Thoughts on Stanton 681EEE

[DSJR]

Well, my re-education of products I wrote off years ago continues. Sometimes truly surprising, as in the Shure M3D/N21 combination which is SO good when everything (plus old memories) tells me it shouldn't be...

Marco has been recommending the 681EEE for some time and some of you may remember my questioning this, as distant memories, plus a raft of HiFi Choice reviews, basically wrote this old 'un off back in the late seventies, some self-respect returning with the 881S model and it's sibling, the Pickering V3000 I think.

Well, I don't have spare finances to buy a brand new "Series 3" EEE, but I found a mint 681EEE mk1 stylus in my cartridge "junk" box and set about finding a suitable body. This was found on ebay, incorrectly sold as a 650AL - a model which doesn't exist. I bought it for well under a fiver including post & packing, sent registered yet being shoved in our letter box when we were out nonetheless................

I've just got round to mating thirty year old stylus with twenty year old body (I don't believe the bodies have changed over the years), removed the sadly microphonic B&O SP12 from it's slide (good old cartridge despite this if a little "soft" for me these days) and setting up for a listen - I'll post pics later. I used the little plastic mounts on the cartridge and screwed in from the top, having many sets of different sized "Dual" cartridge screws. I forgot all about trying 1 gramme tracking as I did at the time and set tracking to 1.3 grammes to start with.

I've been listening to Alan Parsons' "Turn of a Friendly Card" as this is one I'd neglected and don't even have on CD (!!!). I started with the lovely Ortofon M20FL Super (NOS stylus), which has reminded me just how good MM cartridges can be when compared with more exotic affair. This model got a straight Best Buy when Martin Colloms reviewed it and I must admit to liking it then, just as the market was being flooded with Moving Coil models, including the Ortofon MC10 Super, which I think sold for less money. This little Ortofon, along with its M20E Super sibling, is a stunning sounding device, with clean bass (no heavy overhang or boom) and is starting to climb a bit in value (I was very lucky to find a genuine stylus for well under £100, as many in the US sell for far more..).

Anyway, on to the Stanton. I was expecting a dull and thick presentation (like the Ortofom M15E series could do before the M20 came along). What I wasn't expecting is the ease with which the music is delivered. Sure, the top isn't plentiful, but neither is it distant and an "afterthought" as it can be with the well-regarded B&O cartridges, which need high summer UK temperatures to come to life. Alan Parsons' studio techniques and eq were reproduced clearly, but not unpleasantly. The mid is superb, even on this old stylus found in a box, vocals being incredibly clear and very easy to follow, even with iffy diction (something we oldie Aspergics can have difficulty with - I've already catalogued my hearing as being down in sensitivity from "2KHz to 9KHz at least). I got to end of side 2 (listened to first) and side 1 is playing as I type. The kitchen sink mixing of this album doesn't faze this cartridge at all and neither do I have the slightest inclination to remove the EEE and go back to something else - how strange The bass ain't bad either. This album doesn't have much bass extension, but the bass guitars are tactile and their melodic contributions are clear and easy to follow, even at side end... The only thing that shows this pickup's age is tracking of intense sibilants and snappy closed Hi-Hat strikes, AP's over eq-ing of these sometimes catching the stylus out. Oh, the arm is slightly down at the rear as well, due to the Stanton's tallness of body.

Not a "proper" review, but I think I can say that Marco has done it again!!! Grrrrr!!! When finances allow, I'm determined to try either a NOS EEE mk2S fine-line stylus or even see if I can get an 881S stylus, as this latter cures the falling response "issue." A definite candidate for the Rega R200 on the TD125 I think

Conclusion - I'd be lost without my old HiFi Choice books, but the conclusions drawn by some of these "experts" must be taken in context, where exalted price tags mean almost as much as outright performance. Even if the EEE doesn't quite match the master-tape's neutrality, it makes up with by its relaxed communication ability. Well worth a punt at its available price (and now the AT440MLa has gone up more than currency fluctuations allow...

[Marco]

Great stuff, Dave. I'm glad it worked out for ya!

Now and again I get these things right....

I've moved your thread because for me it is a 'proper' review and so deserves to be in the correct section of the forum.

I'll comment more later after my dinner.

Marco.

[Themis]

Thanks for the (re)view Dave !


*all this really inspires me on trying a different cartridge*

[DSJR]

Awww shucks.....

Some of the better reviews of the seventies and eighties were done using a master source and a record cut carefully from this. The better reviewers had tapes of decent material either given or lent by record companies, together with a Dolby A playback unit. Even then, politics reared its ugly head and many reviews should be read by what isn't said, rather than what is.

I'm cross that Linn & co all but took over the UK turntable market in the UK, as so many great products came and went without proper recognition. In terms of cartridges, we had the JVC X-2, which was great for a mid-priced cartridge and better, if not as characterful, as
the A&R E/P77, or my then bassy favourite Rega R100 (bassup/top down balance, whereas the Goldring made RB100 which replaced it was severely treble down in balance - like a finer version of the Elan and Elektra).

The one cartridge we HATED but Martin Colloms loved was the Technics EPC 205 Mk3. Looking back, Martin was absolutely correct, as the preferred models now sound "wrong." He may have acted as a "consultant" on it though, to advise on the temperature sensitivity of its predecessor (he did some work for Technics on their amp range some years later I understand).

The thing with the 681EEE is that its gentler top balance may not work with some systems in the same way the rather more assertive AT 440MLa doesn't work with others. I'd like to try the new Ortofon MM's, despite the "me too" price tags, as the OM and 500 series models could sound brilliant (I found a new 510mk2 when looking for the Stylus).

[WOStantonCS100]

When I first got this cart back from SoundSmith, my 681EEE was a bit sibilant and did not get on well with mega bass. I did consider the fact that I sent Peter an old stylus/cart of unknown history and age, having gotten it second hand. After trying to tame the artifacts for a while, I went back to my SoundSmith retipped Trackmaster... ...gleefully, as it continues to do almost everything right.

Last night, after many months and swappinig out tables (one 1200 for another) I thought I'd give it another go. And, "bang" there it all was!! Spot on. It's still not an 881, of course, and has the "681 moving iron Stanton" signature(?); but, overall there is more detail, everywhere (expected and welcome). It also tracks like a crazed and hungry pack wolf. I'm glad I didn't give up on this cart.

What went wrong? The variable that changed was the tonearm; not an SME for a Graham or anything like that; but, one stock Techy arm (w/ KAB Fluid Damper) for another stock Techy arm (w/ KAB Fluid Damper). Although, not obvious, like loose bearings, the only thing I can surmise is that something, somewhere is very much out of spec on that other Techy arm, which may be visiting a skip in short order.

[Rare Bird]

Biff
Do you know if NOS Pickering 'D11-S' Stereohedron styli are still available?

[WOStantonCS100]

Biff
Do you know if NOS Pickering 'D11-S' Stereohedron styli are still available?

Hmmm... I'd have to check some sources. There is; however, a very sad story about Stanton. Essentially, Henry J. (I think the "j" stands for jack-you-know-what) of Gibson guitars, whom I have zero respect for, has sadly (angering-ly) taken over Stanton. This man has a great record for running companies he buys into the ground, to the point of non-existence. Stanton carts, I fear are done. I hope I'm wrong; but, everywhere I look I see "unavailable" or "discontinued".

[Rare Bird]

Ive given up looking for '681EEE' styli tbh, Im using a NOS Pickering '625E' Styli as a temporary measure. I don't think there's much chance of sourcing a 'D11-S' Styli so i fear i may have to move on from this cartridge soon as i refuse to use compatable styli.

[WOStantonCS100]

Another option is to get a cheap as chips aftermarket conical replacement and send it to SoundSmith, or maybe Dom will retip it. It won't technically be "a Stanton/Pickering"; but, most likely it will sound good, very good.

[Rare Bird]

Biff
The trouble with that is cost, i don't want to spend that much money on a Styli, my days of spending on stereo's are over, even the £70 i paid for the Pickering Styli was more than i wanted..