needles

jjfad027jjfad027 1,594 Posts
edited June 2005 in Strut Central
what needles you guys use? and why?I currently still use the blue ortofons but i'm considering switching to shure whitelables. Anyone got any advice?

  Comments


  • 33thirdcom33thirdcom 2,049 Posts
    I like the Shure m44-7's ... good hold on the record and they don't wear down the grooves as fast as the Ortofons supposedly do.

  • edpowersedpowers 4,437 Posts
    I like the Shure m44-7's ....

    i went and bought some of these based on Soulstrut recommendations and i hate em'...TOO MUCH grip (fuckers are like glue)...i prefer Ortofon's

  • DubiousDubious 1,865 Posts
    i've got the whitelabels... they are sick


  • CosmoCosmo 9,768 Posts
    I like them okay as well except you have to set the tonearm counterweight well back so that the damn thing doesn't drag across the record. I use a pair of Shure M44Gs as my backup.

    I've heard lost of mixed opinions on the White Labels, so much that I don't trust them. I'm pretty much cool with my old standard:



    on Technics headshells. I wouldn't mind trying some of those other ones though, like the new "Electro" series.

  • DJPrestigeDJPrestige 1,710 Posts
    I like the Shure m44-7's ... good hold on the record and they don't wear down the grooves as fast as the Ortofons supposedly do.

    ditto..been using the same needles for 9 years....

  • holmesholmes 3,532 Posts
    I have (from memory) either Shure SC35C, Shure V15 type III and Technics 250C?? Depending on what is readily available when I need to replace them. They are all OK, the Technics is the worst of the 3, the Shures both sound totally different to each other. The Technics & the V15 aren't really scratch needles, more for hi-fi. The SC35C is loudest, is good & solid, nice bass response, but reccomends a heavy tracking force. The V15 has good overall frequency response, less bass, nicer mids, the needles can be expensive though.

  • SwayzeSwayze 14,705 Posts
    I like the Shure m44-7's ....

    i went and bought some of these based on Soulstrut recommendations and i hate em'...TOO MUCH grip (fuckers are like glue)...i prefer Ortofon's

    co-anti-sign. I hate the m447's.

    my first set of decks came with the blue ortofon's and I always been happy with them.

  • DubiousDubious 1,865 Posts
    the white labels are a bit on the trickier side to settup and if not done right they can be a tad finnicky.. so no not really a take it to the club type situation unless you have time to check them before the gig.

    i also don't scratch so no comment there.

    the sound real good though : )

  • prof_rockwellprof_rockwell 2,867 Posts
    Shure M447s are great if your a scratch maniac - sticks like glue, and doesn't need much tracking weight. They can be a bit tricky to calibrate right, but once you get it, they are sweeet. The SC series are also good, but probably don't stick as well as the 44s. Don't f*** with the white lables IMO - they have excellent sound quality, they have adjustable overhang, but the needles wear out with a quickness - maybe use them for recording only,



    Ortofons are good too, but are more for the club dj - they do make your records sound like fried chicken if you do a lot of scratching. But the sound quality is unmatched...And as AI said only get the ones that mount on a regular headshell - the concorde style connectors are longer than on a regular headshell, and will push in the connectors inside your tonearm, thus making a good contact damn near impossible, and tonearm replacement a very strong possibility...



    Stanton also has been making strides - the 680s are nice, and they have a nice line of concorde style needles that are good as well...
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