Building high-end 'tables cheap at Home Despot II

Ortofon VMS series

Hi,

I have a dim memory that this cartridge was discussed somewhere in the thread. Is it any good? A pensioner friend on a budget has the VMS20ED MkII with a worn stylus and wants to know whether to get a replacement stylus or go for something like the ADC XLM II available for around $80 on Ebay.

I'd appreciate any help,

Wolf

Hi Wolf
(...since nobody else has spoken up...)

You're correct in recalling much talk of both these carts on "Da Thread I". JN (and others...) have been big proponents of the Ortofon (it was his recommendation that prompted me to search the web for this line).

I now have two Ortofon VMS20E MkII cartridges (both via ebay) which perform fabulously well. One came as NOS - the seller claimed the stylus was never used. Under a lab microscope it indeed looks NOS, and sounds wonderful at the end of my JH-Labs Formula 4 unipivot tonearm (cousin to the much-discussed Mayware).

The challenge is, Ortofon no longer make stylii specifically for the VMS line. You can get replacements from them that will fit, but it's not the same as a real NOS VMS stylus. Third party suppliers offer VMS replacements that are said to be "almost as good as..." and have the advantage of being new, and not in storage under who-knows-what conditions for many years.

A great source for Carts & Stylii is Ed Crockett at www.vintagelectronics.com. I have no business affiliation with Ed... but I AM a happy customer. He can tell you all you need to know about finding replacements for your VMS body.
BTW, the body accepts a range of stylii, so that it's possible to "upgrade" by fitting it with a higher spec'ed tip.

All my experience suggests getting a new stylus for the Ortofon is your best bet... it's a better performer (I still have my seventies-era ADC XLM MkII... not in the same league as the Ortofon).

I hope this helps Wolf.
Cheers...
Grant

I believe I initiated some discussion of the Ortofon VMS 20 here when I compared it favourably to the Denon 103.Any way it is still easy to obtain a genuine relacement stylus for it as Ortofon still make them as far as I know.Another source is Musonic in the U.K which even has a VMS 30 relacement stylus this is said to be even better and you can put it on the VMS 20 body effectively making it the top of the range model as the bodies are interchangeable.Here is a link http://www.musonic.co.uk/

Hi Stefanl... and OOPS !

I stand corrected - Ortofon do indeed offer the "D 20 E MK II" replacement stylus (just checked www.ortofon.com), described as a "nude elliptical" tip.

The availability issue is with the VMS30 model - they no longer offer the "fine line" tip - I was confused on models. To upgrade the VMS body to "30" status, we must turn to other manufacturers.

Last year Ed quoted me thusly: "Astatic OR-108ed, exact replacement for VMS 30E MkII - $30.00... also have Pfnst. 540d7 at $35.00 (fits all 15 series)".

Hmmm, maybe it's time for the "30" upgrade.....

Grant, have you any experience with Ed Crockett's rebuilds of idler wheels? I have a plastic idler from a Bogen B-61; the PVC tire has long since perished and cracked, and fallen off. It's gone; I didn't keep it around once it went.

Also, sooner or later I will need to have the idler on my Garrard 301 turntable rebuilt. I still have a new one that I got from British Industries Corp., way back when the Carduners owned the company; it's still in new condition and perfect, but it might be time to get the old one that's been in the turntable restored, after all this time, probably fifty years or so.