I've had a Technics EPC-270C cartridge in my drawer of nick-nacks for about 15 years and never put a stylus in it. I think it came off an old SL-D2 I gave to a friend.
Initially, I'd thought of it as a good option for 3rd party conicals since going down that route is cheap, but just never got round to it. I'm also not a huge fan of 3rd party styli. NOS styli seem to go for upwards of £100 (someone's trying to sell one for £250) but I saved a search anyway, just in case.
Well, the opportunity finally popped up, a boxed NOS stylus with an old price sticker sealing the container shut. $60.00 in 1989/1991 would be about $120.00 today (assuming it's not as old as 1980). Let's put it this way: I paid around $60 of todays money for it. Seemed like an OK deal for a nude elliptical.
First of all, this gold foil stamped matt black packaging is just *chef's kiss*. The card is so satisfyingly stiff and the engineering of the corners so nicely done. It made a good 'shoop' sound when it opened. I feel like packaging of this quality has become quite rare.
The plastic case inside is just totally over the top, it's nuts to think its sole purpose is to carry a stylus, and when it's empty it's totally useless. Maybe a different stylus could go in it for storage? Even so, again this is a product of a bygone era. The price sticker was well stuck down and no one had tried to peel it off. I cut it with a small knife.
Quick inspection under my totally inadequate loupe – it looks sharp as far as I can tell and the cantilever is a lot nicer than I'd assumed. Now to take it off its little mount – the metal shank behind the finger grip is securely inserted into a rubber tube. Pulling it away is very satisfying.
Proof is in the listening... Just went linear offset for this first run. Mounted in a Sumiko HS-12 since normally there's an MC cart in an 11g shell on this medium mass FR-24II arm. I don't have to make huge adjustments to counterweight. VTF set at 1.75g. It's at this moment I discover I'm not a fan of the beige colour or the look of this cart in general
I put a freshly cleaned Japanese press Barney Kessel jazz guitar album on. God
dammit why are carts like this so good? I know this album really well and it sounds EXCELLENT. I can't really fault it at all, it's so smooth. Cymbals sparkle. Double bass is punchy on the pluck and weighty. Guitar sounds silky and sits perfectly in the middle.
Maybe, just maybe it lacks the 'air' and top end breeziness of MC. But I'm a sucker for a good MM and this one scratches that itch. It definitely sounds refined and pleasing without sacrificing much at all. The sonic experience is very satisfying.
I tried it with a few different records/genres and it was enjoyable each time. No sibilance, no IGD, very quiet between tracks (could be some roll-off).
That's it, this is the end of a relatively pointless post! These original styli are scarce. It's not exactly practical to extoll the virtues of such a thing.
I think the main function of it is a look at how these items were packaged, and what it's like to open one that's well preserved. Picking this stylus up was a calculated risk – reviews online are generally favourable. The original pricing of it also made me realise that it wasn't ever a 'budget' cart, more in the middle ground, and the sound reflected that. It's a shame that first party styli are so expensive but c'est la vie. Nothing is getting cheaper
I really am not disappointed and will keep it mounted in this headshell for regular outings.
If you got this far, thanks for reading
