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In Reply to: RE: Convention? posted by Axon on November 07, 2009 at 07:36:36
...like early stereo vintage, late '50s to early '60s. Yes, your dreams can be realized with a forty plus year old cartridge. Tracking forces for these lie between 2 to 4 grams. Mounting can be a PITA as some are heavy and others require tall spacers. However, I assure you that this old gear still competes. Moreover, the fear for hardened suspensions is more likely to be had from '70s and '80s and '90s offerings. Yes, you read that right. Shure has proven to us that their rubber dampers were/are made with shitty quality rubber. The rubber from the '60s is fine ! Rarely do the very vintage units harden.
So, which to choose from ?
B&O made a Stereodyne II marketed by Dynaco, also known as the SP-2. It has great character, a little plumby in the bass and slightly raised upper highs. Jazz and rock fiends love these carts. Their spatial soundstage info is fantastic.
Empire made the 108 and 88, which are rich in high freq info.
Elac had the 200, 210, 222, 240. These have a raised high freq tilt, so can sound bright and slightly forward to some. However, the right one in the right system has incredible speed, authority, and 3D that is palpable. Unfortunately, they like 3.5 plus grams of tracking pressure. The green 222 is my fave, with the gray 240 as the mellowest of this bunch. The mid sixties red 322 offered a rare elliptical stylus. It is even brighter than the green 222. Conicals are the norm for this era, probably the best for average condition discs.
Grado made some rare early stereo offerings. Good Luck finding them...
Pickering, ahh, Pickering, who also made Stanton. My all time fave mm cart is the 1960-'68 Stanton 380. These require 3 plus grams of tracking force and since they weigh 14 grams and have a tilted body, require tall spacers and patience in mounting; well worth any efforts. Sonically very fast, with a a very natural flavor. Known for mellow highs, these are so juicy sounding. Acoustical instruments love this cart, as do female vocals. Any classical fan should check this one out. Surprisingly, these sound close to Ortofon SPU world ref mc carts. Their budget offering for this vintage, a Pickering U38, is very close to the 380 sound. There is little difference between the gold or black bodied 380s. The special silver body 381 and 481 are extremely obscure Calibration Standard versions. The 481 might even come with a rare brown elliptical stylus. These Cal. Std. carts are even more revealing up top, definitely not as sweeet and mellow as the 380; Bargain of the '60s. Later Pickering XV-15 carts can mimic these for mellow sweetness, but have much lower output.
Shure M3D and M7D and M7-21D are also bargains that fit the low compliance realm. Some prefer these over Shure's later offerings, not surprising to me...Their only shortcoming is the lack of depth, comnpared to Pickering/Stanton.
Decca ffss, 4RC et al. Fussy and heavyweight trackers. Many peers are literally enthralled with the sonics and speed of these. I prefer the Elacs.
Probably, the best bargain here would be a Pickering XV-15 with a conical or 450E or 625E stylus. For late '60s and seventies vintage aficionados, the lowly Pickering V-15 is a great choice for all types of discs, especially average condition, as in scratchy, discs. Collectability has increased the Elac and Decca prices, as well as the Shure M3D. B&O is still a bargain, as are the Pickering Stanton 380 and Shure M7D. The M7D sounds identical to the 3D ! Get these carts while you can. They are migrating overseas at a scary speed...
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