White Labels Rock If You Adjust Them Right

[zartan]

Alright so I finally replaced my 2 year old trackmaster IIs with Shure White Labels. They suck for EDM IMO. The Trackmasters have astonishingly better bass response (I mean, there is no comparison - its thump vs. thin). The Shures track marginally better for scratching and stability, but I am very pissed about the way these f***ing White Labels sound. Maybe if you're mixing classical music they'd be the dopest things out there, but for EDM I'm totally underwhelmed.

Anyone want to buy a barely-used pair?

Annoyed,
E

[Milkman John]

shoulda gone with the m447

nothing beats the m447

sucks they suck though, was actually thinking about getting a pair...

[zartan]

i would highly recommend against it. now that i've used these i have a new appreciation for trackmaster IIs. those things were workhorses for over 2 years and the bass is great. i'd recommend em (even if they are a bit cheesy)... i'd go back in a second if i hadn't just blown $200 on these POS shures.

[Milkman John]

i used to use the trackmaster II's...i still prefer the m447's...i do alot of cutting and have begun doing a shitload of scratching, etc. and they hold the groove like nothing i have seen....

and they are loud :)

trackmasters are nice for your average dj style though...damn nice bass response...

[Unfeign]

hmm...i wonder if it's something else with your Shure's. i bought a pair about 10 months ago, and they've worked great for me. i havent noticed any loss of sound vs. the stanton's that i've used before. but hey, we all have to go with what we like.

[zartan]

i don't know - i swapped them right out of the same system with the trackmasters and the difference is startling. and i bought the 2 cartridges about 2 months apart (was broke) so its not like a bad lot or something.

oh well, $200 down the drain. at least they track a bit better.

[zartan]

it may be chris that your stantons didn't have bass response like trackmasters either - maybe this thread should have been titled "trackmaster IIs have kickin' bass" instead of "shures suck"... i'm thinking that may be the case.

[uberclkgtr]

i find that the el-cheapo stanton 505s are awesome. and cheap. they could track slightly better, but i'm pretty pleased with them. do any of the other stantons track better and sound as good?

[the sex molesters]

i have some shures.... i think they're the m44g or some shit.... they were cheap, and they had a carrying case, and i couldn't afford the trackmasters....

however i will add that i've been really impressed with the ortophones.... it seems that they outlast every other needle, and the almost never skip.... sound quality's great too....

too bad they're so fucking expensive......

[rajdeep]

Does anyone have an opinion on whether replacing just the needle on a cartridge with one that was not intended for it affect the performance? e.g. replacing a needle on a M447 with some other type other than a M447 needle.

[zartan]

i think what i'm noticing is that theres a difference between sound qualty i.e. crispness and sound quality i.e. EDM sound - thump. the shures are definitely better for listening to classical - beethoven is transcendent, well-imaged and crystal clear. but when i bust out the booming shit they fall flat on they faces like they've had one LIIT too many.

[Paul Dailey]

44-7s are for scratching. They dont even come CLOSE to Ortofon Nightclubs or Shure White Labels in terms of sound quality.

Sorry you are having problem with your White Labels...they are really good needles and maybe you just have to get used to the sound. Trackmasters are awful...but maybe you got used to their over-pronounced bass.

I would suggest getting some contact cleaner, cleaning all your wires, cables and the connection between your white labels and your tonearm. Get some Groove Glide or other record cleaning solution and clean some of your records and then try out the White Labels.

[rajdeep]

Yea, Eric try them out on someone else's tables or at a Guitar Center. Maybe you got a bad piece... :shrug:

[zartan]

i think i need some processing like an aphex exciter or something to get the thump back. because there is no bass 'pulse' on my system from the kicks anymore and it's pissing me off!

but i agree - they sound 100x *clearer* than the tmasters; its just that clarity is really not what i'm going for when i'm trying to shake the house.

[SCHLiTZ]

I love my Trackmaster II's... they are the best carts you can get for the money. Plus, like it's been said, they are workhourses and last forever.