CARTRIDGE REVIEWS - Shure M95ED

Type: Moving Magnet (MM)
Stylus: Nude Elliptical
Compliance: High
Price: Mid-price (vintage)

Background

The Shure M95ED was my first cartridge upgrade (from the M75ED) in 1977. I used this cartridge initially on a Pioneer PL12D turntable but mostly on a Yamaha YP-511. Much of my listening in the late 70s and early 80s was conducted with this cartridge. When I got another Pioneer PL12D a few years ago, I wanted to re-visit the M95ED and bought a used cartridge body on eBay. After a misadventure with an aftermarket stylus, I managed to buy a genuine Shure stylus from an online store and finally heard the M95ED again in its full glory.

Shure M95ED는 1977년에 제가 처음으로 카트리지를 업그레이드한 제품(M75ED에서)이었습니다.이 카트리지는 처음에는 Pioneer PL12D 턴테이블에서 사용했지만 대부분 Yamaha YP-511에서 사용했습니다.70년대 후반과 80년대 초반의 대부분의 청취는 이 카트리지로 이루어졌습니다. 몇 년 전 다른 Pioneer PL12D를 구입했을 때 M95ED를 다시 사용해보고 싶어서 중고 카트리지 본체를 eBay에서 구입했습니다. 애프터마켓 스타일러스에 실패한 후 온라인 스토어에서 정품 Shure 스타일러스를 구입하여 마침내 M95ED의 영광스러운 사운드를 다시 들을 수 있었습니다.

Equipment

Turntable: Pioneer PL12D MkII
Phono Pre-amp: Musical Fidelity M1 ViNL (with 150pF capacitance)
Amplifier: Yamaha A-S501
Speakers: Q Acoustics 3050

Sound Quality

For me, the Shure M95ED makes Pop music of the late 70s sound like it is supposed to sound, perhaps because this is the cartridge I lived with back in the day. However, its talents go way beyond the reproduction of music from that era.

저에게 Shure M95ED는 70년대 후반의 팝 음악을 원래의 소리처럼 들려주는데, 아마도 제가 예전에 사용했던 카트리지이기 때문일 것입니다. 그러나 이 카트리지의 재능은 그 시대의 음악을 재현하는 것 그 이상입니다.

 

Treble: The treble is well-extended and airy. It is delivered with good detail and clarity, without being analytical. The upper treble has a slightly soft quality that is typical of Shure cartridges – this is not an unattractive characteristic, suppressing potentially offensive edges.

고음:고음은 잘 확장되고 통풍이 잘됩니다.분석적이지 않으면서도 디테일과 선명함이 잘 전달됩니다. 고음은 Shure 카트리지 특유의 약간 부드러운 품질을 가지고 있으며, 이는 매력적이지 않은 특성으로 잠재적으로 불쾌감을 줄 수 있는 가장자리를 억제합니다.

 

Midrange: The mid-band is clear, open and dynamic, with very nice texture and presence. Vocals sound natural, clean and nuanced. Sibilance is handled well, faltering on only the most difficult passages.

미드 레인지: 미드밴드는 선명하고 개방적이며 역동적이며 질감과 존재감이 매우 좋습니다. 보컬은 자연스럽고 깨끗하며 미묘한 차이가 있습니다. 치찰음이 잘 처리되며 가장 어려운 구간에서만 흔들림이 있습니다.

 

Bass: The bass has good depth and punch, lending weight to the sound when needed. It is also taut and textured, with an agility that allows tight and fast rhythms to be negotiated with ease. This all amounts to a low-frequency delivery of some quality, giving the overall sound a nice tone.  

베이스: 저음은 깊이와 펀치가 좋아서 필요할 때 사운드에 무게감을 더해줍니다. 또한 팽팽하고 질감이 있으며, 민첩성이 있어 타이트하고 빠른 리듬을 쉽게 조절할 수 있습니다. 이 모든 것이 어느 정도 품질이 좋은 저주파를 전달하여 전체적인 사운드에 좋은 톤을 제공합니다. 

 

The M95ED is one of the more neutrally balanced Shure cartridges that I’ve heard, although still remains on the warm side of neutral. The most striking thing about this cartridge is that it has such a well-integrated, expansive sound. The frequency bands are each delivered in good measure and with great competence, and together make a very satisfying whole. This is a very involving cartridge which captures your attention but isn’t over-bearing. The overall sound manages to be open, detailed and dynamic without being bright and tiring. Only the most edgy recordings are at the risk of causing offense with this cartridge. The sound even achieves a slightly mellow, sumptuous quality, without resorting to a very forward bass and rolled-off treble (of which the M75ED may be accused). The M95ED successfully navigates the precarious path of exciting but easy listening. It certainly fits my ears well and is probably my favourite cartridge.

M95ED는 제가 들어본 Shure 카트리지 중 가장 중성적으로 균형 잡힌 카트리지 중 하나이지만 여전히 중성의 따뜻한 쪽에 머물러 있습니다. 이 카트리지의 가장 놀라운 점은 잘 통합되고 확장된 사운드를 제공한다는 것입니다. 주파수 대역이 각각 적절하고 훌륭하게 전달되며, 전체적으로 매우 만족스러운 사운드를 만들어냅니다. 이 카트리지는 귀를 사로잡으면서도 지나치게 부담스럽지 않은 매우 매력적인 카트리지입니다. 전체적인 사운드는 밝고 피곤하지 않으면서도 개방적이고 디테일하며 역동적입니다. 가장 날카로운 녹음만 이 카트리지를 사용하면 불쾌감을 유발할 위험이 있습니다. 저음과 롤오프된 고음(M75ED가 비난받을 수 있는)에 의존하지 않고도 약간 부드럽고 화려한 음질을 구현합니다. M95ED는 흥미롭지만 편안한 청취라는 위태로운 길을 성공적으로 탐색합니다. 확실히 제 귀에 잘 맞고 제가 가장 좋아하는 카트리지입니다.

 

Tracking

This cartridge is a light tracker, with a tracking force range of 0.75-1.5g. The commonly used setting is 1.25g and this is the one that I adopt (or 1.3g). The original Shure stylus handles sibilant vocals extremely well, but you cannot necessarily expect this level of tracking performance from an aftermarket stylus (unless perhaps you opt for a premium version with an exotic profile).

이 카트리지는 추적력 범위가 0.75~1.5g인 라이트 트래커입니다. 일반적으로 사용되는 설정은 1.25g이며 제가 채택한 설정(또는 1.3g)입니다. 원래 Shure 스타일러스는 치찰음 보컬을 매우 잘 처리하지만 애프터마켓 스타일러스에서 이 수준의 트래킹 성능을 반드시 기대할 수는 없습니다(이국적인 프로파일의 프리미엄 버전을 선택하지 않는 한).

 

It should be noted that aftermarket styli for the M95ED may require a higher tracking force than quoted above – a setting of 1.5g may be wise for a basic replacement stylus.   

M95ED용 애프터마켓 스타일러스는 위에 인용된 것보다 더 높은 트래킹 력이 필요할 수 있으며, 기본 교체용 스타일러스의 경우 1.5g의 설정이 적합할 수 있다는 점에 유의하세요.   

Compliance

While I don’t believe a dynamic compliance figure for the Shure M95ED was ever published, it is assumed to be high-compliance. Its low recommended tracking force would certainly support this. This means that it is suitable for low-mass tonearms, although I have used it to great effect on medium-mass arms, such as that of the Pioneer PL12D (which has an effective mass of around 17g). I would therefore recommend this cartridge for medium-mass arms as well as low-mass arms.

Shure M95ED의 동적 컴플라이언스 수치가 발표된 적은 없지만, 높은 컴플라이언스를 제공할 것으로 추정됩니다.낮은 권장 트래킹 포스가 이를 확실히 뒷받침합니다. 즉, 저질량 톤암에 적합하지만, 필자는 Pioneer PL12D(유효 질량이 약 17g인)와 같은 중간 질량 톤암에서도 매우 효과적으로 사용했습니다. 따라서 저는 이 카트리지를 미디엄 매스 암뿐만 아니라 로우 매스 암에도 추천합니다.

 

It should be noted that aftermarket styli for the M95ED may have lower compliance than the original Shure stylus and require a higher tracking force (see Tracking above).

M95ED용 애프터마켓 스타일러스는 순정 Shure 스타일러스보다 컴플라이언스가 낮을 수 있으며 더 높은 추적력이 필요할 수 있습니다(위의 추적 참조).

Capacitive Load

Like for most of their cartridges of this era, Shure’s recommended capacitive load for the M95ED was in the range 400-500pF, although they claimed that it could be “as low as 100 picofarads with only minor audible change”. In my experience, varying the capacitive load does make noticeable sonic differences with this cartridge but it sounds good with a wide range of loads. My preferred capacitance setting for it on my phono pre-amp is 150pF, with total capacitance (adding in cable capacitance) at around 300-350pF. This setting is in the middle ground of the typical capacitances of phono pre-amps. Here, the cartridge sounds nicely open, but increasing the capacitance towards the top of the region suggested by Shure does result in detectable high-frequency roll-off. The message to take away is that the M95ED should perform well with most typical phono pre-amps (with internal capacitance in the range 100-220pF).

이 시대의 대부분의 카트리지와 마찬가지로 M95ED의 권장 정전 용량 부하는 400-500pF 범위였지만, Shure는 "약간의 가청 변화만 있는 100피코패럿까지 낮출 수 있다"고 주장했습니다.제 경험상 커패시티브 부하를 변경하면 이 카트리지에서 눈에 띄는 음향 차이가 발생하지만 다양한 부하에서 좋은 소리를 냅니다. 포노 프리앰프에서 제가 선호하는 커패시턴스 설정은 150pF이며, 총 커패시턴스(케이블 커패시턴스 추가)는 약 300~350pF입니다. 이 설정은 포노 프리앰프의 일반적인 커패시턴스의 중간 정도에 해당합니다. 여기에서는 카트리지가 잘 열린 상태로 들리지만, Shure에서 제안하는 영역의 상단으로 커패시턴스를 높이면 고주파 롤오프가 감지될 수 있습니다. 여기서 주목해야 할 점은 M95ED가 대부분의 일반적인 포노 프리앰프(내부 커패시턴스가 100-220pF 범위인)에서 잘 작동한다는 것입니다.

 

Note that the above assumes a phono-cable capacitance in the range 150-200pF, but for a specific turntable it may be lower or higher.  

위의 내용은 포노 케이블 커패시턴스가 150-200pF 범위라고 가정한 것이지만, 특정 턴테이블의 경우 이보다 낮거나 높을 수 있다는 점에 유의하세요.  

Comparison

I can still remember my initial impressions of the Shure M95ED when I first upgraded from an M75ED back in the 70s. The first record I played was the LP “Arrival” by ABBA. As the album opened with “When I Kissed The Teacher”, it just sounded clearer and more focused – I could now hear more detail in the guitar strums, and the bass-line sounded punchier and tighter. It was a less soft sound than that of the M75ED, but I now realise that the upper-midrange coarseness that had bothered me with the M75ED was gone. The M95ED is not actually a typical Shure cartridge – it is more open, lively and detailed than most Shures that I have experienced. I even prefer it to the top-of-the-range Shure V15 III. In its day, the mid-priced M95ED lived in the shadows of the M75ED and V15 III, which were often recommended in the Hi-Fi press for budget and high-end systems respectively (at least in the UK). However, I think the delights of the M95ED are generally recognised amongst its owners today.  

70년대에 M75ED에서 처음 업그레이드했을 때 Shure M95ED에 대한 첫인상이 아직도 기억에 생생합니다. 제가 처음 재생한 음반은 ABBA의 LP "Arrival"이었습니다. 앨범의 첫 곡인 "When I Kissed The Teacher"가 시작되자 기타 스트럼의 디테일이 더 선명하게 들리고 베이스 라인이 더 단단하게 들리는 등 사운드가 더 선명하고 집중력 있게 들렸습니다. M75ED보다는 덜 부드러운 사운드였지만, M75ED에서 저를 괴롭혔던 중음역대의 거칠음이 사라졌다는 것을 이제야 깨달았습니다. M95ED는 제가 경험한 대부분의 Shure 카트리지보다 더 개방적이고 생동감 넘치며 디테일이 살아 있는 전형적인 Shure 카트리지입니다. 심지어 최고급 Shure V15 III보다 더 선호합니다. 당시 중저가형 M95ED는 (적어도 영국에서는) Hi-Fi 언론에서 각각 예산 및 하이엔드 시스템으로 자주 추천되던 M75ED와 V15 III의 그늘에 가려져 있었습니다. 하지만 오늘날 M95ED의 장점은 소유자들 사이에서 널리 인정받고 있다고 생각합니다.  

 

From the M95ED, I eventually upgraded to the Ortofon VMS20E MkII (on a Rega Planar 3), which was highly regarded by the Hi-Fi press and has since become a ‘classic cartridge’. I was actually rather underwhelmed by this upgrade. Perhaps I gained a little refinement, but I definitely lost some excitement – the M95ED had been a much more musically involving cartridge. With hindsight, I wish I had gone back to the M95ED, but I persevered with the VMS20E.

저는 M95ED에서 결국 Hi-Fi 언론에서 높은 평가를 받았고 이후 '클래식 카트리지'로 자리 잡은 Ortofon VMS20E MkII(레가 플래나 3에 장착)로 업그레이드했습니다. 사실 저는 이 업그레이드가 다소 부담스러웠습니다. M95ED가 음악적으로 훨씬 더 매력적인 카트리지였기 때문에 약간의 세련미는 얻었을지 모르지만 흥분은 확실히 잃었습니다. 돌이켜보면 M95ED로 돌아갔으면 좋았을 텐데, 그래도 VMS20E로 인내심을 갖고 버텼습니다.

Availability

While production of the Shure M95ED and its replacement styli has long ceased, the good news is that used cartridge bodies are in steady supply on eBay. There are, in fact, other M95 cartridges as well as the M95ED, including the M95G, M95EJ and M95HE – they all share the same body (but with different labels), so any of these bodies will suffice. However, beware of the special M95 cartridges made for Dual turntables, as they cannot be readily fitted to tonearms with a traditional half-inch mount headshell (with two mounting screws).

Shure M95ED와 교체용 스타일러스의 생산은 오래전에 중단되었지만, 좋은 소식은 중고 카트리지 바디가 eBay에서 꾸준히 공급되고 있다는 것입니다. 실제로 M95ED뿐만 아니라 M95G, M95EJ, M95HE 등 다른 M95 카트리지도 있으며, 모두 동일한 바디를 공유하지만 레이블이 다르므로 어떤 바디든 사용할 수 있습니다. 그러나 듀얼 턴테이블용으로 제작된 특수 M95 카트리지는 기존의 반인치 마운트 헤드셸(장착 나사 2개 포함)이 있는 톤암에는 쉽게 장착할 수 없으므로 주의하세요.

 

Styli for the M95ED are a more complicated affair, although good aftermarket styli do exist. When I first re-acquainted myself with the M95ED, I bought an aftermarket N95ED stylus from an eBay seller in the US – I knew that Jico was a reputable name and the seller claimed that this EVG-branded stylus was actually made by Jico. Firstly, the stylus would not stay in the groove at tracking forces below 1.5g, which was not a good sign. Secondly, with this stylus the cartridge sounded nothing like the M95ED as I had known it – the sound was flat and lifeless, severely lacking in dynamics. However, I later obtained a Jico N95ED stylus from William Thakker in Germany, which was more impressive, sounding much closer to the original Shure stylus. To take the sound quality of this cartridge a step further, many audiophiles invest in a hyper-elliptical stylus (N95HE) from a reputable aftermarket brand such as Jico, LP Gear, Thakker Japan or Tonar. I must add that I have since had much better experiences with EVG styli for other cartridges – perhaps these were indeed sourced from Jico.

M95ED용 스타일러스는 좀 더 복잡한 문제이지만, 좋은 애프터마켓 스타일러스가 존재합니다. M95ED를 처음 접했을 때 미국의 한 eBay 판매자로부터 애프터마켓용 N95ED 스타일러스를 구입했는데, 판매자는 Jico가 평판이 좋은 이름이고 이 EVG 브랜드 스타일러스가 실제로 Jico에서 만든 것이라고 주장했습니다. 첫째, 스타일러스가 1.5g 이하의 트래킹 힘에서는 홈에 머물러 있지 않아 좋은 신호가 아니었습니다. 둘째, 이 스타일러스의 카트리지 소리는 제가 알고 있던 M95ED와는 전혀 달랐습니다. 소리가 밋밋하고 생동감이 없었으며 다이내믹이 심하게 부족했습니다. 하지만 나중에 독일 윌리엄 타커에서 Jico N95ED 스타일러스를 구입했는데, 이 스타일러스는 훨씬 더 인상적이었고 원래 Shure 스타일러스에 훨씬 더 가까운 소리를 냈습니다. 이 카트리지의 음질을 한 단계 더 높이기 위해 많은 오디오 애호가들은 Jico, LP Gear, Thakker Japan 또는 Tonar와 같은 유명 애프터마켓 브랜드의 하이퍼 타원형 스타일러스(N95HE)에 투자합니다. 그 후 다른 카트리지용 EVG 스타일러스에 대해 훨씬 더 나은 경험을 했다는 점을 덧붙여야 하는데, 아마도 Jico에서 공급한 것 같습니다.

 

For turntables with upper-medium-mass and high-mass tonearms, the lower-compliance N95EJ stylus would be a more appropriate alternative to the N95ED. The M95EJ cartridge shares the same body with the M95ED and delivers a not dissimilar sonic performance. Again, the challenge would be to find a decent aftermarket stylus.

중상급 및 고중량 톤암이 장착된 턴테이블의 경우, N95ED보다 낮은 규격의 N95EJ 스타일러스가 더 적합한 대안이 될 수 있습니다. M95EJ 카트리지는 M95ED와 동일한 바디를 공유하며 비슷한 수준의 음향 성능을 제공합니다. 다시 말하지만, 문제는 괜찮은 애프터마켓 스타일러스를 찾는 것입니다.

Conclusion

The Shure M95ED has a sound that, in my mind, is hard to surpass. It is open, detailed and dynamic, while remaining slightly warm and easy on the ear. It achieves an all-round satisfaction that few other cartridges can manage and it therefore holds a special place in my collection. To reap its benefits today, you will need to find a used cartridge body and invest in a good-quality aftermarket stylus. If looking for a cartridge for a low-mass or medium-mass tonearm on a modest budget, the M95ED provides a very worthy alternative to a modern cartridge.

Shure M95ED는 제 생각에 누구도 능가하기 어려운 사운드를 가지고 있습니다. 개방적이고 섬세하며 역동적이면서도 약간 따뜻하고 귀에 편안합니다. 다른 어떤 카트리지에서도 구현할 수 없는 전방위적인 만족감을 선사하기 때문에 제 컬렉션에서 특별한 위치를 차지하고 있습니다. 지금 이 카트리지의 장점을 제대로 누리려면 중고 카트리지 본체를 찾아 양질의 애프터마켓 스타일러스에 투자해야 합니다. 적당한 예산으로 저질량 또는 중간 질량 톤암용 카트리지를 찾고 있다면 M95ED는 최신 카트리지에 대한 매우 가치 있는 대안을 제공합니다.

 

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