Shure M97xE High-Performance Magnetic Phono Cartridge

they work great for the cost, gain not as high as stantons of the past, but sound quality is flawless

I bought this cartridge and tried it on my Luxman turntable through my good system and had so-so results. I decided to move it on to my sony (bought at the goodwill for $5) and found it to be exceptional on my smaller setup.If you are looking for a day to day cartridge for playing your old or used records, this is the perfect choice and the price is more than reasonable.

I found my old ADC QLM MarkIII series stylus and head a bit too tank-like and muffled on my old Zenith hi-fi stereo set. This Shure M97xE is an exceptional upgrade!! I had to do a bit of modifying to the tone arm head to accommodate this cart, but it was worth it. The plug fit this cart, but I had to flip the signal and gnd wires for the left channel. Overall, I am VERY happy with the upgrade! I am archiving my vinyl to digital and wanted a reliable, sensitive cart for the job. This is it! Now the cymbals and high frequency sounds are clear. I like the integral dust brush on the cart too. It works very well. Can't beat this cartridge for the money!!!

Its pretty good it came in tin box and screwdriver and all but the screw and fitting suck I end up using from my old cartridge and build quality of cartridge is not so great I have creak in my sound quality is not what I expected due to reviews I had Audio Technica cartridge it came with my turntable atpl120 only reason I changed is because tracking force it required 3.5 g that's too much for me so I got this sure it sounds better if you play for little while about 15 to 20 hours first 15 hour it doesn't sound as good and I need to turn my volume up little more because its output is less then my old cartridge and bass too but overall I cant complain its not bad for price I would get audio technica's higher model next time I need new cartridge I heard good review about it but it also 130 dollars so for now this will have to do

Bought this along with a Technics Sl-1200 deck. It's a very natural sounding cartridge, with nice rich bass response and a good flat response across the spectrum.

I'm using this cartridge in a sl-d3 technics turntable, with boston speakers, and a yamaha receiver. I bought it as a replacement for the original cartridge that came with the turntable (270c).
So far, I'm pretty happy. it's not a magical change, but I can see (or hear) that the product has it's strengths.
The sound it's pretty deep and the little brush helps with some records that might not be in very good shape.
I would recommend it for jazz and classic rock, since the sound of drums and guitars (specially acoustic guitars), is very clear and very well defined (more than with the original cartridge). john bonham sounds great, for instance.
I'm not that happy with the bass definition, but the lower frequencies are there. Also, I think that digital effects, on more recent records (like radiohead and nine inch nails) are not that clearly defined and separated. But I have to recognize that it's difficult to say if this is something to be blamed on the records that i'm using.
As a final note, I would definitively recommend to use a technics protractor to install it, since a good alignment it's basic for a good sound. You can download one for free in several web sites.

First off I am not or have ever been a Shure fan. The only time I ever bought anything with the "Shure" name was when I was broke after spending my money on other worthwhile audio equipment. Like after buying my first Thorens turntable and I had no money left for a cartridge. I would pick up a Shure to past the time until I could get 'mo money for something decent. In the case of the Thorens it was an Audio-Technica AT-125LC that cost more than half its price. The Thorens that is. I was in my early 20's and in heaven. A Thorens, the Audio-Technica, Polk Monitor 7's and a splendid Fisher 500-C tube receiver/amp. I get chills just thinking about it. And my girlfriend (future wife)wasn't bad either.
Through the years I went through Stanton, the 681, Grado and a few more AT cartridges. I had recently purchased the AT-PL120 direct drive table and while the OEM cartridge was OK, and far better than any Shure I'd ever heard (I've never heard the V-15), I know I had to upgrade. My first thought was the AT-440ML but it was a little pricey. I went through my old issues of Stereophile and even Stereo Review and went on the net looking for something. The Shure M97xE got alot of good reviews and was even favorable compared to the 440ML. That caught my attention but I was't going to pay over a hundred dollars for a Shure. No way!
But then I saw it on sale at J&R in NYC for about $60. I gave it a shot.
Ladies, this cartridge is not bad. I hooked it up to my Music Hall phono preamp and to my Yamaha RX-V663 AV receiver ("I" before "E" except after "C"??)and while it took a while for it to burn, when it did, it started to open up and took me totally by surprise. The soundstage is not as wide as I would like, though it is relatively deep. And while the highs may not snap, crackle or pop, overall this is pretty nice. The bass is okay as is the mid-range and while individually no particular aspect stands out overall I'll hold up my purchase of the 440ML and see what else this baby will do after I brake it in some more.
Highly recommended as an entry level audiophile type quality cartridge. If you've heard or have a Denon DL-160 a Blue Point Sumiko or the aforementioned AT-440MLa you might find the Shure a little drab and boring but for the money... If I knew then what I know now, I would have happily paid double the price. It's that good.

Good sound, good design(I love the stabilizer brush), but seriously over-packaged. The case is made out a 1/8 in. matte finish aluminum box, with aluminum hinged cover with "SHURE" stamped on it. I mean, really? a $15 box for a $60 product?

Not much more that I can add than whats already been stated here. Out performs my previous Audio Technica cart by far. The difference was magical, and the price difference small. I love it!!!

I used to be an audiophile but I am ok now. I have been using my trusty Technics for some time again and a friend said, "Why do you have old technology for a cartridge?" Yes, you can pay more for a cartridge, but why would you? This 97 rocks. It tracks great and sounds better. Just buy it.

This is being used on a Technics 1200 in a sterio system with a 180 W/Ch ATI Amp, Marchand X-Over, NAD pre-amp and Dynaudio Speakers.

I previously had purchased the Audio Technica ATLP120 from Amazon and although a nice player for the money ($150) it lacked the sturdy and rugged construction I was looking for.

To be honest, however, the Audio Technica comes with a very nice cartridge and the difference in sound quality is negligible.

Bottom line. If you want a top quality audiophile grade cartridge for under $ 75 get this !

You have found the one of the greatest bargains in audiophile history.I own and have tried many MM and MC over the years.I currently have a Audio Technica AT20SLa,AT15SS,Shure V-15 V-MR,V-15 III and others.All great carts but time after time I go back to the Shure M97xE.This cart will sound great on many tables but can also sound epic with the right turntable and tonearm.I currently run this cart on a 1979 Marantz 6370Q and the combination is just amazing and exceeded the above carts to my ears.I have also run this on a 1978 Pioneer PL-570 with excellent results.I use a digital scale and set it 1.25 grams with the brush/guard up and then put the guard down creating a additional .5 grams for a total of 1.75.The manual suggets 1.75 grams as optimal and I agree.You will buy this cart and try to convince yourself that there is no way a $60 cart can sound better than something that costs $200,$300,$400 ect. and like me you may actually buy a more expensive cart.But you will also be wasting time and money.Just set it up properly and enjoy the warm,smooth,deep bass ect..Give it 20 hours or so for breakin and don't look back.This is trully a bargain of epic proportions.

I would advise against the M97xe due to its poor build quality. I purchased an n97xe replacement stylus, and it arrived with the cantilever far out of alignment. A quick search online revealed a test report of the M97xe in which the reviewer reports the same problem with his sample. There were also two blobs of glue on the stylus assembly, presumably from sloppy work. Avoid.

Well Shure had to stop production of the V15. (read about beryllium to find out why) Shure makes fine equipment. They are serious about quality products, you can tell from their history and build of this product.
This new cartridge and stylus made my old records new. I replaced a lesser model Shure (N97) for less price thanks to Amazon! I have RF7 Klipsch Speakers run from a 275 watt per channel amp, and Kenwood head unit. The records sound better than CD in many cases (you know the debate so I won't rehash it here. If you are buying audiophile stylus' you already know.)
Even older slightly worn records sounded better (I buy a lot of used stuff.)
My Half Speed Masters and heavy vinyl OMR sound amazingly real to life.

I researched another companies cartridge that had almost the same specs as this unit, theirs was $699!, This was $65 (suggested retail $140) sometimes hype is in the price.

---The first product I received though stopped working out of one channel after about 5 hours use. No problem, I reboxed it and sent to Shure with purchase receipt and I had a replacement in 7 days. No questions asked. It does have a 2 year warranty.

This cartridge proves, once again, that price does not mean performance. It is down to the qualities inherit within a design. Fitted to a Linn LV X tone arm and AR Legend turntable and motor unit, and listening through Yamaha HS-50M professional studio monitors, we have found the sound to be wonderful.

When the stylus settled into the groove of the first record listened to, the volume had to be turned down because of the sheer power coming through. The sound is very clear, and has that effortless projected quality that is normally only associated with expensive moving coils. This proves that MM designs can easily equal their moving coil counterparts. It sounds far smoother and weightier than the Grado Prestige Red that preceded it, and, quite frankly, is in a different league. Instruments have appeared out of nowhere with familiar recordings, tonal colours are broad and faithful, and the dynamic range reproduced is excellent. You can hear with excellent distinction very subtle sounds as well as loud immediate sounds at the same time on the same recording.

We must remember that perfect reproduced sound does not yet exist (listen for yourself to real live music versus recorded, critically study about this field of science and the limits imposed by the mediums used to reproduce it, and read reviews of various audio equipment in high-end Hi-Fi magazines). While nothing man can ever make of himself can be perfect, I sincerely invite those who call this cartridge dull or subdued and lacking in air to re-evaluate it. Please make sure that it is set up correctly. Having owned and fitted many phono cartridges over the years (Ortofon VMS20E, Audio Technica AT-95E, AT-F5, AT-OC7, Grado Prestige Green & Red, Goldring Eroica H, Linn K9 & also Asaka) I know that it demands patience and skill to fit such a delicate precision device properly.

As with all audio products, one must listen to the Shure M97xE with real live music acting as a reference. The fact that this cartridge easily equals, and betters in some instances, the sound that I have heard reproduced from expensive moving coils speaks for itself. Thank God for straightforward companies like Shure, that, for the price I paid for this cartridge, put the every day consumer first, and profit margins second.

I don't have an unlimited budget. I'm unable to afford those high-end turntables with the high-end cartridges (such as the Grado Reference series) and similar high-end systems that were meant for such equipment. I have a Kenwood KD-3100 turntable, and a receiver and speakers I found at a thrift store. Not exactly high-end, but at least the turntable is direct drive, has an easily removable mount, and a stroboscope to adjust the speed of the turntable. I started off with a Grado Prestige Black. It's an entry level cartridge, so you get what you pay for. That is, not the highest quality input. Entry level cartridges tend to have a habit of having reduced sound quality as the record gets near the end of the side. I upgraded to Grado Prestige Gold. What an improvement that was, with great separation and easier to tell the instruments and vocal track apart. Not to mention the sound quality stays the same till the end.

But I was in total shock when I got a Shure M97xE. This is even better than the Grado Prestige Gold! I was a bit skeptical, but one play and I was amazed! The sound quality just blew me away. Those prog rock albums can sure be the undoing of lesser cartridges. This is technically demanding music, and the guitars, vocals, drums, basses, synthesizers, and Mellotrons come in nice and clear! I am no cartridge expert, but I'm certain there are better cartridges more suited to prog rock and fusion, but of all the cartridges I've heard, the Shure M97xE beats them all. Thanks to the stabilizer brush, I love the fact the dirt and grime ends up on the brush, not on your needle! On cartridges that don't have this brush (like Grado), you end up having to clean the needle almost every time you play just one side of a record (unless you have your record thoroughly cleaned). When you buy this cartridge, it comes with a brush and a mini screwdriver. The brush, to remove all the grime off both the stabilizer brush and needle, and the mini screwdriver to install your cartridge on a mount.

I collect vinyl, not because of some claim that they're superior to CDs, but out of nostalgia and of historic reference. I do find the packaging superior to CDs, because of the size. Replicating original LPs on CDs, a lot of it gets lost in the shrinkage. And a lot of times, while often the cover is the same, the rest of the packaging isn't (I can understand, for example, the lyrics, which would be more readable if printed in a readable text size on the CD). And of course, you can't get all those posters and cards, and what else from Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon from a CD, now can you? Through 30-35-40+ plus years of use and abuse these LPs I own (about 99% of the LPs I own have been used and had seen better days), I only want the best sound quality out of them on the budget I have, and this was certainly the right cartridge for me.

I'm no cartridge expert, so bear with me. I've basically dealt with Grado, and several low-end brands that were usually included with the turntable I bought at the time. But I sure can tell the difference with this better quality cartridge. So if you want to move beyond entry level, but can't afford high-end, try the Shure M97xE.

My setup - Installed this on a Denon dp-300f turntable. It sounds much better than the cartridge that came with my turntable. Still tweaking my Denon receiver to get just the right highs while toning down the lows as we all know Denon receivers sound 'warm'. Installed and used for only a couple of hours. So far, I'm loving it.

Installation - Since my turntable's headshell is removable from the tone arm, it wasn't as hard installing this cartridge as some had said it was. However, for a nice tight grip, I had to insert the screw from below so that it was easier for me to use a small wrench to hold the nut above while I tightened the screw head (small screw driver provided).Although my receiver's manual had specific measurements on how far & what angle the needle should be from the head, at some point I just ignored it and made the best judgement I could.

Problems encountered - after installing the cartride on the headshell and tightening the whole assembly onto the tone arm, I balanced the tone arm. My manual says to make sure the tone arm is level with or parallel to the record surface. I did. I pushed "start", the tone arm moved over therecord but didn't play. After trying various things including reading 'trouble shooting' in the manual/online and almost giving up, I decided to adjust the weight some more. The tone arm was heavy enough to drop down, and I heard some sound but it was skipping all over the record. Thinking rationally, I imagined that a stylus is supposed to sit in and follow the grooves, so it must be skipping because it's not dropping down deep enough onto the record. I adjusted the counter weight some more and then the needle didn't skip any more. Phew! Next I adjusted the counter weight to the opposite direction just to ensure the needle isn't digging too deeply into the record grooves so that it doesn't get ruined. Amazing sound. Second problem: I noticed that with the brush down, I had to adjust again. Once I did, the needle didn't skip anymore but I noticed that for me with the brush down, the sound isn't as clean and complete as it was without the needle so I decided to keep it up and not use it.

Cons - while playing a record, I noticed that some 'dirt' the brush collected from an older record I played previously was getting drawn out (static) and deposited onto a brand new vinyl I was playing! This makes sense though because think about this, if the brush is supposed to clean up dirt before the needle passes through, then it's possible that it could deposit some of this onto a brand new record. I don't think I'll be using the brush anymore at least not for new/clean records.

Final comments - Sound quality is amazing out the box yet I've only listened to it for a couple of hours. I understand after 10-hrs of break in it is supposed to get even better. buy this!

I'm new to turntables. This is the first one I've ever owned one. I think I'm sold. Yes, it does sound better than a CD.

My setup:

Technics SL-1200 MK2 turntable
Tehcnics SA-200 reciever
(2) Sherwood S-1860 speaker system
Auidopipe 12 AWG speaker wire
Shure M97xE cartride & N97 stylus mounted on Technics headshell

I played my Miles Davis "B*tches Brew" original pressing LP (sorry if that makes any of you cringe) with an ION USB turntable cartridge while I was waiting for my Shure cartridge to come in, and I could say, by the time I got it there was a very noticeable difference in its ability to track and overall rich sound.

Playing "Spanish Key" was like riding your bike on a warm, Autumn, sunny Sunday morning and grazing your senses through natural beauty.

Not much in the way of dynamics here - very dull sounding, and brittle on the high end (even after 100+ hours of break-in). After a very short period of time the black paint chipped off the body of the cartridge - presumably ending up in the grooves of my records, which has caused white-hot hatred for this junk, and has made me question my ...uh..."frugal" (cheap) nature. Penny-wise and pound foolish, ta drop some B. Frank. .
I'm returning it to Shure for warranty service, and then selling the new replacement on Ebay.
I've switched back to my ancient (25 year-old) Shure M95ED (after replacing the broken stylus with a generic replacement) and am loving my records again.
Stay clear of the M97xE if you value your records and your time listening.
If I could spend only $60 on a cartridge, I think I'd try the Grado Black first.

Encargue este producto por Amazon, aunque tardo algo en llegar debo decir que hasta ahora lo estoy probando y realmente es una gran adquisicion, si hay que agregarle un punto en contra, seria la escobilla que impide un poco el acceso de la aguja al surco, provocando que el brazo se deslice sobre el disco, otra es la separacion de canales, esta no es tan marcada (solo 25db). Pero en lo que respecta a su desempeño sonoro, esta capsula entrega muy buen sonido, muy respetuoso de las zonas agudas y medias, reproduciendolas con total entereza y nitidez, asi como de brindar unos bajos profundos y bien manejados. En definitiva, una de las mejores capsulas en este rango de precio(cuidado si es la mejor) que se pueden adquirir, la recomiendo ampliamente.

Order this product for Amazon, though somewhat late in coming, I must say that so far I'm really trying and is a great buy, whether to add a point against, would be a little brush that prevents access to the path of the needle, causing the arm to slide on the disk, another is the separation of channels, this is not so marked (only 25db). But when it comes to sound performance, this capsule delivers very good sound, very respectful of the acute and medium areas, playing with total integrity and sharpness, as well as provide a deep bass and well managed. Ultimately, one of the best dishes in this price range (be careful if this is the best) which can be bought, I recommend it widely.

Excellent Cartridge. Easy to install. Using on a 20 year old Thorens turntable with original tone arm and performs extremely well.

I was hoping that maybe Shure had updated and improved their audio cartridges. Well, they still have the same shortcomings they had since I bought my first one way back in 1979!
I'm really surprised they have the nerve to call this an audiophile cartridge. Low output, lack of solid bass tone and a lack of a crisp clear high-end. It's kind of a lazy cartridge for lack of words.
My 1980 Pickering XV15 625E outperforms it in every way. It has more low end punch and more extended high range. It also has higher output.All with a used needle too!
I was a bit surprised to see that it was made in Mexico. Now I see why I got it for $63. No, I'm not mad. From here on I will never buy any more Shure prodicts. Let the buyer beware

I purchased a used Pioneer PL-518 recently. Overall it was in good shape, but it needed a cartridge. Based on the research that I did this was the best available for under $100. I am now listening to my old albums again and enjoying every minute of it... pops, clicks and all.

Looking at the title of my review, you might expect to see more than 3 stars.

The pluses for the M97xE, like those of other Shure cartridges, include low mass, high tracking ability (or "trackability" as Shure prefers). But I really do not believe this is a "neutral" ("accurate" is a better but less popular term) sounding cartridge, as many claim it is. Many reviewers consistently state that this cartridge lowers surface noise. Surface noise can only be suppressed if the level of upper midrange and/or lower treble is slightly lowered when compared to the rest of the audible range. Looking back at my old stack of magazines from the 70s and 80s, I consistently see test reports of past Shure cartridges that illustrate response plots with a mild dip around the upper midrange and lower treble. This is what softens the sound of surface noise but, to be sure, this is definitely a departure from tonal accuracy.

In a nutshell, this sound character has always been a house sound for most of Shure's cartridges and the M97xE is a classic example of that sound. The listeners' statements about neutrality apparently come from their acclimation to the Shure sound over the years. The more accurate Shure cartridges are all of the now discontinued top-of-the-line Shure V15 cartridges, especially the Type MR.

Beyond all this hairsplitting, the M97xE is a decent cartridge that is worth its price. It is suitable for anyone looking to replace their old cartridge on an existing good quality turntable with a low to medium mass tonearm (most Dual and Thorens turntables fit this description). But anyone looking for accurate tonal quality (frequency response) will need to pay close to roughly twice the current Amazon price for something like a flat response cartridge like Audio Technica's AT-440MLa (lower-priced Audio Technica cartridges will likely have peaked treble around 12 kHz to 15 kHz - Audio Technica's house sound dating back to the 70s, as illustrated in old test reports).

Not being an audiophile this cartridge and stylus was just the ticket to get good sound out of my old turntable to burn some vinyl to digital.
Good price but somewhat slow shipping from amazon.
Drake

I'm not an audiophile but I think this cartridge is not as good as expected. It is adequate for the price.

I will say the M97xE sounds fine for a $50 - $60 cartridge, it just isn't built as precisely and solidly as cartridges I purchased 20 years ago -- Stanton, Pickering, and, yes, SHURE. If I'd paid full price for the M97xE I would have returned it to Amazon for a refund.

Fortunately, the parts of the M97xE that are not built precisely were not the parts that impact its setup and sound. The molded body was lopsided, with some measurements being off by as much as 1/16 of an inch. A cartridge is supposed to be a piece of precision equipment, so is it unreasonable to expect the entire cartridge to be symetrical?

Fortunately, the stylus mount portion of the body was aligned so I was able to mount the cartridge in the headshell with no problems.

I'll just have to learn to not look at it too carefully because it still looks lopsided.

Again, the sound quality of the M97xE is impressive, the cartridge just looks cheap and shoddy.

Decided to pull out the old records from the 8o's... needed a new "drivebelt"... got and listened for about a day, when my old needle broke... Went online and started to review options... Decided to go with the Shure, great reviews, and selling at a steep discount... Could not believe the quality and sound. Great product!

This cartridge is as pleasing as my previous $ 350 Grado. Very smooth and wonderful soundstage for a cartridge at this price. Excellent value. (Classe' amps/conrad johnson TT/Thiel speakers)

Music is a subjective matter, having said that I can tell that I believe this is a superb cartridge. I'm using it with a Technics Sl-1900 turtantable, stabilizer brush down, and a tracking force of just 1,75 gr per Shure recommendation.

It came inside an aluminum box and inside it is the cartridge with the needle mounted, two screws and nuts, a cleaning brush, a protractor and a small philips screwdriver. Also there is a datasheet with instructions about how to setup the cartridge which I found very useful.

After installing the cartridge I tried it with different vynil records, some mint, some worn, some warped, and the results are great. Worn records tend to sound better with this cartridge, mint ones simply rival with CD's. One of the greats features of this cartridge is that it tends to diminish surface noise and it's ability to properly track a recording with a low tracking force without skipping. Even warped records can be tracked properly.

The sound coming from this cartridge is good, it tends to have some emphasis in midrange tones, but if you don't like that, you can adjust the sound to your tastes using an equalizer. It also delivers a good level of sound detail and it has very low inner track distortion, provided that the cartridge was setup carefully.

Probably there are better choices out there costing 1000's of dollars, but you can't go wrong buying this cartridge.

i am no audiophile, i just needed something affordable and generally liked to play on my old turntable. it was fairly easy to install, sounded great, and the included brush is very convenient in getting rid of the dust.

the only issue is the the little stylus protector that has the tiny "stabilizer" brush on it never stays up all the way. it kind of sags down a bit. i don't know if this is a problem, but i can't hear any difference, so i guess not.

overall i am very satisfied, and would recommend it to anybody who needs a good sounding stylus for a very affordable price.

purchased this to replace a VERY old cartridge in an almost 40 year old turntable to use to digitize my LP collection. it sounds fantastic, was very easy to install, and the price was the best I had found anywhere.

The Shure cartridge has provided easy installation and good sound quality. I have it installed on a mid-grade Stanton turntable and so far the records track well and sound better than CDs. Overall very satisfied with this purchase.

I recently resurrected my Garrard Zero 100 turntable out of mothballs in order to play my long-unused vinyl collection. I bought this cartridge to replace a Shure M75HE Type 2 previously on the turntable. The M97xE sounds great with the Garrard; It seems that the stabilizer-damping brush provides a good match for the Zero 100 tonearm, which has a bit of mass due to its pantograph zero-error tracking mechanism. I found an interesting statement in a Shure brochure - "The origins of the stabilizer go back to the era of the Garrard L100 turntable. The V15 Type III was to have been the highest compliance stylus structure that could practically be built. But to our great dismay, this combination could barely manage any but the flattest of discs. In all other cases, the arm/cartridge would leap from the record surface and bound across the bands."

I don't know if the L100 is a reference to the Zero 100, or one of the old 60's era Garrards that had really massive clunky tonearms, but this cartridge-turntable combination seems to work very well. It seems that the stabilizer also quiets the "thump" one hears when cueing the stylus onto the record. The Garrard Zero 100 is looked upon with some disdain by certain audiophile types, but I found that this setup sounds quite excellent, and the cartridge tracks very well even on warped discs. The sound seems very natural, and does not exaggerate the high end or low end. A great buy with very good performance!

I like this cartridge. You probably cannot beat it for the price. I have mine on a Technics SL 1200 MKII with a $1K Origin Live tonearm and it sounds detailed with great dynamics and dimension. It tracks pretty well too. I listen to soul, jazz, and classical with the cart. My only gripe is that I wish the body wasn't so wide because it hits my Michell record clamp unless I grab the arm when it hits the run-out groove.

I've had this new cartridge installed for about a month, and have listened fairly often, with headphones and without. I listen to Jazz, older rock, and classical, but regardless the Shure M97xE seems neutral and therefore revealing of the quality of the recording. Often headphones tell you more than you want about this, but I found their use to be like a miscroscope into the music as well as soundstage and timber of the instruments, all of which were reproduced very convincingly by the cartridge. So, given the quality of the cartridge and price I paid, about 1/3 of the going retail in plces like Needledoctor (on line), it is quite a bargain.

I'm playing vintage records (Lacquer's to be exact). I looked up Shure's website and this cartridge was recommended as a high quality needle with very low record wear. This needle has a blue shield that protects the needle and also a groove brush, which cleans the groove before the needle. The sound quality from this needle is great in my opinion.

This cartridge is vastly superior to the highly touted Pickering VSX 3000 that it replaced. It takes about
12-15 hours of play time to open up. It makes my best albums sound significantly better than the CD versions. In fact, we did a A B comparison between the remastered "Kind of Blue" CD (miles davis) and a new 200 gram LP. The vote was 8 for the LP and none for the CD. The point is that this cartridge is extremely good. A bonus is that it de emphasizes surface noise... a nice feature. It has great midrange and the high end is less bright than some others i've listened to. Highly recommended.

I bought this cartridge to put on my temporary turntable set-up (JVC QL-A220) while my Music Hall MMF 7.1 with an Eroica H cartridge is put away for storage. That being said, I purchased this because it was a recommended buy from The Absolute Sound as well as other resources I found on the internet. After several hours of use, I can already hear the cartridge starting to open up with sound. The highs are crisp but not too bright and the bass is strong and not muddy sounding. As it continues to break in I suspect that the mid-range will also continue opening up as I hear signs of that already. In other words, for the money I am very pleased. I anticipate putting it on the Technics SL1210 M5G turntable that I am expecting to receive next week. Vinyl rules.

This is the most fantastic magnetic phono cartridge I have ever owned. I used to have problems with records skipping intermitently while I was trying to record them to my hard disk to make CD's out of the old music which has never been available on CD's. After buying the Sure M97xE, I can play the record and walk into the room without skips in the finished product. The clarity and separation of right and left channels is remarkable. No distortion is detected. Only smooth true sound is produced. In fact, the sound is so clear that I hear instruments now where I never remembered hearing them before. The true reproductive response from the Shure M97xE is an audiophile's dream come true. Now that I have a new standard of excellence in playing vinyl albums, I am going to look for more of the great music of the past that is no longer available.

For the money this is the best buy I ever had . Just replaced a less than a year old Orto Samba $250(can not change the needle on Samba). The Shure was easier to install on my Revox B791 and the sound is great( not as detailed as the Samba) but more full and well ballanced with better bass.
Do not skip getting the replaceble needle !!!WHo knows how long they will be arownd at that price...

I picked up the Shure M97xE to use as a back up to an AT95E. I really like the sound of this Shure. It is broken in now and I have a hard time deciding between it and the AT95E. The brush also does a good job of cleaning the track before the stylus comes across. Well worth the purchase price.

I chose this cartridge to replace my AT PC440LC on a new Technics SL1200MKII based on the many positive reviews I've read on the net. Back when I bought the AT, I really wanted to get a V15, again, based on all of the favorable reviews. But the AV shop where I worked didn't carry Sure. So, when I won a sales contest that covered the cost of the AT I hesitantly bought it without hearing it, nor reading anything about it. Well, I count that as a huge stroke of luck, as I have absolutely loved the AT compared to the other cartridges I've owned, and, if the M97 is any indication of the performance of the V15 (I've read that it has similar qualities), then I am very glad that I didn't throw down the considerable amount of cash for one back then.

The M97xE is not as warm sounding as the Grado (forgotten the model, but retailed around $100.00 in 1981) I owned, but it does have better high freq. response, and it certaily does track better. Sonically, I'm more inclined to compare this to the Ortofon M20FL that originally came with my Dual CS-622 turntable, except the Ortofon had better midrange detail. The base is decent and tight, and after much fiddling aroung with the TF/VT/AS adjustments I was able to get the mids to a point where I could stand them at lower levels. However, this cartridge completely lacked the midrange sweetness and detail that I am used to. Midrange instrumentation and vocals lacked detail and was very forward. This translated to a very irritating midrange edginess/harshness that I could not tolerate. I even switched out my new Martin-Logan Preface speakers, thinking that they were too bright and were causing the problem. But it persisted, although slightly reduced, with my Acoustic Research speakers installed. To me the cartridge displayed the sonic detail reminescent of a mid-range cd player, at least in my system. The soundstage was someshat restricted compared to the other cartridges I've owned, but it seemed more precise. Finally, I've read that some have claimed the cartridge to be somewhat dull sounding. To that I will have to agree. I would describe the as significantly less "live" than the AT. It definately lacks the guttural involvement. Obviously, there are many fans of the M97. I am not one of them.

Equipment List:
Onkyo M504/P304 Amp/Preamp
Technics SL1200MKII Turntable
Acoustic Research 328PS/Martin Logan Preface Loudspeakers
Audioquest Cables

My 25 year old Shure V15 type IV needed a replacement stylus and Shure no longer sells them, so I purchased the M97xE for about the same price as a generic stylus that would be of questionable quality. Very happy with the performance, quality and sound of this cartridge.

I just replaced my 30 yr. old V15 Type IV with the Shure M97xE.I promise you that this cartridge is every bit the equal of the Type IV. My records sound alive again. One particular album always bothered me even when the Type IV was almost new. Joni Mitchell's "Court and Spark" song " Car on a Hill" had a peculiar distortion during a particularly loud high pitched vocal passage near the middle of the song. Shure's own test calibration record, new stylus, every type of realignment possible failed to eliminate it. Even was present on a half speed mastered super disc of the album. I had decided that it must be inherent to the original record. Well, guess what... I put in the M97xE , played Car on a Hill......Crystal clear without a speck of distortion. I realize that maybe this was a peculiarity or defect in my Type IV, but I don't think so. In short, BUY this cartridge! I don't think you can go wrong, especially at the Amazon price.Music sounds like it should once again!

very very satisfied with my cartridge, sound quality is excellence, thank you for the convenience.

I've listened to my share of turntable and cartridge combinations, and this cartridge by far is the best value for your money. I've been using it on a Technics SL-1301 and it's a perfect match. Tracks wonderfully, particularly on inner tracks with high amplitude passages where many other cartridges fail. There are certainly better cartridges out there, but nothing can touch the M97xe at this price point.

This phono cartridge from Shure is sure to please many users. It is very stable even with a low tracking force of 1.2grs which helps preserving your cherished records. The sound quality coming out of it is amazingly clear and well balanced for the price. I am truly satisfied with my purchased and will probably won't change it for anything else (unless I upgrade my turntable and go for a high end cartdrige to go with). Recommended purchase for all vinyl freaks like me. Regards, Sam from France

It's everything the reviews say. Wonderfully natural sound. Tracks at little more that 1gram so your precious vinyl will last forever AND somehow it misses any dirt in the grooves. I sometimes think that I'm listening to the quietness of a CD but the glorious sound of analogue!

I just installed this gem the other day and my first impression was that is lacked "air" at the top end, compared to the AT440mla that had been in my Dual 1219. But, after listening more, I realized that while that may have been true, so much more resolution was going on, that I really like this number from Shure.
It has a very solid soundstage, and the mids are huge, just the way I like them. The lower bass is lighter than the AT440mla, but the bass is there, only, more in the mid bass area, which adds that "pop" to the music I like to listen to, without being muddy. (Steely Dan, SRV, jazz, blues, etc).
As far as the upper end goes, if I want more highs, I just turn up the "treble" on my Mac, and all is good.
This is a fantastic bargain from Shure, and will please most discerning listeners unless you are one of the few audio snobs who dont believe that a lot of good sound can be had for a little bit of cash.