Description: Moving-magnet stereo cartridge with spherical or 0.2 by 0.7 hyperelliptical stylus and viscous-damped dynamic stabilizer. Output level: 5mV out at 1kHz/5cm/s velocity. Frequency range: 10Hz–25kHz. Channel separation: 25dB at 1kHz.
Price: $150 (1979); no longer available (2015).
Manufacturer: Shure Bros, Inc., Evanston, IL 60294 (1979). Shure Incorporated, 5800 West Touhy Avenue Niles, IL 60714-4608 (2015). Tel: (847) 600-2000 & (800) 25-SHURE (US only). Fax: (847) 600-1212. Web: www.shure.com.
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COMMENTS
Thanks for resurrecting this article. Did Gordon ever change his mind about the neutrality of MC vs MM cartridges?
Was this more related to those of us experimenting with lower-compliance cartridges in our Grace 707 or Infinity Black Widow tonearms?
Did Gordon ever change his mind about the neutrality of MC vs MM cartridges?
Yes, when he reviewed the Ortofon MC2000 and MC3000 in the mid-1980s.
Was this more related to those of us experimenting with lower-compliance cartridges in our Grace 707 or Infinity Black Widow tonearms?
Yes, the Shure had high compliance, so needed to be used in a low-mass arm like the Infinity Black Widow or the SME 3009 III.
John Atkinson
Editor, Stereophile
I have long been a fan of Shure carts as nothing is perfect and for most of us we would be better off with more money in a phono stage that just more money for a better cart...whatever better means to most listeners.
I have always found them musical enough for me. I do need to get a Jico stylus for my M97. That would be a upgrade worth making.
I replaced my aged cartridge on my Shure V15 MKV with one of Jico's and it was well worth the $200 I spent. Cartridge sounds better than before, did have to adjust Horizontal Tracking but no big deal.
They had pretty well addressed all the issues with the previous series. I always admired the tracking ability of the various V15's from the II on up. (The type I was a glorified M55E). But the sound always left me kind of cold. It was always a bit thin and strident, but each successive generation improved on that. Hard to go wrong with them for the price, but you could get most of the way there (in the day) with an M95ED. It always left me looking for other alternatives, so there was a string of Stantons, Ortofons, Micro Acoustics, and of course, Grados. I finally moved on to MC's and once I found the right one, I never looked back. In spite of their reputation, some of the better ones were amazingly good trackers.
I owned V15 Type V MR for several years, installed on Dual CS5000 (1990-1993). I bought it new from one of the reputable East Coast "wholesalers" (Lyle??), so total cost was lower than retail. I'm sure the cost could've even been lower had Shure not over-packaged it so much ...
(Shure seems to do that often, as I've noted in their IEMs and headphones).
The over-packaging was a disappointment, but the biggest disappointment was that stabilizer brush. In every 'table or arm I used, use of the brush added significant noise -- bottom line: it was microphonic. In all the glowing reviews, I'd never seen this issue raised before.
I won't comment on the sound of the Type V MR as its been too long since I last heard it. Prior to using this cart., I used an Ortofon OM30; and then (replacing the Shure/Dual system) I switched to a Sumiko BP Special (on a VPI-19 Jr/Rega RB 300). I've never really looked back each of these upgrades ;)
I bought one of these in 1985 and have never looked back. I did replace the stylus for a Swiss knock-off 3 years ago, but it only improved the sound a little. I also use a Linn/Ittok and Sumiko black. I swear there's no difference in Music. O yes, my Ariston RD11 isn't a Linn and the SME 3009 III works well. I have the Ariston set up on 45 for some Stereophile LPs on 45, and as you know the Linn is 1 speed, so it works well. The V15 IV has an elliptical stylus and in my opinion there's no difference with it and the spherical.
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