Shure V15VxMR Phono Cartridge

Posted by Goyescas (A) on September 18, 2003 at 10:06:58

In Reply to: REVIEW: Shure V15VxMR Phono Cartridge posted by Marc Bratton on September 17, 2003 at 22:40:58:

Thanks Marc for sharing your experience with the Shure, although since you are fresh out of the gate with it I imagine your impressions will change once the suspension settles in. Also, since the Morch offers 4 armwands of different masses, may I politely suggest it might be helpful to provide the effective mass of the armwand you are using, if for no other reason than it will help other Morch arm owners with a frame of reference when you refer to yours as a "low mass arm." (Surely you are not running the 13.1g blue dot armwand).

Were you able to ascertain the RF of the cartridge in your system vis-a-vis a test record? While it is a high compliance cartridge, I obtained the best results with arms whose effective mass was 10-11 grams.

The Shure, hecho en Mexico, is a great all around cartridge (I have two of them for various reasons), and when asked I always suggest those new to analog consider it over the high output moving coils in the same price range, if for no other reason than the Shure does not distort high frequency information contained in heavily modulated grooves. Meaning it is a far better cartridge than many for large scale orchestral music. Plus, it is a good tracker and an excellent one for its price (I have seen far better, but at much higher price points).

The only drawbacks outside of potential species variations/QC issues are its "okay" ch separation, an inability to resolve low level detail and its laid back overall presentation, one where high frequency transients get lost. But none of this is hidden from potential buyers! Even the "x" in the model designation is used to indicate that it is voiced on the warm side of neutral - a really nice feature if that is what the system calls for (and your Maggies, with their peaky treble, do!).

This is the interesting thing about cartridges in general - they are all tone controls in that each of their response curves are different from one another. Yes, this can be a subtle distinction, but one certainly hears the differences, hence the diversity.

I still think it is the best all around cartridge in its price range, with its closest competition from Grado (but that is a whole 'nutha set of variables!).

Thanks for posting your very nice review.

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Follow Ups Full Thread

Topic - REVIEW: Shure V15VxMR Phono Cartridge - Marc Bratton 22:40:58 09/17/03 (16)

Sorry to hear it! - Don T 13:45:32 09/19/03 (1)

Re: Sorry to hear it! - Marc Bratton 16:22:06 09/19/03 (0)

Shure V15VxMR Phono Cartridge - Goyescas 10:06:58 09/18/03 (3)

Re: Shure V15VxMR Phono Cartridge - Marc Bratton 15:54:13 09/18/03 (2)

Re: Shure V15VxMR Phono Cartridge - hybris 04:36:00 09/19/03 (0)

Re: Shure V15VxMR Phono Cartridge - Goyescas 20:45:06 09/18/03 (0)

Great All-arounder - Jerry O 10:06:31 09/18/03 (0)

Shure V15VxMR Phono Cartridge - Marc Bratton 06:38:46 09/18/03 (0)

Shure V15VxMR Phono Cartridge - Zack 06:23:54 09/18/03 (0)

Shure V15VxMR Phono Cartridge - Panelhead 03:03:37 09/18/03 (0)

Shure V15VxMR Phono Cartridge - gialitt 01:15:10 09/18/03 (0)

Thanks for the review - evaia 01:13:52 09/18/03 (0)

Shure V15VxMR Phono Cartridge - chuck l. 00:35:07 09/18/03 (0)

Shure V15VxMR Phono Cartridge - datman 23:53:05 09/17/03 (0)

Nice review Marc... - Rob Thomas 23:42:05 09/17/03 (1)

Re: Nice review Marc... - Tre' 22:58:20 09/18/03 (0)

Follow Ups

Shure V15VxMR Phono Cartridge - Goyescas 10:06:58 09/18/03 (3)

Re: Shure V15VxMR Phono Cartridge - Marc Bratton 15:54:13 09/18/03 (2)

Re: Shure V15VxMR Phono Cartridge - hybris 04:36:00 09/19/03 (0)

Re: Shure V15VxMR Phono Cartridge - Goyescas 20:45:06 09/18/03 (0)

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