My @#$%*& Shure V15

Well, as any owner of a V15 knows, there comes a time when....well, let me explain.

I tried to play my MoFi George Benson LP last night...sounded terrible! I moved the tonearm off the record, locked it back in place, then pulled the stylus assembly out. @#$%*&!! The stylus was GONE! I think I found something that might be the remains of the cantilever, but I'm not sure. Thing is, I don't remember doing anything to it since I used it last, and the kids I don't think were down there in weeks.

Just had to vent.

I've already e-mailed Shure. They offer "out of warranty" service for $50 on their website for "VN5" stylii...not sure if it covers accidental breakage or not, but I'm about to test the Shure warranty replacement system! (My replacement for the 80's-era cartridge is a VN5MR...not sure if it's the same as the newer ones.

Looks like I'm limited to playing the crappy old turntable for a week or two. At least there's a Grado on it. The only good thing is that I swore the cantilever in this stylus wasn't quite right, even right after I bought it. At least I will have a fresh one to start with.

 

It's nice to have a spare cart on board just in case. The nicer thing about the Shure V15 is the stylus is replaceable, less expensive than buying a new cart.

I know J&R Music World has the styli for $150. I just ordered a V15 myself...

Sorry to hear about your cart plight, Rudy!

 

Unfortunately I've replaced more than a couple VN5 stylii over the years...life's little accidents. $150 isn't too bad considering, but at that point I may just look at a whole new V15 and get myself up to date. If Shure comes through for the $50, I stick with the original.

 

I almost bought another Dynavector 10X4. The cantivileer is like a long snake tongue sticking out. I had borrowed one for a time, but the fact that only one seller still had them, and that warranty work would have been harder to track down, I opted for the V15....I could NOT be trusted, I told myself...

For now, and for a spare, I've been using a Rega Bias. Sells less than $100 and has sounded wonderful thus far.... Tax check got me an excuse for upgrade.

Let us know how things pan out for the Shure. I'm curious myself...

 

I have a 10X3, but I really dislike its sound. It can't track for crap, and it has a dull, lifeless sound to it. (I even opened the Hafler and changed the cartridge loading per their recommendation.) The tracking is what killed it for me. (I don't think it could even make it past track three on the Shure obstacle course LP.) That "long snake tongue" though has proven quite durable...I'd had a couple of near-accidents with it, and it survived unscathed. Only one time did I have a problem--I lost one of the channels. But after removing and remounting elsewhere, the dead channel came back to life and has worked for many years since then. I still think it's a cool-looking cartridge though--the body remained the same when they upped the model to the X4.

 

Sckott, I'm curious about that Rega Bias. They sell for around the same price in Canada as in the US, so for Canadians (with the horrible exchange on US currency) they are very attractive, especially for folk like me with the Rega P3 'table..

Can you describe the sound in more detail? Comparisons to other carts, etc.? Bright? Warm? Tracks OK? Giant killer?

Any input would be greatly appreciated!

 

I thought it tracked very well...and compared to the Elys, it wasn't that much big of a deal. I basically used that cart for my "main" while I was trying out other carts whenever I had the opportunity.

I would recommend it as a very inexpensive audiophile cart. Especially for the Rega RB300. It sounds fairly flat, sweet, very detailed for a cart in its class, especially in the higher frequencies.

The only downfall to the cart, and with most Regas, is when you lift the arm. You hear this delayed "ttttTTTHUMMMP!" because the mechanics of the cart is really close to the pickup. Giant killer? I'll say it's damn good for the price. You can't beat it. Tracked better than an Ortophon OM10 and it's cousins.

I can see it sells for about $90 nowa'days. It's certainly not the best, because the Dynavector 10X4 totally trounces it in sonics and tracking. But I plan on keeping it as a very reliable and friendly spare....

 

Cool. I'll be getting the new cart tomorrow.... I'll let y'all know...

 

The 10X3 I don't think was around very long...probably for the shortcomings I mentioned. The 10X4 came out shortly after I bought mine. It just surprised me to see a 10X4 review after it came out, mentioning it was on the bright side. Sounds like a big improvement over mine.

I think I got it for around $100 way back in the 80's.

 

Thanks Sckott!!

 

Just about anything not made by Stanton tracks better than an Ortofon OM10. Seriously though, it's kinda sad that the OM10 appears to be the most widely available Ortofon cart. They make some really great carts, but the 10 isn't one of them. The brightness of Ortofons really brings out the mistracking on the 10. Ewww...

Even an upgrade to the 20 stylus is a huge leap.

 

I agree. I was once a graduate of the same cart. A really low-profile to the edge of the styli assembly. I can't believe their cousins make great "DJ USE" carts....

I thought the OM10 was fine until I got out of high school. All I had was a straight-arm Onkyo turntable that was passed down to me. I loved that stupid thing.....

We have all come a long way I s'pose!

 

SHURE Hath Spoken

I just got back an e-mail from Shure:

So for the price of postage, I save $110 apparently. That's the plan, Stan!

 

Nice thing to know......Thanks Rudy!

 

Beagle You can find a great deal at audiogon for a super elys works great with P3....I Dealt with a couple of canadian gents who were very prof.....and above all honest.......The P3/super elys is smooth as silk.,....No hardness.......great bass.....................

 

Thank you!