How well do those adaptors for mounting a P-mount to a Standard mount work?

MusicDirector

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The reason I ask is because I just found a couple of pristine P-mount carts in a drawer I was cleaning out. One is an Ortofon OM5 or something and the other is a brand new, never out of the box AT Series V circa 1985! (1986 was the last year AT made their carts. After that they out sourced to China). I was thinking that perhaps I might want to try them out to see what they sound like for giggles, but I don't have a P-mount TT. So I was thinking of picking up an adaptor. Would this be worth trying or do the adaptors make set-up a living nightmare etc.? I don't want to ruin anything in the process. ~Eric
 
Eric, The only issue I have ever run into is that sometimes the cartridge body will
end up slightly tail down. This is easily remedied by using a small piece of
cardboard, like from a matchbook cover, between the front edge of the p-mount
adaptor and the head shell. This was most noticeable with an AT-92e, the
successor to your Series V. There are many who prefer the AT-92e to the AT-95e and it does in fact have a better stylus.
 
Eric, The only issue I have ever run into is that sometimes the cartridge body will
end up slightly tail down. This is easily remedied by using a small piece of
cardboard, like from a matchbook cover, between the front edge of the p-mount
adaptor and the head shell. This was most noticeable with an AT-92e, the
successor to your Series V. There are many who prefer the AT-92e to the AT-95e and it does in fact have a better stylus.

Thanks Jack. I'll see if I get that problem and if so, I already have the resolve from you.:) The AT-92e (P-mount?) may have had a fine line needle or something. The AT-95e is not a P-mount, it's a standard mount with an elliptical needle, still being made in China. I have one on my Pioneer PL-510 and I find it a darn good cart/stylus for what it is. Not a lot of roll off in any direction. Perhaps only enough someplace that a slight tone control adjustment may be warranted on certain records (mostly I never have to touch them). Other than that it beats the crap out of my Shure M97xE and my Sumiko Blue Point (which can be beaten by just about anything in my opinion). The Series V was one of the last carts made in Japan by Audio Technica. In 1986, they sold their cart manufacturing part of the company to a Chinese firm right after they relocated HQ there. I'll be trying this experiment later down the road.
 
Eric, one of the issues you are going to have with the Shure is partially related to the Shure and partially related to the TC-750. The Shure prefers, in my experiments with it, to prefer a capacitance of 250pf or less including the TT cabling and the preamp's native capacitance. I would suspect that your Denon and Pioneer both have TT cable capacitance between 90pf and 105pf. All seven of my TT's from that era do including the Denon and I have measure them all using an empty headshell. The native capacitance for the TC-750 is an unusually high 220pf on its own and by itself would be what the Shure and even the AT's want to see. You won't notice it as much with the AT's as they have to me a slightly forward presentation anyway. The Shure on the other hand is somewhat reticent on the top end on it's own and if it sees to much capacitance it only gets worse and can sound like mud. Don't know anything about the Sumiko as I never owned one and never had the desire to do so. The Sumiko is much loved by many though, especially the Blackbird.
 
Eric, one of the issues you are going to have with the Shure is partially related to the Shure and partially related to the TC-750. The Shure prefers, in my experiments with it, to prefer a capacitance of 250pf or less including the TT cabling and the preamp's native capacitance. I would suspect that your Denon and Pioneer both have TT cable capacitance between 90pf and 105pf. All seven of my TT's from that era do including the Denon and I have measure them all using an empty headshell. The native capacitance for the TC-750 is an unusually high 220pf on its own and by itself would be what the Shure and even the AT's want to see. You won't notice it as much with the AT's as they have to me a slightly forward presentation anyway. The Shure on the other hand is somewhat reticent on the top end on it's own and if it sees to much capacitance it only gets worse and can sound like mud. Don't know anything about the Sumiko as I never owned one and never had the desire to do so. The Sumiko is much loved by many though, especially the Blackbird.

That explains why I had virtually no highs when I tried the Shure on my Denon. I don't use a phono preamp with my vintage system, it doesn't need it. (My Pioneer is in that system). The Shure performed a little better on my Pioneer PL530 hooked directly into my vintage Yamaha when I had it on that.
I don't understand all this capacitance stuff. I plan on getting a Ortofon 2M Bronze for the Denon eventually along with a Phonomena II preamp. I might get a Ortofon 2M Blue or AT440MLA first for the Denon.
 
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