Gentleman if you want to read some very good reviews on the shelter cartridges and the Koetsu Black, Rosewood, Rosewood Signature, and Urushi Moving Coil Cartridges go to jerrys audio pages http://www.21stcenturyservices.com/audio/
This guy is good. The shelter 501 is actually the Crown Jewel which Michael Fremer reviewed in Stereophile (v.20 no. 4) where it was given a “Class A” rating, had a $2650 price tag. Mike also said in mike speak that it was as good as any in class A. He also along with other reviews I have read on this cartridge said that the 501 or Crown Jewel conveyed the emotion of the music better than any heard. I guess this is the trait of the Japanese sound, so to speak. years back when I started using mc's I could take the same lp from my house, and play it on my freinds Linn's with mm cartridges. I believe a v15 mark whatever and the noise was terrible. When played on my old systemdeck, silence. The noise you are hearing on the records, is I beleive, the mm cartridge you are using. I have a van den hull frog, that I like very much, unlike the benz I had before. I asked a reviewer of the 501 to give me his opinion, if he thought the 501 was as good or better than the frog. He said his "friend", tried both and perferred the frog. What about the old audio technica Signet oc9 II, with the Boron? I really liked the old verision years ago when I used them. The new one with the boron should be better, also the cantiliver on the 501 is aluminum just like the old signet oc9. Mr. Van den hull says boron is the best for cantilivers. But hey, I don't know. Hope you can use some of this information.
Ron
This guy is good. The shelter 501 is actually the Crown Jewel which Michael Fremer reviewed in Stereophile (v.20 no. 4) where it was given a “Class A” rating, had a $2650 price tag. Mike also said in mike speak that it was as good as any in class A. He also along with other reviews I have read on this cartridge said that the 501 or Crown Jewel conveyed the emotion of the music better than any heard. I guess this is the trait of the Japanese sound, so to speak. years back when I started using mc's I could take the same lp from my house, and play it on my freinds Linn's with mm cartridges. I believe a v15 mark whatever and the noise was terrible. When played on my old systemdeck, silence. The noise you are hearing on the records, is I beleive, the mm cartridge you are using. I have a van den hull frog, that I like very much, unlike the benz I had before. I asked a reviewer of the 501 to give me his opinion, if he thought the 501 was as good or better than the frog. He said his "friend", tried both and perferred the frog. What about the old audio technica Signet oc9 II, with the Boron? I really liked the old verision years ago when I used them. The new one with the boron should be better, also the cantiliver on the 501 is aluminum just like the old signet oc9. Mr. Van den hull says boron is the best for cantilivers. But hey, I don't know. Hope you can use some of this information.
Ron