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REVIEW: Pickering XVS-3000 & D-4500Q Phono Cartridge


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Model: XVS-3000 & D-4500Q
Category: Phono Cartridge
Suggested Retail Price: $92
Description: Pickering XSV Cartridge Body and Aftermarket D-4500Q Stylus
Manufacturer URL: Pickering
Model Picture: View

Review by mr.bear on October 20, 2016 at 15:24:30
IP Address: 47.147.56.52
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for the XVS-3000 & D-4500Q


I recently acquired a vintage Pickering XSV cartridge body that contained an old, dead XSV-3000 stylus. It appeared in good shape overall and the DC resistance of the coils was perfectly matched at 564 ohms each. I believe the bodies are universal for Pickerings high-end, "low impedance" cartridge series for that golden era.

I acquired a replacement stylus claimed to be an EVG Games unit, part number 4608-DQX from The Voice of Music in Wisconsin; those folks were very helpful and supportive to say the least. It is noted as an exact replacement for the D-4500Q, meant apparently for the Pickering XUV4500Q quad-compatible cartridge which claimed frequency response to 50kHz using "quadrahedral" tip shape. The tip shape is described in the VoM website as "hyperelleptical" and noted to me in correspondence with VoM as a Shibata profile. Just words!! The list price currently shows as $92, the Jico website lists the replacement D4500Q[e006017] for about twice that.

First I might say that arguments about the metal of the cantilever, the mounting schema, the tip shape, etc. tend to be "angels dancing on the head of a pin" notions. Who is willing to say Boron sounds better than Aluminum…? A cartridge design emerges from a massive series of mechanical and electrical design decisions and it's more of a musical instrument than a technological device. The evidence is clear in the differing "voices" between different cartridges.

The replacement stylus came in looking very good-- sporting a very thin metal cantilever and a beautiful clean diamond, no glue blobs, etc.; the diamond appears to be mounted in a very compact bushing, not "nude." The cartridge is on my little Sony PS-X55s, a giant killer table with a very well made, ultra-lightweight tonearm. I set it up at the recommended stylus overhang from the Sony manual offst to neutral position in the headshell. The input of my preamp is set for 47k + 150pF capacitance. VTF is set at 1.2gm, and VTA results with the arm dead level. Mounting was simple and it tracks beautifully.

Overall my impressions of the sound are that it performs with the smoothness of my ADC XLM-II, with the liveliness of my previous MC cartridges. It strikes a great balance between the lean "audiophiliac" sound MC's and the greasiness of MM's.

The sound is lively, three-dimensional and realistic. I'm hearing great octave-to-octave balance from my favorite records. Drums and piano are unstrained and eminently listenable. Image quality is good, preserving a good feel for the size of the room and the space between musicians; not the best I've heard but good. Listening to The Grateful Dead's mostly acoustic album "Reckoning" (Arista,1981) the sense of the space is immersive and engaging. The bass seems perfect, not too lean, and not too boomy.

It was fortunate that the stylus was skillfully made. One inmate commented about the aftermarket styli showing poor quality control having errors in the actual diamond mounting resulting in a screwed-up azimuth. This is a very hard property to judge (you'd have to have a microscope, I suppose, to see that. Mine looks pretty good under my cheezy little handheld optical 'scope); just be aware.

I only recall Pickering as a purveyor of mid-fi cartridges for dealers to mount in budget turntables for folks with cats and macramé plant-hangers buying complete HiFi's. Their marketing for these upscale carts missed me entirely in the late 70's era; who knew! A fine sounding cartridge, playing the hell out of my system, for well under $100. This ranks among the most effective dollars I ever spent on HiFi, outside of buying records.


Product Weakness: None thusfar.
Product Strengths: Definition, clarity, smooth midrange, great depth to soundstage, tracks like a champ.


Associated Equipment for this Review:

Amplifier: Adcom 5003
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): Threshold Forte 2
Sources (CDP/Turntable): Sony PS-X55s
Speakers: Thiel CS-3, Focal Cobalt sub
Cables/Interconnects: Various
Music Used (Genre/Selections): Many old LP's!
Room Size (LxWxH): 20 x 40 x 10
Time Period/Length of Audition: 2 weeks
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner



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