Hi Dave,

It looks like Shure is discontinuing all of their cartridges, including the M-97 (a watered-down V15, but a decent LP cartridge for a hundred bucks), and the SC35, which is a high-tracking forced cartridge suitable for vintage turntables and arms. What Shure doesn't say in that press release is whether or not they will continue to provide replacement styli for their cartridges, which probably means NO. This is a sad state of affairs. 

There are lots of high-end phono cartridges for playing LP records on good turntables, in all price ranges, but quality cartridges and styli for 78s and other vintage records are becoming increasingly scarce. 

See you next week. 

Best,
Gary

____________________________

Gary Galo
Audio Engineer Emeritus
The Crane School of Music
SUNY at Potsdam, NY 13676

"Great art presupposes the alert mind of the educated listener."
Arnold Schoenberg

"A true artist doesn't want to be admired, he wants to be believed."
Igor Markevitch

-----Original Message-----
From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List <[log in to unmask]> On Behalf Of Dave Cawley
Sent: Thursday, May 03, 2018 2:17 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [ARSCLIST] Shure to stop production of M44 cartridge

Not sure if this got through yesterday as I have problems with receiving from this server.  Or are my posts moderated ?

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Dave Cawley 
To: Association for Recorded Sound Collections 
Sent: Wednesday, May 02, 2018 7:50 AM
Subject: Shure to stop production of M44 cartridge


From:  Dave Cawley
Timestep Dartmouth UK
e-mail [log in to unmask]
Web site www.78-rpm.com 
Tel:   +44 (0) 1803 833366

  

Shure to stop production of M44 cartridge

All the more reason to come to the ARSC Conference session "We Must Solder On: Fighting Obsolescence"  Friday 1:00 - 3:00 in room "International A"  


Niles IL. / USA, May 01, 2018
Shure Statement Regarding the Discontinuation of Phono Products.

For more than 90 years, Shure has been committed to manufacturing and delivering products of the highest quality, reliability, and value.  This commitment requires consistency in materials, processes, and testing, as well the capacity to react to fluctuations in demand.

In recent years, the ability to maintain our exacting standards in the Phonograph Cartridge product category has been challenged, resulting in cost and delivery impacts that are inconsistent with the Shure brand promise.

In light of these conditions, and after thorough evaluation, we have made the difficult decision to discontinue production of Shure Phono products effective Summer 2018. 

Given our decades-long history of participation in the Phono category, we recognize that this decision may come as a disappointment to our channel partners and end users. 

We are grateful for the support and loyalty demonstrated for Shure Phono products through the years and we are proud of the impact that these products have made on our customers’ lives and the reputation of the Shure brand.  We believe that the proud legacy of Shure Phono is best served by exiting the category rather than continuing production under increasingly challenging circumstances.

Shure will continue to bring reputable, high quality products to market and we look forward to meeting and exceeding customer expectations on our current and future offerings. As Shure expands into new markets and product categories for audiophiles, our enduring commitment to premium performance and technological innovation will remain at our core.

http://www.shure.com/americas/news-events/press-releases/shure-statement-regarding-the-discontinuation-of-phono-products