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 0, 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 00 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 0.

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 0. 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 0. 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!