Shure, Audio Technica, or Ortofon Carts?

If I could afford to get one, the SoundSmith iRox line would be my choice. That cartridge for me would be a sensible high end option which should be rugged enough for me, and be high performance in the bargain.

 

On Shure, arguably my favorite happy medium cartridge they ever made, is the M 75ED. The most cartridge for the least money in the day. The classic Shure musicality with excellent tracking, low distortion, and does so much so right. I prefer it to the M97xE. And Jico has superb stylus options for it.

 

Well, more than one year later... My turntable is now a Technics SL-D1 with an Audio Technica AT440MLb on an Ortofon headshell. Sounds excellent, but any worn or ever so slightly-too-warped album, it falls flat on the ground. But, I am pleased with the sound it gives on albums that are playable.

 

You took the words out of my mouth! The AT440mlb has been a godsend. It has extracted more info from my records than any other cart I've owned. The usual accusations of brightness are true...up till the 40th hour of playing. Then it sounds buttery smooth and cleaner. This is the cart that sounds better and better as you play it. Oh, and that IGD? Gone forever.

 

Here's an advantage for the Shure M97xe which I rediscovered yesterday. I was playing an LP which had a slight ripple edge warp and everytime the stylus would go across it, it would make kind of a thud-thud sound and after awhile, it skipped. In the past, I would just increase the stylus pressure and anti-skate which would atleast stop the skipping. Normally, I have the hydraulic dampening brush locked in the up position. I clicked it down an increased tracking .5g and it played the edge-warped LP beautifully and the thud-thud was gone. Reminds me of my old 1969 RCA stereo. The turntable had a floating/hinged cartridge inside the headshell with a pad on the forward edge of the headshell. The headshell rode on the record and as it went up and down, the cartridge followed the groove perfectly. I never had a record I couldn't play if it was warped. And, a record never got damaged being played on my RCA changer and I still have most of those records today, still in mint condition.
It's too bad that most other cartridge manufacturers don't have the foresight to integrate a hydraulic dampener into their cartridges.

 

One interesting thing I've found with microline stylii (AT-150mlx & AT-33ptg/ii) is that aside from the improved playback of vintage/worn records, they tend to conversely accentuate the defects in poorly pressed records, i.e. the vast majority of what's pumped out of two infamous North American pressing plants that I'm tired of naming.

Non-fill is loud and clear and that rub/swoosh from being pressed off center is painfully apparent, the spurs at the bottom of the groove go tick tick tick and that high frequency distortion (guitar solos) not present in the European versions pressed by Optimal and MPO burns your ears. The ML is pretty much the quickest and easiest deciding factor for whether I keep a record or not. No tweaking alignment, no overhang adjustment, no change in VTF/VTA. I don't need to endlessly second guess my setup because the ML simply won't let a substandard money-grab pass because the apple is rotten to the core.

 

You might try the Shure M97xE for improved sound. The built-in hydraulic dampener w/carbon fiber brush helps a lot with the defects in pressing and especially if the record has a slight warp.. It doesn't help much with the sound of swoosh and rumble in the Optimal pressings. Using a lower quality of vinyl in addition to their used worn-out presses and noisy cutting lathes is hard to cover up. Maybe if they used better quality vinyl and newer presses in better shape like Pallas and RTI uses Optimal might even come up to the records pressed by Record Industry. The Optimal pressings are pretty annoying to me and I avoid them like inexperienced pressing companies as QRP is.
In doing thousands of needle-drops and listening through high quality headphones makes these annoyances even more evident making it often necessary to do extra processing. If listening through loudspeakers the shortcomings caused by the poor pressings is way less evident.

 

I've never had any problems with QRP and they have pressed some of the cleanest records I own. Optimal issues are usually fixed with a return as sometimes it's just a bad batch. I'm referring to two very infamous North American pressing plants that often times even multiple exchanges can't fix. One of those plants (the one in California) that I reached out to recently actually wrote me back so hopefully they can get me sorted out. The other one (the really big one closer to the east coast) never wrote me back when I contacted them about serious issues with the vinyl in an entire reissue series and I didn't appreciate that and consequently avoid them as much as possible because I don't believe that they take QC seriously at all.

I've actually got a Shure V15Vmr type IV but haven't used it that much, it has the flip down brush.

 

The flip-down brush is also a dampener. I have had countless issues with QRP issues, but then I buy more records than most. Multiple exchanges have not been successful. When one record has a problem with, say, one side being off-center, the entire production run is the same way. Even when posting multiple videos on YouTube of the tone arm swinging as it played they couldn't understand what I was talking about. They sent me new copies and had me send the first ones back, which I did. The replacements were no different. They wanted me to send them back again, but I realized they were a bunch of idiots and dropped the issue.
Of the 2 main pressing plants in California, RTI and Rainbo, I've never had any problems communicating with Rick Hashimoto of RTI and Steve Sheldon of Rainbo. If I had questions about anything they do, they understood what I was asking and answered my questions to my satisfaction. They are both very concerned with QC and are proud of the care they take.
I've never tried to contact the other pressing giant, URP in Nashville, but am familiar with their pressing quality being spotty. I've never had a problem with URP's pressings of 3rd Man Records, but CBS-Sony group pressings can be dismal. One thing you have to understand, the results of record pressing is what the issuin/re-issuing record company ordered. They choose vinyl material quality, supply the lacquers, choose they packaging material(with Rainbo, you can get a record in a plain paper inner sleeve to a poly-lined one as good or better than you get from RTI) and to what degree of QC. Most pressing companies have their own basic QC.
I have tried contacting QRP and AP, but have only been able to get as far as their Acoustic Sounds division. Having bought their records directly, I was appalled at their haphazard shipping department and the materials they use. They clearly are not up to par as other mail-order retailers.

 

Something I've noticed, virtually all of my newer records seem to have more "whooshing" surface noise thsn anything. Not sure why. Bad quality control? Bad pressing machines? Who knows?... The only ones without much, if any surface noise is my Pallas press of Nirvana MTV Unplugged and the red marbled version of Stay Hungry by Twisted Sister.

 

That noise is often attributed to non-fill, presses strained/run too hot, or cutting corners at the plating stage. You'd probably have to do a needledrop and talk to someone that actually works at a plant to get to the bottom of the specific cause. Non-fill is usually pretty obvious though.

 

I actually just heard from Steve at Rainbo about an LP I had issues with and he's going to take care of it. My opinion of them has definitely improved but I tend to wonder if they get enough direct feedback from customers as I doubt complaints to the label actually find their way back to the plant manager. Out of numerous records I've bought from "the giant" only two were really good pressings so I have only low expectations for them, even with the Jack White associated products.

What QRP pressings have you had issues with? Two or three titles would suffice.

 

How about almost the entire run of their QRP Creedence Clearwater Revival 200g re-issues. The original AP issues were pressed by RTI and were perfect. My biggest most obvious complaint was most of the records being off-center on atleast one side. Another oddity that I found with the QRP CCR releases is with the final new CCR album "Mardi Gras", they used the wrong style of Fantasy record labels. With that album, Fantasy had changed from their old blue label to the next generation brown label with their new logo. My first-day release and promotional copy are both the new style brown label. QRP used the old-style blue label like all CCR's previous albums. For a company who strives to get the look correct, they fell flat on their faces on this one.
Here's a video I posted on the QRP CCR LP:

Here's another video that someone else posted:
Quality Record Pressing - NOT

 

What I've found is that if the label or distributor doesn't give a quick response then contact the plant directly. If your timing is good then they may still have some extra to send you. But if it's from a run that's long since over then just get a refund and move on. Even the notorious GZ vinyl has cleaned up their act (in the last two years) so it's possible that QRP's more recent QC has improved. I have a blue vinyl RTI pressing of Magician's Birthday that's insanely off center but I waited too long to open it up so it's on me. Rick at RTI was pretty shocked to see the pictures. I need to try drilling it out at some point.

Another issue that happens is that the plating is done by one plant but the pressing is done by another. Look for that warbled/over-cooked deadwax and the customary dimples and you know that you've got a Tennessee treat in disguise. Listen to that sweet static hiding at the bottom of the groove and let it wash over you like tar on a white car.

 

My QRP CCR albums were hot off the presses, being pre-ordered and they probably didn't do more than I run. My 2nd set arrived a month later and was the same, not any better. Problems are supposed to be picked up with the test pressings before the official run proceeds. QRP, from looking at the stampings in the trail-off, used the metal mothers made by RTI. QRP made their own stampers from those, so that could be where the problem started.

Finding a record with only one side being off-center is common and usually affects it's entire run, caused by a poor set-up. I don't know who pressed it, but here's the late soundtrack LP of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens", put out by Walt Disney Records(who now owns the Star Wars franchise) and this was a replacement for the first copy I received. Talking about off-center:



Here is a video of the first copy I received, which had a nasty scratch in it. Don't know if you've seen it, but these had a hologram etched in the trail-off, like was in Jack Black's 'super record'. Incidentally, the company I got them from, Pop Market, didn't want either album back and just gave me a refund.

Poor quality of Walt Disney Records

 

According to Discogs these were pressed by GZ in the Czech Republic and considering that they press at a volume far above most other pressing plants I'm not surprised at all. I suppose you could email them but probably would have better luck with the vendor or label/distributor. But the bottom line is that if the plant never hears about it, then they don't know about these problems and will never address these issues. As I'm sure you know plants don't accept returns so there is very little recourse for label once an order is filled.

As far as QRP, Chad Kassem seems pretty serious about getting access to original tapes and audio quality in general so I doubt he is ok with junk going out their door. I would contact QRP directly and let them know you are not happy with their product.

 

Many of the pressing companies don't respond to or affirm inquiries concerning their quality control issues. Not all are as conscientious or interested in feedback as RTI or Rainbo who will respond in a heartbeat. I can't imagine a pressing company doing as much volume as Rainbo, who is expanding with hiring more employees and bringing more equipment online. Is there anyone at GZ who is fluent in U.S. English?

I haven't found a way to contact QRP directly. Haven't got any further than AP, the parent company. It would probably be useless anyway. It is obvious, when I provide them with hard evidence, they can't understand what the problem is. I think that their attitude is that they've put out some great re-issues using other pressing companies initially and one day they decided to due their own pressing. They self-admittedly bought used, worn out presses so what more could you expect?

 

I own both the Shure M97xE and the AT120.

The AT120 is much better sounding. Digs deeper and cymbals splash instead of crash. It isn't much money either.

 

Several people have complained about quality slipping at QRP. My hunch is they took on too much work for 3rd parties.

 

They post their phone number...if they screwed up I'd give them a call. If they really doled out frisbees like United, I'd drive 3 hours and drop it on their doorstep...it's probably good that I live nowhere near the Circle U ranch.

 

A properly matched tonearm compliance wise to your cartridge does this just fine. Shure's idea of the dynamic stabilizer is a great idea, and also helped their catridge function better on arms where they were otherwise on the edge of optimum.. I have several torture test records which tracked fine at less than 2 grams with the Stanton 681A back then.

 

Really happy with the Shure m97xE that I got just before prices went crazy. Also got a spare stylus, the n97xE, $59, with free shipping, at Musician's Friend.

I can only make a statement on the performance of this cartridge- have not listened to an Ortofon. The AT95E is a very, very bright cartridge, certainly compared to the Shure. But if you like a warm, nice sounding cart, the Shure is the one. Additionally, it will not mistrack, ever. Yet to fail.

 

It's a matter of physics. With the modern magnetic cartridges the stylus is not mounted solidly so the shaft can move, following a surface which may not be perfectly flat. Acoustic and other older cartridges which used solidly mount needles depended on weight to keep them in the groove. On a record which wasn't perfectly flat, the solidly mounted needles would dig into the dig into the groove as it hit the rise and then fly off at the peak if the tracking weight was too light and would gouge as it came down to the flat surface again.
For every action, there is a reaction. The dynamic stabilizer not only acts as a shock absorber but where it rides on the record is also a cleaning brush. Normally, on a fairly flat record(which is getting rare these days), I have the dynamic stabilizer in the up, locked position. My records are clean, so I don't need the brush. This is on my manual turntables and I don't use the cue lever. Now, on my Accutrac +6 turntable, which is programmable and fully automatic, even though it has a controlled viscous drop, I use the dynamic stabilizer on the Shure M97xe cartridge mounted in it. With the "J" shape, low mass tone arm, it also helps with the tracking. On my Dual 506, the dynamic stabilizer is a necessity, due to a straight-shaft tone arm.

 

I recently tried out the new AT95EX, which uses a body from their new VM family. I am not impressed and prefer my Shure M97xe for my main cartridge.

 

Just got an Ortofon 2M Bronze. It has like five hours on it, so it’s not broken in yet. I’ve read a lot of “meh” reviews of he 2M line, and I’m not sure why. I really like it so far, and I’m really impressed with how it tracks. I have a reissue album that is notorious for sibilance on the first track. I heard it with MM and MC Sumiko carts, and two different Nagaokas. The 2M Bronze really tamed the sibilance. I was going to get rid of the album but now I can listen to it again.