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How does Shure V15 Type IV compare?

Hi,  I recently got back into listening to vinyl again after 30+ years.   I purchased a new Project Classic turntable, and a new JICO stylus for my Shure V15 Type IV that I've kept from the 80's.   The Type IV cartridge with the new JICO stylus still sounds really great,  I think just as good as I remember when I used it in the 80's.   It sure beats the hack out of the Ortofon 2M silver cartridge that came with the turntable.

My question is, how does the Shure V15 Type IV stack up against today's high performance cartridges?  I want to know because if I were to upgrade from the Shure,  where do I begin?  at what price point should I start looking?   e.g Is the Shure just as good as let's say Ortofon 2m Black?   I would hate to spend hundreds of dollars to buy a new cartridge only to find out that it is inferior to the Shure.

Any information will be appreciated.  Thanks!
128x128xcool
dekay's avatar
dekay
5,349 posts
 
As and addendum...
  
Just listen to and enjoy what you have running.  

As the JICO is a "plug in" stylus replacement give it 30-60 hours of playing time B4 judging it's sound quality on a whole.

I find Chak's endless rants about fairly "RARE" vintage cartridges (rare in finding them in GOOD operating condition) as well as his rants about belt drive decks tiresome (to say the least;-).

DeKay
fuzztone's avatar
fuzztone
5,497 posts
 
Oh it ended all right.
In the next time zone.
big_greg
6,554 posts
 
I have a Shure v15 Type 4 with the  Jico SAS stylus and it's a very decent cartridge. However, it's easily bettered by something like a Nagaoka MP500 or if you can go to an MC, the Hana SL.
tooblue
1,882 posts
 
I do not have a comment on the Shure other than it was never one of my favorite carts in any of it's iterations, my favorites from that era were the Grace F9 and the ADC XLMs, with that said, I abandoned MM carts when I installed my first MC, the GAS Sleeping Beauty back in the later 70s. After all that time, I ran across a Grace F9 motor, no stylus, in my audio drawer and purchased a Soundsmith OCL stylus assembly from SS and am now wondering why I abandoned the MMs for the MCs. I have in rotation some very good MCs including a DRTxv1s, ZYX Universe, Miyabi Standard and a AT ART9 which this Grace certainly doesn't give up much if any to any of them. I am getting ready to order another stylus assembly from Soundsmith so I can keep this goodness alive for the foreseen future. Enjoy the music
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
Good point @tooblue
Same here on two turntables with 4 tonearms in one system and MM/MI battle over LOMC all the time. Miyabi MRA, FR-7fz and many others are agreat but on the other hand i have Grago Signature XTZ (MI) at the moment and it’s lovely.

No one can tell that MC is better than MM, just because it’s MC.
MM or MI are always more convenient.

I don’t know why V15 was so popular and very few people remember ULTRA series from Shure.

I adore Grace LEVEL II and F14 models, comparing Grace MM to Grace MC is also fun, Asakura ONE was Signature LOMC from Grace (one of the rarest from this manufacturer).

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