The Broadcast Standard!
Written: Feb 16 '04 (Updated Feb 16 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Excellent sound quality with low distortion plus very good high frequency tracing! Great for scratchin'!
Cons: High tracking force may accelerate record wear a bit.
The Bottom Line: Good deal for DJ's and record player restorers alike!!!
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| sam-pro's Full Review: Stanton 500 AL II Phono Cartridge |
The Stanton "500" series of phono cartridges has long been a favorite among radio stations and dj's all over the world and not without good reason! This series of cartridges was designed by Stanton/Pickering back in the 60's for professional use to provide rugged reliable tracking and cuing of records that both AM and FM radio stations required. Good sound reproduction was a must also.
The well respected manufacturer met these demands rather well with the "500" series but the 500AL seemed to be the best of the bunch with its superior mid and high frequency tracing over its lower tracking elliptical brethren and at slightly lower cost! Go figure!
Of course the trade-off was that record wear would accelerate with the higher tracking forces necessary for the "AL" model. This was somewhat offset by the fact that the "AL" used a .007 conical stylus which is easier on vinyl anyway as opposed to the .004 x .007 elliptical stylus in the "E" and "EE" models.
The bronze body of the Stanton signified quality and excellent sound reproduction along with ruggedness. It simply became an industry workhorse!
In its current form, the black bodied 500 AL MK. II boasts that same .007 stylus with a tracking force range of 2 to 5 grams. It is a standard 1/2 inch mount cartridge not a P-mount. The color coded gold hookup pins, the nicely written owner's manual and the easy mount supplied hardware greatly simplify installation. Output has been raised and the price is still incredibly under $30!
Mounted in both an American DJ 2010 turntable and an old Technics SL series belt drive unit with tracking force and anti-skating set to 3.5 grams the performance was pretty much the same.
The phono cartridge behaved very well indeed with the unit hugging the record groove nicely even on difficult warps! Not only that, the high frequency reproduction was surprisingly good considering the conical stylus and the heavier massed "s" shaped tonearms the cartridge was mounted in.
The Stanton 500AL Mk. II played the inner grooves surprisingly well! Here is where distortions in the highs will normally emerge. There simply was no splattering and sandpapery quality but a bit of brightness and warmth.
Percussive sounds were reproduced very convincingly but detail although good was not on a par with the best to say the least. Come on, would one really expect it to be?
Channel separation was also notably outstanding given the unit's build and price! Tracking ability is also very good if not the best. Analog lovers should have it so good!
Its backcuing and scratching is superb for DJ purposes and I could see the Stanton winning many a competition! You will require a magnetic phono input on your amplifier or preamp.
Whether for DJ use or if you just wanna restore that old BSR MacDonald changer the Stanton 500AL Mk. II phono cartridge with its bright blue stylus and its orange dotted cuing mark that almost glows in the dark along with its great sound and low price might just be what you're looking for!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
sam-pro
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 - Top 500 |
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Member: Peter J Sammon II
Location: The Bloomfield Burying Ground, USA
Reviews written: 218
Trusted by: 121 members
About Me:
Every once in awhile something great arrives at relatively low cost to you...Priceless!
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