Steve_Graham@ub.cc.umich.edu (12/11/90)
To my ears all Stantons are listenable (Captain Kludge disagrees, apparently)
but lacking. They have a slightly metallic and slightly boring sound but
are otherwise inoffensive. I greatly prefer the Shure V15 VMR, which has
(as I hear it) greater depth, width (not applicable for 78s, obviously),
extended highs, good dynamics and transients, in short, not the boring
if inoffensive Stanton sound. 78 rpm styli are available for the V15 V.
I would buy one had I the spare cash. ("I'm poor", he said, pathetically.)
I don't know if they have a 1.0 mil stylus for mono microgrooves, but I do
know that they did not manufacture other odd sizes as the cost would have
been prohibitive. I do have a 78 stylus for my Grado, though, which cost,
I think, $9 exclusive of cartridge. That was a few years ago. It sounds
terrific. Lately, though, it's developed the infamous Grado Wobble to the
extent that it just skips grooves on some disks for no good reason. Probably
due to aging suspension. No amount of damping or fiddling with mass would
make it work. I should get another. Since I believe it was specially made
for me when I ordered it, it's not inconceivable that other sizes might be
available from this company.
Ortofon also makes 78 rpm styli, or used to.
So far as I know Stanton is the only company to make the special dual
stylus ("split" perhaps, but not what people meant when they were asking
about old stereo records) for playing stampers.
--Steve Graham