HI

I have at last got my BEOMASTER 901 repaired and working, hurray!! So now able to use the BEOGRAM 1202 along with BEOVOX 1702 speakers and a BEOCORD 1101 tape deck. All working well and they all look really nice together. 

I have cleaned and adjusted the 1202 so it's working really nicely but I could really do with a new SP14 /A Stylus/cartridge. Does anyone know where I might find one or even an equivilent replacement? I have an eye on ebay but nothing as yet.

cheers

James

A lot of people here prefer the SP12 rather than the SP14.

And why is that?

interesting...  I was under the impression that the SP12 was specific to a diferent turntable? Perhaps someone could tell me if the SP12 will fit the Beogram 1202 :)

thanks

james

SP cartridges are complicated!! For a 1202, the best cartridge will be an SP12 - this is a high compliance model designed for the newer arm seen in the 1200 range of turntables - the SP6-7 and SP14 are medium compliance cartridges made for the older arm seen on the Beogram 1000. The 1202 would have been fitted with an SP10 initially, which is the spherical equivalent to the elliptical SP12.

There are 3 other types of SP cartridge -

The SP1/2 - this was made for the oldest B&O turntables and will only trouble those of us with arms like the ST/P and others in the ST range.

The SP8/9 - this was designed specifically for the Beogram 3000 Thorens and Acoustical when using the 9" arm and is elliptical in profile and I think is medium compliance like the SP6/7.

Finally there is the SP15 which was a completely different design and was later renamed the MMC4000.

So the answer to your question is - look for an SP12 or SP10. The SP14 will work though!

I have an SP6-7, I don't know if it needs a retipping (at that age it's likely). Send me a PM("start conversation with Søren Hammer" in my profile).

I don't know if the tracking angle is different, as it is older than the SP10-series.

The tracking angle is the same - the compliance is not.

That problem is minor and can be fixed by retipping the unit, I think.

Thanks very much for your help, that clears up several questions.

James

Søren Hammer:

That problem is minor and can be fixed by retipping the unit, I think.

The compliance will be related to the suspension block rather than the diamond. It is of course perfectly possible to take an SP14 cartridge and put an SP12 stylus on it. You can get an SP12 stylus on an SP6/7 but the fit is not as good. The shape of the cartridge body is slightly different. As said before, an SP6/7 will work on any of these decks though.

A retipping would also imply a change of the suspension.