LP Gear "Vessel" Cartridges

Has anyone here tried one of these? They seem to have been introduced in the past year but I can't find a lot of info or feedback about them apart from a few comments on other forums.

There are four models, all using the same exact cartridge body, but with different stylus options.

The basic model is $99 and has what appears to be a hyper-elliptical stylus (7.6µm × 15.5µm). The next model up is $260 and has a line contact stylus.

Not sure who makes these either, but they look somewhat similar to the Shelter 201 apart from the plastic on the cartridge body.

See here:

The Vessel A3SE cartridge

One thing I notice looking at the specs is that the inductance and output of the cart is a bit lower than most popular MM carts these days. Output is 3.0 MV which seems a bit low. Not sure if that would translate to more noise in the playback chain due to the need for increased volume or gain.

 

They even have a variation with a ruby cantilever. Very interesting. That body has been made for at least 30 years, but by who?

 

Hmm, I had no idea the body had been around that long. It is very similar looking (minus plastic) to the Shelter 201 and Sumiko Pearl. Those cartridges are higher output though, so I would guess the internals would be different.

 

The earliest example of that cartridge that I am aware of is the Coral 555. Coral used to make cartridges for other manufacturers as well as themselves, but have been out of business (as far as I know) for quite awhile. I had a Garrott Brothers cartridge that used that motor in the 90's. It appears that Garrott still uses that motor. It was a fine sounding cartridge.

I'm sure that you are right about the internals being different, but the different stylus/magnet assemblies can change the output also.

Here's a link to the 1979 Coral 666-EX.
CORAL 666-EX

Looks a bit familiar?

 

That Coral cart looks very similar to the Sumiko Pearl. Specs are slightly different but look close. Never seen one of those before either.

Where are the magnets on the stylus assembly? These carts use the Shure-style stylus assemblies with the long brass rod thing that inserts into the cart body.

 

The magnets are connected to the cantilever, behind the suspension. Smaller magnets (less mass) can track better/retrieve more detail than larger magnets, but have smaller voltage output. The stylus shank hides, and holds all of this together.

 

Gotcha. The magnets are not obvious on my Shure M35X either (same brass rod style). On the AT styli I use on my old Signet cart, the magnets are on the cantilever and very visible.

I came close to pulling the trigger on one of these Vessel carts this morning but decided to hold off an just order a replacement stylus for my main cart instead. I may or may not try one in the future...would like to see more feedback from forum members on them. They certainly look intriguing and the base model might be a bargain.

 

I've got a Shure SC35C with the Paradox mod. I have tried 3 different stylus types on it, and ended up with three different output voltages & sonic presentations. All from the same cartridge body.

I'm starting to think that the cartridge body is like a camera body, and the stylus assembly is the lens.

 

My experience is the same. I've tried at least three different styli on my Signet TK3EA. All sounded different. Does the 35C have the same body type as the 35X? If so, do you mind explaining what types of styli you have used on it? So far I have only tried the stock stylus. I tried to find a Jico that would match but none appeared to be compatible.

 

The SC35C and M35X are essentially the same body. Both cartridges have the same electrical specifications and shank size of the Shure V15 RS & Shure V15VxMR. The Shure M97XE has the same shank size, but different electrical specifications.

I've used the Shure N35X, Shure N97XE, and a Jico Hyper-Elliptical from TTN. Shure VN5xMR type JICO Brand HyperElliptical Stylus- our Needle 77x3-DHE

I really liked the sound of the N35X until it got to the last track, and IGD made it's presence known.

I didn't have much luck with the N97XE. I may have had a bad sample.

The TTN VN5XMR HE is very nice. It is said to be from Jico, but lacks the soldered suspension wire that more expensive Jico's sport.

I have not tried any of the SAS. (Yet)

This thread shows a whole bunch of SC35C/M35X's with different styli, if you haven't seen it already. So I did this to my Shure SC35C

 

Do the non-standard styli only fit if you re-body the cart? Do you have to remove the stylus guard to get the JICO to fit?

 

@McLover has stated that the N97XE will fit the SC35C/M35X without modification.

I don't know if the mentioned Jico's will fit the stock SC35C/M35X. I did not remove the stylus guard/brush.

Hopefully some Shure fans with more experience will chime in, but that might work better in a different thread.

 

I have the A3SE mounted on a Sony PS-X800 and I bought it based on the very positive review from Don Lindich's Sound Advice. At only $99 I felt it was a cheap way to experiment. I bought the Sony on a whim, it's my third TT so yes I have a problem, and the cart that was on it was crap so I went with the Vessel and have been very pleasantly surprised that it is a very nice sounding cart. I have a 103r and a Delos for comparison so I feel like I have solid reference points. The Vessel only has 6+ hours on it so I expect it to continue to settle in. That being said it has very nice tone, detail, and depth for a cart that does not cost much at all. I did have a Nagaoka MP100 on my Empire and compared to the Vessel that cart was just bad.

Anyone else out there with the PS-X800 and if so any cart recommendations?

 

I'd buy a PS-X800 for $99, too. And I have more than 3 turntables.

 

How well does the $99
A3SE deal with IGD? What would you compare the tone of the cart to?

 

Looks like a nice TT. Didn't realize it was a linear tracker...

 

No issues with IGD. The tone is not as sweet as the 103r but it certainly holds it's own and is a very listenable non-fatiguing sound. I'm really only familiar iwth the Denon and the Lyra so I can only make those comps. The Lyra is head and shoulders above both carts in all aspects so that's not a fair comp.

 

I sent LP Gear an email asking about the similarity of the Sumiko Pearl to the Vessel A3SE. Looking over the specs of each more carefully, they appear to be very, very similar. I wouldn't be surprised if these are the same carts with some minor cosmetic differences. Awaiting a response from LP Gear...

 

Still no word, guess LPGear doesn't want to answer this question. Any more experiences with this cart line out there? So far I count only one forum member that has purchased one.

 

Now, I don't know, but I'm guessing that they are not "allowed" to answer. Perhaps a "Non Disclosure Agreement" to do business with the OEM. The origins of this cartridge body have been secret for a very long time. I have to admire those involved, for their ability to keep that secret for so long, especially in the age of the internet.

 

From a little digging it appears anyone using this cart body gets it from the Excel company in Japan, which is the OEM. What I am really interested is the general performance of the cart and if it differs from what Excel is offering other brands such as Shelter and Sumiko w/r/t their versions which seem to be spec'd similarly, if not identically. These don't seem to be such popular carts anymore. Curious about them and weighing whether I may try one out in a few weeks.

 

Excel? Hmmm, I think you may have figured it out!

 

LpGear responded, but sidestepped anything to do with the cartridge's origins or similarities to what else is out there.

They did say it should track inner grooves better than their Deft 2 cartridge.

 

Decided to pull the trigger on the Vessel A3SE this morning. It will probably take another week for me to receive it and set it up, but after it's broken in a bit I will post my impressions here.

 

Thanks for "taking one for the team," so to speak. I'm looking forward to your impressions.

M~