 application I'm using it for - Technics linear tracking deck, SL-6, with VF set to 1.25. I did remove the plastic stylus guard, which is easily done by gently prying one side until the hole on the guard clears the post on the stylus plastic. There still appears to be more plastic on the Kyowa than the original Shure stylus, so there might be more VF than TP4 standard. I might try setting it back to 1.0 and leave it there if tracks/sounds as good as it does now at 1.25
 
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