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NOS Shure V15 type III cartridge opinions

I know this sounds crazy but going thru boxes stored in closet for the past 40 years and found one of these I had purchased in 78 as a spare and never used. My question is should I open it up and give it a spin on my vintage TT or keep it to replace my in use cartridge until it goes south or open it install to see what happens? Wished I had another headshell. I read this was the best mm cartridge build, great all around sound and unsurpassed tracking. 
Or put on market? I'm leaning toward trying it out but then again?
128x128gillatgh
willemj
1,036 posts
 
Aftermarket styli vary enormously in price and some are outright bad. The Japanese Jico ones have a good reputation. Shure themselves recommend their M97xE cartridge as the best replacement.
As an anecdote, I recently noticed that the audio archive of the British Library use the Shure M44 cartridge for their digitization of some old recordings, using specialty styli: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yI5DYJPSf-A&feature=youtu.be&t=162
dlcockrum's avatar
dlcockrum
2,190 posts
 
The stylus is a major part of the sound character and tracking prowess of the V15. All of the aftermarket offerings will change the sound. Most are so inferior as to be ignored as an option. The only one that is consistently said to be as good or better than the OEM stylus is the Jico SAS:
https://www.jico-stylus.com/sas.php

There is debate as to the superiority of that one as well. Try your original. It may play fine. Listen for excessive sibilance and other signs of mistracking and go from there.

Dave
czarivey
5,946 posts
 
@dlcockrum 
thanks for aftermarket suggestions on t3
i have at least few chassis that need needles
i was pizzed off when I mounted an aftermarket one and quit shopping seriously 
NOS worth $arm,leg
gillatgh's avatar
gillatgh OP
381 posts
 
To all that have responded,  you rock my world.  Thank you so much for your input/suggestions. 
I will try the NOS as is and if need be get the best rated albeit most costly stylus if needed. I think I'll start by obtaining another headshell first for ease of swapping out between cartridges. It's also most economical. 
Thanks again

atmasphere's avatar
atmasphere
11,787 posts
 
Consensus seems to be that the suspension for the stylus may be suspect after all this time.
For something this old you can count on it, and its not something you can see with a microscope. We're not talking about the stylus- the suspension is at the other end of the cantilever.

I would get the stylus replaced before taking it seriously! IOW if you like it now, it gets better :)
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