P-Mount Cartridges

The vivid line stylus that I tried last year for my Stanton sounded horrific at low tracking forces.

 

What did you end up tracking it at to get it to sound right?

 

I returned it. I had been planning to use it in a pmount table so the fact that it would not track at 1.25 made it useless to me. It looked beautiful under a microscope. Bonded though, not nude mounted.

lpgear recommended a higher tracking force, but I didn't try it since it didn't work for my application. The much less expensive eliptical that I have for the dtl2 works fairly well att 2.5g.

 

Not that I have ever seen. That’s pretty rare for any aftermarket stylus.

 

Once Grado releases the Prestige2 line in P Mount, I'll be first in line to get a Black2. I wasn't that impressed with either the Prestige or the Prestige1 line, but last week Grado released the Prestige2 series and I bought a Black2 in 1/2" version. The improvement in the high end over the prior two iterations is stunning. The Black2 rose to the top of the budget cartridge list (and it outperforms cartridges costing hundreds more--really amazing). I really want it in P Mount form now, but I can't see it available online anywhere.

If the Black2 performs as well in my undamped Technics P Mount arm as the 1/2" version does in my fluid-damped SL-1200 arm, it will represent the most exciting thing to happen to P Mount decks in twenty or thirty years. Just not sure how much of a contribution to listenability the damping of the SL-1200 arm adds to the Prestige2 line. I've never heard one in an undamped arm and I don't really want to disconnect my damping paddle to find out. #PITA.

 

The auction site has a few new old stock Pickering XSP/3003 - original Stereohedron stylus - listed right now. I haven't heard it, but it is probably one of the finest P-mount carts ever made. (If it has stiffened it may not be perfect now at 1.25g.) There are a few used ones listed too. You can still get aftermarket styli to fit it too, but not a real Stereohedron tip. It's the P-mount version of the XSV/3000.

 

I bought one in the last year and I love it.

 

I emailed Grado, and they said no P-Mounts for the Prestige2 line.

 

Dammit!!!!!!

Thanks for that info, though.

 

So, anyway, both Needle Doctor and 4OurEars (the official Grado store) list a P Mount version. I’m wondering if Grado’s customer service person who answered the email might have made a mistake.

I ordered one, anyway. We’ll see what happens.

 

Needle Doctor confirmed with me in an email that they have the Black2 P Mount "plug in" version in stock. All I am going to say about this is that it appears that Grado customer service, dismal as ever, has struck again!!!

 

Just received email confirmation from the official Grado store, 4OurEars, has shipped my Grado Black2 P Mount.

 

I noticed that Elusive Disc has the new version of the p-mount as well.
Grado Prestige 1 Black MM Cartridge 5.0mV (P-Mount)-Elusive Disc

 

My 737-E- with the D74S stylus was fantastic for years (and I still use it once in a while with that old stylus on it - it still sounds great) - there's a NOS D74S on sale for a little over $100 now. I understand many of those Pickering/Stanton OEM styli had suspension issues.

 

One of my two top carts is the XSV/4000, which I purchased new c.1979 and still has original Stereohedron stylus since I used it sparingly - it was precious to me - and four Pf.. aftermarket ellipticals specially labeled for it and including new brushes. Same as 881S. Its suspension was/is always ok. I think it has stiffened a bit. I've never heard anything better that I would pay for (with the original stylus). The 3003 or XSV/3000 came a little later and, afaik, was just a 4000 that maybe did not meet the 4000 spec, but maybe did. Being out of 4000 spec would be a 1/2 db off some 4000/881S spec, and a quarter cheaper. The Pickerings did not enclose the lab test that the 881S may have included in its box for 25% more.

 

Glad to hear customer service was incorrect

I think my question to them was clear enough: "Are P-Mount versions of your new Prestige2 series available yet?"

The response: "Pmounts will not be available in v2 versions"

Anyway, sorry for relaying incorrect info to the group

 

I concur; pretty useless in a T4P setup.

The LP Gear Vivid Line in an ADC cart I have failed the distortion tracks on my test record miserably until I got it up to approx. 2g. At 2g it is tracking marvelously, sings and comes up clean as a whistle after playing a properly cleaned LP. A Vivid Line in one of my Stantons is pretty much the same story. LP Gear states distortion is likely if it's not aligned properly. They harp on the alignment. To my ears a much bigger problem will be had if the VTF is not high enough. I use a linear tracking tonearm so alignment was spot on. That didn't mean a hill of beans until the VTF was where it needed to be.

 

Well, no need for early apologies. I have yet to see what actually arrives to me in the mail. Hold tight!

 

That looks like the old version since it has the number "1" in it.

 

D4000 is a nude tip while the D3000 is a bonded tip--that's one basic difference. Also resistance and inductance figures for the XSV/3000 are a little different than the XSV/4000. They are all pretty amazing cartridges. I've got the XSV/3000, XSV/4000 and XSV/5000. I'm pretty sure I like the XSV/4000 the best. I just retipped a D4000 with a Shibata tip on a hardened aluminum cantilever and it really sounds amazing--a bit more aggressive than the original D4000 which is right in between laid back and aggressive--mostly laid back but also snappy compared to the XSV/3000 and even the 881.

 

That's what I thought at first, but this is what it shows on there website info for this version:

" New & Improved Prestige 1 Series!

The Black model uses a three piece OTL cantilever technology, standard oxygen free wire in the coils and Grado's specially designed elliptical diamond mounted in a brass bushing.

Upgraded Prestige 1 Model:
In the cartridge body the number of turns of wire in the coils have been cut back. This improves the path that the current must travel to carry the signal. The shorter the signal path increases the speed and lowers signal distortion thus improving the accuracy of the signal. The control of the resonance of the coils has also been improved. Grado has taken what they have learned from their wooden series and found a way to incorporate that into the Prestige series. With the potting of the coils, as in wooden series, this decreases vibration lowering noise and distortion within the coils.

In the stylus, Grado has vigorously worked and accurately lowered the mass of the moving parts in the stylus by 17%. This decrease in mass in the stylus allows for enhanced tracking with improved imaging, giving a quicker more accurate reproduction of the music. All this was achieved while keeping that world famous Grado sound, the warm, smooth, full bodied, non-fatiguing and rich sound qualities!"

So I honestly can't say for sure if this is the same cartridge as you ordered...but it does seem odd they would use that type of wording. Hopefully the one you ordered is the correct one.

 

That's the old type for when the Prestige1 series was introduced over the original Prestige series.

 

Thanks for that info. You would think Grado would have the info on their website for these newer versions. But they still show the Prestige 1 as well.
Now I'm anxious to see if the one you receive is truly the Prestige 2.

 

Hi jeffmo789, Your most welcome, although you may notice that I have changed my avatar today and I will also be changing my username to reflect my total change of direction as I have now fully ditched analogue and I have now fully embraced all things digital, have fun.

 

Ta DAAAAAAA!!!





DC resistance readings show that it is not just a repackaged Black1. Interestingly, the cartridge does not have the shiny brush-applied finish over the black plastic that the 1/2" model has.

This reminds me of a quote.

"Don't believe everything you read on internet forums (and from Grado customer service)"

--Abraham Lincoln