2. analog
  3. 126051-86636

Phono cartridge advice

My turntable is a Garrard 401 in skeletal plinth, fitted with an SME3009 series 2 imp arm (fixed shell) with a Shure V15vxmr cartridge and a Trichord Dino MM/MC phono stage.  The stylus on the V15 was broken my cleaner!  My question is should I shell out on a new Japanese Jico stylus (which has had very good reviews) as Shure no longer make this stylus, or should I get a new cartridge, if so, what?  I have been looking at the Denon DL110 moving coil, but how will it compare to the V15vxmr?  The Jico stylus is very expensive  (£350GBP) so the Denon cartridge would save me a few pounds but I don't want to be disappointed.  Because I have a good phono stage, I could consider a more expensive lower output MC cartridge but if the cost is approaching that of the Jico stylus I may as well just buy one of those and continue with the V15. So, in short, do I replace the stylus or will the Denon cartridge be a better bet and save me money ... or is there another MC cart that would work well in the SME arm and offer an improvement over the Shure?  Thanks in advance for any help. Les.
128x128lesadams
sumaato
100 posts
 
I ran a Shure V15/IV for years, happily.
I tried an Ortofon Quintet Black MC and was immediately satisfied that I had made a major upgrade in all respects. 
sumaato
100 posts
 
BTW, my Shure V15 was fitted with the JICO SAS.
decibell
69 posts
 
Even though a bit more expensive Audio Technica's ART9 is my recommendation. There are a few reviews on audiogon. They do not exaggerate!I had Denon 103R, Benz Glider, Lyra Delos, Benz LP-S, Air Tight PC1-Supreme. The Air Tight was my favorite but the suspension collapsed four times so I gave up. The ART9 gets very very close to the Air Tight. One review on audiogon suggests to have diapers close by when you first start to listen to the ART9. Switching back to LP-S after appr. 80 hours made the LP-S sound broken in comparison! An amazing value!
2channel8
758 posts
 
Synergy is a real consideration. I have 2 V15 RS. One on a Linn Basik with an LVX. Ah! The synergy. I'm sure nothing could substantially improve it. I have 4 styli: the original HE that came with it, and an old replacement, not sure if its an HE or MR; but both of these have the Beryllium cantelever. A Jico VN5xMR, and a Jico VN5xMR SAS.

The Jico - non SAS is on the Linn. The SAS was a tad too bright.

The other TT is an Oracle Alexandria with a Sumiko MMT. I was very happy with the V15 RS - SAS combination on this one. I wanted to see what the MC buzz was all about so I researched quite a bit and decided that the Denon DL-301 MKIII was the best fit for a Shure lover who wanted a bit more bass in my price range. I really like it! It spends more time on the Alex than the Shure. But when I want to listen to some old LPs that have been played too many times, I always switch back to the Shure wit the HE. It really quiets down the surface noise.

Conclusion: If you decide to try a new cartridge, or BEFORE you decide, try a cheaper replacement stylus for the Shure, especially if you have oldies like me. LP Gear has one for $90.

http://www.lpgear.com/product/SHVN5xMRVL.html

Never give up your V15! Even though you could sell it for $300.
More to discover