saec 407/23 headshell compatability


I have this vintage arm installed on a technics sp-15 with a sh15b1 plinth. The arm matches well with its og saec ceramic headshell. Alas the 3 aftermarket headshells I have with different carts all produce a noticable buzz in the signal chain. The problem is rectified jumping back to the og headshell.

These headshells work perfectly fine on other turntables, I've tested on a sl-1200mk2.

Has anybody who has owned this tonearm used an aftermarket headshell that plays nicely? Really don’t want to spend $300 on headshells each time I install a new cart.

For the record the headshells I’ve used include, lpgear zupreme (made by Jelco), audio technica, and also tested wtih a concorde like dj cart made by taruya.

https://www.lpgear.com/product/LPGZHEAD.html

tangjams

Take a close look at the SAEC headshell that does not hum. What is different about it compared to the 3 that do hum? Pay particular attention to the orientation of the contacts points where headshell joins arm wand.

Have you tried a wooden headshell?

Probably not the problem, just to know: Ortofon cartridge wires are slightly different diameters at each end

Ortofon SH-4 headshell and Ortofon cartridges’ terminal PINs diameter is 1.2 mm, whilst Ortofon headshells’ PINs diameter is normally only 1.0 mm.

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My Blackbird Tonearm, using RCA,s (4 wires) have a junction box converting tonearm wires left/left ground and right/right ground to the RCA jacks. Notice, the mini din connector is only 4 wires (not 5 pin din).

AND there is a separate ground wire from the tonearm base to the junction box’s ground terminal. That’s like the 5th wire of a 5 pin din connector. Perhaps you can make a separate ground jumper and try grounding the arm.

I've never seen your arm/ceramic head.

Curiously, this photo shows a separate soldered wire from edge of headshell fitting to screw of the lifter. Never saw that before either.