Shure V15 Type IV SUPER TRACK IV User manual

V15 l'ype IV
Stereo Dyneticw
Phono Cartridges

the IV
doesmore...
The creation ofthe V15 me N is something of a tour de
force in innovativeengineering. The challenge was to
design a cartridge that would transcend all existing
cartridges in musical transparency, technical excellence,
and uniformity.The unprecedented research and design
disciplinesthatwerebrought tobear onthis challengeover
aperiodof severalyean haveresulted in an altogethernew
pickup system that exceeds previous performance levels
by asignificantdegree
- not merelyin oneparameter,but
in totality. In fact, this pickup system has prevailed
simultaneously over several extremely difficult music
re-creation problems which, until now, have defied
practical solutions.Most of all,this is aneminentlymusical
cartridgewhich isadelightto the criticalear,regardless of
programmaterial, ortherigorousdemands oftoday's most
technically advanced recordings.

..An elegant solution to many prevalent problems
The V15 Type N is a Stabilized,Static-free,Super-Trackabilitycartridge-stylus
system. The next few pages will explain the following advantages of the
SUPER TRACK
NTY system:
Demonstrably improved trackability the record.
across the entire audible spectrum
-
h effective dust and lint removal
especially in the critical mid- and system.
high-frequency areas.
A Hyperelliptical stylus tip
Dynamicallystabilized tracking configuration dramatically reduces
overcomes record-warp caused both harmonic and intermodulation
problems, suchas fluctuatingtracking distortion.
force,varyingtracking angle and wow. Ultra-flatresponse
- individually
Electrostatic neutralization of the tested to meet all specifications.
record surface minimizes three Reduced dynamic mechanical
separate problems: static discharge;
electrostatic attraction of the cartridge
to the record; and attraction ofdust to
impedance dlows superb
performance at ultra-light tracking
forces.
Contents:
..................................
Trackability 4-5
Warp ......................... .... .......... ..6
...................................................
Static 7
Dust ................................................... 8
Stylus Information .......... 9, 13,15
Installation
............................... 10-12
Operation
..................................... 13
................
Care and Cleaning 13-14
Specifications and
Dimensions
......................... 14-15
Warranty
......................................... 16
READ ON ...

The new frontiers of trackability
'Trackability - thr abilit>,of the stylus to stay in contact with both
groove walls
- remains the one ove~whelmingmeasure of a car-
tridge's overall performance. The chart at right shows a hitherto
unattainable excellence in trackability, at super-light,record- and
stylus tip-sa~ingforces.
However, consistent tracking has always been challenged by such
additiunal ever-present factors as warp, static, lint and dust -
especially when these factors combine with \vide dynamic range
"hot"
~cordings.The many newdesign features of the Vl5 Type N
permit the stylus to achieve and mainta~nunprecedented tracka-
bility with a cbnsistency never beforepossible.
In thefollowingchart,the shaded areaat bottom left =presents thr
en\~elooe
of actualIvalv slenals found onrecords The shadrdarea
. L,
at right reprrsrnts recommended theoretical limits of rrcord
rutting velocities 'The scattered points are the "hottest'rrecordrd
velocities actuaUy measured on d~fficult-to-trackrecords
Al-
though a cartridge nith rnodcratc.trackabllity \\ill be able to track
all the recorded velocities encornpassed \\ithin the theoretical
rutting stylus limits,substantially higher trackability is needed to
track ~xrordrdvrloritirs actually found on tuday's
discs The V15
I>ve IV tracks more ofthe 'I~ottest"points at alo\\, stylus f~rcpthan
anyothrr rxisting rart~idgpThr run,r shonmis for 1 gram tracking
force. By increasing thr tracking force to
1-1/4 grarns,evcri morr of
4
these polnts - xirtually all r~rordspruduced thus far - will be
tracked
Also, note the revolutionar) subaudible warp signal range tracka-
hility charactelistics of the Super Track IVTM, discussrd in detail
on Page
Six.
SYSTEM TRACKABILITY'
THEORETICALRECORDED VELOCTES
'Cartndgr-ton? arrn system trarkahllity as rnounted In SME 3009
tune am at 1 gram tracking furce

Coping with "hot" recorded signals ...
The "hot"signal problem
The stylus cannot track the hea\ily modulated signals found on
Inany of the newest records
Its symptoms The stylus mistracks and produces
dlstort~onandbuzzlng sounds.Whilemistracking canoccurat any
frequency.extreme mistracking occurs most at high frequencies.
Extreme mistracking can ineparably damage the record groove.
The Super Track IVTM total designsolution
The V15 Type IV has a newstylusassembly designed fnrdramati-
cally increased trackahility as thr result of two significant im-
provements
A. Theeffectivestylus mass of theconventional moving system has
hrrnlotvered hv utilizine
atelescooedshank structure (No 1
in figure at lefty and a &w iightwkight high-energy magnet
[No. 21 The reduced effectivemass of the new structure helps
improve trackability in the critical mid-and high-hquencies.
B. Incorporating a newly designed two-function bearing sys-
tem
(No. 3) has bypassed prex<ously necessary design com-
promises. The newbearing system is independently optimized
forlow frequencies andfor high frequencies sothat trackability
is enhanced across the entire audio spectrum.
The
V15 Type N has a Hyperellipticalnude diamondtip [No 4)
that results in an elongated tip-groove contact area The ne\v tip
provides as much as a
25% reduction in distortion over a conven-
tional biradial (elliptical)stylus"
"See graph on Page Nine

Our war onwarv...
o I HOK CIZR~RI~GF
TURNTABLE
CONSTINT ONSTANCE- 17,
TURNTABLE
' THE V15 'TYPE N
The warp problem
Suhaudible record warps and low-frequency arm-cartridge
resonance Interfere \\ith the ability of the stylus to track audio
signals
Its~ympfoms Reactions oftheplayback system tovery
low frequency warps (between 0 5 and 8 Hz as shown in the
trackability chart on Page Four) on the record surface can
result in gross changes in the distance between the cartridge
and the record The distance change alte~sthe stylustracking
force and th?vertical tracking angle, illustrated in the sketches
above, rhis can cause groove skipping, cartridge bottoming,
signal wow, and, occasionally, amplifier and/or speaker over-
load
6
Worst of all, trackabllity at all frequencies is dimin~shedby
these warp-caused changes in tracking force
At some very low frequency (typicallyfrom
5 to 15 Hz),the tone
am,-cartridge cornbination has a resonance frequency.When
the am-cartridge resonance frequency coincides with the
warp frequency, all the enumerated symptoms are exagger-
ated. In addition, there is a sudden, very large increase in
output at resonance.
The Super Track IVTMtotaldesignsolution
A viscous-damped Dynamic Stabilizer combines with the new
stylusassembly described onPage five to raise the --cartridge
resonance frequency and attenuate the am-cartridge system re-
sonanceeffect.Thefollowinggraph showsthe outputatresonance
with and without the Stabilizer
- -8%
WITH DYNAMIC
STABILIZER

The Dynamic Stabilizer is viscous-damped to resist sudden
changes in motion, such as those caused by subaudible warp.
Instead, the damping ensures that the tone arm
will follow the
irregularities of the record surface,even at the frequency of arm-
cartridge resonance. The original cartridge-to-record distance is
thus maintained, and vertical tracking angle and stylus tracking
force remain constant! Stabilizing the distance, angle, and force
ensuresthat the full tracking capability of the cartridge is realized
at all times.
The double-facetedproblem of
electrostatic charges
...
The static problem
A. Static electricity on ,,,,,,,,
FIBERS
the record surface at-
IUNO
tractsthe cartridge to the
record.
B. Static electricity on
the record surface is dis-
charged through the
D
- u
stylus. RECORD
Its s~II~P~o~s A. Static charges on the record are om-
nipresent and unevenly distributed. Therefore, they attract the
cartridge unevenly and change the ann-to-record distance, the
vertical tracking angle, and stylus tracking force. The result is
undesirable wow and flutter.
B. The static discharge through the stylus and amplifying system
can cause annoying pops and clicks.
The Super Track IVTM total designsolution
Thefibersinthe DynamicStabilizerthat looklikean off-centerdust
brush are actually electrically conductive. The fibers ride on the
surface of the record,pick up the static electricity and discharge it
to ground, much like a miniature lightning rod*.As a result, the
record surface is electrically neutralized.
Static charges on the record can be caused by contact with the
record jacket,the turntable mat, or otherrecords.Duringplay,the
record-contactfibers continuouslysweep the innergroovecharge
just ahead of the stylus,preparing the groove about to be played.
The static charge is thus prevented fmm affecting the am-to-
record distance, or from causing static noise in the amplifier and
loudspeakers. [Clicksand pops due to other causes may mask
someofthe reduction ofstatic noise.)Theremovalofstatic charges
stabilizes tracking force during the entire record playing process.
"In fact,thestatic discharge fcature will be reahonably rffertive even when the
Dynamic Stabilizer is in the"Up'position andthrfihr~.~ arr not in aontactnith
the record suiiacc

I Cleaning up Dust ... l
I
The dustproblem DUS~ particles on the surface of the
The~uper'I'rack1~~~totaldesignsolution
record,orinthe recordgmove result inan accumulated "dustball" ~h,reco~-contactfibem in the vamicStabilizer are
corn-
on the stylus tip which interferes with pickup of "clean"signals. onsed of more than
10,000 ultra-finestrands.Each strand has a
---- ~ -- ~-~~~- ~
diameter ofapproxi&ateli 7.6 microns 1.0003 in.).These strands
Its sptoms Faulty tracking, distorted signals, .%move fitdown intothegroove,removinginterferingdust and sweeping
jumping, anyultimate record damage can he caused when the the record clean.And, dust is not ground into the gmove walls.
stvlus collects the dust instead of tracking the record signals.
pkicles that accumulate andfoul the tip accurate irack-
ing and can cause loss of contact with the record surface, with
resulting gross distortion.
Impact Protection... 7
The impact problem When the arm is accidentally
TheSuperTrack1VMfofaldesignsolution
dmppedoniherecokl,thedelicatestylusassemblyis subjected to
-
the full shock at contact, Because the stylus is
it can
In its mrmal operating position, the Dynamic Stabilizer is a
bounce across the record and create several points of gmove
shock absorber which cushions the impact hom an accidental
armdrop.The DynamicStabilizertakestheforceof theblow,and
aamage. eliminates further bouncing of the stylus
Its sppt0ms The stylus may be permanently damaged,
even inoperative.The record is permanently impressed with sev-
eral audible "pop"points.

The Hyperelliptical Stylus tip
BIRADLAL IELLIPTlCALl STYLUS HYPERELLIPTICAL STYLUS
SUCH AS IN V15 TYPE I11 OF THE
V15 TYPE IV
The Hyperelliptical nude diamond tip
configuration of the
V15 TypeNrepresents a
significant advance in tip design for stereo
sound reproduction. As the above figures
show, its "footprint" (representedby black
oval1 is longer and narrower than the tradi-
tional Biradial IElliptical)tip-gmove contact
area. Because the Hyperelliptical footprint
geometryis narrower than both the Biradial
and long-contact shapessuch as the Hyper-
bolic,it
is preeminent forreproductionofthe
Stereo-cut groove. In fact, as a result of the
optimized contact area of the
Hyperelliptical
tip, both harmonic distortion !white bars in
graph at right) and intermodulation distor-
tion (black bars1 are dramatically reduced.
2nd harmonlcdlstortbon
Average both channels.
8 kHz. 5 cmisec peak recorded veloclty
Intermodulationdistortton
Average both channels, 3 kHzil.5 kHz
4.0% 4.0%
2.4% 2.596
HERICAL b BOLlC BlRADlAL HYPERELLIPTICA
HARMONIC AND INTERMODULATION
DISTORTION FOR VARIOUS TIP SHAPES

Step 1: stylus removal and replacement
don't slip and damage the stylus tip a> shank
Step 2: electrical connections
This cartridgehas fourtemlnalswlth a separateground terminalforeach channel. For
stereo, termma1 "L and its gmund terminal 'LG" represent the left channel [inside
groove wall1 Terminal
"R' and its ground temlnal 'KG" mpresent the right channrl
loutslde groove wall1
10
Connect the cartridge as showin the illustration below Note that,
in many tone arms, lead wiring is color coded and rnatches thls
cartridge's color coded terminals
LEFT CHANNEL
WHITE RIGHT CHANNEL
RED
LEFT CHANNEL
GROUND
BLUE RIGHT CHANNEL
GROUND
GREEN
u
-GROUND TAB
Step 3: mounting the cartridge
The cartridge has 12.7 mm ill2 in I mountlng centen Mounting
hardware
1s prumdrd, iRef~r to the tone arm manual for h~rth~r
spec~fir details. such as the nerd for spacers 1

DO VOI KLPL4CI. THF bYII.1'5 l'YlIl. LLLC IRIC \L(01-
\tC.TIO\S )\Kt \1-\DL .AYD THF. \IOU\TISG IS (O\I~
PIELLU
Thr liio llnslc
mounting mrth<~d\ di.~
1 \lountin;: thp cartrldgr In a lilrir .rrn she41 that has un-
lhrcaded clcnrancc hulrs
e \luunt,ng thc cnrtndge tn n tun? arm hrll (hit h.th
lh~radcdniountln;: lholrs
L-sc thr thin phallr rrtalncrpru~ydrd In thp hardi\a~r p.ic klii
t,,,th mrthr~d\ Ihr Iretalnci. holds the screiis phi F vlthcr-
mi thc shell mrthr~d 11 ur on thc cn~.tndgr tmrthid 21
IklPORT~ST: I\hcn usng mcthod I mounting In d
ihrll that has unthr.r.tdrd rlvarance holcsl splett thp
CORRLC? SCR6\.\' LbhGTH IKCORRECT SCRL\\ LLXGill
MbTHOD
1 OF MOUKTING THE
CARTRIIJGE IS SHOb\'II BELObV
. ~
,-
,-:_____SpaCCRS
.. . (IF NECESSARY)
METHOD Z OF XfOI!.UIING THk.
CARTRIDGE 15 SHOWN BELOW
THREADED HOLES iN
<AmNE
CASTiC RETAINER
PUSHONTOSCREWS
!-"
,*-,
uz,SPACBS
. .i IF NECESSARY
scniwsTHREAD INTO
TONE ARM SHELL

Step 4: setlingthe tracking and antiskating force
DYNAMIC STABILIZER
To notatrl this ~orve
POSITIOKS
at the stylus tip
0 75 grams
1 '"UP
2 DYNAMIC STABILIZER
1 25 grains 175 grams
"OPERATING
\\hen ualrig an cxtrrnnl gauge wrh as thr Shurt, bFG-2 Snlus For? Ldug,~ for
3 "GUARD settmg
trarlang fu1.c~ loch the D\n.%m~Stdhll~~~r in lliv up positioll and set
thr trn~hnp torrr as iholtn tor th~ nnli aho\r I\hrn Ihr Ll>~r.tiir~cStnbllizcr
CONDUCTIVE
rlries on thc ~rccurrl x\~th 111r < art~nclgeIn iisc the r\tr.~ O 5 gram, 1,111 tx i>ff-,rt
I,? tho Dyna~rilcStalillirrr .+nd \iILL \Or IPPE.iR -\TTHF STl'l.l-b TIP I'hr tip
f<,~.rt, ii~ll hr that sho\\n In thc firit roli~lllrl I
with the dynamic stabilizer up...
Rcplncc thc st>lus In the cartridge sec Stcp 11
TRACKI\(; FORCE
u<ththe dynamic stabilizer opcratin g...
I his c nrtndge 1.. rlc,\igned ior .i \t>lustlp 11.arhlrig ir>ri.i, rang? ot 0 75 to 12.5
giarna \\hen thr ~~siui~s-d.~mpc~rlIh~l~irrllrStrilnilw~ IS 171 tllc OPCI-atlng
posltlon
~PP lllubli ittl~ri .li~~\.vi ~t ~\i~t\ ii tor?? 011 the wvordc~f 0 i grrirn\ that
must .~lwI,? dr.r.r,mm<,<l.+lt.~il
In thc tutnl tunr a1.111 tl.ii.king fmir wttilig
Tllor.rlo~r
uat, thr tollrli$illgSrttlllgs
SOTE Do not rxrr~d the maximum trarkingforcrs of 1 75 gramsiihrn
the cart~idgr 15 used \\it11 the Dynamic Stabilizer In thc 'operating'
rlosltlon, or 125 ararns \\hen usrd \\~thlhr U\n.imlc Stnixlurr in th
4STISK\II\CI
TOKC5
Srt thi, ni~l~rkati~nrr.l~;in~s~i~.~rvol.dlngtu ttlv trillr .I! 111 ~rl.~nuf.ii 11111.1 s ill~i~
tii~ns
Cac ,in .~ntl\k.!tlng 1rlr.r.r rorrrspcrn~li~,;:lil tlir lol.11toni. .ir.!n irarhlng
iul~ r aptling tCul~ltirli 2 irl hart .ilru!i, I

Step 5: operation
Beforr playng thr fir51 rccurd. ral.cfully plncp thr, pnam~c
Stabil~zrr
In the opcl.atlilg'positian 50 that 11floatshelon thc
\&z,d/,"w
cmmplrl ,Uthr~ughthis cartildge i\,ll track records at a at\lus
t~pf<,rr~of
0 75 grams,it ma," he dcsirablr. In som- toiir arrrla
'- CUE STRIPE
la lilcrraac, thr tracking f0n.r for optinrum tresults
NOTE See further instructions under Cleanlng
1 NOTE ON COL1P~%,,21RlLITY\\'ITH V4RIOL'S
RECORD FOKXWTS
Step 6: cleaning
CLEANINGTHE DYNhVIC STABILIZER
Use the suppliedbrush "d~y".
Use no fluids. Carefullyclean
the dust out of the fibers using a hack to front movement.
Brush the fibers long enough70 remove the fine
particles
between the fibers as well as anvmat of lint on the surface.
Take care not to catchthesty1us"shankor tipwhen clean~ng
the Dynamic Stahll~zerbrush.
CLEANINGTHE STYLUS TIP
Use the supplled brush Alwa
s brush the stylus fmm back
to front;never brush orwipetiestylusfrom frontto back, or
side to side.An alcohol
or alcohol-distilled water solution
can he used as
a cleanin agent. Commercial cleaning so-
lutions may causestylus damage or corrosion.
NOTE.
Afler installat~un lor a prnlonged period of not hav-
mg been usedl, make certain that no foreign matter has
lodged between the cartridge body and the Dynamic
Stabilizer,immoblllzlng 11 A simple method is to move the
Stabillrer carefully from "up"to "guard" several times This
Mill ensure proper performance Also check the stylus tip
to make cenaln that no foreign matter has accumulated If
it has, follow the recommended htylus tip cleaning
method
Forbrst prrfurmanrr, rlean bc>ththc st>lu\tqi and thc fillr15
,if Ill? Dynamic Stdt,illzcr rrgulnrly

Shure V15 me IV Dimens~ons
FRONT ClOCV
presemgstylus life
1. R~ilowturntable or tone arm instructions when adiusting
ant~skating
force in the suspension system of the tone arrn
2. Do not handle the tone arm while it is In vperatlon since
thls may cause the arm to sbveep across the record.
3 If 11 is necessary to manually place the tone arm in the
record groove while turntable is rotating, release it as the
wnamic Stabilizer sets do- on the record or as the stylus
pngages the record gmove
4. Correct improper set-down adjustment or malfunction of
theturntable changing mechanism to prevent the stvlusfrom
strik~ng
the edge oftheturntable or cord Do not siack mom
records than turntable manufacturer recommends
5. Take care to properly insert the stylus into the cartridge
assembly and the cartridge and shell asssmhiy into the tone
arm receptacle
6 Use pmpervertical tracklng force setting A>r.rachcartr~dge
7 Do not use damaged records
8. When dusting th; turntable protect the stylus wlth the
Dynamic Stabdizer locked in thp guard position

Shure V15 l3q~ IV and V15 IV-G
I Specifications .
I
-
TYPICAL FREQUENCY RESPONSE ENVELOPE
I
pn
UI
5 -lo
n"
rmo
FRECGWX IN HERTZ
Frequency Response: 10 to 25,000 Hz
Typical Trackability im SME Tone Arm at 1 gram tip tracklng force, in
cm/sec peak recorded velocity].
400 Hz - 29 rmlser
OutputVoltage la1 1,000 Hz, 5 cm/sec peak recorded v~lo~ltyl:4.0 mV per
channel
Channel Balance: Within 2 dB
Channel Separation lmin~mum! 25 dB at 1,000 Hz, 15 dB at 10,000 Hz
Optimum Load: 47,000 ohms reslstancr in parallel with 200 to 300
picofarads capacitance per channel
Load resistance can be up to 70,000
ohms with almost no audible changp ~nfrequencyresponse Total capaci-
tance includes both the tone
ann wiring and amplifier input circuit [Mast
amplifiers, tone arms and cables meet this requirement !
Inductance: 500 m~llihennes
DC Resistance: 1380 ohms
Tracking Force: Force at the Total tone arm setting with
stylus tip Dynamic Stabilizer "operating
Minimum 075 grams 125grams
10 gram 15 grams
Maximum 1.25grams 175grams
Force Exerted by Dynamic Stabilizer: 0.5grams
Output Terminals: 4 terminals
Mounting: 12.7mm istandard 1/2 in ! mounting centers
Net
Weight: 6.4 grams
Vl5 Type IV StyliAvailable:
VN45HE Hyperellipt~calNude Diamond Tip, Black Grip, Black Name-
plate
VN4G Spherical Nude Diamond Tip, 15 micmns
i 0006 1n.1 radius,
Black Grip, Gray Nameplate isupplied
In V15 IV-G Cartridg~l.
VN478E
Biradial iEUlptical1 Nude Diamond Tip. For monophonic
78 rpm records. Tip Tracking Force Range: 0.75 to
1.25
grams. 13 x 63 microns 1.0005in x 0025 in I. 15

Fun One Year Warranty
(-
Shure Brothers Incorporated i"Shure'i.221 Hartreyhenue
Ebanaton,lllinols 60204,warrants to the
owner ofthis pro
duct that it will be
free, in normal use. of any defects ir.
workman\hip and materials for a period of oncyear fmm
date of purchase You should retain proof af date of pur-
r-=
chase Shure is not liableforany consequential damages If
!=, this Shure pmduct has any defects as described above.
p3
carefullyrepack the unit and =turn it prepaid to:
Shure Brothers Incorporated
Attrntion: SCMCBDepartment
1501\Vest Shure Driw
Arlington Heights.Illinols 60004
Ifpu are not ~nth~United Stat-, return the unit to your
dralcr
or AuthurBpd Senice Center.forrepair The unit \\ill
Quality AssuranceCertificate
Shure V15 IV Cartridges
TheV15 Type IV StereoDynetica Cartridgehas been manufacturedunder the
Shure Master Quality Control Pmgrarn. This pmgram embraces stringent
safeeuards and standards to assure you that your Vl5 'Wpe N is in perfect
. .
operating condition.
Shurequalitycontrol notonlycoverslncomingpartsandthefinishedproducts,
but intermediate subasjemblies as well. For example: every individual
car-
tndge body and every stylus-magnet assembly is tested and microscopically
examlned Eachfinishedcartridge is indiiduallysublected to exactinglisten-
ing tests, and tested electrically and mechanically against close tolerance
performance specifications seldom
achieved in the High ndelity Industry.
r SPECIAL NmE To maintain the original petiomance standards of
"our cartridge, be certain that any replacement stylus you bu beam
I
The follu\>inlcertifiratlonanthe ~ackag?: '"This StereoDweticiso/lus
PATENTNOTICE:Cartridge and stylusmanufactured under one or
moreof the follow~ngU.S. Patents 3,055,988,3,077,521,3,077,522,
16 3,463,889,and 4,194,744. Other patents pending.
is precisionmanufactured
by &re ~FothenInc: AVOID INFE~OR
IbfITATIONS THEY M'lLL SERIOUSLY DEGMDL THE PERFORMANCE
OF YOUR CARTRIDGE ALL GENUISE ''DWETIC"~' STYLI ARE MAN-
UFACTURED BY SHURE BROTHERS INC
' ""Y PC>" TUF MAMF SHT'RF
L ON THE STYLlJS GRIP
Copyright 1980 SHURE BROTHERSINC.
222 Hartrey Avenue, Evanston, Illinois 60204
27A1303 (TI) Printed in U.S.A.