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V15II help, on a AR XA

S

streetwise

Active Member
Help my Shure V15II stylus just broke I don't know what to do...
I bought an AR XA a few years ago with a v15improved that had a bent but still working original stylus. I got tired of the channel imbalance due to the bent stylus and tried a Pfanstihl replacement and have been pretty dissatisfied with its performance being somewhat distorted and not very dynamic. Then I found a good deal on a original stylus unopened for somewhere around 100$ a I loved the sound quality; no imbalance but dynamic and everything I expected when I bought the cartridge. But today I went to play a record and I noticed the stylus had snapped???? I don't know how it snapped I have been very careful and always use the guard when not in use. Anyway my question is did this get brittle from its age, im having a hard time throwing another 160 (current ebay price) at another oem, if it wont last more than a year or two.
Any thoughts?
Are there newer cartridges worth looking into?
Jico stylus for the v15 ii are super expensive.
newer v15 models seem interesting but have the same issue not have current production styli
 
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I know that the N75 styli will fit the V15 II, but I doubt that the N91 styli will (isn't the 4761-DED an N91?). But when I tried my original N75ED stylus on my V15 II Improved, I didn't like it, particularly in the mid-range. The original VN15E stylus was much better with nicer vocals.

I bought a basic unbranded VN15E elliptical (possibly Jico-sourced) which is very good with great dynamics, although I'd like a bit more refinement. So I'm going to try a VN15E hyper-elliptical (aftermarket).
 
MRL_Audio said:
You get what you pay for. Buy the Jico and you won’t be disappointed.
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I payed for a NOS Shure stylus and got maybe a year out of it... I don't know how I feel about the you get what you pay for idea NOS on the bay right now is twice as much as a JICO standard and about 50 less than a SAS
 
I've got a V15II mounted on my own AR XA. There was an Ebay seller who had NIB Type II Improved styli for sale at a reasonable price. I'm using one now.
I strongly suggest you check Ebay to see if there are still any for sale. IMO, nothing beats an original Shure stylus for this cartridge.
 
maybe I will try the 4761-DED over a Used Supertrack. I would be curious how a HE would sound on the V15II, Im interested in the V15 IIIs and IVs with HE stylus but Im trying to keep my gear 1960s era.
 
The V 15 Type II and II Improved accept the M 75 stylus options old and new, and work correctly. Best option, and there's plenty of reasonably priced styli from Jico, on par with originals in performance.
 
olddude55 said:
I've got a V15II mounted on my own AR XA. There was an Ebay seller who had NIB Type II Improved styli for sale at a reasonable price. I'm using one now.
I strongly suggest you check Ebay to see if there are still any for sale. IMO, nothing beats an original Shure stylus for this cartridge.
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Like I said I loved the sound of the original Improved stylus, the issue is I didn't quite get a year out of my new in box one and the ""reasonable price isn't so reasonable when they can break so easily due to age
 
So currently the options are
-NOS or NIB improved stylus, I like the sound quality and tracking but my concern is longevity due to age.
-Jico V152 at a fair price but with limited and inconsistent reviews and comparison to the OEM performance
-Jico SAS/B or /S both have limited reviews and comparisons; on amazon there are a couple reviews from Japan, from what I gather from the poor translation is they say the SAS sounds about the same as the original but might track better and have slightly more high freq. Both reviews seem to complain about the aesthetic lacking the Super-track sticker on the guard (not as important as sound or trackability to me).
-4761-DED that i only have heard from Wolfie on and don't know about how well it would perform on the V15II
-aftermarket VN15HE? not sure who makes these.
-... Or trash the thing and get something completely different like a Grado being highly regarded by marcmorin RIP or a V15IV though the IV would probably have similar issues with oem stylus age.
 
Any kids, cats or spouses (dusting)? Cantilevers don't just snap themselves off.
 
Redd House said:
Any kids, cats or spouses (dusting)? Cantilevers don't just snap themselves off.
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nope I listened to both sides of a record the other day nothing out of the ordinary. went to play the same record the next day and ... it didn't sound quite right the tonearm started sliding, I picked up the tonearm looked at the stylus and it was cracked not fully broken off. I modified the AR XA to have a hinged dustcover off a technics so nobody couldve gotten in there. I also always use the stylus guard when not in use to protect the stylus from an accidental tonearm drop
 
streetwise said:
nope I listened to both sides of a record the other day nothing out of the ordinary. went to play the same record the next day and ... it didn't sound quite right the tonearm started sliding, I picked up the tonearm looked at the stylus and it was cracked not fully broken off. I modified the AR XA to have a hinged dustcover off a technics so nobody couldve gotten in there. I also always use the stylus guard when not in use to protect the stylus from an accidental tonearm drop
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Very odd. In all my close to 50 years of hifi use, starting with a Shure M-91 ED in a Dual 1219, I've never had that happen to a cantilever with any of the many Shure cartridges I've used over the years. Must've been a defect in the metallurgy is all I'm coming up with.
 
Redd House said:
Very odd. In all my close to 50 years of hifi use, starting with a Shure M-91 ED in a Dual 1219, I've never had that happen to a cantilever with any of the many Shure cartridges I've used over the years. Must've been a defect in the metallurgy is all I'm coming up with.
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I agree the original one that came with the cartridge I had attempted to twist with tweezers back into place and it never snapped, the cantilever tube or whatever its called just crimped in but never broke. Possibly the way this was stored in the box for ages ie. alot of hot and cold in a garage or storage made the aluminum brittle but i can't do more than speculate at this point. Probably wouldn't happen again if I get another NIB stylus.. but fool me once! Im probably overly cautious about purchasing at this point.
 
The 4761-DED sounds better than my original Shure M91 Stylus, by a lot. The M75 and M91 are virtually the same stylus. The M91 can use (and was specified by Shure) the V15 II Stylus.
 
Wolfie62 said:
The 4761-DED sounds better than my original Shure M91 Stylus, by a lot. The M75 and M91 are virtually the same stylus. The M91 can use (and was specified by Shure) the V15 II Stylus.
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As you say, I'm sure a V15 II stylus can fit an M91 cartridge but I was questioning whether an N91 stylus would fit the V15 II cartridge because of the tall plastic part of the N91 stylus (taller than on an N75). I have my doubts that the V15 II cartridge could accommodate an N91 stylus in the same way that an M75 cartridge can't accommodate it (but an N75 stylus does fit an M91).
 
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