Prinz music centre w/BSR P246-D2 cartridge advice please?

[ekjdm14]

Hi, I'm looking for a bit of advice/pointers as to what cartridge is likely fitted to my Prinz (Dixons house brand) SMC135D music centre with BSR P246 TT.

From what I can tell it's a magnetic type pickup, and hopefully in working order but I need to find the correct stylus to fit since the one it came with was broken off due to the tonearm flapping at the auction house.

I realise the belt-drive DC model is one of BSR's last ditch efforts and not a very good TT so may upgrade in future, but it'd be nice to at least try and get the whole thing working as originally intended first.

The rest of the music centre is in working order and sounds pretty good for it's tiny speakers, there appears to be one ceramic disc cap in the (discrete diode) bridge rectifier area which has been obliterated in a strange way, almost shouts lightning to me although the tuner and amp work perfectly well. I just need to find the appropriate stylus to test the TT, and maybe a cartridge going forward although I hope not.

Thanks, Dan.

[ekjdm14]

Further to my post, attached should hopefully be photos of said cartridge & remains of it's stylus.

Thanks for any help.

[BRASSBITS]

looks like a audio technica

[ekjdm14]

Thank you, now at least I have something to go on. From what I can see on eBay, it's looking similar to an AT95E... Although the styli on those all seem to have green housings.

Is the colour of the housing of any significance, or could I chance one of these?

[BRASSBITS]

take a look at a at91

[ekjdm14]

Definitely looking more similar to the 95E than the 91, for the difference in price between a stylus/complete cart I may just order a complete AT95E and then if the stylus doesn't swap I at least can get the TT up & running.

Thanks again, I was getting nowhere with the search term BSR P246 cartridge unsurprisingly haha

[paulsherwin]

I would be very surprised if a 70s 'unit audio' with a BSR deck was fitted with an AT95E, even in badged form. An AT91 is much more likely. You could fit an AT95E of course, but you may not hear much benefit given the limitations of the arm. A Rega Carbon (AT91 with a souped up stylus) may be the best bet if you want to maximise performance. There's probably not much in it though.

[Beobloke]

An AT95E stylus will fit fine. Buy with confidence!

[ekjdm14]

Paulsherwin, I have a feeling this is an early '80s system although not found any dating evidence internally as yet. The P246 deck is the awful plastic on plastic belt drive unit that I was under the impression was introduced in the early-mid '80s?

Either way, on closer inspection the cart does appear almost identical to the AT95E and definitely different to the 91.

Beobloke, thanks. do you know if this was a standard-fit in this music centre or has somebody upgraded? It does seem a bit "exotic" for such a cheap TT, seems it's used on some Marantz, Sansui and cetera.

[ekjdm14]

Can't edit my previous post now (never liked the vBulletin time-expiry on the ability to edit in information). Have had a quick look "under the bonnet" and confirmed the build as mid-late 1981 from the IC's (8136 on tape deck, 8128 on the mainboard).

Will have to look into the MC1310 which I believe to be the Stereo mpx decoder as I have fairly strong FM stations but not a twinkle from the indicator LED. Seems a fairly well designed chassis with regards serviceability at least. Remove the top, unplug the tape deck and TT and remove 6 further screws and the whole chassis hinges up for easy access, front panel & all. Definitely been some previous repairs as there's a bodge resistor on the underside of the board, and some suspiciously re-based looking TO220 transistors on the top side in the same area, in spots that look like they were intended for TO92 shape.

Anyway enough rambling for now. posting as much for my own reference/to help my memory as anything. /

[Nickthedentist]

I've seen a 1980s Alba music centre with an AT95 fitted from new.

[ben]

The stylus you have is an ATN 3400 or 3401. Available on ebay for around a tenner. Don't waste money on a more expensive elliptical type on a system of this kind. We don´t know if the BSR deck will cope with it.

[ekjdm14]

Don't worry I'm not planning to throw good capacitor money at a belt-drive BSR If it sounds acceptable with one of the cheap styli then it can stay, if it acts up or the cart comes up dead but the rest of the music centre continues to sound as reasonable as it does then I'll consider an upgrade to a TT with synchronous motor in future. There appear to be taps ready and waiting to feed such, in a choccy block inside the system.

It won't be playing any rare or valuable records, nothing in my current collection is in great condition to start with and most of my budget will be spent on caps for other projects.

[Beobloke]

Originally Posted by ekjdm14

Beobloke, thanks. do you know if this was a standard-fit in this music centre or has somebody upgraded? It does seem a bit "exotic" for such a cheap TT, seems it's used on some Marantz, Sansui and cetera.

I’m not familiar with the P264 and the Internet doesn’t seem to recognise it either. Do you have a picture?

[paulsherwin]

Ben's suggestion of an AT3400 cartridge is very plausible. This was widely used in sub-hifi equipment of this era. It's a perfectly decent though basic cartridge and there will be little benefit in upgrading it.

[ekjdm14]

Beobloke it's a P246-D2. I've attached a picture below hopefully. Theres only a few mentions of it on the forum, mainly a modified one with pitch control pot fitted in a Goodsell dance school player.

Located a stylus for a decent price so we should be ready to go soon.

Also attached a couple of the music centre itself, in case anyone should recognise who might have made it. (As mentioned Prinz was a Dixon's house brand, I'm unsure who the manufacturer was though). Edit- I'm thinking it could have similarities to Dynatron?

[Beobloke]

The deck looks familiar but I must confess I've never seen one fitted with a headshell like that before. Usually they had an integrated head with a ceramic cartridge pre-fitted.

On this basis, and assuming it sounds OK and not like a magnetic cartridge playign through ceramic circuitry, it's probably original.

[Nickthedentist]

Originally Posted by ekjdm14

Edit- I'm thinking it could have similarities to Dynatron?

No, not really

[ekjdm14]

Certainly I feel the system is designed for a magnetic cart, buzz test is deafening even at less than 10% volume. Will have to report back on it when I have the stylus in-hand but I think it should be OK.

There was a very similar TT fitted to other low-end systems, but with an LED next to the fake strobe ring in a vaguely Technics-esque way & a 33.3/off/45 switch as opposed to the 2 position speed selector and separate switching through the tone arm. (there's a post on here in the last week referring to an HMV music centre with that model fitted & that did look like it had a clip-in ceramic cartridge).

[ekjdm14]

Originally Posted by Nickthedentist

No, not really

lol, only in some parts of it's circuitry. (I was just looking at the thread on the Dynatron stereo issue before we went out and noticed it used the same decoder IC).