Dying magnetic cartridge?

[electra225]

I have a Technics SL-BD27 turntable with a Shure N92 magnetic cartridge. I normally process records to digital with a DJ turntable I have with a Stanton 500 series cartridge. It needs a needle, so I dug out this turntable and put a new needle in it. Every so often, one channel, usually the right channel gets fuzzy for just a second. I blamed it on the record. I put a brand new, still sealed, never played Nat King Cole Christmas record on and it does the same thing. Very infrequently, randomly. Is it possible for a magnetic cartridge to go bad like this? I also suspected something with the amp or speakers, but it doesn't do it on radio, just on phono. The needle I put in is from Gary, but it is about five years old. I have another turntable I can try, to see if it does it. This is the only turntable I have with a P-mount cartridge. I am partial to the Stanton cartridge, but this one has typically been close to the Stanton in performance. I realize that Stanton is not considered by audiophiles to be a premium brand....

[TC Chris]

Well, in its day, Stanton was considered a premium brand. I have a 681EE that was pretty high end. It came in a fancy case with a fancier box inside and a screwdriver. The Shure cartridges, at least lower-end models, are not premium, but have always been competent.

I would do the usual checks first. A bit of DeOxit on the cart. terminals and maybe on the turntable's RCA plugs. Maybe the amp's input selector switch, too. That's where I'm having an issue right now. The cartridge will have two sets of coils inside and I would expect those to be go/no go, not semi-intermittent (fuzzy). And, as usual, do a channel switch, first at the cart. terminals and then at the RCA plugs, and see if the problem moves or not.

Chris Campbell

[electra225]

I like the Stanton 500 series. I find it as good as my ears at least. I'm in the process of cleaning contacts. With the P-mount, I can't conveniently switch wires. I'll try another changer to see if there is a difference.

[TC Chris]

With the P-mount, I can't conveniently switch wires.

You can swap the RCA plugs and see if the problem moves or not.

Chris Campbell

[electra225]

I tried that. The jury is still out.....

[TC Chris]

If you mean that the jury can't hear the problem now, then maybe the unplugging and plugging wiped enough oxidation off the plugs and jacks that the problem is solved (temporarily). I think I'd do a bit of cleaning of those parts now with your cleaner of choice to see if the problem has flown away. Simple fixes first....

Chris Campbell

[Conelrad]

Stanton had quite a lineup of 'audiophile' carts.

file:///C:/Users/denni/Downloads/Stanton%20Product%20Catalog.pdf

I have both the 681EEE moving coil and the 881s moving magnet.

They still hold sway in today's market. Mine, too.

[electra225]

The Stanton 500 I have is on a DJ turntable. It will run backwards, you can make different sounds with it. I like it because it has a strobe light and you beat the dickens out of it and it keeps on ticking. I paid $3 for mine at an auction. Nobody knew what it was. It had been used very little, and, although very dirty when I got it, it is in really nice shape. My understanding is that the Stanton 500 series of cartridges were used on DJ turntables because they were not delicate about being given a hard life. I like the sound of this one, makes digitized music sound more natural. Maybe it's just me....

[Ken Doyle]

The old Stanton 500 series use the same cartridge body as the Pickering V-15 that came out in 1964. There are a wide range of styli for these cartridges depending on the application. The Stanton styli (Pfanstiehl 820) and the Pickering styli (Pfanstiehl 604) are interchangeable even though they look different.