You realize you were comparing a $1,350 Dyna cart to the Shure that originally cost - I dunno, maybe a couple of hundred, in its heyday? I honestly have no idea how much V15's cost new retail when they were manufactured, but can't imagine them being anything near Dyna's price.
Ah ah ah, I tried this record with the best "stuff you can get these days" and witnessed many jumps out of the groove. The V15III "old stylus and cantilever" just tracks it without problems.
You can definitely use a vinylflat device. I vouch for its prowess - own one, and have used it on multiple records. It would make this sombrero of a record flat again for you. www.vinylflat.com Get the oven pouch, too, it speeds things up considerably.
Yikes! I'd be afraid that would destroy the suspension on such a hard to find cartridge. Would definitely look at having that record flattened...
Just looked up the value of $59 in 1975 in today's dollars, and it gave me the figure of $274.46, which roughly puts it in the Ortofon 2M Blue territory, which isn't bad. But still can't be compared to $1,350 for Dyna 17D3.
Then I would not have my arm/cartridge match test record any longer. I have another copy of "More" for listening.
I honestly think that the numbers don't tell the whole story. I believe that $59 went a lot farther in purchasing power back in 1975 than $270 does today, especially where I live - in NYC. Maybe not measured in phono carts, but, say, in food or rent. $270 won't hardly buy a dinner for two at a decent restaurant here today. $59 in 1975 probably could have fed five at a white tablecloth restaurant, a dozen people at a local diner, or twenty at the local burger joint.
I know. Lol. I really wanted to try one since I never owned one before. They are worlds apart for sure.
CPI measures the average cost of goods and services across the entire country over time. It's certainly true that the cost of living changes more rapidly in different areas of the country so CPI won't tell you that.
You are correct -- my typo -- in my younger days I rarely sold anything audio -- no internet back then, etc. Had a Nakamichi OMS-7 CD player which I had for 20 years -- was the first item I sold on the well established internet to a guy in South Africa. BTW, I have a rare two tone 2CH Akai GX-400D in mint shape I bought in 1974 -- it's in my rack today. Heads relapped by JFR Magnetics (they do repair work on the Library of Congress' R-R's). Best sir, Bob
It sure was - especially to a GI -- making around $500 a month (barracks living & mess hall fed). Best sir, Bob
Ah ha! I clearly remember my older brother's first real great cartridge, a Shure V15 which arrived in that nicely carved small, real wood box. I talked him out of that nice little box.
I suppose you'd think me a pedant if I pointed out that you are talking about tracking while I was talking about tracing? Thought so! (Lovely cart, BTW)
Just found that Shure V15 Type III I that I bought on 04/30/75 & which I had the box for in an earlier post. This time, another shoe box -- great shape; but the cantilever has snapped off. Sometimes I amaze myself. Best Bob
While talking about this, why is that JICO and Lpgear (which probably gets JICOs) can make styli for these, but Shure itself won't? Shure could just have JICO make them with a Shure brand and sell them as Shure.
Bit late to this thread, but here goes. Shure stopped making the V15 series because they got frit at the advance of CD. They lost the skill, the tooling (they must have thrown it in a skip) and the supply chain for special parts. Pity they did not keep the faith like other cartridge, arm and turntable companies, who now cannot make stuff fast enough for the resurgence in black vinyl. I sold my V15III, bought new in 1973, on the auction site maybe ten years ago when I too lost faith in vinyl. Silly me. Silly, silly me. Currently use a Garrard 401/SME IV with damper/Zu DL103 in a quartz composite plinth. Sounds absolutely awesome. I've grown the vinyl collection by purchasing a mixture of new 180g pressings and buying bulk from Estate sales (most of which hardly played and in perfect condition). But - I still have my original Thorens TD150/SME II arm, that I used to have my V15III in. So I've just sprung for a V15IV body with broken stylus, and I'll add a Jico. Put that in the Thorens/SME II combo and hopefully have a nice second system in another room mainly for headphone listening. Oh - while on things Shure, I have an M75ED type 2, with two perfect stylii and a 78rpm stylus, and an M55E. Incidentally, buying NOS, or low mileage V15's (or other cartridges of similar vintage) of any flavour is probably not without risk. The performance of the stylus assembly is critically dependent on the tiny rubber suspension - and the passage of 40 years can leave that hardened, or at least much stiffer than it originally was. In fact I have a Coral moving coil that I bought in the late 70's that now cannot track a damn - all down to ruined rubber suspension through the passage of time. Craig
I'm in agreement, which is exactly why I have my IV, on a vintage, restored Dual 1219. If you want something a bit brighter / more detailed, then the III would be a better choice.
If you're used to a Dynavector 17D3, I'm not sure that the Shure sound will be your thing. Shure are praised for being very, very smooth--laid back, relaxed, polished, easy to listen to. Pretty much the opposite of Dynavector except for the easy to listen to part. They are manifestations of opposite philosophies. Doesn't the Dynavector have a diamond cantilever and a retail cost of about $1500? You're comparing that to a cartridge that retailed for a small fraction of that thirty to forty years ago. It's not really a fair fight. Personal taste in music and cartridge presentation aside, they're such different cartridges in every way possible. EDIT: Nevermind. This issue has been addressed. For some reason when I first came to this thread today, the newer posts didn't show up. Forget I said/wrote anything.
In the day, on arms suited for it best, I liked the V 15 Type III better than I did the V 15 Type IV. When the V 15 Type III was the Top Shure offering, the .2 x .7 nude elliptical was the best stylus offered for it. When the V 15 Type IV was released and out a while, Shure offered the HE stylus as an upgrade on the V 15 Type III for those who still used it. For myself, the AR XA I owned in that era, I preferred the M 75 ED which was a better match to the AR tonearm.
Morinix IMHO, you need to be careful how you clean the Jico SAS. If you use a stiff bristle brush, you will (or I found) collapse the suspension. It took me three styli before I learned this. Now, I only use a soft bristle bush to clean it. Things seem to be working out for me so far. M~
