As a proud owner of Pickering XSV/3000, 3000SP, 4000, 5000; XLZ/4500, 7500 ... I must admit those are fantastic MM cartridges. Top models have the Stereohedron mkII profile, lower models have first generation of Stereohedron profile.
Natural progression for any Pickering owner is next Pickering model (if there are any). The 5000 and 7500 series are top of the line models.
*** Below is the information from Pickering catalog:
“The culmination of 30 years of Audio Engineering leadership - the new Stereohedron XSV/5000. The best for both worlds. One of the most dramatic developments of cartridge performance was the introduction of the Pickering XSV/3000. It offered the consumer a first generation of cartridges, combining both high tracking ability and superb frequency response. It utilized a new concept in stylus design - Stereohedron, coupled with an exotic samarium cobalt moving magnet. Now Pickering offers a top-of-the-line Stereohedron cartridge, the XSV/5000. Combining features of both the XSV/3000 and the XSV/4000. It allows a frequency response out to 50,000 Hz. The Exclusive Stereohedron Tip, The new XSV samarium cobalt magnet accounts for an extremely high output with the smallest effective tip mass. The Stereohedron tip design is the result of long research in extended frequency response for tracing of high frequency modulations. The patented Dustamatic brush and stylus work hand in hand with the rest of the cartridge assembly to reproduce with superb fidelity all frequencies contained in today’s recordings. Pickering is proud to offer the XSV/5000 as the best effort yet in over 30 years of cartridge development.
A fresh new breakthrough in cartridge development designed specifically as an answer for the low impedance moving coil cartridge - XLZ/7500S The advantages of the XLZ/7500S are that it offers characteristics exceeding even the best of moving coil cartridges. Features such as an openness of sound and extremely fast risetime, less than 10µ seconds, to provide a new crispness in sound reproduction. At the same time, the XLZ/7500S provides these features without any of the disadvantages of ringing, undesirable spurious harmonics which are often characterizations of moving coil pickups. The above advantages provide a new sound experience while utilizing the proven advantages of the Stereohedron stylus, a samarium cobalt assembly, a patented Pickering Dustamatic brush, with replaceable stylus, along with low dynamic tip mass with very high compliance for superb tracking. So, for those who prefer the sound characteristics attributed to moving coil cartridges, but insist on the reliability, stability and convenience of moving magnet design, Pickering presents its XLZ/7500S.
THE SOURCE OF PERFECTION PICKERING from Pickering Enter No. 30 on Reader Service Card "for those who can hear the difference" For further information on the XSV/5000 and the XLZ/7500S write to Pickering Inc., Sunnyside Blvd., Plainview, N.Y.”
