Holy cow! This Shure V15VxMR is....

[Sckott]

....nothing short of incredible.

I've been throwing all kinds of grooves at this little cart. An older cutting of Billy Joel's 52'nd Street is what I have playing currently. Nothing special, but the pressing is mint, normal US issue. It's like... I HATED this pressing! Now, I think it sounds really great!

ClassicRecs Blue Note 45RPM of Sonny Clark's Cool Struttin'.... not heavy in the high frequencies as before. Smooth!

Elton John's Madman - DCC LP... I could go on and on.

It absolutely astonishes me how this can track.

Can't wait for DSOTM!! :)

[sgraham]

Tracking was ever SHure's selling point. Fortunately by the time they got to the type V series they also had it sounding good. (But oh that type II - shudder.)

[Dan C]

The Shure is something else, ain't it!
I did the same thing when I first got mine, almost a year ago. I dug out all the "tough" LPs I could think of and the Shure never broke a sweat.
After I realized that it could track through a tornado, I just started to relax and enjoy it's beautiful, smooth and neutral presentation of music.
As God is my witness, I'll NEVER settle for distortion again. :)

Dan C

[Tullman]

Yep, I have one too and I am very pleased.

[-=Rudy=-]

Welcome to the club...what took you 20 years to get this one?! ;)

I bought the original V15V-HE back in the early 80's...had to be '83 or possibly '84. Back then, they didn't yet have a MicroRidge stylus, just their Hyper Elliptical. Even then, I could not believe that it improved playback as much as it did.

Try some 45RPM singles...it's nice to hear them without all that "inner groove" distortion! (You'll have to find a clean one though...if you've ever played one of those cheaper plastic singles with another cartridge, it could already be damaged.) I used to hate 45's until I got this beast...I was in awe at how much it cleaned up playback of the singles!

A lot of my music back then was R&B and fusion jazz LPs, and 12" singles, so I'd grown accustomed to having all the hot high end distorted. But this breezed through it.

When the MicroRidge came out, I bought the replacement stylus with the new tip. Can't say there was as big of an improvement, but it made the V15 the perfect cartridge for me. (Where I really noticed was on the Shure Obstacle Course LP...with the new tip, it could play through level 6, where the HE tip made it to level 5, and all my others usually choked at 2 or 3.) Still have the original body, but of course, a couple of mishaps have caused a premature stylus death. ;) It's a delicate cantilever!

The only cartridge I've tried since was my Dyna DV10X3, which was disappointing in the tracking department (and as dull as one of Anna K's tennis balls). I'm always tempted to try others, but I don't think any would match the tracking of the V15. For the music I play, it's the only way to go.

[PsychFan]

Sckott,

Is the Shure an improvement over the Dyna 10x4 on the Rega? Apart from the Benz Micro MC20E-2 (which is pretty good but definitely entry-level), the 10x4 is the only "hi-fi" cart I've ever used in my own system. My father has used a Shure for years, though, and swears by 'em ...

[Sckott]

I thought it was! I really liked the 10X4 for the time that I had it, but the midrange and the really amazing trackability of the Shure really has me won over.

HOWEVER, I am having a bit of trouble with the VTA. The cart is about 4-5mm too low as apposed to Rega carts. Was wondering if anyone would recommend something for VTA without making 'drilled' mods to my P3....

Really nice cart for $229. The kit isn't bad either. All hardware and protractor.

[PsychFan]

I use a 2mm shim that came with my OL RB250 tonearm to raise the arm height to the proper level for my Dyna 10x4. You should be able to get something similar at a local bike shop. Needle Doctor even sells Rega-branded ones, but they're $15 or so each ...

I like the Dyna 10x4 very very much, and I just got a new one, so ... but maybe in a few years or so, if the Shure's still around, I'll give it a whirl.

[Sckott]

I noticed that, thanks! I too think the Dynavector was a VERY impressive cart. I just had the opportunity to try the Shure that I could not refuse. ;)

I'll try getting shims at the HW store. I think the hole, by memory is about 24mm....

[-=Rudy=-]

Sckott--how did you check the VTA? My V15 came with a little plastic thingy that you put in place of the stylus assembly. You had to use this to ensure the cartridge was level (one side of the headshell not higher than the other). However, I believe this also sets the cartridge at its playing height...using a bubble level that came with my protractor, I adjusted my Grace arm to level it. And double-checking, the Shure's alignment (with its own protractor) was dead-on with my Dennesen protractor.

I'm interested to find out if today's V15 comes with all the extras mine did. I need to find mine, wherever it is...

[Sckott]

It came with two rubber shims that look like wedges. I didn't find anything about it in the manual, unless this is the thing you're talking about...

[mcow1]

Sckott, if you do a google search for rb300 vta there are a couple places that sell adapters to replace the shims for adjusting vta on the rb300.
I think they were Origin Live and Mitchell

[-=Rudy=-]

No, I got the wedgies. From memory, here's what I got:

1. Cartridge
2. Stylus assembly
3. Protractor (with a center hole and an elongated, curved hole on the far end)
4. Two platter wedgies
5. The "plastic alignment stylus" (aka "thingy")
6. Small vial of screws, nuts and shims
7. Instructions, and coupon for the obstacle course LP @ $5

These last two are maybes:
8. Stylus cleaning brush
9. Bubble level

Even the kit is impressive--they wanted the new owner to get it lined up perfectly from day one.

Hey, doesn't Steve have an 80's vintage V15 like mine?

[JohnnyK]

I have a Shure V15 type III. It still works just fine. Is it worth buying the new Shure cart?

[Sckott]

I'll go back home and look. I don't remember a plastic stylus.... The bubble level, no. Everything else, yes...

Johnny, this new type has been reviewed highly over every other older style type. Even Radio Shack sold a version of the same cart, but the stylus was very different FWIR.

[JohnnyK]

Sckott,

My type III also does not have the Dynamic Stabilizer.

I would say that 85% of my listening is CD, SACD, DVD-A. Maybe my Type III is just fine for the limited of time that I listen to 45's and LP's??

[Steve Hoffman]

Originally posted by JohnnyK
I have a Shure V15 type III. It still works just fine. Is it worth buying the new Shure cart?

Keep what you have; a fine cartridge!

[mikelakers]

If your Shure stylus ever need replacement check out Needle Doctor:
http://www.needledoctor.com/showmanu.cfm?catnum=5&parenetcatnum=2&manunum=57

[spot1019]

if your expensive Shure needs a replacement, call them in Evanston IL.
They had a program last year if you sent them your stylus or cartridge body, they would send you a replacement for $20, including the expen$ive types. I think they may have upped that now to $40, but certainly beat $100+ to replace a type V

[-=Rudy=-]

It's up to $25 and $50 for the "exchange" program...I just lunched my V15 a few days ago. :(

[Todd Fredericks]

Sckott,

Congrats on picking up the new Shure!! I had the same impressions you had since going from the Dynavector 10x4 mkII. I've settle on a pretty parallel VTA for now and it sounds very nice.

Todd