I 'found' treasure at the back of my audio junk rack
Erik Tracy
Posts: 4,673
Was cleaning out the audio junk rack today - lots of dust, never used coax/digital cables, fiber optic, firmware CDs, crappy Discwasher D4 replacement fluid.
And, I came across a cartridge container for a Grado Z1+ that I had mounted on an old Sony PSX-55 turntable that I had sold off when I upgraded to my Technics SL-1200mkII and Denon DL-160.
Well, I opened the Grado container and lo and behold - inside was the previous cartridge to the Grado - a Shure V15 Type IV. And as far as I can tell from the markings (SHURE in black lettering on a silver background) I also have the harder to find VN45MR micro ridge stylus.
Time to get a second headshell for the Technics and see how this has weathered the years in the case.
And, I came across a cartridge container for a Grado Z1+ that I had mounted on an old Sony PSX-55 turntable that I had sold off when I upgraded to my Technics SL-1200mkII and Denon DL-160.
Well, I opened the Grado container and lo and behold - inside was the previous cartridge to the Grado - a Shure V15 Type IV. And as far as I can tell from the markings (SHURE in black lettering on a silver background) I also have the harder to find VN45MR micro ridge stylus.
Time to get a second headshell for the Technics and see how this has weathered the years in the case.
H9: If you don't trust what you are hearing, then maybe you need to be less invested in a hobby which all the pleasure comes from listening to music.
Comments
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Wow. I wish I had a V15 Type IV lurking in the dust bunnies, cat fuzz and gloom...
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Those Shure V15 Type IV, used to be a really popular cartridge as I recall.
I think I even used the V15 type III back in the early 70's. -
Polkie2009 wrote: »Those Shure V15 Type IV, used to be a really popular cartridge as I recall. I think I even used the V15 type III back in the early 70's.
... and not without reason. -
V15 Type III was my preferred cart back in the day. I still have both a Type III and a Type IV cartridge but neither has a functioning stylus.
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I think that there is broadly-held opinion that the III was the zenith of Shure V-15-dom.
That said, I'd say they were all pretty darned good MM (well, actually MI, I think) phono cartridges, up to the very last. In fact, it's ironic (no pun intended) that Shure axed them as products just as interest in (ahem) "vinyls" was just starting to (ahem) wax again.
Speaking of the V-15 family... am I the only one who thinks it is a little weird that both Shure and Pickering had a series of cartridges carrying the "V-15" moniker? :-P
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Which came first I wonder?
Anyway, I have a 2nd OEM headshell on the way from KAB USA for my Technics SL-1200mkII.
I'll get this mounted up and see what happens.
Will probably start with a sacrificial LP to make sure the cartridge hasn't hardened over time to be harmful/non-playable.
If so, well, I have a 2nd headshell that I may use for a backup or upgrade.
More later.....
H9: If you don't trust what you are hearing, then maybe you need to be less invested in a hobby which all the pleasure comes from listening to music. -
Yeah, the suspension hardening up is often the bane, IME, of the super-high compliance cartridges. In my early hifi days, I used a Sonus Silver. Sonus was Peter Pritchard's (of ADC fame) company. The Sonus cartridges were wonderful -- for about 6 months. Then the suspension would stiffen and the sound got kind of edgy. I don't like edgy-sounding record reproduction :-P A new stylus would cure it -- for another 6 months or so. That got old pretty quick; I moved to a Grado that had the sound I enjoyed but seemed generally easier to live with. Used it for decades, in fact, and still have a couple of Grados in the house.
That said, I can't ever recall hearing this was a big problem with the Shures.
I'll get back to you about the V15 histories :- )
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A couple of years ago or so I found a NOS V-15 type IV for sale from a trusted source. It was not cheap by any means, but IMHO well worth it. This cartridge also has the VN-45MR stylus. Outstanding sound.
Sunfire Theater Grand IV
Sunfire Cinema Grand Signature
SRS 2.1TL
SDA 2BTL's
CSiA6
FXiA4
FXiA6
SDA 2A's
Monitor 10A's
http://www.douglasconnection.com -
I believe the "V-15" was in reference to the 15 degree vertical tracking angle when the cartridge top is parallel to the record's surface.
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very plausible -- funny that it wasn't treated as a trademark by either Pickering or Shure, isn't it? Perhaps it couldn't be trademarked* ... which would lead one to wonder why one or the other didn't come up with a different name? Well, Pickering sort of did (they had, like, XV15... blah, blah, blah models, as I recall)!
* I mean the 15 degree "rake angle" (I think that's the apt term) is a standard, isn't it?
By that rubric, couldn't most cartridges have called themselves V-15? :-P
Sorry for the diversion of this thread -- which is only sort of a diversion, I'd opine :- )
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:- )
OK, first appearance of a Pickering labeled "V-15" in the R/S catalogs is 1965:
source, of course: www.radioshackcatalogs.com 1965
Interestingly, the 1965 Allied catalog has both!
source: www.alliedcatalogs.com 1965
EDIT: ooh, now (of course) I see even that one Empire cartridge in the catalog scan above touts the 15 degree angle.
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Update.
Got a 2nd OEM Technics headshell from KAB USA - fast delivery and spent some time this morning getting the V15 mounted up and aligned using the overhang gauge w/ my 1200mkII.
Using a high power magnifying glass and some fine printed grids for sight aligning I got the overhang and azimuth set as best as possible.
Then spent some time re-setting the VTF to 1.5g w/ the brush down and then set the anti-skate to match.
Ready for the smoke test after....decades??
What to play first?
I rifled thru the records in the cabinet and decided to sacrifice an LP that my wife had as part of her collection when we first met in college back in the 80s. SSHHHHHhhhhh.....don't say anything!
Huey Lewis and the News: Sports
Still has the shrink wrap complete with the 5.98 sticker from Music Market
I don't think it has been played since 1984 when we met.
Several passes with the original Discwasher brush I got back in the 70's, then zapped with a Mapleshade anti-static gun.
Pause for a big breath as the needle lowered....the soft pop of the needle landing on the intro groove.
Reach down to turn up the volume on the amp, a bit of low level crackle before the first track started - and....
Damn - this sounds *really good*!
Balanced sound with some decent grunt down low, nice channel separation, sweet mids and mellow highs.
Toe started to tap and the grin got big. This is fun stuff and the sound is fantastic!
H9: If you don't trust what you are hearing, then maybe you need to be less invested in a hobby which all the pleasure comes from listening to music. -
Erik Tracy wrote: »Update.
Got a 2nd OEM Technics headshell from KAB USA - fast delivery and spent some time this morning getting the V15 mounted up and aligned using the overhang gauge w/ my 1200mkII.
Using a high power magnifying glass and some fine printed grids for sight aligning I got the overhang and azimuth set as best as possible.
Then spent some time re-setting the VTF to 1.5g w/ the brush down and then set the anti-skate to match.
Ready for the smoke test after....decades??
What to play first?
I rifled thru the records in the cabinet and decided to sacrifice an LP that my wife had as part of her collection when we first met in college back in the 80s. SSHHHHHhhhhh.....don't say anything!
Huey Lewis and the News: Sports
Still has the shrink wrap complete with the 5.98 sticker from Music Market
I don't think it has been played since 1984 when we met.
Several passes with the original Discwasher brush I got back in the 70's, then zapped with a Mapleshade anti-static gun.
Pause for a big breath as the needle lowered....the soft pop of the needle landing on the intro groove.
Reach down to turn up the volume on the amp, a bit of low level crackle before the first track started - and....
Damn - this sounds *really good*!
Balanced sound with some decent grunt down low, nice channel separation, sweet mids and mellow highs.
Toe started to tap and the grin got big. This is fun stuff and the sound is fantastic!
Very cool!!2 ChannelTurntable - VPI Classic 2/Ortofon 2M BlueAmplification - Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum II, Parks Audio Budgie PhonoSpeakers - GoldenEar Triton 17.2 Home TheaterDenon AVR-X3300W; Rotel RMB-1066; Klipsch RP-280F's, Klipsch RP-450C, Polk FXi3's, Polk RC60i; Dual SVS PB 2000's; BenQ HT2050; Elite Screens 120"Man CaveTurntable - Pro-Ject 2.9 Wood/Grado GoldAmplification - Dared SL2000a, McCormack DNA 0.5 DeluxeCD: Cambridge AudioSpeakers - Wharfedale Linton 85th Anniversary; LSiM 703; SDA 2A -
Family Room, Innuos Statement streamer (Roon Core) with Morrow Audio USB cable to McIntosh MC 2700 pre with DC2 Digital Audio Module; AQ Sky XLRs to CAT 600.2 dualmono amp, Morrow Elite Speaker Cables to NOLA Baby Grand Reference Gold 3 speakers. Power source for all components: Silver Circle Audio Pure Power One with dedicated 20 amp circuit to main panel.
Exercise Room, Innuos Streamer via Cat 6 cable connection to PS Audio PerfectWave MkII DAC w/Bridge II, AQ King Cobra RCAs to Perreaux PMF3150 amp (fully restored and upgraded by Jeffrey Jackson, Precision Audio Labs), Supra Rondo 4x2.5 Speaker Cables to SDA 1Cs (Vr3 Mods Xovers and other mods.), Dreadnaught with Supra Rondo 4x2.5 interconnect cables by Vr3 Mods. Power for each component from dedicated 20 amp circuit to main panel, except Innuos Statement powered from Silver Circle Audio Pure Power One.
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