New Carts, where should I start?

[Rothchild]

Ooh, hello bass! Just swapped in the Shure N75ED, it's a lot more workmanlike around the treble but a nice fat tone overall.

[Clive197]

I don't understand why your Elys won't reach band 3. I get the fact that your VTA will be way off with the arm nose down but that should not effect how far into the record the arm tracks.
Assuming the VTA on your arm is not if at all easy to alter, a spacer would be the answer. You may find you have similar issues with the Shure cartridges. Hope you solve the problem and have fun playing.

[Rothchild]

I don't understand why your Elys won't reach band 3.

The VTA was so far down that the arm was basically running itself up the lifter (with the lever down) and ended up floating off the top of the record!

I've got a couple of spacers now and had a test with the Elys, I've also been trying the N75 and an M55. I think I quite like the Shure house sound (I'm guessing there is one as there's certainly a family resemblance between these two). I only had the Elys on for a couple of days so I think I'm going to head back that way for while this afternoon.

[DSJR]

If you like the M75-ED, then try for a V15-T2 with good original stylus, as it sounds family-similar but rather better (clearer) overall. In an older Rega "RB" arm, set the bias to around a third what it says, so off (as much as it can be on the slider) for the ED and any other 1g tracker.

As I recall, the Elys and its cheaper brethren, have a basically flat response from the upper bass to hf, but it's the mid to lower bass where things take a nose-dive, the response rising quite noticeably I remember (and still hear) and giving a squidgey kind of presentation. Although this is better in the later models, only the Exact model tames it just enough to be listenable to long term, especially if your speakers have proper bass extension below 100Hz or so..

P.S. What deck and arm combo are you using please? I'd almost be inclined to get a thicker turntable mat rather than the awful looking lashup you have in the headshell. Sorry, but I do have just a little experience here

[Rothchild]

P.S. What deck and arm combo are you using please? I'd almost be inclined to get a thicker turntable mat rather than the awful looking lashup you have in the headshell. Sorry, but I do have just a little experience here

Thanks Dave, yes I'd considered raising the record with thicker mat (or 2) just got to find something suitable.

It's a Systemdek iix900 with an RB300 (Moth) arm, I bought it from Datawireless recently.

I've just put the Elys back on, it's definitely more refined through the top end but for sheer entertainment value the shure carts were something of a bargain. V15s seem to be climbing up in price at the moment so I may have to have an evaluate of what I've got here and see if I can trade up.

[Rothchild]

I note that the M97 is supposedly the contemporary replacement for the V15, does anyone have any views on its performance in comparison to the vintage cart and it's likelyhood of being a good match for my rig?

[Nigel]

Has the Systemdek got the acrylic platter or standard felt mat?

[Rothchild]

Has the Systemdek got the acrylic platter or standard felt mat?

Glass platter, felt mat (not standard, nothing special a dj one). Also have a cork one available.

[DSJR]

The M97 was a sort-of cut price V15xMR with elliptical tip I think, or rather, the V15xMR was a race tuned M97HE with MR diamond A good 97 should offer a meaty but tuneful bass and an almost sweet treble, which shouldn't emphasise surface noise. We sold many 97HE's at the time, in old SME's and new RB equipped Rega arms too.