A TV that reminds me of Kodachrome: The TCL QM9K Google TV has been generating raves since it was introduced, and I have a preliminary report after spending a few weeks with one in my own home. To sum it up, it is a phenomenal package that exceeded my expectations in every respect.

When I look at the beautiful images on the screen, the thought that keeps coming to my mind is "this reminds me of Kodachrome — a Kodachrome slide held up to the light." Anyone familiar with film photography knows what an incredible compliment that is, and I never dreamed I would say it about any television. If you have never used Kodachrome, you have certainly seen it before. Many of the world's most iconic images were shot on Kodachrome, including Steve McCurry's "Afghan Girl" featured on the cover of the June 1985 cover of National Geographic magazine. Paul Simon even wrote a song about Kodachrome! I used quite a bit of it myself back in the day, but sadly, despite the lyrics of the Paul Simon song they did take Kodachrome away in 2010. There was discussion of bringing it back in 2017, but it never happened and it is unlikely to ever return. The world is the poorer for it.

Back to the television. The TCL QM9K is very bright with beautiful, rich colors that look like the best you could imagine coming out of whatever you are watching. It is razor-sharp, blacks are deep and dark and once I made some adjustments I was very happy with the motion from every source. The 1959 film "Ben-Hur" with Charlton Heston is my favorite film of all time, and it was just released in a new remaster on Ultra HD Blu-ray 4K. It was absolutely stunning on the QM9K. You really have to see it to appreciate it.

The QM9K remote is also far and away the best television remote I have ever used, and the integrated Bang & Olufsen sound system is good enough that you can forgo a soundbar if you don't want the extra complexity. It is clear TCL reached for the stars with this television, and it reached them. If you are searching for a top-of-the-line TV, the QM9K belongs on your shopping list. I will have more about the TCL QM9K in a future column, but for now, I need to get that Paul Simon song out of my head!

Q. I have a Technics SL-D30 turntable. Will the ALN3600LE stylus you recommended work on my turntable?

—S.H., Cupertino, California

A. The stylus is not compatible, but the good news is it's very easy to replace your cartridge with a better one.

The SL-D30 and many other turntables of the era used the P-Mount, or T4P, mounting system invented by Panasonic. It was designed to make phono cartridge mounting simple and easy with a simple plug-in system with one securing screw. My first good turntable was a Technics SL-MA1, a high-end design that used a P-Mount cartridge. Ironically enough, it was a closeout at a store called "Sound Advice" in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It was 1985 and I got the $650 turntable for $175. Perhaps it was an omen, given the name of this column and my focus on finding deals. I still have my SL-MA1 today and use it to test P-Mount cartridges.

The P-Mount system never caught on in the audio high end, though I found my SL-MA1 sounded better than any contemporaneous turntable under $1,000. The closest analog to the ALN3600LE is the $73.98 LP Gear Carbon Fidelity CFT4PSE cartridge, which is an outstanding performer. lpgear.com.

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