2. analog
  3. 152336-117192

shibata or microline, pls respond ONLY if you specifically have tried both.

I only want to hear FIRST hand experience, not lecturing please.

These two seem too confusing to me.  I have a VM540ML AT cartridge and cannot decide whether Shibata or Microline is better.  AGAIN, PLS DO NOT LECTURE ME ABOUT **OTHER** EXPENSIVE CARTRIDGES.

To me obviously the music quality matters.  However, I also give a lot of importance to how durable one stylus over the other one is AND very importantly, which one is easier (less finnicky) to set up.  Also, it is important that the stylus does not degrade the vinyl excessively.

If you tell me an elliptical is easiest to set up but is 10% less musical, I would probably go with that too.

So.... any ACTUAL experience with either of these two styli ?

Thanks

cakyol
analogluvr
859 posts
 
Imo one should never buy an arm without adjustability in all parameters. That’s why I am not a fan of Rega. 
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
I know only one tonearm with adjustable everything, even azimuth on the fly, this arm is Reed 3p and related models. 
vegasears
1,173 posts
 
I have an AT-150MLX and have used both the Shibata and MicroLine stylus. I can't decide which I like more.  Currently my 150 has the ATN150Sa(Shibata) on it. I enjoy it most with newer digital sourced records. The original 150 MicroLine stylus is used more for 60's and 70's records because it seems to pickup less surface noise. I enjoy having the options.
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lewm
13,460 posts
 
"Azimuth on the fly".  THAT I would like to see.I say this because the only proper way to adjust azimuth is to rotate the headshell (or the end of the tonearm that is offset at an angle) around its axis.  If you rotate the whole tonearm back near the pivot, you are not only changing azimuth; you are also changing zenith (too complicated for me to explain here).  My Triplanar is guilty of that minor sin; azimuth is adjusted by rotating the arm wand back near the pivot, so when you do make an adjustment, it also affects the angle of the plane to which the cartridge should be perpendicular (zenith). So, I am the happy owner of a 10.5-inch Reed 2A, an older model that precedes the 3P.  My 2A permits azimuth adjustment by rotation of the permanently fixed offset headshell, as it should without affecting zenith, but I cannot imagine doing that while playing an LP.  Chakster, can you say how the 3P manages to permit azimuth adjustment on the fly, without all sorts of danger to the delicate parts of a cartridge?
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