[Big Red Machine]

I don't PLAN to get serious about vinyl so don't call me Shirley.  Anyways, I have an old Technics SL Q2 TT with a Shure V15 Type IV cartridge.

First, I don't know if it is a MM or MC cartridge.  And I'm clueless if the thing is even remotely close to being aligned properly.

I have no phono preamp and for play, if there a recommended unit in the 250ish range worth the equivalent set up I have now?  I see some units have the ability to adjust voltages but I have no idea why and to what level.

Any clarifications and recommendations accepted.

[richidoo]

I have the same TT, also a novice, hoping to stay that way. The Q2 is pretty good for the money. Wayner has written about his here. Your Shure cart is MM, a classic Shure pretty decent cart, no longer made. I use a Shure M97 (MM) with Bellari tube phono preamp with an RCA black plate 12AX7 tube. It is a satisfying sound, but very far from what's possible with better analog gear. I have a small collection of old, well-worn LPs I used when studying music, so I keep the TT for that only. I would look at an AT-440 cartridge as my next upgrade, some vibration reducing feet, then an Eastern Electric tube phono preamp next. Lets hope I never get there - by then I will be way past the point of no return.... The dark side is hard to resist.

[Airborn]

BRM,

Your Shure is moving magnet.  I used a Shure V-15 Type III with a Cambridge Audio 640p phono stage with good results.  The 640p costs usually <$180, so well within your buget.  I thik the Bellari tubed unit Richidoo mentioned is about $250.  Your cart. is rather old, so I'd be sure to check the stylus is still OK.  If not, a replacement is available at several sources, such as LP Gear, etc.  http://www.lpgear.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=LG&Category_Code=SSBC

[Big Red Machine]

Good.  We're on a roll.  WOuld there be a better cartridge choice altogether than spending $69 on a replacement stylus for instance?

I don't want to surpass the quality of my TT in the process.

You know my biggest complaint with vinyl is all the snapping and popping.

[Airborn]

I like the Audio Technica 440 MLa MM cart. For $89-$129 depending on seller they are hard to beat IMO. I think LP Gear still has them for $89. That's a good price for a micro-line stylus and you can't do much better unless you spend bigger bucks. Mine tops the old Shure V-15 III on my SL-1210 Technics. Of course, the Shure sounds better on my old Dual 601 TT and low mass tonearm that like they were made for each other. Like all things vinyl, its system dependent and synergy plays a large role, so ymmv.

[TheChairGuy]

Good.  We're on a roll.  WOuld there be a better cartridge choice altogether than spending $69 on a replacement stylus for instance?

I don't want to surpass the quality of my TT in the process.

You know my biggest complaint with vinyl is all the snapping and popping.

Hey Big Red Pete.....as you mentioned in your first post that you might not have it aligned properly, just meander over to The Vinyl Engine and get a copy of your instruction manual and align your tonearm/cartridge(it's about as easy as it gets in vinyl to do in on the S-shaped Japanese decks like yours): http://www.vinylengine.com/library/technics/sl-q2.shtml

$69 sounds rather painless to replace your Shure stylus/assembly.

I'm not a biggie fan of the much mentioned Audio-Technica AT440MLa (tho it has it's merits), the issue is that there are few cartridges in it's price range to typically recommend in it's place.  The AT440MLa seems to (friends tell me) benefit from loading at lower-than-47K input.  It tends towards 'shiny' sounding...but it does a good job of minimizing some of the snap, crackle and pop inherent in some records.

If this is not possible for you to load at approximately 33-35K ohms (if it sounds 'Greek' to ya' ) then a better choice might be a NOS ADC XLM Mk. II.

Mike at Sounds Unique in San Jose, California had buckets of them a year ago and I think was selling them for $89.00.  A couple members here at AC bought them...and last I heard from one of them he was thrilled with the sound.

www.soundsunique.com

Regards, John