Unknown Stanton cartridge specifications

[paul300b]

Richard,
The Technics epc-205c-ii-L , 1.8mv output, 1976. I think Audio Technica had one (or part of a series) also.

[Kent T]

The low impedance cartridges had a preamp which could be used connected to a microphone channel on a broadcast console. Pickering and GE in the past manufactured these for years. One of my teachers said this arrangement had lower noise/hum and RFI/EMI pickup when tube consoles were in wide usage due to the difference in impedance. And the discontinuance of the 681L coincided with solid state broadcast consoles becoming more mainstream in studios and phono preamplifiers used in the professional world improving. As I have also said, this is another example of a dyslexic moving coil with the advantages of one without the disadvantages of the genre. I'd sure love to have a 681 L body as it would be the only spastic proof MC of sorts.

[Lynnot]

Bought one, it is OK. (even very much OK)

Seems to be a custom product for professional broadcast turntables.
I have seen many Stanton products being used on EMT headshells in the past.

Rgds, Tony

[predrag]

At last! There is another one. Did You get some specs with it?

[Lynnot]

Hi Predrag,

yes, certainly, this is a brand new one:







My guess is that Stanton built these for EMT in order to fit within their proprietary headshell designs.
Look at the wiring diagram and the position of the pin connectors. (and see EMT headshells)

It sounds like a 881S on stereoids.

Rgds, Tony

[predrag]

THANKS!

[Bodyslam]

What's really interesting about the specs is that it actually isn't low impedance. The inductance and resistance figures are right in line with the rest of the Stanton high impedance cartridges. The figures for the actual low impedance cartridges--981 LZS, Pickering XLZ-7500S, Epoch II LZ9s for instance--are a small fraction of these. I wonder why they described the 891SL as low impedance.

Does anyone have the specs on the 681SL?

[needlestein]

I have some at home, but I won’t be back until Tuesday.  The body of the 681 is the same as all the other 680/681 so if you were looking for impedance and inductance specs they will be resistance 1300 ohms and inductance 930 mH.

[GP49]

The specifications on the calibration sheet do not correspond to those of the 680/681...they are more like the 881/981 high impedance types and the Pickering XSV series, which unlike the 680/681 which are all identical, vary among the different models.

[needlestein]

The specifications on the calibration sheet do not correspond to those of the 680/681...they are more like the 881/981 high impedance types and the Pickering XSV series, which unlike the 680/681 which are all identical, vary among the different models.

The 681SL or the 891SL?  The 891 at 900/510 matches the 881 exactly.

[Wout]

Guys, I think this is not about the 681SL but about the 691SL (no, this not a typo ).
There's no 681SL.
Stanton produced a couple of heavy tracking, calibrated Stereohedron models in the eighties for broadcast purposes: the 691SL & the 891SL.
They called them the "Pro-Broadcast" cartridges.

So we have 3 heavy tracking Stereohedrons:
680SL: uncalibrated 680, 1970's, disco-use
691SL: calibrated 681? 1980's, pro-broadcast
891SL: calibrated 881, 1980's, pro-broadcast

We've all seen the 891SL, thanks to Lynnot, which turns out to be a heavy tracking 881S.
There's also a 691SL which is probably a calibrated 681 with a heavy tracking Stereohedron.
I've seen one mention of it to be a low-impedance 681 but nothing is sure.
It would be logical because there already was the heavy tracking, uncalibrated 680SL.

Yeah, it's a bit confusing....
Especially if you consider there was a 681L in the 70's: a low impedance version of the 681. 
Now try to find that one! 

[needlestein]

Actually, I think it’s the 680SL.  I have two of them, full kits new in the box, but I can’t get to them right now...

[Bodyslam]

Guys, I think this is not about the 681SL but about the 691SL (no, this not a typo ).
There's no 681SL.

Yeah, my bad. I meant to ask about the 681L, mistakenly called it the 681SL.  And did it in a thread on the 691SL.

I only learned recently that there were earlier low-Z Stantons. Then when I realized that the 691SL is described as a low-Z cartridge but isn't, it made me wonder whether the others really were. Hence I asked about the 681L's specs. It's such a rare cartridge that a spec sheet would be even more rare. But there's no pressing need for an answer. I don't have a681L and probably never will, so it's just idle curiosity.

[Lynnot]

Yeah, it's a bit confusing....
Especially if you consider there was a 681L in the 70's: a low impedance version of the 681. 
Now try to find that one! 

No 681L yet:



So I'll have to keep looking for one.

Rgds, Tony

[Wout]

Nice one, Tony!   
And?
Is it a heavy tracking Stereohedron, low impedance 681 as suspected?