Shibata vs. Fine Line stylus , replacing an Ortofon OM30 stylus with a Shibata one

[fredblue]

My recommendation is the ol standby I have used since the 70's. Works very well on Technics SL turntables. Buy once, cry once,

Pickering XUV/4500 Q Stylus​

it looks great! kap's running a linear tracking Technics so he needs a p-mount solution, maybe there is a suitable p-mount body that can accommodate that stylus?

 

[Quadguywayback]

it looks great! kap's running a linear tracking Technics so he needs a p-mount solution, maybe there is a suitable p-mount body that can accommodate that stylus?

Yes, I dont know if there is a p mount adapter or one can get like that. Mine is standard mount I think.

 

[Doug G.]

My recommendation is the ol standby I have used since the 70's. Works very well on Technics SL turntables. Buy once, cry once,

Pickering XUV/4500 Q Stylus​

I am currently using the XUV with an original Pickering D4500Q stylus and it's flawless for CD-4.

Doug

 

[fredblue]

I am currently using the XUV with an original Pickering D4500Q stylus and it's flawless for CD-4.

Doug

the OP has a Technics Linear Tracking turntable and so requires a P-mount cartridge solution, does the XUV with a D4500Q fit the bill?

 

[kap'n krunch]

so how do I know if it's a REAL shibata?
Should I play a CD-4 LP and see the results?

 

[fredblue]

so how do I know if it's a REAL shibata?
Should I play a CD-4 LP and see the results?

hmm.. i'm a tad concerned about tracking force, seeing as that Ortofon's rated to track heavier than your LT's spec? maybe just set the arm upto its' 1.5g max and see how it tracks?

 

[kap'n krunch]

well, it's going back tomorrow, but I am exchanging it for ANOTHER "Shitbettah" but this one is going to be for my AT3003 cart which is the same price as the one I am returning, because there are no more replacement stylii for the AT cart, I WILL get a REAL OM30 from them eventually.. probably sooner than I expect...
I will report back...

 

[Electric Moo]

Seems to me, P mount would be ideal for CD4 since the headshell parameters are fixed & standardized?

 

[kap'n krunch]

well, the AT3003 replacement is here and I think it looks promising...yesterday while ripping the Steve Perry one I noticed quite a bit of distortion/sibilance while playing it with mt trusty OM30 which needs replacement and I installed the old OM10 I bought a long time ago with the cart(which I did not use for too long because I replaced it with an OM20 that I gave to a good friend of mine because I replaced it with the OM30) and , although it did not go away totally, was still there, so I am thinking it's a pressing faux pas. I will rip it again with the Shibata for my Audio Technica 3033 cart I got-check out the quite worn out elliptical (black plastic) 3003 and the new Shibata (red) stylus.. it looks much better than the other replacement one I exchanged for this!

I guess I will have to rip the Boston Double Wally again for Spectogram comparison!

BTW, the other cart had a "recommended Tracking Force of 1.6 to 2.3 g and this one has it starting at 1.5 which I will adjust accordingly on my TT...

 

[quadsearcher]

The black one looks angled in, like the arm was pulling back too much. Or maybe the suspension just got weak. I don't know but an AT440 looked like that after a while on a TT I don't use anymore.

 

[kap'n krunch]

well, I did what I always do since I left my Test LPs back in Madrid (silly rabbit!); I rip the same LP and compare it to when the OM30 was still "on" and compare it to the new one...
Here is the spectrogram of the OM30 of "More than a feeling"

and the same with the Shibata for the AT3003 cart which does not have that weird bump the other one had:

To be honest, I still prefer the OM30's linearity, the Shibata goes a bit higher around 10K, although it has some SLIGHT dips around 20K and 30K, but hey...I think it sounds much better than the other shitbettah...

 

[Kodaline]

I use at AT15SS for CD-4, Ortofon 2Ms the rest of the time.

 

[kap'n krunch]

Well, for about less than $190 I ordered a REAL (NOS) OM30 from Thakker in Germany (highly recommended, I used to get stuff from them when I was in Madrid and S&H to the USA is quite reasonable, about 20 Euros--- I also ordered some LP sleeves)
and, to be honest, there's VERY little difference between what my iphone camera can see between the OLD one and the NEW one (below)!!!

 

[Electric Moo]

Tracking force listed as 1.25-1.75g, so you're in the ballpark