compliance

Nice, my advice is to upgrade your cartridge with something like AT-ML170, Grace LEVEL II, Victor X1II, Stanton SC-100 WOS, Pickering XSV/5000 .... They are all much better than your technics cartridge. 

Yep, any of those super rare and very expensive cartridges (compared to modern equivalents) would be a fine choice, assuming it hasn't died a partial death while sitting in a box under unknown storage conditions for 30 or more years since manufacture.  Sorry, Chak. I am a pessimist or a realist.  I don't know which.

Keep your horror stories for yourself @lewm if you don’t owm any of those. And BTW the OP cartridge is Technics MM from the 70’s (notorious for softened suspension).

It’s been discussed million times, if you want to try some of the best MM (in perfect condition) from my museum I will be happy to help, you must get rid of this phobia, seriously.


If you travel to Japan you should know it’s a different world when it comes to condition of the rare stuff, even rare records from the 70’s in Japan are like new while in the USA they are VG- with cut corner or saw cut or drill hole in the sleeve. It’s a cultural thing! I would’t buy used cartridge from USA to be honest (and some of them are indeed impossible to find in USA). But I have huge collection of mint cartridges from Japan (those audiophiles know how to handle them), we are talking about Japanese cartridges mostly, but even American Stanton or Pickering are still mint or nos/unused if they are from Japanese collector/audiophile. They are crazy about condition like no other nation (imo) amd I’m excited about it. Better have some Japanese connection to get an access to real gems.

What you’ve missed is the other extreme in your comparison, high mass and low compliance.
They’re not renowned for tracking either, and using the hifi news and record review test disk my SPU Royal N tracking at ~3g on an arm of eff mass ~19g distorts slightly on the outer and middle tracking tests and won’t even stay in the groove of the inside one but it’s very tolerant of worn vinyl and I never hear any tracking problems when playing actual music, unlike my London Decca Maroon.

@chakster 

lucky for me the stylus is nos on the 205 and managed to rejunevate it. but I'm so so happy I could repair 4 damaged bearing. and antiskate. smooth like butter. was quoted 500 ++usd for the job gave it a go myself and succeeded. the silicon bearing is self lubricated and I compared to a good condition one by my friend . it's more smooth. 

It's a first for our group of friends that 1 to 1. 25g tracks flawlessly lol, it's so perfect even on not so great vinyls, no igd, very low groove noise. now I see the benefit and my jaw did drop. yes I Will take your advise. slowly looking for those carts. I missed out a couple of those bids. I'm sure I get one on the list soon. was Victor X1 iie. the guy just vanished. then 180occ 170occ I was outclassed . soon soon 

Thank you for your support and info. 



grinning ear to ear.