Shure Exits Phono Cartridge Business
Sad news, for all us vinyl lovers: Shure exits phono cartridge business.
This mid 2018 news is worth a post despite it being six months old. I suspect it will have gone unnoticed by many. My first cartridge was a Shure M75E and the loss of such an esteemed manufacturer is not without its impact on many current Shure cartridge users.
It was a great shock to learn that Shure was leaving the phono cartridge business, especially just as vinyl, turntables and arm sales are on a rapid increase. Shure has been making cartridges for vinyl turntables since 1937, thats over 80 years, but no more. Its microphone and headphone businesses will however live on.
Founded in 1925 by Sidney N. Shure, this American company, based in Chicago, Illinois, started its life as a radio parts supplier. Shure entered the cartridge market in 1937 with the Model 99A Zephyr crystal cartridge. Going on to develop and produce a whole range of cartridges eventually releasing the infamous Shure V15 in 1964. The V15 remained in production until 2005; it was one of my most treasured cartridges until I moved on to moving coil designs. Used V15’s can still be found a large quantities on various internet sites.
Despite sales remaining fairly steady over the last 15 years, it appears that Shure’s many suppliers that make the various component parts of these cartridges were struggling to maintain the quality standards. I personally suspect that costs were starting to escalate in order to maintain the high consistent quality standards demanded by Shure, and that it had become a part of their buisness that was producing dropping revenues making it a non viable corporate earner.
Shure is no longer showing any cartridges on their web site but they are continuing to honor their two-year warranties. They also indicated last year that there are plenty of replacement styluses available for all their cartridges. However, if you own a Shure it might be wise to buy at least one replacement stylus very soon. I would hope that an enterprising company might jump into the Shure saddle and manufacture OEM stylus assemblies.
Rumors do exist that several companies are interested in licensing the cartridge designs from Shure but to date nothing has been announced.
I am still a little, actually a lot, taken back by this announcement. Shure cartridges have always been a staple and mainstay for the audiophile for the last 80 years. At least in those interviewing years a range of excellent alternatives have come to market.
