Comparing Shure M97xE and V15 Type III

[jls001]

You won't be disappointed You have nice collection of Analog equipment.

This will now get fast tracked and jump the queue among the many ongoing projects. After the Hypnotoad experience, I do have high hopes from the CNC.

 

[jls001]

I hope with this you have reached your destination.

That's the thought. Or so I think

 

[stevieboy]

Congrats Joshua! That's a very nice cart indeed. The newer ones come with 4 pins. What arm are you using it with?

Regards

 

[jls001]

Congrats Joshua! That's a very nice cart indeed. The newer ones come with 4 pins. What arm are you using it with?

Regards

I'm using the Encounter.

 

[stevieboy]

Joshua,

Will be very interested in hearing about your impressions after days using the encounter without any damping...

Regards

 

[jls001]

Will be very interested in hearing about your impressions after days using the encounter without any damping...

Encounter doesn't have any damping mechanism. Unless it has something hidden out sight

 

[stevieboy]

Hehe I know. That's why I wanted to know how it did on an undamped arm. As far as I know most Deccas have been used on damped arms, a lot of unipivots and linear trackers.

You have the decca I have the damping kit. Wanna switch Ah someday I'll save up enough to buy one...

Regards

 

[jls001]

You have the decca I have the damping kit. Wanna switch Ah someday I'll save up enough to buy one...

You run SME 3009, right? Or is it the 3012?

I have 3009/S1 in running condition. I will try the Decca SG on it and give you feedback. If it's the 3012 you have, then I won't be able to do any test in the near future as my 3012 (S2) needs some parts to get it going.

I have a feeling it should work on 3009/S1 and 3012/S2 since both arms are on heavier side.

 

[stevieboy]

No sweat. Dont take it off the encounter. I thought you had got a unipivot for the decca that's why I asked you which arm. As far as the SME goes it's not the arm weight that will count. It's more the bearings. It does ok on the SME 3012 but the knife edge is not ideal.

Regards

 

[Dr.Bass]

Joshua, I am eagerly waiting for your impressions of this cart especially on not so good records and not so good recordings. Reviews have always scared me from trying one.

 

[santhosh]

Abhi, I am afraid you need two arms and two carts to do everything that you want

 

[stevieboy]

So Joshua,

Thrown any dirty heavy modulated records at it yet? By the way what are you doing with your SME 3012? Which parts are you waiting for? And yeah pics please of the Decca so we can drool a bit

Regards

 

[jls001]

So Joshua,

Thrown any dirty heavy modulated records at it yet? By the way what are you doing with your SME 3012? Which parts are you waiting for? And yeah pics please of the Decca so we can drool a bit

Regards

I tried Melody Gardot's My One And Only Thrill, bought new, already warped when removed for the first time from its jacket, and so still warped. Surprisingly, it can handle the warps as the warp is not too severe (and by virtue of any arm being able to move up and down - to a limit - as may be required by the record surface), but it gets stuck to the groove at two points. I don't specifically recall whether it used to get stuck at these two points as this is record doens't see much play due to the warp. I experimented with heavier tracking force but it doesn't help. I also changed antiskate a bit but that doesn't help either.

I also tried a Peggy Lee Greatest Hits which has lots of surface noise. This record was borderline unlistenable with other cartridges too and it is plain unlistenable with the Super Gold. In fact the whole of the right channel seems to be a wall of surface noise with the Super Gold. So it's not forgiving of clicks, pops and surface noise.

Let me dig out a few more warped and hissy records to be sure.

Regarding the 3012, I need antiskate weight, tracking force weight and may be the rod that connects the arm tube to the counterweight portion of the arm. Wire is in fairly good shape and the bottom already has the RCA adaptors.

 

[Dr.Bass]

Joshua, play some 70s rock like Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan kinds which are typically thin sounding and need some help from the cart to sound rich enough to listen. Typically MM carts help with these kind of recordings. How does it sound on Decca vs ZYX vs Kontrapunkt ? You can even bring average pop recordings to the party.

 

[jls001]

Joshua, play some 70s rock like Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan kinds which are typically thin sounding and need some help from the cart to sound rich enough to listen. Typically MM carts help with these kind of recordings. How does it sound on Decca vs ZYX vs Kontrapunkt ? You can even bring average pop recordings to the party.

Will dig out some 60s, 70s and 80s rock and give them a spin. I am trying to pick out warped records to try.

LedZep: I don't have a single LedZep record. Never did like them And good for me too as LedZep records sell for a huge premium.

Dylan: I should be having quite a few. Will clean them up and give them a spin too.

 

[jls001]

I haven't dug out any of the promised records but even without the benefit of those records, it is now clear that the London Super Gold tend to get stuck on less-than-good records. But on good records it really rocks the house. So if your collection has a lot of such less than stellar records that you must listen, this cartridge is not the right one for you.

Here's a solution: rig up a second arm for your favourite (forgiving) cartridge-arm combo, and dedicate the main arm for the SG. Or think on the lines of a well damped unipivot arm. Both options are not straightforward and involve fresh investment, but I believe the results would be worth it.

 

[Dr.Bass]

Joshua, more than bad records it is about badly recorded records. Talk about Rolling Stones or Bruce springsten , their recordings have always been crappy, add to that if we buy it second hand then the record has some surface noise and groove damages. Denon 103 will still allow one enjoy the music, what about London ?

 

[jls001]

Some "glamour" shots of the Decca London Super Gold cartridge:


Frontal view:

Side view: the red thingie is plastic. Surprisingly it (plastic) feels quite flimsy and well, plasticky. The cartridge body is some metallic sheet (not Aluminium, IIRC).

Another side view. I could use shorter screws but don't have any in stock. And I don't want to file them short as I keep swapping cartridges.
Note that the blue tonearm wire is unconnected. The Decca is internally wired to make use of only 3 wires unlike other conventional cartridges that use 4. It is very difficult to see the stylus as it barely peeps out from the lower surface of the cartridge body. The gap between the body and record surface is really tight. So it is bye bye to warped records.

 

[jls001]

The London migrated to another arm (SME 3009/I). Plays surprisingly well. In fact it tracks better than it does on the OL Encounter. No loss of dynamics and pace (which I was afraid it might).

Will try it on the OL Silver too one of these days (in the interest of advancing audio knowledge, you know)