Customer Reviews

Shure M97xE High-Performance Magnetic Phono Cartridge

5 star:		(127)
4 star:		(36)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I most recently decided it was time to replace my 15+ year old Bang and Olufsen cartridge. I began researching cartridges via reviews, manufacturer websites, etc., and found the task to be daunting. As it is virtually impossable to find decent customer reviews for cartridges for under $300, I felt I needed to write one, so here goes...

My system; Marantz 2252B receiver (you can't beat pre-1980s Marantz for true analog sound), Mirage Omni 60 speakers, Technics SL1200 direct drive turntable.

I admit that I am sort of a vinyl snob. I own tons of CDs, they're practical for the car and readily available, but I prefer the sound of a clean well cared for vinyl LP given the proper playing conditions. You might call me an audiophile who doesn't have the funding for a high end system. The Shure M97xE more than fits my budget.

I have been using The Shure M97xE for about a month now, listening to approximately 1-2 LPs a night, and I am quite impressed and content with my purchase. The cartridge comes with a 'dynamic stabilizer' brush mounted on the front that can be utilized or kept in the up position. This serves to stabilize the stylus under less than perfect playing conditions. I use it at all times, because it reduces static and collects dust, resulting in less build up on the stylus. I listen to everything from Dexter Gordon to the Clash to Weather Report to Bowie. I am extremely pleased so far with my purchase. It's great to exerience nuances of records that I have never heard before. The first album I played was Joe Jackson's Night and Day, and it sounded great. I heard background passages that I did not know existed on that record. I also noticed the stereo seperation to be a bit more pronounced than on the CD version of Night and Day. Next I put on a new copy of Salt and Pepper by Sonny Stitt and Paul Gonsalves. I hear crisp highs and feel the low lows. By my estimation, the sound from high to low and througout the midrange is fairly balanced, maybe slightly bassy. I forgot how rich the vinyl sound is compared to CD. For what it's worth, it also glides through some (but not all) pop and scratches that are in some of my older pressings without picking them up. Maybe it's the stabilizer. I am tracking at 1.75.

I have a discerning ear, and understand how music should sound, as far as seperation, depth, production values and so on.
Okay, I have never owned a $5000 cartridge, and therefore do not have that frame of reference, but I have experienced high end analog audio systems, and can say that for me this cartridge cuts it, at least in this price range. Actually I spent far less that I thought I would have to.

The MSRP is $140.

This Shure cartridge is a little blue sonic marvel in sound quality and price range ! ...

Over the years, I've had my share of Shures (gamut of Shure V15 carts).Earlier Shures from the 70's in their sound performance were slightly tipped upwards in the higher frequencies, but in a not too bright fashion as opposed to the new line of SHure cartridges in recent years. Truth be told, unless you have very,very sensitive and discriminating bionic hearing, the sonic differences between those and the M97xE are minimal to almost non-existant.In fact, the V15's now command a hefty price tag due to better premium materials used in it's manufacturing over the lesser Shures. However (and this is a big HOWEVER), you are mighty lucky if you can still purchase one from a hi-fi retailer (old new stock) as Shure has stopped production on the audiophile grade and highly respected (amongst casual record listeners and vinyl purists alike) V15! There is a devout following of those who swear by the Shure cartridges'groove tracing accuracy and warm or neutral musical characteristic;It's not hype but fact ( I know from personal experience).What you hear with the Shures is music and not a cartridge!

The M97xE follows in that same strong Shure reliability and musicality of craftsmanship and tradition. It's neutral-warm sounding sonics contribute to a very high degree of pleasurable music listening enjoyment over harsher and sharp or brightly sounding cartridges.I had one friend listen to my cartridge who made the following statements, "Wow, that's how music should sound like;crisp, clean, smooth and natural. Not like the harsh and flat digital sound of cd's.Dude, I wish I still held onto my turntable and record collection". It's highly remarkable characteristic is how darn well it tracks even the most difficult musical passages and fast modulations and transients in a groove! There is no harsh or grainy vocal sibilance with the Shure (no sharp or shrill "s" words). Mellow, but not coma inducing is another trademark of the M97xE which allows for lengthy periods of listening without driving you nuts or feeling like you want to pick or scratch the inside of your brain or ear canal ! The reward is that this allows you to listen to your old records with such clarity and silky ease that you will notice instruments and vocals like never before. The "mellowness" permits a lot of great detail to come through with no distortion or distraction. Surface noise is kept to such a bare minimum that I often feel this almost mimics the quietness you hear between tracks on any digital format(the Shure M97xE becomes mechanically invisible). This also largely depends on how clean your records are ( It's a great travesty to play vinyl that looks like it's been dragged through the Mojave desert sand while using this precious gem ) !

This is a superb tracking cartridge to transfer your old record albums to digital cd-r format. Take great note that unlike other namebrand cartridges , the Shure plays beautifully straight out of the box and does not require drastic long hours of a "breaking in" sound period (this is always a great topic of debate in an analog audiophile forum of turntable-cartridge enthusiasts)!

Some may call this a sleeper cartridge in two ways: Either you will want something with more brighter highs or boomy bass and claim the Shure has no "wow" factor (in that case, try the Audio Technica AT 440 ML linear cartridge) OR it is a sleeper because the overall sound quality is so surprisingly great in the audiophile sense and for it's "good deal" price range !The end result is that it will really boil down to your own personal sonic preference for a cartridge; Do you want a cart that is musically "involving" and has that familiar vinyl (almost bright) sounding characteristic that some prefer over a cd and associate with analog records? Then, the AT 440 ML would be a good choice over the Shure. However, the Shure is a much more excellent and accurate tracker and will allow you to listen to music for a much more longer period without getting ear fatigued.Some accuse the Shure of being musically or sonically uninvolving, maybe a little laidback. Make no mistake, that is also the beauty of the Shure---to be able to listen to the warm,natural fidelity of vinyl once again!

(Note: I'm using the Shure M97xe cartridge in the following review with a Technics SP-25 professional broadcast turntable and Alphason Opal tonearm.)

As a long-time listener of vinyl, I have owned many cartridges up to $300. Signets, Shures, Ortofons, Empires, you-name-it.

Overall, the Shure m97xe is the best cartridge I have ever owned. It's not as "in-your-face" as many others, and some have said it's an uninvolving cartridge. It's true that it has a relaxed sort of presentation, but that's certainly not a bad thing. This cartridge gets out of the way of the music, and is listenable for long periods with no listening fatigue. It is a shade warmer than some other carts, but the entire frequency range is all there, and totally uncolored. Very nice overall sound quality, and it's a superb tracker.

One of the best things about the m97xe is it's ability to push groove wear and other noise into the background much better than any other MM cartridges I've heard. It also does remarkably well with sibilants and inner groove tracking. Formerly I had some records with spitty, harsh "S" sounds and some distortion in the inner grooves. It drove me nuts! This cartridge tracks those inner grooves (and the rest of them) with ease, and greatly tames or more often, eliminates those harsh sibilants.

And even though this cartridge is a touch warmer than some others, it's certainly not lacking in treble response. Highs are extended and smooth without being harsh. The bass & mids are superbly presented, too. This cartridge is a terrific choice for any style of music, especially rock, jazz, and blues. Some other cartridges may have a slightly better depth of soundstage for classical, but even on classical music I'm confident this one would provide satisfying results.

For those acquainted with the venerable and sadly discontinued V-15 line of Shure cartridges, (used by several hi-fi magazines as their reference cartridge) this one is second to only the Shure V-15MR. Shure actually recommends the M97xe as an upgrade to their V-15 type III model.

The build quality of this cartridge is quite over-the-top too. It's superbly crafted, and though it doesn't really matter, the packaging is even luxurious. Most cartridges come in a cardboard box. This one comes in a nicely finished aluminum (I think) case, padded with form-fitting rubber. It also is supplied with a thorough manual and specs, mounting hardware, a screwdriver, and even an alignment protractor. Even cartridges in the several hundred dollar range don't typically come equipped like the M97xe.

Bottom line: THE killer deal on a truly audiophile cartridge. A musical, highly accurate cartridge for chump change, it's quite possibly the best moving-magnet cartridge out there for under $400. Unlike costly MC cartridges, you can replace the stylus yourself, and you'll actually be able to afford a replacement stylus when the time comes. Easy on your records and your ears. Get it while you can!

I seriously disagree with calling this cartridge "snoozefest". I have two vintage Dual turntables and one new Sony turntable I recently acquired from Amazon. Using this cartridge, I'm hearing sounds in my records that I have never heard before (and I've owned some pretty good cartridges). The detail that you hear in very complex musical passages has to be heard to be believed (this is true of Pink Floyd and ELO as well as Brahms and Stravinsky). It projects both power and subtlety (at the price, it is a real steal!). No, it's not the type of sound that feels like your head is being smashed through a solid brick wall. For that, the average digital bright, brash, and shallow CD sound works quite well. The thing is that (non-digital) vinyl will (and should) never give the type of sound that CDs will (thank goodness). If you relish the sonic complexity and richness that can come from a good LP, then this cartridge is definitely for you!! On the other hand, if you want bright, in-your-face, and two-dimensional sound, then you should probably stick with CDs.

Mount this up right, then be sure that the limiting factor of your playback system ain't the cartridge. Just "set it and forget it" like the Ronco Rotissere. Yeah, there are better carts, but nothing under $300 comes close in my opinion, and paying more matters little if the rest of your system isn't up to par.

Flat response, No hissy sybilants, quiet tracking, and none of that annoying last track that sounds like crap.

Here's the secret to this cart (and many others): you need to be uber careful about overhang. Shure includes a nice 5c gauge underneath the foam in the box. It works fine. Use it to adjust fore/aft of the cartridge so that the stylus hits the center mark on the gauge, and the body of the headshell is square with the lines. That's it. On my Philips 312, it ended up being right in the middle of the mounting track. Seriously, don't neglect this, it's the most important thing next to buying it in the first place.

So the Zen of the cart is sitting here, listening to Gary Graffman and Leonard Bernstein jam some Rachmaninoff on a 40 y/o slab of wax, and I'm not worrying about a thing. Everything's there where it should be. The clarity is astounding. I don't feel like getting up and messing with the gear. Nope, I'm focused on the music, not the gear. That's transparency folks, and it's what makes for a great listen.

11/03/06

I picked up an even better receiver in order to enjoy the cartridge more. Speakers are Sony sony ss-k30ED's, the ones that are flabbergasting, but nobody bought them cause Sony speakers usually stink. Carbon tweeters to 70Khz! I'm listening to albums I've had for years, albums I thought were worn out, and they're crystal clear. It's magical. I've owned my copy of the Police's Regatta de Blanc since 1980 or so, grew up playing it on substandard gear. You know how kids are with records. I'm hearing delicate drumming work by Copeland and guitar licks by Summers that are new. Wow.

After listening to Lucinda Williams today at concert type volume, the difficult track "Live Bleeding Fingers..." that's got the guitars just at the point of no return, and it tracks it perfectly. Two wailing guitars front and center, but the delicate highs of the drums aren't buried. Everything's there. Closed my eyes and it was just like being at one of her shows. Even the last decent Stanton I had couldn't manage that track. It's at the end of a side and pressed hotter than hot, but the Shure tracks it like it was cut number one.

Bravo! This is an essential purchase for anybody new to audiophile analog. For the price, it has no right to sound as good as it does. Just remember to adjust that overhang folks, and you'll enjoy THE best deal in audio I've ever heard.

I've owned many turntable and cartridge combinations over the years and was able to compare this Shure to a V15 and a Stanton 881S in a quality table. The M97xMR has superb packaging and contruction. It comes with a useful overhang gauge and a viscous damped stylus brush that effectively dampens the effects of warped records. Sonically the cartridge is very neutral and non-fatiguing. The cartridge casts a wide image and has good sound stage depth. It tracks well but will not pass the final track of the Shure test record. It share the neutral nature of the V15 cartridge but is not quite as "fast with transients". I highly recommend this cartridge. Take the money you save over the expensive cartridges and buy some vinyl records to enjoy!

Bought this few days ago as a cheap standby cartridge for my Linn asaka (just in case). What a pleasant surprise. Just about the best non-moving coil I have heard. My system is a Linn LP-12/Itokk/Lingo/Trampolin/Naim Preamp/Naim Power amp. Speakers are Linn Sara-9. I can't afford a cartridge for each type of music, and I love most types. 6000 Lp's plus. This cartridge plays everything from the Mercury Stereo Classicals to Hank on the old black&yellow MGM's. No, it's not quite as good as the asak, bass isn't as well controlled, vocalists don't have the power and closeness, but there is almost no unwanted cartridge sound either. I did use the stainless steel hardware I had used with the asak, and I do not use the brush. I thought 1.25 grams a little lite, 1.5 was better. Did a great job on "girl from ipanema" from the Stan Getz/Verve stereo original pressing lp, not the re-done import. She sounds on key, and the sax is fantastic. Ditto for keyboard. I am going to get another in case Shure drops this one like they did their V15. This guy is worth at least twice the price, maybe more. Never really been a fan of Shure, but heard a M91ED few years ago, not terribly bad and loads better than the old M3D I had (for a very short time) years ago. I tightened the screws really tight (with the arm unmounted, not to damage the bearings in the arm.)

My ears seriously disagree with the notion that this cartridge is a real "snoozefest." If you don't appreciate smooth, balanced, unforced and "neutral" (i.e mellow) sounding music (both classical and jazz) then this cartridge is definately not for you. No, it's not "in your face" by any means. What you hear is music, not the cartridge! There are plenty of other technically "superior" cartridge designs around, if you're willing to pay a premium for "bragging" rights. Why bother. Spend a few bucks less and "brag" about how good your music sounds with this one! Go for it!!

I bought this cartridge to finish the rehab of my old Thorens TD-145 turntable that had been stored for 12 years. I replaced the belt, soldered on new RCA signal cables, and installed this cartridge. I used the same screws as I had on my old V-15 and had to make very little adjustment. I'm really pleased with the results.

I noticed on the internet a lot of very expensive turntable combinations for sale. Tonearms for $7000, even hook up RCA wires for $400. Whether my ears are golden is somewhat in doubt: they once tested in the top 2 percentile of human hearing and that I had perfect pitch, but that was quite a few years ago. I do know that my wallet was never golden.

In the real world playing real lp records, this cartridge works just great and is a very good value.

I actually bought this cart last fall and am just now getting around to reviewing it.

I had been seeking a fresh cart that was not so bright, a cart with a more neutral tonal quality to it and after inquiring on an audio site, this was a major recommendation from many and upon that rec, I bought it.

After it arrived and got it mounted, I was pleasently surprised at how great it sounded, out of the box and it did get better within a few hours of playing. The mids are decidely warmer, richer and the bass much deeper and more present than I've ever been able to get from my low end plastic base (plynth) semi auto turntable from the 1980's. It's that molded plastic plynth that has not so great resonance characteristics as it will tend to produce weak bass and mids, the upper mids on up can get shrill and the previous cart, an Ortofon Super OM-10 emphasised the upper mids in particular so it was a not such a great choice. This cart, the Shure de-emphasized the upper mids/treble some and brought out the mids and bass in a way that this type of table was not known for at all.

I was pleasently surprised at the minute details I got out of this cart in the lower frequencies, while the detail and resolution were minor in comparison to the Ortofon and the cheaper carts of yore, they were welcome details to be sure.

Another thing, while the Ortofon tracked very well, this cart ups the notch a bit and some of my records while reasonably clear, became even more clear and clean with the Shure. I was amazed to say the least. It's been around 8 months now and I'm still pleased with this purchase, which, which at $70 is a steal since it would normally for for around $150 elsewhere.

The only hitch and it's more my phono pre stage than anything else is that there seems to be not as much air in the upper frequencies that I'd like but that's a minor thing. And one thing I would caution is that if your system is more neutral to laid back to begin with, this cart may not be the best choice, but if your system is more forward (on the bright side), this cart will be perfect as it will counteract the bright tendencies which can mar brightly recorded albums, particuarly of the pop variety which can be overly bright at times.