Marantz TT-15S1 -- need a new stylus?

You know what, I think outta caution I'll start with a cheaper stylus like that, just in case I wreck something. If I do, I'm not out 140$, and if I am snazzy at it I'll be happy to do it For Real on something more worthy of my Osmonds LPS

 

You could go all the way with that idea - here's an aftermarket stylus, spherical, for $9.95 free ship, for practice
NEW IN BOX TURNTABLE STYLUS NEEDLE FOR AKAI RS85 RS83 AT95 AT95E 710-D7

 

I just purchased a used Marantz TT15-S1 that has a Virtuoso with bent cantilever and a new Concept cartridge. Does anyone know if the Concept stylus tip has the same elliptical profile as the Virtuoso? It seems that an easy fix for the Virtuoso would be to transplant the Concept plug.

 

I guess you know they aren't normally advertised as user replaceable by your choice of the term "transplant", but there's quite a bit of info around here from the likes of @H8SLKC on how to do the surgery, and some of the Audio Technica stylus choices... First foray into cartridge modification

 

I've read about the modification process for AT95 styluses into the CA. Since I will have the Concept I was hoping to use it's stylus if it's not a downgrade.

 

It gets very difficult to find info on the web about the actual stylus cut used by CA in their MM carts. What seems clear is that the Maestro is set far apart from the others in using a high end cantilever and likely a line contact (or similar) diamond. I was surprised when I read, multiple times, that the Virtuoso appears to use a standard elliptical on plain jane aluminum cantilever. Multiple users (including me) have mounted HE or VL or shibata styli on the Virtuoso and reported better-than-OEM sound out of the cartridge. The way I see it is that the Virtuoso is a very good cartridge that happened to find its way to me "for free" with the TT-15. I would not have spent that sort of money on a cart on my own, but am happy to have it, and it's so easy to play around with AT95e plugs that it makes for a cheap and fun way to play around with a cart that others pay $800 for.

As far as the tip on your Concept cart, I would guess that it is VERY similar, if not the same, as the one that comes with the Virtuoso. Swap it in and see how it sounds.

 

Great information, I really appreciate it. I will probably play around with an upgrade stylus in the future. Which profile did you prefer?

 

Another thread on this topic that H8SLKC started and contributed a lot to is HERE.

I am looking forward to trying an upgraded stylus on my Virtuoso.

 

My "best Virtuoso" has an AT95HE stylus, de-winged. To my ear it sounds better, more detailed than the OEM. There was a seller that had the AT95HE stylus for just over $50 (TVOM) but I believe they ran out of stock. I thought it was a great deal.

 

I received the TT15-S1 today, the surgery was a success and the patient sounds fantastic.

 

Fantastic! Enjoy!

 

Nice pics of a nice table! I'm very please with mine.

But your images are so revealing they show the fuzz on your stylus..

 

Guess I'll do some cleanup when the Vivid Line stylus I ordered gets here. Very interested in how that will sound compared to the stylus from the Concept I plugged into the Virtuoso. Loving the Marantz so far!

 

I myself am a proud owner of a Marantz TT-15 as well, and a year ago I replaced the stylus in the Virtuoso cartridge with an original AT95e stylus. The process was much easier than I had thought and the sound was alright but not on par with the OEM Virtuoso.
Now over the last weekend I replaced the stylus with an AT95HE ... and WOW! It is a match made in heaven. I concur that the sound is better now than the OEM Virtuoso. I love it. Very detailed and I hear less surface noise.

 

According to LP Gear, it was replaced with the AT95VL.

Good post. Very informative. Thanks.

 

I recently replaced the stock 95E stlyus (4 x 7 ) with the OEM 95EX (red color) with 3 x 7 tip. Sounds better. $35 on Amazon. LPgear has the same thing in green and calls it 95SE, for $10 more.

 

Here in Europe we have Thakker and that is where I got my hyper elliptic varient of the AT95 stylus from (in order to save on shipping and import charges). They also have the Shibata type. According to the info on their site they are both manufactured in Japan. They do not offer a microline (or VL) stylus though.

 

They both use the same pic.

ATN 95 HE Stylus for Audio Technica AT 95 - Generic stylus

LP Gear ATN95VL stylus

 

I didn't realize that the LPGear AT95VL is the new name for the previous AT95HE.

 

I do not think it is. It's a replacement for it, with a new stylus profile - VL instead of HE.

 

The AT95e HE stylus is available on turntableneedles.com and probably others as well. It was available for a time on TVOM at a very good price but is no longer available there. Only on LPGear has the HE been replaced by their VL, and they have done the same with other styli as well, including a popular stylus for the Shure m97xe, their 97xvl stylus. Whether the "vivid line" as they call it is actually any different from a HE cut is anyone's guess.

 

Tried finding it there but wasn't successful. Would you happen to have a direct link?

They only seem to have the AB95HE but no AT95HE.

 

Here's a link to the HE stylus, which now goes for $120:

ATN3400 ATN95E Type HyperElliptical Upgrade Stylus for Audio Technica AT3400 AT95E etc 710-DHE

Here's the link to the LPGear VL version at $134:

LP Gear ATN95VL stylus

Man I wish TVOM still had the HE available, which I believe he was selling for $53 until recently.

 

Received my TT-15 yesterday and in the cartridge box, the clearaudio booklet/user manual, page 2, first section title is "Assembly instructions for all MM V2 cartridges:". Page 4 has a technical data table and states cantilever is Aluminium/eliptical for Concept, Performer, Artist, and Virtuoso. Boron/HD Diamond for Maestro.
This TT is great.