Moving from MM to MC

@bstatmeister,

Sorry for coming to the party so late. I really have come to enjoy my Shure V15VxMR MM cartridge with the JICO SAS VN5xMR stylus and I wanted to share this with you. And you must read Raul’s thread.

I tricked out a $70 ’antique shop’ Technics SL-D2 direct drive turntable and a $200 Pioneer PL-600 direct drive turntable (the silver one) and upgraded the headshells with Ortofon LW-800S and LW-7N headshell wires, rewired the tonearm with KAB SuperFlex and Cardas tonearm wires, upgraded the cartridge and stylus with the Shure V15VxMR cartridge and the JICO SAS VN5xMR stylus. (That I switch out) And hardwired the phono interconnects with the very inexpensive but value added Blue Jeans Cable LC-1’s with the preamp output interconnects being Blue Jeans Cable LC-1’s also.

As far as playing ’albums’ I beleive the best upgrade I made from a pure sound standpoint was adding a Parks Audio Budgie Tube Phono preamplifier at $399 with a pair of NOS Telefunken E88CC/6922’s at $454 after selling my $1748 Pro-Ject Phono Box RS MM/MC and the companion Pro-Ject battery powered Power Box RS power supply that I fortunately sold for a little above cost.

After adding the Parks Audio Budgie Tube Phono preamplifier I was amazed at the transparency, depth, wide soundstage, and dynamic range of sound. The Parks Audio Budgie Tube Phono preamplifier is a single ended Class A tube circuit. See the reviews.

Now I’m on the hunt for the ’mysterious’ Shure Ultra 500 cartridge.

And thank you again for making me aware and opening up my ears to the Vandersteen SUB THREE subwoofers. One day I’m gonna purchase a mint used pair. Ahh...The dreaded disease of ’upgradeitis’.

I hope my post here helps you out some.

Please see here:

https://hometheaterreview.com/shure-v15-phono-cartridge-reviewed/
http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/the-shure-v15vxmr-revisited-what-a-great-phono-cartridge.38495...

tyray

To the OP — You accept that a better MM/MI is that way to go at this time (and Chakster is right that Raul's classic thread is must-read) but you seem determined to get a new cartridge. I understand this, but I think you are drastically, and needlessly, limiting your options. You may achieve more "goodness" this way, but you're ruling out "greatness".
 
@Thank you Chakster, you're right again: "SAEC SS-300 mat is a must have to solve an EMI effect (electromagnetic interference) for both MM or LOMC." I've been using it for years. I never had an EMI problem so I didn't know the SAEC solved it, but it's good to know. For me, it's a "must have" for other reasons...

I did have a bearing-rumble problem which resonates intolerably through the platter, thence to the LP and stylus, no matter what mat I use, and drives my woofers berserk. I could not fix it at the source, because the motor is sealed (welded shut — one of those "never needs lubrication" fallacy/fantasies from that period). I will try to drill out the spot-welds next time I undertake a major task, so I can get inside and do the proper maintenance/restoration... if it's not too late.

But meanwhile the SAEC eliminates the rumble entirely. I don't rest it directly on the platter, that doesn't help. Instead, I elevate it above the platter a short distance, less than 1mm. It's supported at three very small points around the outermost perimeter, farthest from the source of rumble (the center) and where the metal is thickest — the added mass at the platter's rim acts as a mechanical sink, and the rumble is at its least there. The SS-300 doesn't sag at all, so those three tiny points are its only contact with the platter and the rumble it carries, nothing but air between them.

The result is silence.

@bimasta,

Good call, I forgot about the platter mat and the effect it has on the turntables overall sound. The one I use is the inexpensive tweak but high quality GEM Dandy rubber cork compound mat and you can hear the difference between it and the stock mat. Although I do have mat/platter weights I chose not to use them.

http://dagogo.com/practically-priced-tools-for-the-lp-lover/2

I took out an old empire 4000d/III from my stash this week after not using it for 25 or so years (been running LOMC during that time frame) & am absolutely amazed at the sound quality this old cartridge delivers. That said, although you don't want to buy used, they are pretty robust as long as you can get a replacement styli for them.