low tracking force cartridge recommendations?

i actually have a 1209 that came with the 1019. currently non-functional, but i'm going to get it evaluated soon. the 1019 i'm actually picking up from the repair shop for the first time today, so i'll be spending the rest of my day enjoying some quality vinyl (i hope!).

transporting about 60 blocks in my car in Manhattan, do you think i should leave the old stylus on the mounted cartridge for the ride, and putting on the new stylus at home (which i've never done, but can assume it's pretty straight-forward), or have the shop put it on for me? i think i'm best driving with a dull needle!!

Stay as far away from a shure v 15 as you can.
A m 91 or m 95 sound better.
A cheap grado will sound better.
Id get a at 440mla.Especialy if i had dull sounding tweeters.

Redtop, would you care to ponder a guess, as to how many V-15's were sold by Shure?

There was good reason as to why they were so popular, they were back then a very tough Cartridge to beat, and a good example can still hold it's own today.

Problem is, with any Cartridge, there's too many variables, and of course too many mixed experiences with any one piece of gear.

For any Cartridge made, there will be proponents, and of course detractors. I've seen it here even with top of the line ZYX, Dynas, Koetsu's, you name it.

The Shure V-15 was not junk as you make it out to be, particularly the V-15 Type III. Thousands of happy owners prooved that, and this Cartridge is still sought after 30 years later. Just look to that famous auction site. One day you might happen to watch, as a NOS V-15 goes into bidding wars to acquire.

Besides having a good Cartridge, with good Stylus, everything else down the line can make, or break a Cartridge's sound.

No, I'm not going to try BS'ing anybody that the V-15 is some magical end all, and will compare to a $7400 ZYX UNIverse, that would be ludicrous. Mark

Markd51...Spending $74000 for ANY phono cartridge...now that's ludicrous!! I went back to a Shure V15 after a spell with various MC cartridges. The MCs were nice, but not enough better than the Shure to justify all the hassles, for example stylus replacement. And I never have to worry about mistracking.

LOL! the v 15 is about as good as a 75 buck cart.
Let me tell you a little story about my v 15 experence.
I bought one on the recomendations of many i saw on the internet.
What a bouch of bsers!Or maybe just exagerators.I put it in my first system bought a arm to match it perfectly and what did i get?
I got a system that sounded flat with a cd quality.I matched my cables to the 500 pf that shure calls for.I got to 450 pf i did.No help whatsoever.
I have a tube amp system and a ss system.My tube amp system was beating my vinyl system easily.Guess how much i paid for my digital front end?50 bucks at best buy!A 50 buck dvd player was blowing off a well set up record player.Not by a little but alot!Ive spent more than a few bucks on a table too.Ive got a sota cosmos.
I pulled my hair out trying to make this v 15 clunker sing.
So i ditched it and got a new cart.Guess what the shure clunker was the whole problem.
Ive never seen a better discription of a shure v 15 than the reason cd started to beat it out.It truely is a dull sounding pos.
I find it interesting you wasted so much time listening to it.Id bet you have alot of good times wraped up in it.Haveing spent so many thousands of hours with it?
Haveing a sentamental attachment to a cart does not mean its good just that your used to a certain sound.
You use a zxy why not try a test? swap them out?I dare you!Lets see if its truely the table then the arm then the cart.
Id bet that clunker will give you a real wake up call if you take my challenge?
The v 15 had its time its been bettered by every cart i used in my first post.
You cheerleading for the v 15 won't change that.
Lastly why did you single me out other's said the v 15 sucked too?