Shure M55E.. just how good were those?

[Damián]

Hi everyone

I got an old Shure cart (sans stylus) with a 'table I purchased recently.

I asked a bit about it over at the Asylum and first got told it was a 'Best Buy Special' sort of deal and later that it was Shure's top-of-the-line until they introduced the V15.

I'm tempted to get a stylus for it just to see what a late-60s top-of-the-line cart sounds like, .. does any of you think it'd be worth it? Any experience(s) with it?

http://www.macnet.or.jp/pa/upi-k/sctg/sM55E.jpg (http://www.macnet.or.jp/pa/upi-k/ctg/M55E.jpg)

[Steve Hoffman]

If you want to cut another groove on your records, go ahead.

If you want to use the cartridge, you need to put a Shure N447 Conical tip in there, instead of the N55 elliptical tip. This will enable you to enjoy your records and the tip will just glide over the top of the groove and not damage anything. It's what I do to play my old 45's and LP's on my Thorens TD-124...I also swear by the 78 tip that fits in there. It sounds - dare I say it? STUNNING! No kidding...

[stereo71]

From a 1976 Shure catalog:

M55E:

"A popular cartridge that gives professional performance within a moderate budget. Incorporates biradial elliptical stylus.

Specifications:

Tracking force: 3/4 to 2 grams
Freq. response: from 20 to 20,000 Hz
Output voltage: 6.2 mv per channel at 1K Hz at 5 cm/sec
Channel separation: min 20 db at 1K Hz
Channel balance: output from each channel within 2 db
Trackability at 1 gram: 12cm/sec at 400 Hz
Effective stylus tip mass: 1.2 mg
Stylus N55E: biradial elliptical diamond tip, 1.8 microns (.0007 frontal radius) by 5 microns (.0002 side contact radii), 25 microns (.0010) wide between record contact points..."

List price in 1976 was $29.95

The M55E was listed at the top of the series called "Standard Stereo Dynetic Cartridges", and was followed by M44E (4x7 elliptical), M44G (6 mil spherical), M44-7 ( 7mil spherical), M44C (7 mil, higher tracking force), M7, and M3D.

The top of the line then was the V15 Type III, followed by M95ED, M91ED, M75ED, etc., all listed as "High Trackability" series. Well, in the case of the V15, "Super Track Plus"...

--Roger

[BradOlson]

My cartridge is an elliptical tip but I don't put much weight on the tonearm or adjust the anti-skate and I have played quite a few LPs with it and it does take care of the records just fine.

[-=Rudy=-]

I have an old M44-7 cartridge with both the LP stylus and 78RPM stylus. It certainly isn't much for tracking, but I kept it mainly for the 78RPM playback ability, which I use on an old direct drive turntable I modified for 78RPM playback. :)

[Damián]

Originally posted by Steve Hoffman
If you want to use the cartridge, you need to put a Shure N447 Conical tip in there, instead of the N55 elliptical tip.

..

It sounds - dare I say it? STUNNING!
Thanks for chipping in. When you say it sounds STUNNING :D, you mean for playing back 78s or does it have an all-around-decent sound? I'd be trying it on a Thorens TD-125 myself.

You think the ellliptical tip could be a bad thing?

Thanks for those specs and comments you guys posted. Here's what I've got:

'The M55E was introduced about the same time as the original V-15 (1964).
It was touted as having the same design (though different in appearance, it
had the same circuit design, compliance rating, elliptical stylus, etc.),
but built under "standard" quality control conditions rather than the
individual testing of the V-15.

High Fidelity reported on it in January 1966. They found that the curves
for frequency response and separation were nearly carbon copies of the
V-15, but with a slightly higher response peak above 10 Khz and slightly
less separation at extremely high frequencies. They concluded:

"Indeed, the sound of the M55E on playback is extremely clean,
well-balanced, well-articulated, and fuly agreeable. It stays with the
most thunderous crescendos and appears capable of presenting the full
signal engraved on a record--including much of the elusive air and space
that are characteristic of good stereo. If the "numbers" indicate a pickup
not quite in the same class as the V-15, judgements based on careful
listening put it very, very close behind." ' (thanks John!)

Not bad for a question I thought 'd go unanswered.. thanks everyone! :)

[Damián]

Originally posted by cbsolson
My cartridge is an elliptical tip but I don't put much weight on the tonearm or adjust the anti-skate and I have played quite a few LPs with it and it does take care of the records just fine.
When you say you don't adjust the anti-skate you mean you have it at zero? Why not use it if it's there?

I believe some people maintain that anti-skating is not essential, but if your arm has, why not adjust it? I believe I've read as a 'rule of thumb' that for elliptical styli an anti-skate setting of 1/3rd the tracking force (weight on the stylus) is about right.

[-=Rudy=-]

Originally posted by Damián

I believe some people maintain that anti-skating is not essential, but if your arm has, why not adjust it? I believe I've read as a 'rule of thumb' that for elliptical styli an anti-skate setting of 1/3rd the tracking force (weight on the stylus) is about right.

If you like distortion in one channel more than the other, don't mess with anti-skating. ;)

I've found that the calibrated anti-skating dials don't mean anything and aren't really accurate. The only way I've found the right adjustment is to play the antiskating adjustment tracks on my Shure Audio Obstacle Course LP and dial it in while it's playing. (Or on my Grace tonearm, I have to adjust the little antiskating weight to account for it.) I've also found through testing that you can get very close using a blank LP side.

The natural force of a turning record pulls the stylus toward the center of the LP...failure to adjust antiskating means the inside groove wall gets a lot more pressure than the outer wall. Could mean more distortion, or even more wear, on the inside groove wall. I'm also thinking that since the inward force would be pulling the stylus sideways, and as such, the magnetic force generated by the moving stylus would not be centered within the pole pieces within the cartridge. (Or the opposite in a moving coil, where the coil would not be centered between the magnets within the cartridge.)

And like you say, if antiskating weren't essential, why are all good toneamrs designed with it?

[Damián]

Originally posted by -=Rudy=-

I've also found through testing that you can get very close using a blank LP side.

Rudy, what do you aim for when adjusting a/s on a blank LP side?

[CardinalFang]

I have the M32E. I assume these have an elliptical tip as well... any comments on this one? When I upgrade to a MMF 2.1, should I use it instead of the stock cartridge, or should I go with something else? A v15 may be out of my budget, but perhaps I can get that later...

[-=Rudy=-]

Originally posted by Damián

Rudy, what do you aim for when adjusting a/s on a blank LP side?

I adjust it so there is little or no inward pull...in other words, the tonearm should remain still, or have just the very tiniest inward pull (at the same rate it would track a record, in other words). But to avoid splitting hairs, setting it for no tonearm movement is as close as you'll get it w/o resorting to a test disc. I've tried it, in fact--I set it up with my Shure disc, then checked with a grooveless record. It was, let's say, close enough, and far better than what I got just by guessing (or on calibrated turntables, closer than what the dial was calibrated for).

If you turn antiskating all the way off (to zero), the arm will actually skate its way inward and skip up onto the label.

Shure's anti-skating tracks consist of three tones recorded at different levels...you hear very obvious distortion when the anti-skating isn't dialed in correctly. The goal is to eliminate it or, failing that, having equal amounts in both channels, indicating the force of the stylus is centered within the groove.

[Damián]

Originally posted by -=Rudy=-

..

It was, let's say, close enough, and far better than what I got just by guessing (or on calibrated turntables, closer than what the dial was calibrated for).
This last table I'm using is a first for me as far as a/s goes. It uses a string-and-weight thingy.

[-=Rudy=-]

Mine's hard to describe...there is a small sliding weight on a pivoting piece that is attached via a small nylon line to the bottom of the tonearm. Loosen a thumb screw and move the weight further out from the pivot point to increase the inward force.

[The Viking]

I have a Shure M91ED. Needs a needle, any upgrade needle that would fit this and sound better than the original?
Thanks
Dale

[BradOlson]

Originally posted by Damián

When you say you don't adjust the anti-skate you mean you have it at zero? Why not use it if it's there?

I believe some people maintain that anti-skating is not essential, but if your arm has, why not adjust it? I believe I've read as a 'rule of thumb' that for elliptical styli an anti-skate setting of 1/3rd the tracking force (weight on the stylus) is about right.

I only use it if necessary to do so.