Which is the best sounding vintage Shure V15?

Which vintage Shure V15 cartridge do you feel sounds the best? Many people say the III and the V, but some say the IV.

 

The spherical stylus versions of the 3 & 4 were pretty good too, but the 5 was the clearest, most neutral of them all.

 

It is so depressing that this classic is gone...

 

My 1984 V15Vb is still going strong. I love it. In Canada, where I bought it in 1984, it cost, then, $175.00 CDN. A staggering price. How much was it in the US then, I wonder?

I remember that the store I bought it from had to order it from Toronto, which had to get it from the distributor in New York, or Illinois. Apparently, no one wanted to spend that kind of cash then. I am GLAD I did, though.

 

Prix, which one do you like the best?

 

I'm not certain. I've got one IV, one V, and three IIIs. I'm running the III right now, but I've not spent time with the others yet. I'm waiting for someone to convince me to try the IV or V or to set up a second table. I know that I like the III better than the VxMR, but I'm sure that doesn't surprise anyone.

 

I like the V15VxMR, I am using it now. However, I did like the V15V slightly better. The VxMR seems to be a bit lacking in the upper end compared to the V or the VMR.

After the supply of V15VxMR styli is gone, I will probably replace my cart with the M97xE which according to Shure, is basically just a V15V.

 

How so?

 

The V15V uses an eliptical stylus, very similar to the M97xE. The frequency response characteristics of the V15V and the M97xE are also very similar.

 

If that's the case, might it be worthwhile to try the M97xE as an alternative to my current (and pricier) Goldring 1012? Would it hold it's own and if so, what are some of the differences in sonic signature I might expect?

 

The M97xE is probably the greatest deal in phono cartridges ever! Its response is very flat and its tracking is superb!

IMO the Goldrings are a bit bright. They track OK, but not as well as the M97xE. When it comes time to replace the stylus on your Goldring, consider the M97xE. The whole thing costs less than the stylus replacement for your Goldring. Many here have the M97xE. It is a really superb cartridge, that is way underpriced!

 

Don't say that too loudly, Joe. Shure might hear you!

 

Which vintage Shure V15 cartridge do you feel sounds the best? Many people say the III and the V, but some say the IV.

After trying out the V15 II, III, IV, and V, I must say the V sounds great, but I had to vote for the IV simply because it has a certain quality all it's own. I do like the V's superior tracking and more neutral sound (I vote it a very very close second overall). Combined with the fact I was able to stock up on spare styli at a reasonable price (before Shure discontinued their $50 trade-in program). Besides, the V15 V-MR is still an excellent sounding cartridge and tracks best of them all, so that's what I use on my turntable setups. As for my thoughts on the II and III, I thought the II sounded good for it's vintage, the III was better but bright compared to the IV(and the III needed a low mass arm to work correctly). The IV has the most pleasant sound of all, and that's why my friend and I actually seemed to prefer it (in fact, my friend insists on using the IV over the V).
A note on the V15 RS (Radio Shack) and mechanically identical V15 Pro-S (Circuit City?), and VST-III (Ultra Group). At the time of their introduction in the 80's, these cartridges seemed to be a "reduced cost" or "junior version" of the V15 V. Reason I say this? The stylus assembly seems to be identical to the original V with HE stylus and Microwall BE cantilever (except with a larger shank size - identical to the M97 cartridges), yet the cartridge's specifications lead me to believe it was merely a Me97 cartridge body(similar to the M97 Era IV or current M97xE). So essentially, it was a M97 cartridge with the outstanding trackability of a V15 V. Also, the larger shank prevented stylus interchangeability between this V15 and the "real" V15-V. Another interesting note: The V15 VxMR (VN5xMR) stylus fits the V15 RS cartridge perfectly (and would likely be a suitable upgrade to the original VNSE3HE stylus). Likewise, the VN5xMR stylus would probably work great as upgrades for all M97 and Me97 cartridges (even though Shure doesn't cross-reference this nor recommend this stylus as a direct replacement). My thoughts.

 

Ah, nostalgia....I remember this thread.

Update:

After trying the V 15 III, IV, and V-MR in A/B tests....I don't like any of them. I preferred the ADC XLM II Improved to any of the Shures. It seemed warmer, but also more alive, more life-like, more articulate, and had more defined and better bass. Still...the ADC was not the greatest cartridge in the world and I won't bother with it any further. I only know that I want to try some new production carts and I'll let you know when I find something to my liking. I also did the V 15 III vs V 15 VxMR shootout again and preferred the VxMR by leaps and bounds to the III this time around.

 

Update on V15 RS, Pro-S and VST-III with VNSE3HE stylus. I mentioned the shank being larger on these cartridges (the same size as the M97). What I was referring to is the brass "diamond" part that plugs into the cartridge body. I wasn't referring to the cantilever bar diameter (as the VNSE3HE stylus cantilever appears identical in size and material to the VN5MR). Sorry for any confusion this may have caused.
While on this subject, it seems the V15 cartridges (notably the III, IV and V) used a smaller hole to prevent use of the less expensive or lower line styli in the V15. Yet the V15 VxMR used the slightly larger size, as did the RS, Pro-S and VST-III (thus the reason a VN5xMR stylus fits perfectly in these cartridges).

 

Remember, these cartridges from Shure are almost dead flat in frequency response, and among the best in tracking highly modulated groves. If you have a speaker system that needs some help in the high end, another brand with a complementary frequency response may sound better on that system, if it is against your religion to turn up the treble control.

Richard.

 

fxsuperglide wrote:

Combined with the fact I was able to stock up on spare styli at a reasonable price (before Shure discontinued their $50 trade-in program). Besides, the V15 V-MR is still an excellent sounding cartridge and tracks best of them all, so that's what I use on my turntable setups.

VN5MR styli are still available at a pretty deep discount, drop-shipped from Shure.
It is right and just that members of this forum should end up with them! I have sealed my boxes in two independent layers of HDPE plastic, tightly taped, and put them into glass jars, after being instructed to wrap them against ozone by Shure engineer Michael Pettersen. And, the stylus assembly contains a tiny magnet, so protect from magnetic fields.
http://store.aiconsol.com/vn5mr.html
Also available at a modest discount is the VN5xMR

 

Anyway, I thought I would throw my 2 cents in, My Shure cartridge ownership began 30 yrs. ago. First was M91ED they were about $25 definitely good for the money, then for $30 the M95ED good also, then don't recall $$ the V15III, then with much propaganda about the vast superiority of it's hyperelliptical stylus and dynamic stabilizer was the V15IV. Also after owning other brands I recall the Ultra line models 300, 400, 500? never owned them though heard them, My conclusion was that they all sounded pretty much the same regardless of model. They didn't have any tracking problems. It's just that they seemed to truncate the high level dynamics (probably something to do with those softer than cooked macaroni aluminum cantilevers Shure used combined with that funky friction fit stylus assembly.)

 

Thanks for the advice! Actually, I stocked up on my last two styli from A-1 Consolidated (first, from their website, then again on ebay - from which the styli are direct shipped from Shure). For those of you with an Ebay and PayPal account, the styli are listed there as a BuyItNow under their username "aiconsol" (the reason it doesn't seem to turn up on keyword "Shure V15" searches is because it's listed under VN5MR and V15VMR). I will take the advice on storing them. Added note: if storing them in a jar, perhaps it would be best to do so in a dry climate controlled or air conditioned room (to prevent any condensation from forming within the jar, especially if the jar is exposed to cooler/colder temperatures any time during storage/moving). One never knows if it'll be temporarily stored in such conditions, especially if one is moving from one house to another during winter months (in which case, condensation could form). Ideally, vacuum-packing method is the best option of all (as new tennis balls are) and this should minimize or eliminate any excess humidity and oxygen as well..

 

Great thread and very useful advice for storing extra stylii, which I will do now. I like the V15VxMR. I have rather bright-sounding speakers so this cart makes a very nice balance in my system for LP playback. Best cartridge I've ever had, and I 've used older IVs and Vs also.