Do I REALLY need to buy a new turntable?

[flavio81]

djs: Well, the AT needles I've mentioned are good and still available for pretty fair prices, and your AT body is a good one as well. Whereas an AT95E is just an entry-level model, and in my view the M97xE is of questionable build quality (or respectively suffers from bad quality control...). Hence I'd rather recommend to go for one of these AT needles...

Well, and as for alignment: With this kind of Technics models, there also is a simple alignment method, that doesn't require any protractors. The cart should sit centered on the longitudinal axis and fixed at the position in which the horizontal (!) distance between the needle tip and the rear end of that little rubber washer at the connector end is exactly 52 mm. I.e., in order to check the existing alignment, just need to take off the headshell, control the position of the cart and measure that tip to washer distance. If all is correct, the cart is correctly aligned to the Stevenson geometry.

Exactly what lini said.

[djs259]

It looks like I'm going to stay with existing AT cartridge. That was truly helpful.

Thank you, gentlemen, for saving me some time, money, and frustration!

So it looks like there are a couple of options available for styli.

I found this store online selling the original Audio-Technica replacements:

http://www.stereoneedles.com/audio-technica.html

$25 seems like a really good price for a stylus....will this give decent sound, or should I go for something more exotic such as the shibata, etc. that Manfred mentioned previously?

[lini]

Of these, I'd suggest you to not go below the ATS12 (the ATS12C imo isn't described correctly, btw - afaik that's just a conical/spherical...). However, the 11 bucks more for the AT12XE in my view would be well spent, 'cause with that you'd not only get a better sounding needle, but also a nude one that should last longer as well. Personally I'd be tempted to go for an ATS12S, though...

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

[djs259]

Hey Lini,

I think I have settled on the ATN-12XE. Seems like it is a good compromise between price and performance. Before, I go ahead and confirm the order, is there any doubt at all that this stylus will fit on the cartridge pictured with the turntable? As you said, AT used many model numbers, which can get confusing. I don't know if I'll be able to return it if it turns out not to be the correct one.

Also, how heavy would you go with the tracking weight for this cartridge/stylus combination? Some people, it seems, advocate maintaining the lowest tracking weight possible, while some appear to prefer about 2g as ideal for obtaining good sound and keeping the stylus from damaging the grooves during play. I think the range for these cartridges is like 1-2g or something in that vicinity.

[lini]

I'd suggest to use around 1.7 g at the beginning. When the needle has been run in for a couple of hours (~ 20), the suspension should be flexible enough, so you can turn it a bit down to some 1.3 to 1.5 g. As a general rule, one can say that sticking to the higher half of the recommend tracking force range (1 to 1 3/4 g for the ATN12XE, btw) is practically always the safer bet - 'cause a needle that is kind of "rattling through the grooves" due to losing contact is more destructive as higher tracking force.

Well, and yes, unless my eyes would have fooled me completely, the suggested needles will fit to the AT body you'll get with the Technics.

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

[annunaki]

I am just a guy with a small mini-system and a very basic turntable seeking some diversion in the hallowed activity of browsing through stacks of old records in basement shops, and then walking home triumphantly with my "treasure" under one arm in eager anticipation of once again hearing the sounds of a bygone era pour forth from their undulating black recesses as vinyl gives way to diamond.

Superbly stated! I feel the same way.