Recommend me a low compliance cartridge for my Pioneer PL-L1000

So I picked up a Pioneer PL-L1000 linear tracker. Having read some things online it appears the tonearm is pretty heavy, with a effective mass around 21. This screams for something low compliance as I understand things. I do have a couple of carts here I might try but can't seem to find the info I need on them.

Shure S30 - Vinyl engine lists nothing on the compliance but suggests the M97Xe but I doubt it has anything to do with compliance. Does anyone know more about the S30's compliance?

So, what's out there at around $300 for this table that will be a proper low compliant cartridge. I can do HOMC, but not LOMC as it's being fed into a Fisher X-100-3 integrated tube amp.


thanks

 

anyone have a low compliance reccomendation?

 

Denon DL-110 isn't high compliance and you can often find new ones for $160 to $190 on eBay from reputable sellers. Lots of great reviews of that one is this recent thread. I bought two because of that thread and can vouch for it. Better all-around to my ears than the AT150MLX, Shure/JICO SAS combo, Shure V15VxMR, Ortofon 530, and some others I've heard. Actual compliance of the Denon is around 14cu, and it should resonate between 8 and 9Hz on your PL-L1000 assuming the effective mass is 21g. Cool turntable by the way. I almost bought one some years ago but chickened out because of its age. Nagaoka might have some cartridges that fit the bill too. I haven't used them but I know a lot of people like them. The MP-150 and MP-200 look interesting.

 

Basically, the quick and easy answer is if you need low compliance you use LOMC, in particular older designs. You can of course study compliance ratings and do the math, but having gone through all this, there really aren't all that many cartridges today with the compliance to match a 21g effective mass arm, so you'll narrow down your options pretty quickly. I'm sure there are low compliance MM's out there somewhere, but I'm not sure which. I'd start with a $150 Denon 103 and go from there.

If you want to use your existing phono stage, maybe look into a SUT?

 

It is a cool table for sure. Surprisingly easy to setup (unles the electronics are messed up). The arm allows for simple VTA changes too. I did look at the Nag lineup....looks like the 500 might be perfect match for it. I see we have a reseller in the group....but even at his great price I'd have to save up some.....

 

Looks like the 110 might be a good match, with a little head shell weight.....thanks for the tip!

 

I don't think Pioneer would have introduced a linear-tracking turntable in 1980 (which was a time when high compliance cartridges ruled) that would necessitate using pretty much only low compliance cartridges. I'm willing to bet that tonearm is more accommodating than that. The manual makes a point to mention the "low equivalent mass" of the tonearm, although no numbers are given. It looks like people have gotten great results with it using a variety of cartridges.

 

And this is a very, very good point as well. I didn't really think to ask why a linear tracker has a tonearm with an effective mass of a 12" broadcast arm from the 1950's.

 

i would have thought the effective mass would have been a lot less as there is a motor controlling the movement across the record, rather than being dragged by a stylus. probably need to research it a bit more. i would bet it actually likes high comp. carts.

 

The manual says it can accept cartridges that weigh as little as 4 grams. Cartridges that lightweight were almost always high compliance, IIRC.

 

FWIW, the S30 (dark green stylus assembly) had a recommended tracking force range of 0.75 to 1.50g. That means it's almost certainly high compliance, especially since that's the route Shure usually took.

 

I'm not sure you really want a low compliance cart, but if you do my favorite budget options are:

Denon DL-103(regular, R, and SA)
Ortofon SPU Classic GM
Shelter 501 III
Shure M3D/M7D
Shure SC35C
Shure M44-7 (you need a phono stage that can handle it's high output)

And don't worry that most of the above use conical stylus, one of the main advantages to linear tracking arms is they eliminate pinch effect to such a degree that stylus shape is no longer a huge issue.

 

Thanks for the replies fellas....finding these facts out are difficult for this table. While I can find no other figures other than what folks have calculated when using test records. That said, they are just other dudes on the web. That said, many think low compliance is the way to go, but alas none state fact, merely opinion.

The head shell itself weighs 10.5 grams....a little on the heavy side as the stock technics shells are about 6 grams IIRC. Oh well, luckily I have a small handful of cart around, most high to medium compliance....and mounting with this arm is super simple.

There is a guy over at AK who is said to be an expert, might send him a note and see what he thinks, I mean he offers tune up/alignment services for this table @ $350 plus shipping. Of course he also states he won't answer questions and give away his expertise for free.....maybe a cart question won't offend.

First up, ADC XLM MKII Improved.....we shall see.....check back with me here in a few days....might post some samples for your thoughts....

 

The PL-L1000 was my daily driver for a couple years. The effective mass of the tonearm is just under 15g with the OEM headshell, so it will take a variety of cartridges.

 

Excellent to hear....thank you very much.....now that I go back where the guy figured it at 21g.....he was using an AT cart which apparently lists there compliance figures at 100Hz vice 10....so the math was going to be wrong for sure.

Anyway, the manual lists the head shell at 10.5g....that leaves the arm at 5g or so...so if I swap head shells I would just add the 5g to the head shell weight to get my new effective mass?

 

Good info. The stock headshell is 10.5g but the rest of the tonearm pipe is rather short so a little under 15g seems reasonable.

Yes, just add the 4 or 5 grams to the new headshell weight.

 

Not only that but, if it's the thread I'm thinking about over at VinylEngine, he also used the tonearm/cartridge resonance test tones on the Hi-Fi News Test Record (HFN-002) which are completely inaccurate.

 

Not sure I'm following you - how heavy is the other headshell?

 

well I have several, so they vary.....I was thinking in general terms.....since they are all different....just trying to determine how the mass changes with different head shells.

 

Well, using different cartridge/headshell combinations posted by two different people (one is our own Aerobat here) in this thread and taking into account that "9Hz" is actually 8.8Hz (for most of the track until it dips inexplicably to 7.2Hz) on the HFN test record, I calculated the effective mass of the PL-L1000's tonearm at a hair under 15.7 grams both times.

Aerobat's posted numbers: 9Hz (8.8Hz actual) + 14cu (measured at 10Hz) = 23.364 grams total mass (includes stock headshell which was weighed at 9.51g) then minus 7g (cartridge weight) and 0.7g (fastener weight) = 15.664g effective mass including stock headshell

Other numbers: 9Hz (8.8Hz actual) + 11.7cu (actual compliance of an AT95E at 10Hz*) = 27.957 grams total mass (including an aftermarket headshell weighing 15.7g) then minus 5.7g (cartridge weight) and 0.4g (fastener weight) and 6.19g (additional weight of headshell vs stock one) = 15.667g effective mass including stock headshell

*In my experience, the compliance of an AT cartridge at 10Hz has been exactly the compliance specified at 100Hz multiplied by 1.8, which for the AT95E is 6.5 x 1.8 = 11.7.

 

I just bought a PL-L1000 and have a new Denon 103R that I will be using. I am using this same cartridge in upgraded form on another table I have. I like it so much I am going to try it on the Pioneer also. The price of the 103 or 103R is really hard to beat, and these carts can be upgraded for even better performance if you ever get the itch. When the 103R cart is matched to the right SUT or MC phono stage, it will really sing! (Please note that the 103 and 103R have different needs concerning SUT/phono stage):

Denon 103R impedance is 14 Ohms
Denon 103 impedance is 40 Ohms

 

FYI I determined the effective mass using a calibrated digital scale and Luckydog's Excel calculator.

 

Thanks. I was using this information you posted in that thread for the calculation I posted above but now I see what happened. The compliance number in my calculation is a little off because it was derived from the HFN test record in the first place.

 

VERY interested to hear how it sounds.

 

Excellent stuff here man,....really opens up my options.