The Shure V15 On the technical front the V15 is a beautifully put together MM. A very small line contact diamond sits at the end of a tubular beryllium cantilever - claimed to have the highest stiffness/weight ratio in the business. The output is about half some MM's at 3.0 mV RMS, but this was plenty into my Audion valve pre. The only really unusual thing about the cartridge is the Dynamic Stabiliser. This is a natty stylus guard that has a built in carbon fibre brush which follows the surface of the record, cleaning up any fluff before it reaches the stylus and helping remove static. If you use it you need to add 0.5 gr. to the tracking weight. However it's main function is to damp the 20Hz resonance if you use a highish mass arm. On my own SME IV the combined resonance was at 8 Hz, at the very bottom of the acceptable range, making cueing and warps tricky. Dropping the stabiliser didn't move this resonance, but greatly reduced it so that it simply wasn't a problem. Normally such a combination is sensitive to footfalls and other 'knocks' but with the stabiliser the combination was very shock resistant.
FLAT FREQUENCY RESPONSE ACROSS THE AUDIO SPECTRUM
The V15VxMR is the premier example of the natural sound of Shure cartridges. Unlike most low-output moving coil products, Shure V15 faithfully renders the music as it was recorded, neither emphasizing nor de-emphasizing any part of the signal inscribed in the vinyl groove.
ONE GRAM TRACKING FORCE EXTENDS RECORD LIFE
With the lowest mass stylus ever developed, the V15VxMR reduces record wear to its theoretical minimum. While most high-performance cartridges require two grams of force on the stylus tip, the Shure V15VxMR requires just one gram - half as much pressure on the grooves of your irreplaceable records.
A MICROWALL/Be TM CANTILEVER FOR UNPARALLELED GROOVE TRACKING
The exceptionally thin-walled, tubular beryllium cantilever has the lowest effective mass, and highest stiffness-to-mass ratio of any stylus cantilever ever manufactured - making possible the V15s unequaled high-frequency tracking ability, and guaranteeing against the extreme groove damage caused by mistracking. This unique cantilever is able to respond in real-time to any signal inscribed on the groove, a particularly difficult task in the densely packed and intricate high-frequency signal range, where stylus tip movement is most rapid.
A MICRO-RIDGE DIAMOND FOR UNSURPASSED SIGNAL TRACING
In a patented process, the front radius of a natural diamond is cut to a broad 0.003 of an inch to create a large Shure V15 "footprint" for the gentlest possible tracing. The side, or groove contact radius is sculpted to an incomparably narrow 0.00015 of an inch, and then MASAR TM
A DYNAMIC STABILIZER THAT FUNCTIONS AS A MINIATURE SHOCK ABSORBER
Shure's exclusive viscous-damped Dynamic Stabilizer maintains a uniform distance between the cartridge and the record under difficult playing conditions, such as those caused by warped records, or mismatched tonearm mass. When such stabilization is not required, the stabilizer brush can be locked up into its detent position, which, under ideal playing conditions, can provide even better sound quality.
SIDE GUARD STYLUS PROTECTION SYSTEM
The SIDE-GUARD stylus protection system helps prevent stylus damage if the Shure V15 cartridge accidentally slides across a record. This unique feature responds to side thrusts on the stylus by withdrawing the entire stylus cantilever and tip safely into the stylus housing before the cantilever can be damaged.