During the Centennial of Shure Incorporated, Tech Tips are planned that document lesser-known aspects of our history. In this issue, readers will learn about 40 years of V15 innovations.
Critics and end users alike considered our V15 series as the finest moving magnet cartridges ever manufactured. Announced in 1964, the V15 series was our premier cartridge line.
Timeline of the V15 series:
V15 1964-1966 V15 Type II 1966-1972 V15 Type III 1972-1978
V15 Type IV 1978-1982 V15 Type V 1982-1985 V15 Type V-MR 1985-1993
V15 Type VxMR 1996-2005
One distinction between each V15 generation is the shape and dimensions of the coil pole pieces and the brass stylus housing. This meant that styli were not interchangeable from one generation to the next as there would not be a proper fit/alignment between the moving magnet and the pole pieces.
In 1985, we introduced the Micro-Ridge (MR) diamond tip for the V15 Type V, also offering the Micro-Ridge tip on replacement styli for the V15 Type III and Type IV.
There was a precipitous decline in demand for phono cartridges when the Compact Disc debuted in the 1980s. By the 1990s, our cartridge sales had plummeted, our OEM business ceased, and we considered ending all phono production. In 1995, under new phono product management, we re-engineered the cartridges and the manufacturing processes. This allowed us to produce lower quantities yet maintain quality standards.
The termination of the V15 product line was the Type VxMR. Announced in May 1996, with a retail price of $250 ($535 in 2025 currency), the sole improvement was a new coil pole piece structure that provided a warmer, more musical sound. Shure stayed in the phono market for another 22 years, exiting the business in 2018, having manufactured phonograph devices since 1937.
Related information: 1978 Technical Seminar on Phonograph Cartridges
Cutaway View of a Moving Magnet Cartridge
Arcana – mysterious or specialized knowledge
The Limited Edition V15 Type V-MR came packaged in a wooden box. The box lid featured the signature of S.N. Shure – the sole example of a phonograph product bearing his autograph.
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V15 refers to the angle between the stylus cantilever and the record surface, i.e., Vertical tracking angle of 15 degrees, or V15.
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In July 1965, Mr. Shure appeared in Fortune magazine endorsing Samsonite.
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In response to the October 1 Tech Tip on home phonograph disc recorders, a loyal reader provided information about a 21st century recorder: Interestingly, in 2001, Vestax offered the VRX-2000 home disc cutting lathe to the public, advertising it as the “The Vinyl Creation Station.” Not certain who at a DJ turntable company green-lighted such a product but you must admire their chutzpah if not their timing. Perhaps if it had been launched a decade & a half later (Vestax went out of business in 2014) coinciding with the resurgence of vinyl, they might have had difficulty keeping up with demand.
Here is a link to a 2006 review of the Vestax device.
