I'm resurrecting my old Thorens TD160 Super. Its fitted with a later model SME 3009 arm. Looking for recommendations for a cartridge/stylus that works well with this combination.
It is fitted with an old Ortofon VMS30 MarkII which was a very good unit with fine line stylus, but the stylus is worn, and I would not trust any older stylus to be any good, even if NOS due to deterioration.
Upgrade to an alternative new stylus or replace the lot? My budget is up to $300 Australian.
It is fitted with an old Ortofon VMS30 MarkII which was a very good unit with fine line stylus, but the stylus is worn, and I would not trust any older stylus to be any good, even if NOS due to deterioration.
Upgrade to an alternative new stylus or replace the lot? My budget is up to $300 Australian.
Why don't you just e-mail Ortofon directly and ask for their advice.
Ortofon Replacement styli
Good luck.
Ortofon Replacement styli
Good luck.
Hi, If you are looking for MM carts then you need to ensure that the cart has a medium high compliance, around 25. So a couple that my fit the bill is an Ortofon OM20 or OM30 S/H. All the styli from this rage are user filterable & interchangeable. The styli will also fit the Ort Blue/Bronze range.
Cheers
Cheers
Hi Narks! The 3009 can be used with a wide range of carts. The VMS30mkII was great, but is hard to find NOS styli for. The replacement offered by Ortofon is a bonded elliptical, and not near the quality of the original. Bonded aftermarket is not on par either. There is a Black Nude elliptical for it, which many likes, possibly the best, but I haven't tried it. D-30 mk II stylus for Ortofon VMS-30 mk II | DaCapo Audio. I would rather buy a new AT95ML or SH, which offers a lot within budget. Streching a little - AT-VM540ML. Ortofons work well, like DNic suggests. Depends on your phono pre, how much capacitance it adds? Audio Technica sounds best with a lower load than Ortofon, for instance. 300pf is too much for AT, but ok for Ortofon...
Well you can be sure the diamond won't have deteriorated at least - surely a trackability test disc would determine if the compliant element had aged poorly, its a quick and simple test.
Does the compliance of around 25 refer to static or dynamic compliance? The two vary greatly with some carts....
eg for the Audio Technical AT-VM95ML:
| Static Compliance | 20 x 10 – 6 cm / dyne |
|---|---|
| Dynamic Compliance | 10 x 10 – 6 cm / dyne (100 Hz) |
and the Audio Technica VM540ML :
| Static Compliance | 40 x 10-6 cm/dyne |
|---|---|
| Dynamic Compliance | 10 x 10-6 cm/dyne (100Hz) |
And the VM530EB:
| Static Compliance | 35 x 10-6 cm/dyne |
|---|---|
| Dynamic Compliance | 8 x 10-6 cm/dyne (100Hz) |
The best way to check out if a cart is suitable for your arm is to use the Korf Compliance Converter,
http://korfaudio.com/calculator
Cheers.
http://korfaudio.com/calculator
Cheers.
I am no expert in this field, but read that it is the dynamic compliance at 10 Hz that is important in calculations.
For Japanese and European cartridges, the value of the dynamic compliance at 100 Hz can be doubled to estimate its value at 10 Hz.
https://www.remusic.it/EN/The-Compl...-of-the-TonearmCartridge-Combination-05728c00
The model of the turntable is unimportant. Important is to form the dynamic mass of the SME and the compliance of target cartridge around 10-12 Hz. I suppose the dynamic mass of the tonearm is in the datasheet, so you can pick the right cartridge.
V15 (of all ilks) was one of my least favorite cartridges of all time.
I would look first at the Grados.
And can you post some pictures? We replaced the arm on well over a 100 Thorens, at least one a first gen 3009 (not a great arm IMO, add in the 3012 i have owned at least a dozen), the newer ones are much improved.
dave
I would look first at the Grados.
And can you post some pictures? We replaced the arm on well over a 100 Thorens, at least one a first gen 3009 (not a great arm IMO, add in the 3012 i have owned at least a dozen), the newer ones are much improved.
dave
A cartridge for those who like abuse, they are very finicky, old ones had dramatic range of QC (my buddy with triple QUAD 57, has 3 rebuilt from Garrott Bros. They can relly shine, but also often fall-down. The design is brilliant but troubled.
dave
dave