have you checked out arthur salvatore's comments on the shelter? go to www.high-endaudio.com then click on 'audio critique.' from there check 'recommended components.' he loves the shelter for what it's worth.
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Well, as far as I understand Salvatore never used this cartridge personally, anywayÂ…I use it and find it remarkably good. It will do some very-very minor Hi-Fi-ness compare to the best Koetsu cartridges but it you mate it with correct step-up (the Shelter original step-up is garbage) then it will do very serious job. |
I recently bought a '501 from Red Rose Music in NYC. The salesman there said he's used both and the differences between the two are very slight. A bit more refinement in the 901, but nothing major. So, the comments you find on the 501 should be useful to you as a guide. I am pretty amazed at the 501. Even not broken-in it sounds really open, smooth, detailed and clean. The Glider it replaced - which I thought sounded good, and costs about the same - sounded boomy in the bass and too smooth by comparison. |
I have used the 501 for over 3 years and it is by a wide margin,the finest value in cartridges currently available.It does everything well.I replaced it by the Lyra Helikon,which is noticeably superior.The Helikon is faster,more detailed with more impact in the midbass.As a matter of fact,up to this point,I preferred the Helikon to every other cartridge I heard. I then got the 901.The 901 posseses all the strengths of the Helikon and more.It projects a more expansive soundstage,is more harmonically complete with tighter bass and reveals more low level detail.The 901 is a significant step up from the 501 in every parameter of performance.The 901 may be double the price of the 501 ,but it is state of the art and I have personally not evaluated a better cartridge. |
All Shelter products can be ordered directly from Japan.The company is Eifl Corp.They take credit cards.Email address is: [email protected]. Contact is Koji,who is very prompt and reliable in shipping the goods. Prices are: Shelter 501 MKII - $650 US 901 1300 411 980. Air freight is a further $27. |