Trusted audio brand, Shure, has announced that they will soon discontinue their Phono products, including DJ-friendly cartridges and needles. The official statement says that in recent years, the company has been unable to maintain standards without a negative impact on cost and delivery. Discontinuation goes into effect this summer.
Shure’s phono products currently include a complete line of home phonograph and DJ cartridges for turntable DJing and vinyl record listening. The M44-7 cartridge ($79) was listed as a favorite in our Instagram poll and is a top choice for many world champ turntablists and scratch DJs.
If you’re looking to stock up before the discontinuation, visit Shure’s phono products page.
Read the full statement from Shure below:
“For more than 90 years, Shure has been committed to manufacturing and delivering products of the highest quality, reliability, and value. This commitment requires consistency in materials, processes, and testing, as well the capacity to react to fluctuations in demand.
In recent years, the ability to maintain our exacting standards in the Phonograph Cartridge product category has been challenged, resulting in cost and delivery impacts that are inconsistent with the Shure brand promise.
In light of these conditions, and after thorough evaluation, we have made the difficult decision to discontinue production of Shure Phono products effective Summer 2018.
Given our decades-long history of participation in the Phono category, we recognize that this decision may come as a disappointment to our channel partners and end users.
We are grateful for the support and loyalty demonstrated for Shure Phono products through the years and we are proud of the impact that these products have made on our customers’ lives and the reputation of the Shure brand. We believe that the proud legacy of Shure Phono is best served by exiting the category rather than continuing production under increasingly challenging circumstances.
Shure will continue to bring reputable, high quality products to market and we look forward to meeting and exceeding customer expectations on our current and future offerings. As Shure expands into new markets and product categories for audiophiles, our enduring commitment to premium performance and technological innovation will remain at our core.”
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