OK.......I need more info on the Shelter 901......

At this risk of revealing my complete naivete, is this "cu" thing (as in low compliance = 9cu) the same as what my Goldring instructions call "internal resistance?" Or is it something else entirely? Otherwise, this Goldring scrap of paper refers to "static compliance," which in this case is 12mm (nothing to do with "cu"). Thanks for helping me clear this up!

Cp, no the cu is compliance units, and has nothing to do with your internal impedance. Compliance can also be expressed as (c)x10^-6 cm/dyn. The Goldring spec was given in the other metric version (c)um/mN. This is micro-meter/milliNewton. It is another way of saying the same thing. Just pay attention the the first number in these specs, that's what everyone refers to.(like 12, or 15, or 9, the numbers I represented with the (c) in my examples.)

Thanks for clearing that up, twl! I think I get it!

I just bought a Shelter 901 from Japan. No, not from www.eifl.co.jp. I got it for even cheaper from another dealer in Japan that came highly recommended on the Audio Asylum discussion board.

I have an SME V. This is the first time I heard about the discussion on this "cu" thing. Should I be worried?

I also have the PH3 SE. I heard that the output on the 901 is actually higher than 05mV, so it shouldn't be a problem. I am planning to install the cartridge this week.

FrankC

Frank, don't worry, it'll be fine on an SME V.