Gromit's music centre...

Sorry, I've not really been keeping up with this thread ... today I just dropped straight in at the last page! :)

OMG :wowzer: - a Shure M75ED2 .... I burst out laughing when I saw that in the photo. Not in a nasty way, I hasten to add, but that was my first ever cartridge - on a Pioneer PL12D. Ah, the memories. I was young then. :wheniwasaboy:

...I see from your siggie the Shure has got a fancy JICO stylus on it.
I've scanned back a few pages and I can't see any mention of it. It's a good'un, is it?

yeah, some of these cartridges take on a whole new decent lease of life in a well fettled turntable and with a modern diamond to replace the barely polished bit of coal originally fitted... My V15 II (which sort of devolved into the 75-ED I think) seems to sound better than the stock III, although the II deserves and sounds much better with a proper tip to replace the marginal elliptical it was originally fitted with..

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Originally Posted by DSJR

yeah, some of these cartridges take on a whole new decent lease of life in a well fettled turntable and with a modern diamond to replace the barely polished bit of coal originally fitted...

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Yup, it's a principle in audio called 'combining the best of old and new technologies, in order to obtain the best of both worlds' - and one which sensible and discerning people apply to their systems to maximum (beneficial) effect! ;)

Here's how it is.....

The quality of the generators, magnets (alnico is a case in point), etc, used on some vintage cartridges are often much better than what is used in some cartridges nowadays, even if the vintage ones have inferior styli. However, it is precisely because of the former that vintage designs often sound much more musically enjoyable and less artificially 'hi-fi' than their modern counterparts.

Therefore, once one fits a superior modern stylus to such cartridges, one releases their full sonic potential, which in the case of the G800, M3D, (proper Shure) SC35C, and apparently now the M75, is quite considerable. Thus one gets the best of both worlds, by marrying the best of old and new technologies - simples! :)

It ably demonstrates that those who perpetuate the myth that 'legacy' gear is 'obsolete', don't know their arse from their elbow, and shouldn't be allowed to wander the streets alone without supervision! :eyebrows:

Marco.

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Originally Posted by Marco

It ably demonstrates that those who perpetuate the myth that 'legacy' gear is 'obsolete', don't know their arse from their elbow.

Marco.

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Eggzackly. :)

I remember someone on PFM doing a whole list of different needledrops of various cartridges - they inluded stuff like the M75ED, 10X5, Ortofon 2M Black, 1042 and a few others. Now, I'm never a big fan of doing this kind of stuff (it's very little like listening to a turntable/cart 'live') but it was a very interesting exercise nonetheless, and listening to a couple of the older cartridges in the list, it just reinforced my thoughts that some of these 'old nails' ain't that bad.

The Jico SAS tip is certainly a major upgrade - gone is that slightly soft, cuddly and laid back 75ED and in its place is a cartridge with real drive and clarity. Sounds awesome on solo piano in particular - loads of colour and body, and extremely clean on crescendi. I like it....a lot. :)

Has anyone here tried the Ed Saunders Shure stylii? I know there are a couple of satisfied users of the M75 stylus on Lenco Heaven.

http://www.edsaunders.com/shurestylus.htm

Couple more piccies...

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...DSC00051_2.jpg

The tiny-thin cantilever on the Jico SAS stylus'd Shure...

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...DSC00053_2.jpg

I'm really settling into the sound of this deck now - had a good couple of days with no distractions to sort out the feet/siting/mat/clamp/no clamp thing and have found a set-up I'm comfortable with.

The VA bearing's effect is quite subtle, and what works with one set of feet it doesn't with others, which was quite an eye-opener tbh and unexpected - ditto the clamp which worked great with the std bearing, and not with the VA one.

The deck now sounds best with the bearing in place with the VA feet, sat on my old Audiotech board (poached from the old AT table stored in the garage) which is sat upon 3 Michell spikes. As the deck is now playing music at last I'm going to leave it be for a while.

Oooohhh, an M75 :) I think I sent Hamish one of those FOC earlier this year, nice to know they can be modified ;)

PS, excellent pictures!

Do you consider yourself to be a 'box-swapper' Gromit?

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Originally Posted by YNWaN

Do you consider yourself to be a 'box-swapper' Gromit?

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Now and then I guess; I'm an amateur compared to Jerry though. :D

I'm often guilty of getting the set-up to sound just how I want it and then totally f*cking it up by swapping a component, and then the whole cycle starts again.

Hmm..that is what I wondered.