Tips for buying a Shure V15 Type III - or not

[Fran604g]

Hey folks,

I've been interested in using one of these legendary cartridges for years, but never got up the courage to drop the coin for one. I've been using M97x carts for probably 12 years or so, and have been satisfied with the performance, but I think maybe it's time for a modest upgrade.

I caroused eBay and I see a bunch of them for sale -with prices all over the place, ranging from around $300 - $600 (not including the lower "priced" untested ones). The few I've noted as sold, bear out around $250 - $300+.

What is that all about? I noticed one seller has several (in a factory box/with stylus) for sale, with many different prices. Am I missing something?

Are these prices unrealistically high, or simply what I can expect to pay?

And as far as the stylus is concerned, VN35HE (Hyperelliptical) or SuperTrack (Elliptical)? Or Jico...or what else?

I'm interested in advice from the experienced. I know this cartridge has probably been discussed to death elsewhere, but I'd like this forum's members input.

Maybe a lesser $$ new cartridge that would be comparable to the V15III? It would need to be mounted in a DUAL headshell. I remember reading that folks liked the AT440ml, but that is a memory from many years ago.

I know there are probably as many opinions as there are cartridges, too. What I'm trying to do is get an apples to apples comparison - if that's even possible.

Thanks for all your help,
Fran

 

[TubeHiFiNut]

My favorite is the V15 III-G (conical stylus - no surprise there).

The V15 III, of any stripe, likes a low to medium mass arm. I've had the best luck in my Infinity Black Widow II-GF with a 2g headshell weight and tracking force set to 1.25g.

Having said that, I installed many V15 IIIs in Dual 1229s with awesome results and would use that combination without any reservations at all.

I would make sure that the cartridge had been tested and was clearly listed as such so you have recourse via PayPal.

Unless the seller has a good microscope (preferably a stereo scope) and knows what to look for, any representations regarding stylus condition is a crap shoot.

Better to grab a new Jico and have it on hand so you can evaluate with confidence.

Just my opinions, YMMV, etc.

 

[mhardy6647]

FWIW, I happened to see this little tale of the transience of all things Someplace Else today...
http://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/my-shure-v15-type-iii-crumbled-in-my-hands.809855/

 

[TubeHiFiNut]

FWIW, I happened to see this little tale of the transience of all things Someplace Else today...
http://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/my-shure-v15-type-iii-crumbled-in-my-hands.809855/

Been playing with phono cartridges for 45 or so years and I must say that I have never had or seen anything like that happen.

That is some baaaaad luck.

 

[Fran604g]

FWIW, I happened to see this little tale of the transience of all things Someplace Else today...
http://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/my-shure-v15-type-iii-crumbled-in-my-hands.809855/

That's scary! I do worry about the age of these vintage items. There's a lot of these out there, surely a percentage will be abject failures. It seems we hear about the success stories more prevalently than the failures.

The first M97x I bought years ago just recently lost the left channel. I checked it for continuity, and there isn't. I was kinda surprised!

I hate the thought of dropping several hundred bucks, only to have failure after an indeterminate amount of time. What if it's a week? A month? A year?

That being said, those are some significant marks on the headshell...

 

[mhardy6647]

The heartbreak of cartridge incontinence.

 

[Dan ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ]

Shattered...Shattered...Shaadooby....

 

[prime minister]

That's how most vintage cartridges I've dealt with have worked out. One of the reasons I won't spend serious money on any cartridge I can't get a new stylus and suspension for. All those things will fail. They have to.

 

[Chops54]

The Shure V15III was my all time favourite moving magnet cartridge until I tried a Technics EPC205 but it was the V15III that gave me my first taste of top quality sound nearly fifty years ago. Today I use a good moving coil cartridge in my main turntable but I'll be using a rebodied V15III for my direct drive project. Fifty years on, with a decent stylus and the right arm I think this cartridge can still take some beating.

 

[fiddlefye]

I have three or four of the things (somebody just sent them to me gratis a few years ago), but need some new stylii and an excuse to mount them up. One of the reasons I'd like to get a low mass arm in No.2 spot on the DP-80 at some point in time.

 

[ICTWoody]

I’ve owned a lot of lower to mid-fi carts and the V15-iii is very good for vintage carts if it’s a good arm match. But for what they are selling for I’d buy something else personally.

I really enjoy my Ortofon 2M blue more than I liked my V15. Even your M97Xe you could try an LP Gear Vivid Line Stylus for not a ton of money and should see a great improvement. Or even better consider getting into a DL103 or 103R and a lower end phono stage to handle it.

Bottom line... I think there are better values out there. Arm dependent of course.

- Woody

 

[TubeHiFiNut]

Or even better consider getting into a DL103 or 103R

The DL-103 is an excellent cartridge (my cartridge of choice). If you have a phono stage that will handle a MC cartridge, the 103 is a great choice for a high mass arm.

You may need to add a couple or so grams to the headshell to get the best result.

 

[fiddlefye]

I’ve owned a lot of lower to mid-fi carts and the V15-iii is very good for vintage carts if it’s a good arm match. But for what they are selling for I’d buy something else personally.

I really enjoy my Ortofon 2M blue more than I liked my V15. Even your M97Xe you could try an LP Gear Vivid Line Stylus for not a ton of money and should see a great improvement. Or even better consider getting into a DL103 or 103R and a lower end phono stage to handle it.

Bottom line... I think there are better values out there. Arm dependent of course.

- Woody

Yeah, I'm shocked at the asking prices on the V-15 III of late, but then I'm shocked by what all manner of vintage stuff is going for. I have two McIntosh MC-250s, both of them came to me about three years ago. One cost me a bit over $100 (on the open market, mind you) and the other was a freebie from someone who gave up trying to find a buyer willing to give him anything reasonable. Now they seem to go for $600 - over $1,200. Certain vintage carts seem to be heading in the same direction.

 

[Fran604g]

I’ve owned a lot of lower to mid-fi carts and the V15-iii is very good for vintage carts if it’s a good arm match. But for what they are selling for I’d buy something else personally.

I really enjoy my Ortofon 2M blue more than I liked my V15. Even your M97Xe you could try an LP Gear Vivid Line Stylus for not a ton of money and should see a great improvement. Or even better consider getting into a DL103 or 103R and a lower end phono stage to handle it.

Bottom line... I think there are better values out there. Arm dependent of course.

- Woody

I'm not sure I want to get into an MC setup, or not - at least for the short-term. I don't have a preamp that will work with MC, so I'd need to come up with a working solution.

For now I'll need to stick with a MM cart.

Thanks for your advice. That Denon is appealing! Maybe a SUT would be the way to go in tandem with my existing preamp?

 

[Punker X]

I have one that came on my SL-1750, very low milage. Sounds great, in the seldom used living room system. Got another low mileage one on a 1229Q I got for free, sold with the table cheap to a friend. Yet another on a Garrard I got for cheap at a garage sale, it had problems with a weak channel and ended up in the trash.

Used to be hard picking them up cheap on E-bay because Ed Saunders was trying to corner the market on them. Not sure if a similar thing is happening.

 

[Fran604g]

I have one that came on my SL-1750, very low milage. Sounds great, in the seldom used living room system. Got another low mileage one on a 1229Q I got for free, sold with the table cheap to a friend. Yet another on a Garrard I got for cheap at a garage sale, it had problems with a weak channel and ended up in the trash.

Used to be hard picking them up cheap on E-bay because Ed Saunders was trying to corner the market on them. Not sure if a similar thing is happening.

There's an eBay seller (witsolutions) who seems to have the market cornered for them, as well a large offering of many other vintage carts.

 

[Chops54]

Buyers need to take of their rose tinted glasses and stop paying daft money for the cachet of owing a V15. I do realise there are better cartridges out there but I chose to use a V15 because it holds certain memories for me. I wouldn't want to use one on a permanent basis though. For anyone wanting to own a V15 I suggest you buy one made for a Dual turntable. These are built into a special integrated headshell slide which can be cut away and the body can then be mounted in another housing with a half inch mounting. I'll post some pics of mine this evening.

 

[Fran604g]

Where's Redboy when I need him?

Denon DL-103>Altec 4722...I had better do some reading.

I see a neat little switching box on eBay (nclayton) using Beyer SUTs - quoted as: "1:15 winding ratio, and are spec'ed for 200 to 45,000 ohms impedance". The seller compares them to the Altec 4722 as having a "1:18 ratio with a 150 to 50,000 ohm impedance".

Any thoughts on this relatively inexpensive setup (BIN $235) with a DL-103? I'll be keeping my Adcom GFP-710 as the preamp, and my DUAL 1229.

 

[MikeT.]

For now I'll need to stick with a MM cart.

Thanks for your advice. That Denon is appealing! Maybe a SUT would be the way to go in tandem with my existing preamp?

You might also consider a Nagaoka MP-500 if you want to stick with MM. Rave reviews from everyone, including our esteemed founder @Prime Minister.

 

[TubeHiFiNut]

That Denon is appealing! Maybe a SUT would be the way to go in tande

If you decide to go with the DL-103 ( or another MC), I highly recommend a good SUT.