Well thought sir!!! I am from the USA and am 70 years old. I have been a phono cartridge nut for over 50 years. 35 U.S. dollars will get U the latest UPGRADE on the A-T 95E which has been changed from a 4x7 to a 3x7 mil ELLIPTICAL. I am a firm believer in the 3x7 mil shapes over the former 4x7 mil shapes as there is a noticeable improvement in mid and high frequency presentation as this shape hugs the groove without being finicky. THX 4 keeping VINYL alive and well...GOD BLESS U & URS 4-EVAH!!! GR* vid...
I've had a cartridge or two with an elliptical stylus and failed to ever hear any difference in sound quality. Acting upon an audiophile's expert review of how good an AT3600L is compared with a number of much more expensive cartridges, I decided to purchase an Audio Technica 3600L which has been around a long time. Don't be mislead by the low price. This cartridge with a conical stylus actually has great specs and sounds very good. The music comes through loud and clear with tight bass, very good midrange. brilliant high end and superior soundstage. I've thought for a long time that elliptical was the way to go with phono cartridges. I found that's not always the case.
I concur, the 3600L sounds great and beats a kot of more expensive cartridges, it's one of my favorite budget cartridges, actually probably the best for the price.
I have the atl3600 and gold ring e3 the 3600l made some of my records sold like cassette tape while vthe E3 sounded great and yet ava max heaven and hell album sounded better on the atl3600l
And here I thought that nude fine-line contact was the way to go. I will sell my blackbird and get a spherical entry level cart. Thanks for your advice.
As long as it works for yourself then go with it! As it’s not possible to hear a side by side comparison I really struggle to hear the difference. I have found that an AT- VM95 E works for me , at around £40 I personally cannot afford or justify spending over £200 on a cartridge and then be told that it’s a budget level.
I upgraded the Rega Carbon on my Planar 1 to a AT95E that I had from a previous turntable. It made an immediate improvement, the tracking weight will slide back to achieve the 2g easily enough. Well worth the money if anyone is considering it. I'm going to try a Goldring E3 next.
@@TheAudiophileMan Nice to know indeed! I also have a RP1 and Im just a little bit afraid about the weight if using another cartridge, but if I finally go ahead with the upgrade, how much money would you say its reasonable to spend in a new cartridge for that turntable? Im aesthetically in love with the Clearaudio Performer V2 (ebony wood…), but its almost as expensive as the turntable itself..any thoughts? (Im just a beginner, Im doing lots of thing wrong for sure). Thanks a lot in advance!
I just purchased the Rega P2 with rega carbon on it. I used to listen with ATVM95E on my vintage pionner TT and i already noticed the big difference in musicality. I just want ask if i will upgrade the rega carbon to ATVM95E do i need to also to install a spacer to my tonearm? Ty
@@jonathantengco3201 no, Audio Technica carts drop straight in without shims. I have a VM95ML now and I'd highly recommend it for your P2. There's a huge difference between the 95E and 95ML
I've been into "hifi" for about 45 yrs and have had many great cartridges. My favorite was the Micro Acoustics 2002e, but it became impossible to get a new stylus. Currently I trade off between my Osawa MP 20/Nagaoka MP 200, an Ortofon 2M Red (that I'm waiting for a 2M Blue stylus for an upgrade) and a recent addition, a Sumiko Olympia, that I have to say is really nice. My turntable is a Harmon Kardon 700 series (not sure which one) that I got the 1st year they were released. It has a C. Ito carbon fiber tonearm and it plays wonderfully. My system is pretty much a budget system, but with components known for their quality ( Cambridge Audio, Wharfedale, etc) The turntable is over 40 yrs old, but with the cartridges I use, sounds wonderful. So yes, a good cartridge can be an excellent upgrade to any system. My preference for for elliptical and "micro" elliptical stylus.
My Pro-Ject Debut III came with an Ortofon OM 5E pre-installed, after a few months I upgraded to a Sumiko Pearl and went "WOW" and other unmentionables in many languages. The bass got more powerful, the imaging widened and the details on the top were more tinkly but not harsh. Oh, the original Ortofon cartridge had nothing wrong at all, but the Sumiko is on a higher level.
That is my setup. I have a red Pro-Ject Debut III, but I need to replace the motor because it is misbehaving by occasionally playing backwards and also emitting a bit of noise. I think its bearings are worn so the motor just needs replacing. I think it is a $65 part, a super easy fix, but a low priority right now. I want to replace my Yamaha receiver with a Rotel.
I recently replaced the standard conical stylus on my AT-LP60X with LP Gear's carbon fidelity elliptical. What a difference the elliptical stylus made to the resolution of sound, it was so precise and bloody amazing to be quite honest. Any owner of turntables like the AT-LP60 or the newer AT-LP60X really should maximise the experience by replacing the decent but inferior conical stylus with the superior elliptical.
I just received the same turntable as a Christmas present. I’m looking at the same upgrade from LP Gear with the upgraded stylus and belt. My other problem with this table is the lack of weight on the arm. If I walk by the table it skips. I taped a dime on the arm near the stylus and it doesn’t skip anymore. I wonder if I would still need this with the new stylus?
Nothing wrong with the conical Sir, absolutely nothing. But replacing it with an elliptical is a truly magnificent upgrade especially on turntables like the AT-LP60 or the newer AT-LP60X.
I have a Audio-Technica Carbon VTA (made in collaboration with Drop), which is basically a dressed up version of the unfortunately named (but still pretty decent) Audio-Technica AT-LPW40WN. It came with the Audio-Technica AT-VM95E, which is a nice budget cartridge/stylus combo to have, but I didn't like the fact that it was a bonded stylus and not a nude stylus. So I got around to thinking: how far can I go within Audio-Technica's moving magnet (not ready to give up user-swappable styli with moving coil - yet) line of cartridges? Guess what I ended up with? I ended up getting the flagship Audio-Technica AT-VM760SLC - a $650 upgrade for a $350 record player. Overboard? Maybe. Am I happy with it? Abso-effing-lutely! But at the end of the day, I would say, do whatever upgrades you want to. As long as you are happy with the sound, no one should be allowed to tell you otherwise.
I absolutely agree with using elliptical styluses ..I.Use two , a Shure V15II and a Ortofon 2M blue...the first on a Taya PL-100 TT and the other on a Fluance RT-85 TT....with my 84 year old ears they sound wonderful ....
I made the cartridge upgrade on my old rega planar 3 with an old rega cartridge which sounded good. I thought it sounded good Until I replaced it with a Nagaoka MP200. I was amazed a the improvements as you are describing. Upgrading the cartridge is the way to go!!! Good Advice.
I use the Goldring 2100 moving iron cartridge with elliptical stylus on my Pioneer PLX1000 turntable and have to say the results to my ear are great. The other advantage is that the 2000 series styli are interchangeable across the range for easy upgrades.
I've heard many cartridges over time (mostly Audio Technica ones), but my all time favorite would definitely be Shure M91, currently fitted with conical stylus. Also got M75, which is essentially the same thing as M91, which has 0.3x0.7mil elliptical one from Jico. AT3600L featured in the video isn't that bad, either. Especially when tracking lighter, around 2.5g.
Actually the 3600L sounds great, better than some more expensive ones, it's one of my favorites in the budget cartridge range. I'm waiting to receive a Nagaoka MP-110 this week, which sounds fantastic on the online comparisons, hopefully it'll sound great on my system too, take care 🙂
So I have an old Sony Sony PS LX250H and the stylus it came with was a diamond tip conical which was okay, but once I changed the stock stylus to an LP CFN3600LE it changed the sound completely. Now it is still a budget system, but $60 for a turn table and $45 for the stylus - also added an acrylic platter mat with a light weight record stabilizer and it makes a huge difference on these budget record players.
I upgraded my stock elliptical stylus on the VM95e to the microline one costing £130. Some may argue that’s overkill considering it’s on the affordable and immensely popular AT 120x turntable, especially as I’m using the inbuilt pre-amp. (The microline being half the cost of the turntable). Yet I noticed a slight increase in sound quality. The biggest improvement is no distortion on the last track on either side of an LP.
Im running it through a TEAC headphone amp/DAC with Samson Sr850 headphones. These £50 (often less in the ‘sales’) headphones are better sounding to me than my previous AKG ones that I paid £200 for.
So much good sense, seems to me. For a newbie like me to this technical musical universe. Concise and well explained, just great. Thank you. I’m a new subber!
At the recommendation of a friend, I upgraded an Audio-Technica AT-3600L which came OE on my Music Hall USB-1 turntable to their AT--95E cartridge. It immediately improved the sound by providing a more focused and detailed presentation especially in the mid and bass ranges and it only cost $49 US on Ebay. Money well spent for such an improvement.
Guau! Very nice video. My favorite carthridge is the Shure V 15 Type IV, but the Audiotécnica ATVM95e is a miracle. Incredible prestations and low price.
The bargain of the century has got to be the flagship of the Goldring you featured the E3.Even what hifi voted it cartridge of the year as it outperforms cartridges costing twice the price.I’ve fitted one to my Rega P3 and it sounds sublime!!!! I think before Rega started making their own cartridges-the ones they used were badged as Rega but actually manufactured by Goldring-so maybe that’s why Goldring cartridges sound so good when partnered with Rega decks
My turntable a pioneer PLX1000 did not come with a cartridge fitted. After some considerable research I decided that the Goldring 2100 was the cartridge for me, it is an elliptical stylus and wow when played through my vintage Musical fidelity XPLS phono stage and musical fidelity A3.5 it sounds incredible to me!! So happy I chose this cartridge and as stylus are interchangeable with other 2000 series cartridge I will upgrade to a higher level stylus when I need to change styli. Just to note there are cartridge ranges like the one I chose the Goldring 2000 series where styli are interchangeable throughout the range, this allows fantastic scope for upgrading!! In the 2000 series I can go right through the range from elliptical to nude diamond without the need to upgrade the full cartridge assembly.
Cartridge I am now using is a Kiseki purple heart NS. It is a thin line diamond stylus and sounded poorly for about the first year. a re alignment was performed without much improvement. A tweak was applied to the alignment and SNAP!!! Everything was in focus, subtle to startling & I can now state there is more information audible from the turntable than same mastered CD recording.
I have a project essential iii which came with an om10. Cheapest option was to swap it for an om20. No need to change cartridge, cost £120. Then swapped the felt platter mat for a Hudson rubber one, cost £15.00. Fitted a new set of WBC mogami cables, cost £34 and the project upgrade power supply, cost £25. The difference in sound quality is amazing, more bass, more realistic highs, better soundstage and more volume. My advice if you're on a budget, shop around for deals, only replace the stylus when the original needs replacing, but more than that listen to the experts.
Just upgraded to Ortofon 2M Blue which is probably at the top range of what I can afford. Purchased it on sale for $189 USD from the highly recommended, Brooklyn-based Turntable Lab. I noticed a palpable difference straight away with my vintage Technics SL-1510. And I know that it’s many hours away from being broken in. Other source components include Pioneer SX-450 and Wharfdale Denton 80th Anniversary loudspeakers. The mids are more present and everything just had more sparkle as Paul describes. Hopefully this combo will keep me away from the upgrade-itis of which I’ve been quite guilty for decades. I’m 62 now and realize that my hearing is not what it once was. Quite pleased at the moment and hopefully for years to come.
Hi. I own a Pioneer PL 707 with an AT 120Ea (Orange needle with bronze metal base). The needle is sligtly out of center in the cardrige so it seems it should replaced. What should I do? I can't find the right replacement.
Per your request, and since we're on the Audio Technica tract, I'm using a Roksan Dana branded AT cartridge with a diamond titanium elliptical tip. I'm using it thru the Roksan Attessa TT's built in phono stage feeding an Olasonic Nano UA1 and vintage ADS L300C speakers with a powered subwoofer. This is the only Audio Technica cartridge I own. The other Ortofon MCs and MMs sound darker thru the Olasonic and ADS gear, but this AT elliptical seems quite synergistic. The only tweak to the TT is swapping out the OEM felt mat with a Herbie's Audio Lab "Way Excellent" one to tame some inherent plinth / platter ringing.
The ATC 09 III is the 3rd version of this cartridge and is compared in quality to cartridges costing 1,000 or more. Im on my 2nd cartridge in 30 years, ATOC9 - II this cartridge is reasonbly priced for its excellant quality and the only people that have a complaint about is people who buy 10,00 dollar cartridges. it said to be a bit bright sounding, but I like that better than dull sounding. This is probably the only cartridge that I will only have ever listened to and had, and I wont change my choice. Your channel provides a lot of good advice.once you go to moving coil, I would be surpised if you went back to MM. I have a a SUT into a Luxman tube preamp, i have a hum problem , but its worth it for For the MC, and dont hear hum when the music plays. But I still wont go back to my Onkyo preamp. MC and tubes all the way. Just my recommendation, because you will not be disapointed in the sound quality. But you will be disapointed right away on all the compression of music recorded on vinyl, because you will notice any, and all bad recordings right away. I dont have a CD player. and I doubt that I will ever buy one, because all the ones I bought in the past failed.
Just got back into vinyl again after ditching it for CD's in the 90s and it's been an adventure that I didn't expect including the poor quality that a lot of new vinyl has. First I got the AT-LP60 and it blew my mind with the sound quality. But then of course I figure I need more! So I just got the AT LP120X with the AT-VM95E and oddly the LP-60 sounded better at first with the AT3600L, but the more EQ tweaking I do, and the more my ears get used it, (vs the big, warm and sweet LP60 sound), the better the LP 120 is sounding, but I (impulsively) ordered the AT-VM95ML hoping it will help the sound. But now I'm wondering if I should just replace the LP120 AT-VM95E stylus alone or the entire cartridge.....arg. It been a frustrating and great at the same time but it never seems to end, unless you spend $10,000 on gear it seems you'll never get the perfect experience.
Hi Matt - if you have an itch to change the cart on your 120, I'd look at a turntable upgrade. The 120's arm is ok but a high quality cart will reveal its low-end issues and it'll become a bottleneck. You'd get better VFM with a new deck.
@@TheAudiophileMan Thanks. I ordered the AT-VM95ML stylus and if it doesn't make my albums sound any better it's all being returned, then maybe I'll look at a different turntable.
I've been picking up some rather vintage audio equipment from the 60s and 70s and I just can't help but want to upgrade them, yet, there's so little information on much of it despite it being RCA brand stuff. Especially my RCA Modular series Model RK326E Record changer turntable
I Understand that this is a older video now but seeing as Audio Technica have switched to the AT3600LC (C Standing for Conical) and have also released a new AT3600LE (elliptical) what is your thoughts on the new addition? Does this make the AT3600L Turntables a even better option for beginners as they have a easier option to get an official non third party elliptical upgrade for the cartridge?
I recently upgraded to a Sumiko black pearl. I'm on a tight budget. The difference is night and day. More clarity. More definition in the lows. The highs were close to the same. Best $100.00 I have spent in a while.
CORRECTION In the video I mention the Goldring E1 as being a good elliptical cartridge buying option - it’s not. It’s based on a conical stylus. So forget that. I meant the Goldring E3. The E3 is a better quality cartridge than the Audio-Technica cartridges talked about in the video but it’s also more expensive. Here’s a review: theaudiophileman.com/goldring-e3/ Also, sometimes 'conical' stylus tips are described as 'spherical'. It's the same thing, basically.
Hello! I'm a very satisfied owner of a Rega P1, which is my first turntable. As you know, it comes with the Rega Carbon cartridge and a not so versatile RB110 tonearm. Do you know if the E1 is compatible with this setup? Are there other compatible cartridges that you know fit the P1? Love your videos, by the way!
Thanks for your question, Paulo - I'd upgrade to an elliptical so not the E1. I'd go for the E3. The Bias 2 from Rega is also excellent. And thanks for your kind words :)
I currently have an Audio-Technica LP-120 table, and I am looking to upgrade the cartridge. I've been torn between several, and just not sure which route to go. The ones in direct contention are: The AT-VM95SH/H The AT-VM540ML/H The Ortofon 2m Blue Nagoka MP-150 or MP-200 The music I listen to is very, very broad. Anything from Big Band to Thrash Metal to Hip-Hop I gladly welcome suggestions. Thanks everyone!
I have a vintage 70s pioneer turntable which came with an audiotechnica headshell (with no provision for adjusting tracking) and what looks like the a current orange AT cartridge, but without the AT branding on the cartridge itself - no idea how old it is or what it is.
I've long been a fan of the orange level of Audio-Technica cartridges. I bought my first one in the late 70s and then another in the early 80s as a replacement. They aren't always the exact same model, but Audio-Technica has been placing that color of stylus up a few from the bottom and usually one below the red versions since at least the mid 70s. The exact color of "orange" has always appeared more caramel colored to me, so I always refer to them as the "caramel models." I think the consensus these days is that the best bargain for a really high quality reproduction is at the red level. They may be right, but I just bought yet another "caramel" cartridge from "new old stock" that is about 12 years old and put it in place of a Grado Presitge green that just didn't sound great on my new turntable, which is one of the Technics SL1200 variants. The Grado sounded really good on my vintage Dual 701, but much less so on the new Technics (the Dual died after 45 years of service). The Audio-Technica caramel model sounds absolutely great. On a clean record with my nice setup it really rivals CD and HD streaming. In some ways, of course, it sounds better than digital, but that is a matter of personal taste. I'm a big fan of AT Orange and I think more people should give them a try at their relatively low price points.
I am now 6 months in from pulling my old MS20i speakers and Musical Fidelity Electra from the loft. This was to facilitate playing my vinyl I had also secured at the top of the house. Not having much money and my wife looking over my shoulder I purchased a Lenco L-3808. I now spend most of my spare time listening to vinyl old and new and I am at that point where I want that little bit more!! Which would give me more “bang for my buck” in your opinion, the VM95e or the Goldring E3? Thanks, really enjoying your efforts.
An upgrade addict question,in two parts.....having an NAD 5120 Flat tone arm tt with AT95e cart,I was wondering i) is this a good combination and ii) when I upgrade cart,what should it be given a budget of one fifty or so? If it helps,I have an Arcam Delta 290 and listen to Hip Hop (subtler stuff,with actual music, lyrical depth,samples with crackle from the source vinyl) hey day Dub Reggae (Hudson,Twinkle Brothers etc) Jazz (Powell,Monk,Morgan at al) Acoustic songwriters like Nick Drake in the main....So any carts to recommend? For some reason I fancied the green Sumiko (cannot remember the name) Thanks for the content and to all the viewers,scrubbers and polite commenters. Nice One.
My first turntable was a Technics SL B2 which I liked very much until I couldn’t get a replacement belt for it. This was before amazon and the internet of course. I recently upgraded to the Fluance RT80 which for entry level seems pretty nice so far. I’ve seen some reviews on the Rega Planar 1 vs Pro-ject Debut Carbon and it all seems like it’s down to the tonearm design. For now though I’m thinking I want to see what all the differences are with the elliptical cartridges so I might upgrade to that as a first attempt to see if my hearing can tell the difference. Thanks for all of your videos. I appreciate all the good info and advice.
Can anybody help me please? I just bought a Rega Planar 2 and connected it to a Profitec TC-400 preamp, to which I hooked up a Bluetooth Transmitter so I can listen to records on either my headphones or over a soundbar. My question is, am I likely to hear a world of difference too with this particular setup if I upgrade the carbon cartridge that came with the player to, say, a Rega Exact? Or would I need a proper amplifier first? I know, the wireless bit also always comes with a loss in sound… Anyway, just wondering aloud and hope someone can supply me with their experience. Thx. 🙂
Hi, I've only just discovered your channel and as a consequence I'm a new subscriber, You asked for any experience we might have had of upgrading our cartridges. My deck is a pretty ancient (purchased back in the 70s) Sony PS 11 which came with a Sony Cartridge which in all fairness I've been quite happy with. However after watching a few cartridge reviews on RUclips I thought I'd give the Ortofon 2m range a try and plumped for the 2m Blue and to put it bluntly the change in the sound I'm getting from my vinyl collection is nothing short of amazing, more of everything, bass, treble, the sound stage, my records sound clean and crisp.
Hi there, I have loved your videos for ages - thank you so much for all your sage insights. I have one quick query! I have recently elected to restore a vintage Sony JJ-700 turntable which, as per the original operating instructions, uses a ND-138G stylus. I really want to buy a new one before using the old stylus on my beloved records, yet many of the styluses which are currently available are generic versions that are compatible with the Sony turntable. What would your recommendation be for buying a stylus in this case? Do you have any tips for purchasing a generic brand stylus (certain reliable makes, etc.), or alternatively do you know of places where I might purchase the original models for vintage turntables? Thank you so much, if you've taken the time to hear from me 🙏🙏🙏
Hi there Ziggy. Thanks for your kind words. Re the stylus, I would recommend heading for a noted suppler of carts and replacement stylii such as this guy: www.musonic.co.uk/product/sony-nd138g-stylus/
@@TheAudiophileMan Oh my goodness, thank you so much! This is so helpful - I am currently hunting for a PN-210 stylus for an inherited Pioneer PL-Z82 turntable, and this gentleman has exactly the product. I assume all his products, even those for vintage hi-fi systems, are unused etc.? Thanks again, I love what you do and your videos helped reignite the hobby for me.
I have my records, my parents' records, and my in-laws' records, and can't believe I'm finally breaking down and getting a new turntable. I'm looking at the Electrohome Montrose which actually comes with Audio Technica AT3600L Cartridge. One of the reasons I'm interested in this budget turntable is that the cartridge is upgrade-able, and I'm already thinking a year down the road when I can hopefully upgrade the cartridge... but to what? I'll spend about $100 on the turntable, and in another year might be able to talk the wife into $75 or $100 to get a better cartridge. I understand you're a fan of elliptical; if you were running a 3600L and had $100 less to blow on a cartridge, what route would you go?
Hi Gene - I'm guessing you're going to use a pair of powered speakers, hooked up to this turntable? Just wondering about the rest of the set up and how that's configured. To be honest, I don't think you would benefit too much by upgrading the cartridge on this turntable. The turntable is fine to allow you to enjoy your music - and I hope you do, of course - and the cartridge itself is a solid, decent cartridge but when upgrading you have to look at the rest of the components and look at potential bottlenecks and if you will hear the full impact of any one upgrade. That is, will a cart upgrade provide full value for money? I don;t think it will, in this case. At least, not enough to warrant spending out. So no, what I recommend is either, you put that extra cash into music, extra vinyl or you put it into a savings account to upgrade the turntable itself. For me, that would be the next stage, the turntable. That's where the value lies, I reckon. Actually, what might be better for your music and the vinyl itself is a good quality cleaning system or, on the other hand, some isolation for the record player or, in another direction, a separate, light-weight table for the turntable (instead of placing it on a heavy piece of furniture ,to lower the noise floor - not that I know where you're putting your turntable, but still...options). Hence, improving what you already have might be a better bet. Depends on how you want to move, on this one.
@@TheAudiophileMan Great info -- and a quick response! I really appreciate it. In my back room, I'm planning to hook it to a Sony receiver, likely one of the last two-channel receivers made (STR-DH190), and it has a phono pre-amp which I'll see if I can run analog without too much hum after attaching the ground. If this works, I'll then be feeding it into my computer to try to preserve some of these LPs that never made it into the digital era. My speakers are just by chance Sonys as well, the Sony SSCS5s, and I have a 12" dual-cone passive subwoofer underneath my desk. In the living room (and yes, this means we might be moving the turntable back and forth; probably not great for alignment and many other things) we have a Vizio all-in-one soundbar. It is truly nothing fancy, but a massive upgrade from the built in TV speakers and perfect for the limited space we have there. (I have tower speakers collecting dust in storage!). I've used some truly terrible record players in my time, and I've been all-digital for decades now... it's hard to think of going back to the surface noise and all the rest. If there's anything that gives me comfort, it's that I don't hear major groove distortion or sibilance from the AT3600L demos online. 🙂 Thanks again for the input!
Thank you so much for this video! I have a PE 33 Studio turntable working really good but not happy with the cartridge! I’m using the AT white you mention on this video. I would like to upgrade for the Ortofon 2M blue but not sure if that’s the right one as the harm of my turntable is heavy... it’s very old, from the 60s :) so, do you recommend Ortofon Blue on this, or shall I go for other cartridge! I definitely want to enjoy more the sound of my records... thank you so much for your help!!!!
Great video, increadibly good explained. I just bought my first turntable Rega Planar 1 and I'm doing that minor upgrades your were talking about: platter matt -> to cork platter matt, some vibration dampfer and record weight but I was hearing many opinions that its standard Rega Carbon cartridge is good but not great. I was thinking about upgrade'ing to rega bias 2 which has eliptic needle, will I head the difference? Is it compatible?
In my experience, I've found that sibilance derives from three main sources. Either from a hot original recording - see my Queen discography boxset feature where I interview two mastering engineers and that issue is discussed: theaudiophileman.com/queen-studio-collection-pt-2-engineers/ Or there is mistracking from the cartridge which can be solved by tweaking the downforce - check out this review - I didn't use the word sibilance but it did occurr here: theaudiophileman.com/van-den-hul/ Or the vinyl record is dirty - probably excessively with caked/baked on crud - which can skew tracking and produce distortion.
@@TheAudiophileMan I just thought, aside from cartridge alignment and tracking force, that some carts or stylus may be better than others when i comes to sibilance. I haven't used a lot of carts, but most of them have been relatively cheap ones. I finally bought an AT microline cart that seemed to improve this issue over my old elipticals. Been thinking about ortifon red or blue, but they have eliptical styli. Just wondering if I'm better off staying with microline stylus. Thank you for responding to my question.
I've bought some time ago a new replacement for my cartridge, originally it came with a spherical (needle) the new one I've bought is a elliptical (needle). for my Sony turntable... now recently I want to buy a new one for my pioneer turntable aswel, but at the shop te seller said I need a special cartridge for a elliptical stylus, a cartridge with an 'E' on it. but to me that makes no sense, because the only difference is the shape of the diamond. now my question is am I wrong or not.
Hi - GMC, I need much more specific information on this one so please start again from the top. What turntable exactly are you referring to here? And you want to buy a new cartridge for that? And you want to buy a cartridge with an elliptical stylus tip on it?
@@TheAudiophileMan well actually my question is very short. Do you need a special cartridge for a elliptical or fine line stylus if it originally came with an spherical stylus? Just for an ordinary mm cartridge. If you still need more info let me know. Thanks for your time
Yes and no. It depends. Some carts are fixed to a specific stylus type and so you need to buy a new cartridge to change the stylus. Others? You can swop out the old stylus and insert a new - different - stylus. So it depends on the cart type.
A good 0.6 mil conical can outperform budget 0.3x0.7 elliptical. Most cheap elliptical tips are actually so-called 'faux' ellipticals, not true bi-radials. They just have back and front facets ground down which may reduce tip mass by small amount and improve inner groove tracking. Thus they also won't develop too wide flat spots as they gradually wear as opposed to conicals. I can say for sure that 0.6mil conical AT91 does better in inner grooves than more expensive 'elliptical' Ortofon 2M Red.
I upgraded the Ortofon 2M Red that came with my turntable to a 2M Blue about 6 months ago. The biggest difference I can hear is the Blue isn’t harsh and actually feels quite neutral compared to the Red. My plan is to wait until the Blue cartridge wears out then I’ll upgrade my turntable to something more midfi.
I had the 2M bronze, switched to a Nagaoka MP200. Was a night and day improvement, the Ortofon 2M moving magnets are weak performers in their respective price ranges. Then I bought a Nagaoka MP500, and then I wanted to go all in on a serious moving coil and got myself a Sumiko Blackbird. Moving coil is vastly superior. But again if you're not willing to spend alot of money and wants something that really sounds good, get the Nagaoka mp200.
So I am basic basic. I have an entry level AT turntable with AT stylus. My amp is a home theater system. It sounds great to me. But, I did buy the upgrade stylus 95E, much better treble but totally lost my midrange. I still don't know why.
At this distance and because I’d need a heap more info to help you, right now I’m only guessing. However…one possible - and I repeat possible - answer is that the introduction of a quality component that gives you ‘more’ also then highlights issues in the rest of your system. Issues which have been hidden via the general limitations of your system as a whole. Sometimes upgrading one part of that system takes that part up a rung but the rest can’t keep up. It’s happened to me in the past.
I'm looking to upgrade my stylist. I have a AT LP XP 140XP turntable with a AT-XP3 - DJ Cartridge I play mostly 70,80's rock and some jazz. I am considering either a AT VM95ML/H or the Goldring E3 cartridges ( possibly a Ortofon 2MBlue) What would you suggest? I am thinking the AT VM95ML/H!
so forgive my ignorance but I havent had vinyl since the 70's but just picked up a technics sl-23 (1976) and 145 used records. Ive taken the bottom off and got the speed control and selector switches working again with contact cleaner and replaced the lubricant in the spindle bearing, this week I will be replacing the belt. Now my question in regards to the cartridge and I know it will be a stupid question for you but like I say...I'm a newbee. the original Audio Technica cartridge in it is not adjustable (single screw on top two on bottom) ...if I were looking at installing the Ortofon 2M red would I need a new headshell with the double slots on top or ???? ...How are these quality cartridges installed on the original non adjustable headshells? Also is there any benefits replacing the original rca cables that are soldered in place?
I wouldn't worry about the cartridge cables - they're more trouble than they're worth for a design like the 23. Yes, I'd advise buying a new headshell so that you can better adjust any new cartridge.
@@TheAudiophileMan i meant the RCA cables (white and red) connecting table to amp. I'm going to go with the ortofon 2m red and ortofon headshell...sells for $188.00 canadian as a package
Nagaoka made it easy (but expensive) to hear the differences in stylus profiles with the plug-in replacements. I have their 1.0 mil mono stylus for old LP's and 45's and although it fit the old grooves better, it lost the fine detail like the reverb tails you mentioned vs. the 0.3 x 0.7 mil stylus which comes standard with the MP-150. Otherwise it literally rounded off the treble, often a good thing with worn records! I have heard the A-T 95E and the Ortofon OM-5E in person and can attest to their all-round competence. I'd recommend the Ortofon because it provides a relatively inexpensive stylus upgrade path (OM-10E, etc.).
I have an Audio Technica AT-LP70XBT turntable AT95c stylus which is conical. Great sound but on some records with no visible scratches and dirt skips. Will the elliptical like AT95E be worse at this problem?
Planar 2, 1 week. Will upgrade from Carbon conical to Bias 2 elliptical cart result in better resolution, and dynamics? (beside 3x increase in the output voltage.) Thank you in advance
I have a Crosley C6 that I got a few years ago. Should I upgrade components like cartridge or just upgrade the turntable as next step if want to go beyond entry level?
So I have a Yamaha P-220 from the 1980’s. My son is getting into vinyls and I unearthed this old turn table. Getting new drive belt to replace the dry rotted one I discovered. My question is on the cartridge. Says it is a Signet 1Ea. Not sure if it is conical or elliptical? I never really played many records back in the day as cassettes were easy to manage. Wow how the times have changed and I am seeing vinyls showing a resurgence. Advice on a replacement cartridge as until I get the belt installed, I have no way of knowing what the turntable will sound like. Hooked up through Yamaha receiver running to Boston A60 speakers.
I have a VM95E on my AT turntable... Im looking at a VM540ML to upgrade to once I have the cash.. its going on a LP120XUSB.. i assume its not overkill yet in terms if Stylus.. that player should be good to upgrade into even max the €500 range of cartridges? Im just trying to make it as good as possible with the wonderful system my dad gave to me and inherited me before he passed..
I am enjoying your videos and wish to as some advice. My setup is as follows. Arcam FMJ A29 amp Rega 2 deck Rega Fono mm mk3 Dynaudio emit m10 I listen to weather Report jazz and Joe bonamassa rock amongst others. Would I find a big difference spending say £150 on a upgrade cartridge, and if so what could you recommend for my tast in music. Keep up the good work I love seeing your take on kit . Many thanks Gerald
Hi I have project debut carbon turntable and I am at the stage let’s see what this can do with upgrades I have ortofon 2m red cartridge what would you suggest at reasonable price please up to hundred pounds Thankyou
Hi there, could you help please? I've bought a budget system comprising a Dual CS 440 fitted with a AT 91 cartridge a NAD 316 bee V2 and a pair of Tibo Harmony 8 floorstanding speakers. It sounds okay but a little dull. Could you suggest another cartridge please to brighten things up? Thankyou in advance .. Les
I have an old Rega RP1 TT. Carbon make and conical type … no idea of tone arm characteristic …. Could you help me as a recommendation to decide which cartridge of MM type … as I think MC is not affordable … and the correct preamp … and tone arm if required to be replaced to suit the right upgrade . … i shall appreciate if you can give few examples of a set of three combination ( cartridge, preamp, tone arm ) which can go as an upgrade to RP1, when we compare with the stock ones… of course, the preamp is not there as part of stock. Thank you … waiting ….
Thanks for such good explanation about cartridges,.. very useful. But have a question about stylus wear? How wear and tear is expressed in sound and when is the time to change stylus ? I have two AT cartridges one is basic AT3600L and second is AT95E. By all reviews AT95E should be better in sound, slightly more detailed highs, more open and defined mids,. etc. But in my case was opposite until I change the stylus. I'm total rookie about vinyls and turntables,.. but it was my experience. As expert, please tell us more about it.
Stylus wear is a case of 'how long is a piece of string' reperan. It depends :) It depends if you take care of the stylus, if you clean your records or if you allow your stylus to continually hit crud all day along. It depends how long you play your vinyl. It depends on...well, you get the idea. If you buy a new stylus, keep it and your vinyl clean then, on average, I'd say 3,000 hours of use. Ish :) Yes, you can hear a worn stylus but, if you're new to this, then I'd count down from 3,000 and buy a new one when you get to zero. 10 hours play per week? That'd be a change around every six years. But it depends on a host of variables, as I say.
I have brought an old Turntable Denon DL-30L. It has an ADC K8 cartridge on it. I don't know much details of it, not even the Tracking Force. Anyone know?
Hi Jos - here you go. If you'd just bought the turntable, I'd recommend a new stylus for it, before you actually use it on your precious vinyl: www.adelcom.net/ADC-K8E-Page.htm
I have a AT-LP3 turntable, it came with a ATN91R cartridge which I didnt really like and replaced it with a ATN 3600l (now ATN 3600LC) and have just bought the new ATN 3600LE. Do you think this will good upgrade for my turntable. I am using a Sharp soundbar via the built in pre amp for sound?
You need a large whiteboard and a black felt pen to draw while you lecture. BTW, on a slightly different subject related to cartridges, I have noticed that in a single pressing, some songs or music pieces are bright, shiny and deep, while others are not. So, nothing is equal. I have some records pressed 50 years ago that are immaculate while others are above average. Amazing. So we do the best we can with the best stylus but are subject to the real product, the record.
Yes, that would come in handy. As for vinyl, ‘tis truly and organic format. There are so many variables in and around it: recording, mastering, pressing, location, materials, etc. all of them have a bearing on your LP. Even down to the steam pressure being a little off on one of the presses on a wet Wednesday in the middle of June can have a bearing on the final sound. Producing vinyl is an art.
Great video, your way of explaining things is unique. Could I ask a question? I'm wavering between an AT85EP and an AT81CP Audio Technica stylus for my Technics SL-BD22D. The one costs €30 and the other €40. If the difference in cost is not an issue, which one should I buy? Thank you in advance.
I am looking for a replacement MM cartridge for my Dual 701 turntable. I have an Ortofon 2M blue on another tt and it is okay but not really to my liking. Details seem to be there but clinical sounding. Thinking of an AT 540 ML or 740 ML but my Dual has limitations. Great TT but no adjustable VTA. Low mass tonearm. May not be able to balance a heavier cartridge. Any thoughts? I have used an ADC XLM/ZLM for years but that company is long gone and I need a more modern replacement. TT was recently professionally refurbished and works great. ZLM is great at 1.0 gm. but I am looking into the future. Newly acquired Hegel V10 phono pre-amp seems to have made things better.
Nice video ! I have an old juke box i have fitted a 12.00 quid cartridge ,a stereo amp and all new cables , the juke box plays singles and at the moment it sounds a bit rubbish I wonderd if a better cartridge would help and which type ? I will send a photo
I have an Audio Technica AT320 cartridge and just ordered a replacement stylus (elliptical diamond.) I play this on a Sony PS-T15 turntable through a Yamaha RX-V590 receiver. Should I upgrade the cartridge? How far should I go? I can’t see spending $600 and up for a cartridge on this system. Thanks!
If you have a budget like that then I recommend upgrading the entire turntable. Please don't spend $600 on a cartridge for the Sony - the arm won't provide a suitable support system for such quality. Best value is a complete turntable upgrade.
Hi Paul Just bought a turntable again after about 25 years without one. It’s an Audio-Technica Bluetooth model LP60XBT. I’m intrigued by your advice around cartridge upgrade. I’m not hampered by budget, but I want to get the best return on the choice I make. Is changing the shell + cartridge an option? What should I do, please? (No going back for me now ! 😀)
For that system, I wouldn't go any further than what you have, Graham. What you have is great for your purposes and ideal for your situation and I'm sure you get a lot of pleasure from it but I wouldn't want you to waste any cash on upgrades. To enhance what you do have, I would actually look at isolation. That is, separating both the turntable and speaker from each other and from outside vibration and high frequency noise to tighten the bass, lower the noise floor and add some air to the midrange. You can do this by placing the deck on its own shelf unit, the speaker on a separate shelf and place them both on low cost sorbothane feet. Let me know if that interests you and I'll dig out a link. These feet costs just a few pounds for a set of 3-4.
Check out my 'feet' review here: theaudiophileman.com/elusive/ Not sure of the prices have altered since then, I have to add. Also, for your deck and speaker. Something strong, light and low cost, an IKEA table for example, would be fine. Don't share the space with anything else, avoid hulking great coffee tables and massive sideboards (they retain vibration and the stuff never leaves the wood). Strong, light, sturdy, nothing that wobbles...
I have a Stanton ST.150 turntable. Is it a conical or eliptical? Not sure I'm getting great sound. I also have Bowers and Wilkens speakers. The system is about circa 2010. I use an Integra receiver. Maybe its just my tinnitus that I can't hear much definition, but would like your opinion about what I should do? I don't think Stanton is even a company anymore. I think they sold out to Gibson guitars and then ended production? Thanks for your comments and help in advance.
Hi Nathan - conical, I reckon. Your turntable is aimed, dead centre, at DJ use. As is the cartridge. The turntable is full of DJ tools too. It's a specialist piece of kit. I would recommend, if you want to focus on sound quality, looking for another specialist piece of kit, but this time for a home hifi environment. I firmly believe, that you should use the best tools for the job in hand. Keep your Stanton for DJ use, it's perfect for that. If you want a home hifi, get the right tools for that job. Come back to me if you get yourself a budget. I'll help all I can.
@@TheAudiophileMan I've got thousands to spend but probably something more modest. It is twelve years old. I'm using a generic Stanton stylus. A D68800SL. Its set at 2.5grams. So, I thought conical was 4-5+g. I'm not a DJ. I bought it at a local electronics store. It was one of two they had. The other didn't have 78rpm and was a automatic. hehehe I should have gone with it; but on a scale of 1-10 how good is a Stanton and have they gone out of business? Should I keep it and just upgrade the cartridge or just swap it? I was also thinking of getting a portable turntable; but heard they aren't the best for my records and are conical. But have looked into Jesse Dean Designs in southern California for an upgraded one with a different tonearm and stylus/cartridge. Thanks again, Nate
I been building on my setup for 3 months now. I have an older Gemini TT03 with a very Short Tone arm and a straight head shell when bought it, 212 mm from pivot point to diamond tip, Pivot to spindle is 230 mm. 2 question How should this Cartridge alignment be done. Not much out for this Very short tonearm. And question 2, am I stuck with Conical styli. I did find a Nude conical at LP gear, sounds pretty good Or is a new Turntable needed to use better styli.
great video. Got a old Pioneer pl-12, and on it is a Empire 999 XE cartridge with a orginal Empire needle. I sounds still nice. what to do? what is better next buy from this cartridge. Got the player from an old lady that was done with it. but she did not know anything about the player.
I recently came to own a Dual 1229 that I restored and fitted with the Orofon Super OM 10 E. Great sound from this unit. It comes highly recommended from me. Thanks for being out there with this kind of info by the way.
Absolutely amazing and informative, I just loved the whole bit ! As per your suggestion, here is my question.. I have a Technics SL-BD3 (my uncle gifted me his old and beautifuly preserved gramophone/turntable), a P-mount cartridge, EPS-30CS stylus system and I was wondering... What would be the single best cartridge upgrade possible I could put on it (I believe I saw a few mentions of Audio-Technic and Ortofon) ? Thank you so much for the help and kindness, cheers !
Audio-Technica make decent P mounts: www.audio-technica.com/en-gb/cartridges/line-series/p-mount-series. This will give you an idea what to look for. Here's the Ortofon example, another fine design: www.ortofon.com/omp-p-616 Any of these would be of use.
@@TheAudiophileMan Thank you so much for the suggestions ! Did some digging as well and it looks like this.. As my first planned cartridge upgrade, Audio-Technica seems to be the favorite over Ortofon (the AT85EP). However as a future serious upgrade and probably the most I'll be able to go is something along the lines of a ADC PSX-40 or something with a moving coil or shibata stylus (i.e. Audio-Technica LP Gear Series V Shibata stylus) ! These consults make me very excited !
Complete newbie here as described at start of video Technics SL1210 MK 5 turntable Mission 778x Amp Mission LX 1 MK 2 speakers All brand new I’m by no means an audiophile but would like some advise on cartridge please ?
Hi. I need your help identify a improved cartridge for a turntable model JVC. L-A110 The system i have is missing a cardridge And theres so many choices out there Plz help me pick the right one Thank you
Hi I absolutely loved your take on things really helpful. May I ask you a few questions regarding my setup. I have a Rega 2 deck Audio technica 95 cartridge , Rega 3 mk 3 phono ,into a Acarm alfa ajm29 amp with Diunaudio emit 10 speakers. What upgrade cartridge would you recommend I go for to the value of £100 . I listen to rock music black sabeth weather report peter greens fleetwood mac Joe bonamass. I would really appreciate your input on where I need to go regarding a £100 cartridge. Many thanks and keep up your fantastic videos. Gerald 💯👌
There IS a cure for “upgrade-itis”... I’ve been married to her for 35 years !😉
Seriously though, just installed a Goldring E3 and it is seriously impressive !😂
Well said! I must have married your wife's sister!
😂👍
congratulations. I´m married for 15 and I can say, that's a great accomplishment
that's so sad...
Well thought sir!!! I am from the USA and am 70 years old. I have been a phono cartridge nut for over 50 years. 35 U.S. dollars will get U the latest UPGRADE on the A-T 95E which has been changed from a 4x7 to a 3x7 mil ELLIPTICAL. I am a firm believer in the 3x7 mil shapes over the former 4x7 mil shapes as there is a noticeable improvement in mid and high frequency presentation as this shape hugs the groove without being finicky. THX 4 keeping VINYL alive and well...GOD BLESS U & URS 4-EVAH!!! GR* vid...
I've had a cartridge or two with an elliptical stylus and failed to ever hear any difference in sound quality. Acting upon an audiophile's expert review of how good an AT3600L is compared with a number of much more expensive cartridges, I decided to purchase an Audio Technica 3600L which has been around a long time. Don't be mislead by the low price. This cartridge with a conical stylus actually has great specs and sounds very good. The music comes through loud and clear with tight bass, very good midrange. brilliant high end and superior soundstage. I've thought for a long time that elliptical was the way to go with phono cartridges. I found that's not always the case.
I concur, the 3600L sounds great and beats a kot of more expensive cartridges, it's one of my favorite budget cartridges, actually probably the best for the price.
I have the atl3600 and gold ring e3 the 3600l made some of my records sold like cassette tape while vthe E3 sounded great and yet ava max heaven and hell album sounded better on the atl3600l
And here I thought that nude fine-line contact was the way to go.
I will sell my blackbird and get a spherical entry level cart.
Thanks for your advice.
As long as it works for yourself then go with it!
As it’s not possible to hear a side by side comparison I really struggle to hear the difference.
I have found that an AT- VM95 E works for me , at around £40 I personally cannot afford or justify spending over £200 on a cartridge and then be told that it’s a budget level.
Goldring e3 better?
I upgraded the Rega Carbon on my Planar 1 to a AT95E that I had from a previous turntable. It made an immediate improvement, the tracking weight will slide back to achieve the 2g easily enough. Well worth the money if anyone is considering it. I'm going to try a Goldring E3 next.
Thanks for that Rufio1980. Nice to know.
@@TheAudiophileMan Nice to know indeed! I also have a RP1 and Im just a little bit afraid about the weight if using another cartridge, but if I finally go ahead with the upgrade, how much money would you say its reasonable to spend in a new cartridge for that turntable? Im aesthetically in love with the Clearaudio Performer V2 (ebony wood…), but its almost as expensive as the turntable itself..any thoughts? (Im just a beginner, Im doing lots of thing wrong for sure). Thanks a lot in advance!
I just purchased the Rega P2 with rega carbon on it. I used to listen with ATVM95E on my vintage pionner TT and i already noticed the big difference in musicality. I just want ask if i will upgrade the rega carbon to ATVM95E do i need to also to install a spacer to my tonearm? Ty
@@jonathantengco3201 no, Audio Technica carts drop straight in without shims. I have a VM95ML now and I'd highly recommend it for your P2. There's a huge difference between the 95E and 95ML
I've been into "hifi" for about 45 yrs and have had many great cartridges. My favorite was the Micro Acoustics 2002e, but it became impossible to get a new stylus. Currently I trade off between my Osawa MP 20/Nagaoka MP 200, an Ortofon 2M Red (that I'm waiting for a 2M Blue stylus for an upgrade) and a recent addition, a Sumiko Olympia, that I have to say is really nice. My turntable is a Harmon Kardon 700 series (not sure which one) that I got the 1st year they were released. It has a C. Ito carbon fiber tonearm and it plays wonderfully. My system is pretty much a budget system, but with components known for their quality ( Cambridge Audio, Wharfedale, etc) The turntable is over 40 yrs old, but with the cartridges I use, sounds wonderful. So yes, a good cartridge can be an excellent upgrade to any system. My preference for for elliptical and "micro" elliptical stylus.
My Pro-Ject Debut III came with an Ortofon OM 5E pre-installed, after a few months I upgraded to a Sumiko Pearl and went "WOW" and other unmentionables in many languages. The bass got more powerful, the imaging widened and the details on the top were more tinkly but not harsh.
Oh, the original Ortofon cartridge had nothing wrong at all, but the Sumiko is on a higher level.
That is my setup. I have a red Pro-Ject Debut III, but I need to replace the motor because it is misbehaving by occasionally playing backwards and also emitting a bit of noise. I think its bearings are worn so the motor just needs replacing. I think it is a $65 part, a super easy fix, but a low priority right now. I want to replace my Yamaha receiver with a Rotel.
I recently replaced the standard conical stylus on my AT-LP60X with LP Gear's carbon fidelity elliptical. What a difference the elliptical stylus made to the resolution of sound, it was so precise and bloody amazing to be quite honest. Any owner of turntables like the AT-LP60 or the newer AT-LP60X really should maximise the experience by replacing the decent but inferior conical stylus with the superior elliptical.
I just received the same turntable as a Christmas present. I’m looking at the same upgrade from LP Gear with the upgraded stylus and belt. My other problem with this table is the lack of weight on the arm. If I walk by the table it skips. I taped a dime on the arm near the stylus and it doesn’t skip anymore. I wonder if I would still need this with the new stylus?
Conical and elliptical both sound fine to me. The right type of stylus is the type that sounds to you and fits your hi-fi budget.
Nothing wrong with the conical Sir, absolutely nothing. But replacing it with an elliptical is a truly magnificent upgrade especially on turntables like the AT-LP60 or the newer AT-LP60X.
I have a Audio-Technica Carbon VTA (made in collaboration with Drop), which is basically a dressed up version of the unfortunately named (but still pretty decent) Audio-Technica AT-LPW40WN.
It came with the Audio-Technica AT-VM95E, which is a nice budget cartridge/stylus combo to have, but I didn't like the fact that it was a bonded stylus and not a nude stylus. So I got around to thinking: how far can I go within Audio-Technica's moving magnet (not ready to give up user-swappable styli with moving coil - yet) line of cartridges?
Guess what I ended up with? I ended up getting the flagship Audio-Technica AT-VM760SLC - a $650 upgrade for a $350 record player. Overboard? Maybe. Am I happy with it? Abso-effing-lutely!
But at the end of the day, I would say, do whatever upgrades you want to. As long as you are happy with the sound, no one should be allowed to tell you otherwise.
I absolutely agree with using elliptical styluses ..I.Use two , a Shure V15II and a Ortofon 2M blue...the first on a Taya PL-100 TT and the other on a Fluance RT-85 TT....with my 84 year old ears they sound wonderful ....
I made the cartridge upgrade on my old rega planar 3 with an old rega cartridge which sounded good. I thought it sounded good Until I replaced it with a Nagaoka MP200. I was amazed a the improvements as you are describing. Upgrading the cartridge is the way to go!!! Good Advice.
Thanks Eugene!
I use the Goldring 2100 moving iron cartridge with elliptical stylus on my Pioneer PLX1000 turntable and have to say the results to my ear are great. The other advantage is that the 2000 series styli are interchangeable across the range for easy upgrades.
Ban all the Goldring enthusiasts from a discussion of budget cartridges?
I've heard many cartridges over time (mostly Audio Technica ones), but my all time favorite would definitely be Shure M91, currently fitted with conical stylus. Also got M75, which is essentially the same thing as M91, which has 0.3x0.7mil elliptical one from Jico. AT3600L featured in the video isn't that bad, either. Especially when tracking lighter, around 2.5g.
Actually the 3600L sounds great, better than some more expensive ones, it's one of my favorites in the budget cartridge range. I'm waiting to receive a Nagaoka MP-110 this week, which sounds fantastic on the online comparisons, hopefully it'll sound great on my system too, take care 🙂
It is worth mentioning the importance of cartridge alignment when using the Elliptical Stylii.
Hi Gil - indeed. In fact, I would pay heed to installing your cartridge properly, no matter what flavour of cartridge you're using.
@@TheAudiophileMan I've found IGD is still mitigated by alignment with conical styli
So I have an old Sony Sony PS LX250H and the stylus it came with was a diamond tip conical which was okay, but once I changed the stock stylus to an LP CFN3600LE it changed the sound completely. Now it is still a budget system, but $60 for a turn table and $45 for the stylus - also added an acrylic platter mat with a light weight record stabilizer and it makes a huge difference on these budget record players.
Great mods! 😄
I upgraded my stock elliptical stylus on the VM95e to the microline one costing £130. Some may argue that’s overkill considering it’s on the affordable and immensely popular AT 120x turntable, especially as I’m using the inbuilt pre-amp. (The microline being half the cost of the turntable). Yet I noticed a slight increase in sound quality. The biggest improvement is no distortion on the last track on either side of an LP.
Im running it through a TEAC headphone amp/DAC with Samson Sr850 headphones. These £50 (often less in the ‘sales’) headphones are better sounding to me than my previous AKG ones that I paid £200 for.
So much good sense, seems to me. For a newbie like me to this technical musical universe. Concise and well explained, just great. Thank you. I’m a new subber!
At the recommendation of a friend, I upgraded an Audio-Technica AT-3600L which came OE on my Music Hall USB-1 turntable to their AT--95E cartridge. It immediately improved the sound by providing a more focused and detailed presentation especially in the mid and bass ranges and it only cost $49 US on Ebay. Money well spent for such an improvement.
Thanks!
I didn't thank you properly for this - walking and posting is not a good idea :) Thank you very much!
I made a 2 1/2X$ "improvement in my cartridge and got lucky. Very happy. Worth it. Not even MC.
So excited to buy a stylus, I’ve been listening all wrong. I love how you present the information so digestible for the novice level audiophile.
Guau! Very nice video. My favorite carthridge is the Shure V 15 Type IV, but the Audiotécnica ATVM95e is a miracle. Incredible prestations and low price.
The bargain of the century has got to be the flagship of the Goldring you featured the E3.Even what hifi voted it cartridge of the year as it outperforms cartridges costing twice the price.I’ve fitted one to my Rega P3 and it sounds sublime!!!! I think before Rega started making their own cartridges-the ones they used were badged as Rega but actually manufactured by Goldring-so maybe that’s why Goldring cartridges sound so good when partnered with Rega decks
I've got one but finding it slightly bright down to my set up but it's still anoying
My turntable a pioneer PLX1000 did not come with a cartridge fitted. After some considerable research I decided that the Goldring 2100 was the cartridge for me, it is an elliptical stylus and wow when played through my vintage Musical fidelity XPLS phono stage and musical fidelity A3.5 it sounds incredible to me!! So happy I chose this cartridge and as stylus are interchangeable with other 2000 series cartridge I will upgrade to a higher level stylus when I need to change styli. Just to note there are cartridge ranges like the one I chose the Goldring 2000 series where styli are interchangeable throughout the range, this allows fantastic scope for upgrading!! In the 2000 series I can go right through the range from elliptical to nude diamond without the need to upgrade the full cartridge assembly.
Nice one, Phil - glad you're enjoying your music.
Cartridge I am now using is a Kiseki purple heart NS. It is a thin line diamond stylus and sounded poorly for about the first year. a re alignment was performed without much improvement. A tweak was applied to the alignment and SNAP!!! Everything was in focus, subtle to startling & I can now state there is more information audible from the turntable than same mastered CD recording.
I have a project essential iii which came with an om10. Cheapest option was to swap it for an om20. No need to change cartridge, cost £120. Then swapped the felt platter mat for a Hudson rubber one, cost £15.00. Fitted a new set of WBC mogami cables, cost £34 and the project upgrade power supply, cost £25.
The difference in sound quality is amazing, more bass, more realistic highs, better soundstage and more volume. My advice if you're on a budget, shop around for deals, only replace the stylus when the original needs replacing, but more than that listen to the experts.
Just upgraded to Ortofon 2M Blue which is probably at the top range of what I can afford. Purchased it on sale for $189 USD from the highly recommended, Brooklyn-based Turntable Lab. I noticed a palpable difference straight away with my vintage Technics SL-1510. And I know that it’s many hours away from being broken in. Other source components include Pioneer SX-450 and Wharfdale Denton 80th Anniversary loudspeakers. The mids are more present and everything just had more sparkle as Paul describes. Hopefully this combo will keep me away from the upgrade-itis of which I’ve been quite guilty for decades. I’m 62 now and realize that my hearing is not what it once was. Quite pleased at the moment and hopefully for years to come.
Is “conical” the same as spherical?
Indeed it is, yes.
Hi. I own a Pioneer PL 707 with an AT 120Ea (Orange needle with bronze metal base). The needle is sligtly out of center in the cardrige so it seems it should replaced. What should I do? I can't find the right replacement.
Tryhere: www.musonic.co.uk/index.php?main_page=index&manufacturers_id=3&sort=3a&perPage=10&page=3
Per your request, and since we're on the Audio Technica tract, I'm using a Roksan Dana branded AT cartridge with a diamond titanium elliptical tip. I'm using it thru the Roksan Attessa TT's built in phono stage feeding an Olasonic Nano UA1 and vintage ADS L300C speakers with a powered subwoofer. This is the only Audio Technica cartridge I own. The other Ortofon MCs and MMs sound darker thru the Olasonic and ADS gear, but this AT elliptical seems quite synergistic. The only tweak to the TT is swapping out the OEM felt mat with a Herbie's Audio Lab "Way Excellent" one to tame some inherent plinth / platter ringing.
I'm looking for the most low to medium bugdet compatible cart (MC) to the sound of my Audio Note OTO Phone SE Signature amp.Please advise if possible.
Check out the Hana range of carts - great value but excellent sound quality.
@@TheAudiophileMan I appreciate it!
The ATC 09 III is the 3rd version of this cartridge and is compared in quality to cartridges costing 1,000 or more. Im on my 2nd cartridge in 30 years, ATOC9 - II this cartridge is reasonbly priced for its excellant quality and the only people that have a complaint about is people who buy 10,00 dollar cartridges. it said to be a bit bright sounding, but I like that better than dull sounding. This is probably the only cartridge that I will only have ever listened to and had, and I wont change my choice. Your channel provides a lot of good advice.once you go to moving coil, I would be surpised if you went back to MM. I have a a SUT into a Luxman tube preamp, i have a hum problem , but its worth it for For the MC, and dont hear hum when the music plays. But I still wont go back to my Onkyo preamp. MC and tubes all the way. Just my recommendation, because you will not be disapointed in the sound quality. But you will be disapointed right away on all the compression of music recorded on vinyl, because you will notice any, and all bad recordings right away. I dont have a CD player. and I doubt that I will ever buy one, because all the ones I bought in the past failed.
I Have been using an ADC XLM MKII improved for decades , i love it! great detail and soundstage, and warmth as well
How can I find out the tracking force of the cartridge
@@diegoz.8329 there are many websites that sell phono carts ,new and vintage. they generally give the specs with the cart, including tracking force.
@@jamesbarry6248 if u can pass the link to a website Ill greatly appreacite ut
@@diegoz.8329 Hello, go to www.vinylengine.com. They have databases for turntables, tonearms and cartridges.
Just got back into vinyl again after ditching it for CD's in the 90s and it's been an adventure that I didn't expect including the poor quality that a lot of new vinyl has. First I got the AT-LP60 and it blew my mind with the sound quality. But then of course I figure I need more! So I just got the AT LP120X with the AT-VM95E and oddly the LP-60 sounded better at first with the AT3600L, but the more EQ tweaking I do, and the more my ears get used it, (vs the big, warm and sweet LP60 sound), the better the LP 120 is sounding, but I (impulsively) ordered the AT-VM95ML hoping it will help the sound. But now I'm wondering if I should just replace the LP120 AT-VM95E stylus alone or the entire cartridge.....arg. It been a frustrating and great at the same time but it never seems to end, unless you spend $10,000 on gear it seems you'll never get the perfect experience.
Hi Matt - if you have an itch to change the cart on your 120, I'd look at a turntable upgrade. The 120's arm is ok but a high quality cart will reveal its low-end issues and it'll become a bottleneck. You'd get better VFM with a new deck.
@@TheAudiophileMan Thanks. I ordered the AT-VM95ML stylus and if it doesn't make my albums sound any better it's all being returned, then maybe I'll look at a different turntable.
“an itch at the back of your neck” 🤣😂 perfect description
I've been picking up some rather vintage audio equipment from the 60s and 70s and I just can't help but want to upgrade them, yet, there's so little information on much of it despite it being RCA brand stuff. Especially my RCA Modular series Model RK326E Record changer turntable
The chongers are nice, but crap for auideo qulity
I Understand that this is a older video now but seeing as Audio Technica have switched to the AT3600LC (C Standing for Conical) and have also released a new AT3600LE (elliptical) what is your thoughts on the new addition? Does this make the AT3600L Turntables a even better option for beginners as they have a easier option to get an official non third party elliptical upgrade for the cartridge?
I recently upgraded to a Sumiko black pearl. I'm on a tight budget. The difference is night and day. More clarity. More definition in the lows. The highs were close to the same. Best $100.00 I have spent in a while.
CORRECTION
In the video I mention the Goldring E1 as being a good elliptical cartridge buying option - it’s not. It’s based on a conical stylus. So forget that. I meant the Goldring E3. The E3 is a better quality cartridge than the Audio-Technica cartridges talked about in the video but it’s also more expensive. Here’s a review: theaudiophileman.com/goldring-e3/
Also, sometimes 'conical' stylus tips are described as 'spherical'. It's the same thing, basically.
Hello! I'm a very satisfied owner of a Rega P1, which is my first turntable. As you know, it comes with the Rega Carbon cartridge and a not so versatile RB110 tonearm. Do you know if the E1 is compatible with this setup? Are there other compatible cartridges that you know fit the P1? Love your videos, by the way!
Thanks for your question, Paulo - I'd upgrade to an elliptical so not the E1. I'd go for the E3. The Bias 2 from Rega is also excellent. And thanks for your kind words :)
1:50 In a nutshell, no point polishing a turd.
I currently have an Audio-Technica LP-120 table, and I am looking to upgrade the cartridge. I've been torn between several, and just not sure which route to go.
The ones in direct contention are:
The AT-VM95SH/H
The AT-VM540ML/H
The Ortofon 2m Blue
Nagoka MP-150 or MP-200
The music I listen to is very, very broad. Anything from Big Band to Thrash Metal to Hip-Hop
I gladly welcome suggestions.
Thanks everyone!
I have a vintage 70s pioneer turntable which came with an audiotechnica headshell (with no provision for adjusting tracking) and what looks like the a current orange AT cartridge, but without the AT branding on the cartridge itself - no idea how old it is or what it is.
I've long been a fan of the orange level of Audio-Technica cartridges. I bought my first one in the late 70s and then another in the early 80s as a replacement. They aren't always the exact same model, but Audio-Technica has been placing that color of stylus up a few from the bottom and usually one below the red versions since at least the mid 70s. The exact color of "orange" has always appeared more caramel colored to me, so I always refer to them as the "caramel models." I think the consensus these days is that the best bargain for a really high quality reproduction is at the red level. They may be right, but I just bought yet another "caramel" cartridge from "new old stock" that is about 12 years old and put it in place of a Grado Presitge green that just didn't sound great on my new turntable, which is one of the Technics SL1200 variants. The Grado sounded really good on my vintage Dual 701, but much less so on the new Technics (the Dual died after 45 years of service). The Audio-Technica caramel model sounds absolutely great. On a clean record with my nice setup it really rivals CD and HD streaming. In some ways, of course, it sounds better than digital, but that is a matter of personal taste. I'm a big fan of AT Orange and I think more people should give them a try at their relatively low price points.
I am now 6 months in from pulling my old MS20i speakers and Musical Fidelity Electra from the loft. This was to facilitate playing my vinyl I had also secured at the top of the house. Not having much money and my wife looking over my shoulder I purchased a Lenco L-3808. I now spend most of my spare time listening to vinyl old and new and I am at that point where I want that little bit more!! Which would give me more “bang for my buck” in your opinion, the VM95e or the Goldring E3? Thanks, really enjoying your efforts.
Thanks Geoff - the E3 is the superior of the two.
An upgrade addict question,in two parts.....having an NAD 5120 Flat tone arm tt with AT95e cart,I was wondering i) is this a good combination and ii) when I upgrade cart,what should it be given a budget of one fifty or so? If it helps,I have an Arcam Delta 290 and listen to Hip Hop (subtler stuff,with actual music, lyrical depth,samples with crackle from the source vinyl) hey day Dub Reggae (Hudson,Twinkle Brothers etc) Jazz (Powell,Monk,Morgan at al) Acoustic songwriters like Nick Drake in the main....So any carts to recommend?
For some reason I fancied the green Sumiko (cannot remember the name)
Thanks for the content and to all the viewers,scrubbers and polite commenters.
Nice One.
I'll answer this one in Friday's video - watch the skies.
My first turntable was a Technics SL B2 which I liked very much until I couldn’t get a replacement belt for it. This was before amazon and the internet of course. I recently upgraded to the Fluance RT80 which for entry level seems pretty nice so far. I’ve seen some reviews on the Rega Planar 1 vs Pro-ject Debut Carbon and it all seems like it’s down to the tonearm design. For now though I’m thinking I want to see what all the differences are with the elliptical cartridges so I might upgrade to that as a first attempt to see if my hearing can tell the difference. Thanks for all of your videos. I appreciate all the good info and advice.
Thanks for your thoughts Mark and yes, the SLB2 was my first turntable too! :)
I still own one had it 30 years SL-B2 for a great budget tt
As far as moving magnet cartridges go, I'd take a Nagaoka MP 150 or MP 200.
Many of the budget audio technica models like the at91 and at 95e can be vary incredibly good when used on a high quality turntable
Can anybody help me please? I just bought a Rega Planar 2 and connected it to a Profitec TC-400 preamp, to which I hooked up a Bluetooth Transmitter so I can listen to records on either my headphones or over a soundbar. My question is, am I likely to hear a world of difference too with this particular setup if I upgrade the carbon cartridge that came with the player to, say, a Rega Exact? Or would I need a proper amplifier first? I know, the wireless bit also always comes with a loss in sound… Anyway, just wondering aloud and hope someone can supply me with their experience. Thx. 🙂
Can I upgrade my AT-LP60 with Audio-Technica AT-VM95E?
Hi, I've only just discovered your channel and as a consequence I'm a new subscriber,
You asked for any experience we might have had of upgrading our cartridges.
My deck is a pretty ancient (purchased back in the 70s) Sony PS 11 which came with a Sony Cartridge which in all fairness I've been quite happy with. However after watching a few cartridge reviews on RUclips I thought I'd give the Ortofon 2m range a try and plumped for the 2m Blue and to put it bluntly the change in the sound I'm getting from my vinyl collection is nothing short of amazing, more of everything, bass, treble, the sound stage, my records sound clean and crisp.
Hi there, I have loved your videos for ages - thank you so much for all your sage insights.
I have one quick query! I have recently elected to restore a vintage Sony JJ-700 turntable which, as per the original operating instructions, uses a ND-138G stylus.
I really want to buy a new one before using the old stylus on my beloved records, yet many of the styluses which are currently available are generic versions that are compatible with the Sony turntable.
What would your recommendation be for buying a stylus in this case? Do you have any tips for purchasing a generic brand stylus (certain reliable makes, etc.), or alternatively do you know of places where I might purchase the original models for vintage turntables?
Thank you so much, if you've taken the time to hear from me 🙏🙏🙏
Hi there Ziggy. Thanks for your kind words. Re the stylus, I would recommend heading for a noted suppler of carts and replacement stylii such as this guy: www.musonic.co.uk/product/sony-nd138g-stylus/
@@TheAudiophileMan Oh my goodness, thank you so much! This is so helpful - I am currently hunting for a PN-210 stylus for an inherited Pioneer PL-Z82 turntable, and this gentleman has exactly the product.
I assume all his products, even those for vintage hi-fi systems, are unused etc.?
Thanks again, I love what you do and your videos helped reignite the hobby for me.
I have my records, my parents' records, and my in-laws' records, and can't believe I'm finally breaking down and getting a new turntable. I'm looking at the Electrohome Montrose which actually comes with Audio Technica AT3600L Cartridge. One of the reasons I'm interested in this budget turntable is that the cartridge is upgrade-able, and I'm already thinking a year down the road when I can hopefully upgrade the cartridge... but to what? I'll spend about $100 on the turntable, and in another year might be able to talk the wife into $75 or $100 to get a better cartridge.
I understand you're a fan of elliptical; if you were running a 3600L and had $100 less to blow on a cartridge, what route would you go?
Hi Gene - I'm guessing you're going to use a pair of powered speakers, hooked up to this turntable? Just wondering about the rest of the set up and how that's configured. To be honest, I don't think you would benefit too much by upgrading the cartridge on this turntable. The turntable is fine to allow you to enjoy your music - and I hope you do, of course - and the cartridge itself is a solid, decent cartridge but when upgrading you have to look at the rest of the components and look at potential bottlenecks and if you will hear the full impact of any one upgrade. That is, will a cart upgrade provide full value for money? I don;t think it will, in this case. At least, not enough to warrant spending out. So no, what I recommend is either, you put that extra cash into music, extra vinyl or you put it into a savings account to upgrade the turntable itself. For me, that would be the next stage, the turntable. That's where the value lies, I reckon.
Actually, what might be better for your music and the vinyl itself is a good quality cleaning system or, on the other hand, some isolation for the record player or, in another direction, a separate, light-weight table for the turntable (instead of placing it on a heavy piece of furniture ,to lower the noise floor - not that I know where you're putting your turntable, but still...options). Hence, improving what you already have might be a better bet. Depends on how you want to move, on this one.
@@TheAudiophileMan Great info -- and a quick response! I really appreciate it.
In my back room, I'm planning to hook it to a Sony receiver, likely one of the last two-channel receivers made (STR-DH190), and it has a phono pre-amp which I'll see if I can run analog without too much hum after attaching the ground.
If this works, I'll then be feeding it into my computer to try to preserve some of these LPs that never made it into the digital era.
My speakers are just by chance Sonys as well, the Sony SSCS5s, and I have a 12" dual-cone passive subwoofer underneath my desk.
In the living room (and yes, this means we might be moving the turntable back and forth; probably not great for alignment and many other things) we have a Vizio all-in-one soundbar. It is truly nothing fancy, but a massive upgrade from the built in TV speakers and perfect for the limited space we have there. (I have tower speakers collecting dust in storage!).
I've used some truly terrible record players in my time, and I've been all-digital for decades now... it's hard to think of going back to the surface noise and all the rest. If there's anything that gives me comfort, it's that I don't hear major groove distortion or sibilance from the AT3600L demos online. 🙂
Thanks again for the input!
That stylus comes with the audio technica lp120xusb now as standard,great video,just got back into all my old vinyl 👍🏻
Thank you so much for this video! I have a PE 33 Studio turntable working really good but not happy with the cartridge! I’m using the AT white you mention on this video. I would like to upgrade for the Ortofon 2M blue but not sure if that’s the right one as the harm of my turntable is heavy... it’s very old, from the 60s :) so, do you recommend Ortofon Blue on this, or shall I go for other cartridge! I definitely want to enjoy more the sound of my records... thank you so much for your help!!!!
Great video, increadibly good explained. I just bought my first turntable Rega Planar 1 and I'm doing that minor upgrades your were talking about: platter matt -> to cork platter matt, some vibration dampfer and record weight but I was hearing many opinions that its standard Rega Carbon cartridge is good but not great. I was thinking about upgrade'ing to rega bias 2 which has eliptic needle, will I head the difference? Is it compatible?
What upgrade be better? A separate phono stage or upgrade in cartridge. I have an Audio technica lp120 with stock cartridge and stylus?
I have just dug out my lovely Rega Plana 3 turntable , age over40 year old I have a A T 103 E stylus, can you still buy the same.
If you could have only one vinyl LP, which one would it be? Only one.
That seems like a ridiculous question!
In your opinion, which of the following is best for reducing sibilance? The cartridge itself, or the stylus tip.
In my experience, I've found that sibilance derives from three main sources. Either from a hot original recording - see my Queen discography boxset feature where I interview two mastering engineers and that issue is discussed: theaudiophileman.com/queen-studio-collection-pt-2-engineers/
Or there is mistracking from the cartridge which can be solved by tweaking the downforce - check out this review - I didn't use the word sibilance but it did occurr here: theaudiophileman.com/van-den-hul/
Or the vinyl record is dirty - probably excessively with caked/baked on crud - which can skew tracking and produce distortion.
@@TheAudiophileMan I just thought, aside from cartridge alignment and tracking force, that some carts or stylus may be better than others when i comes to sibilance. I haven't used a lot of carts, but most of them have been relatively cheap ones. I finally bought an AT microline cart that seemed to improve this issue over my old elipticals. Been thinking about ortifon red or blue, but they have eliptical styli. Just wondering if I'm better off staying with microline stylus. Thank you for responding to my question.
Hi Troy, if you set up any cartridge correctly, then sibilance shouldn't be a problem and shouldn't be a factor in your choice.
@@TheAudiophileMan thanks.
I've bought some time ago a new replacement for my cartridge, originally it came with a spherical (needle) the new one I've bought is a elliptical (needle). for my Sony turntable... now recently I want to buy a new one for my pioneer turntable aswel, but at the shop te seller said I need a special cartridge for a elliptical stylus, a cartridge with an 'E' on it. but to me that makes no sense, because the only difference is the shape of the diamond. now my question is am I wrong or not.
Hi - GMC, I need much more specific information on this one so please start again from the top. What turntable exactly are you referring to here? And you want to buy a new cartridge for that? And you want to buy a cartridge with an elliptical stylus tip on it?
@@TheAudiophileMan well actually my question is very short. Do you need a special cartridge for a elliptical or fine line stylus if it originally came with an spherical stylus? Just for an ordinary mm cartridge. If you still need more info let me know. Thanks for your time
Yes and no. It depends. Some carts are fixed to a specific stylus type and so you need to buy a new cartridge to change the stylus. Others? You can swop out the old stylus and insert a new - different - stylus. So it depends on the cart type.
A good 0.6 mil conical can outperform budget 0.3x0.7 elliptical. Most cheap elliptical tips are actually so-called 'faux' ellipticals, not true bi-radials. They just have back and front facets ground down which may reduce tip mass by small amount and improve inner groove tracking. Thus they also won't develop too wide flat spots as they gradually wear as opposed to conicals. I can say for sure that 0.6mil conical AT91 does better in inner grooves than more expensive 'elliptical' Ortofon 2M Red.
I upgraded the Ortofon 2M Red that came with my turntable to a 2M Blue about 6 months ago. The biggest difference I can hear is the Blue isn’t harsh and actually feels quite neutral compared to the Red. My plan is to wait until the Blue cartridge wears out then I’ll upgrade my turntable to something more midfi.
I had the 2M bronze, switched to a Nagaoka MP200.
Was a night and day improvement, the Ortofon 2M moving magnets are weak performers in their respective price ranges.
Then I bought a Nagaoka MP500, and then I wanted to go all in on a serious moving coil and got myself a Sumiko Blackbird.
Moving coil is vastly superior.
But again if you're not willing to spend alot of money and wants something that really sounds good, get the Nagaoka mp200.
So I am basic basic. I have an entry level AT turntable with AT stylus. My amp is a home theater system. It sounds great to me. But, I did buy the upgrade stylus 95E, much better treble but totally lost my midrange. I still don't know why.
At this distance and because I’d need a heap more info to help you, right now I’m only guessing. However…one possible - and I repeat possible - answer is that the introduction of a quality component that gives you ‘more’ also then highlights issues in the rest of your system. Issues which have been hidden via the general limitations of your system as a whole. Sometimes upgrading one part of that system takes that part up a rung but the rest can’t keep up. It’s happened to me in the past.
I'm looking to upgrade my stylist. I have a AT LP XP 140XP turntable with a AT-XP3 - DJ Cartridge I play mostly 70,80's rock and some jazz. I am considering either a
AT VM95ML/H or the Goldring E3 cartridges ( possibly a Ortofon 2MBlue) What would you suggest? I am thinking the AT VM95ML/H!
Brilliant explanation for new person getting into audio
so forgive my ignorance but I havent had vinyl since the 70's but just picked up a technics sl-23 (1976) and 145 used records. Ive taken the bottom off and got the speed control and selector switches working again with contact cleaner and replaced the lubricant in the spindle bearing, this week I will be replacing the belt. Now my question in regards to the cartridge and I know it will be a stupid question for you but like I say...I'm a newbee. the original Audio Technica cartridge in it is not adjustable (single screw on top two on bottom) ...if I were looking at installing the Ortofon 2M red would I need a new headshell with the double slots on top or ???? ...How are these quality cartridges installed on the original non adjustable headshells? Also is there any benefits replacing the original rca cables that are soldered in place?
I wouldn't worry about the cartridge cables - they're more trouble than they're worth for a design like the 23. Yes, I'd advise buying a new headshell so that you can better adjust any new cartridge.
@@TheAudiophileMan i meant the RCA cables (white and red) connecting table to amp. I'm going to go with the ortofon 2m red and ortofon headshell...sells for $188.00 canadian as a package
Love your approach. Sub’d!
Nagaoka made it easy (but expensive) to hear the differences in stylus profiles with the plug-in replacements. I have their 1.0 mil mono stylus for old LP's and 45's and although it fit the old grooves better, it lost the fine detail like the reverb tails you mentioned vs. the 0.3 x 0.7 mil stylus which comes standard with the MP-150. Otherwise it literally rounded off the treble, often a good thing with worn records! I have heard the A-T 95E and the Ortofon OM-5E in person and can attest to their all-round competence. I'd recommend the Ortofon because it provides a relatively inexpensive stylus upgrade path (OM-10E, etc.).
Thanks for your thoughts, Martin.
I use the Shure M78S with a N35C stylus for playing mono vinyl
I have an Audio Technica AT-LP70XBT turntable AT95c stylus which is conical. Great sound but on some records with no visible scratches and dirt skips. Will the elliptical like AT95E be worse at this problem?
Planar 2, 1 week. Will upgrade from Carbon conical to Bias 2 elliptical cart result in better resolution, and dynamics? (beside 3x increase in the output voltage.) Thank you in advance
Yes indeed - just the shift from conical to elliptical will improve sound.
I have a Crosley C6 that I got a few years ago. Should I upgrade components like cartridge or just upgrade the turntable as next step if want to go beyond entry level?
Do you have a budget for a possible new turntable?
@@TheAudiophileMan probably wouldn't want to spent more than $500-600. Not sure I have the ear to appreciate the differences to warrant spending more.
So I have a Yamaha P-220 from the 1980’s. My son is getting into vinyls and I unearthed this old turn table. Getting new drive belt to replace the dry rotted one I discovered. My question is on the cartridge. Says it is a Signet 1Ea. Not sure if it is conical or elliptical? I never really played many records back in the day as cassettes were easy to manage. Wow how the times have changed and I am seeing vinyls showing a resurgence. Advice on a replacement cartridge as until I get the belt installed, I have no way of knowing what the turntable will sound like. Hooked up through Yamaha receiver running to Boston A60 speakers.
Hi Mike - I'd recommend an Audio-Technica VM95E. You can pick them up from Amazon for around £40.
@@TheAudiophileMan Thank you. I have found one at only $49.
I have a VM95E on my AT turntable... Im looking at a VM540ML to upgrade to once I have the cash.. its going on a LP120XUSB.. i assume its not overkill yet in terms if Stylus.. that player should be good to upgrade into even max the €500 range of cartridges? Im just trying to make it as good as possible with the wonderful system my dad gave to me and inherited me before he passed..
I am enjoying your videos and wish to as some advice. My setup is as follows.
Arcam FMJ A29 amp
Rega 2 deck
Rega Fono mm mk3
Dynaudio emit m10
I listen to weather Report jazz and Joe bonamassa rock amongst others. Would I find a big difference spending say £150 on a upgrade cartridge, and if so what could you recommend for my tast in music. Keep up the good work I love seeing your take on kit . Many thanks Gerald
Hi I have project debut carbon turntable and I am at the stage let’s see what this can do with upgrades I have ortofon 2m red cartridge what would you suggest at reasonable price please up to hundred pounds Thankyou
Hi there, could you help please? I've bought a budget system comprising a Dual CS 440 fitted with a AT 91 cartridge a NAD 316 bee V2 and a pair of Tibo Harmony 8 floorstanding speakers. It sounds okay but a little dull. Could you suggest another cartridge please to brighten things up? Thankyou in advance .. Les
I'll answer this one in Friday's video - watch the skies.
It's crazy. I was able to watch the video without sound and understood everything he said based on watching his hands
I have an old Rega RP1 TT.
Carbon make and conical type … no idea of tone arm characteristic …. Could you help me as a recommendation to decide which cartridge of MM type … as I think MC is not affordable … and the correct preamp … and tone arm if required to be replaced to suit the right upgrade . … i shall appreciate if you can give few examples of a set of three combination ( cartridge, preamp, tone arm ) which can go as an upgrade to RP1, when we compare with the stock ones… of course, the preamp is not there as part of stock. Thank you … waiting ….
For ease of installation compared with sound quality I would aim for the Rega Elys2.
Thanks for such good explanation about cartridges,.. very useful. But have a question about stylus wear? How wear and tear is expressed in sound and when is the time to change stylus ? I have two AT cartridges one is basic AT3600L and second is AT95E. By all reviews AT95E should be better in sound, slightly more detailed highs, more open and defined mids,. etc. But in my case was opposite until I change the stylus. I'm total rookie about vinyls and turntables,.. but it was my experience.
As expert, please tell us more about it.
Stylus wear is a case of 'how long is a piece of string' reperan. It depends :) It depends if you take care of the stylus, if you clean your records or if you allow your stylus to continually hit crud all day along. It depends how long you play your vinyl. It depends on...well, you get the idea. If you buy a new stylus, keep it and your vinyl clean then, on average, I'd say 3,000 hours of use. Ish :) Yes, you can hear a worn stylus but, if you're new to this, then I'd count down from 3,000 and buy a new one when you get to zero. 10 hours play per week? That'd be a change around every six years. But it depends on a host of variables, as I say.
I have brought an old Turntable Denon DL-30L. It has an ADC K8 cartridge on it. I don't know much details of it, not even the Tracking Force. Anyone know?
Hi Jos - here you go. If you'd just bought the turntable, I'd recommend a new stylus for it, before you actually use it on your precious vinyl: www.adelcom.net/ADC-K8E-Page.htm
And another - scroll down a bit on this one: www.hifimuseum.de/1355.html
I have Fluance RT-81. Can you swap an ATN-95E to an AT-VM95 easily? How difficult/critical is the alignment step?
So i have the VM95E on my fluance 81+ what cartridge is a good upgrade?
I have a AT-LP3 turntable, it came with a ATN91R cartridge which I didnt really like and replaced it with a ATN 3600l (now ATN 3600LC) and have just bought the new ATN 3600LE. Do you think this will good upgrade for my turntable. I am using a Sharp soundbar via the built in pre amp for sound?
You need a large whiteboard and a black felt pen to draw while you lecture. BTW, on a slightly different subject related to cartridges, I have noticed that in a single pressing, some songs or music pieces are bright, shiny and deep, while others are not. So, nothing is equal. I have some records pressed 50 years ago that are immaculate while others are above average. Amazing. So we do the best we can with the best stylus but are subject to the real product, the record.
Yes, that would come in handy. As for vinyl, ‘tis truly and organic format. There are so many variables in and around it: recording, mastering, pressing, location, materials, etc. all of them have a bearing on your LP. Even down to the steam pressure being a little off on one of the presses on a wet Wednesday in the middle of June can have a bearing on the final sound. Producing vinyl is an art.
Great video, your way of explaining things is unique. Could I ask a question? I'm wavering between an AT85EP and an AT81CP Audio Technica stylus for my Technics SL-BD22D. The one costs €30 and the other €40. If the difference in cost is not an issue, which one should I buy? Thank you in advance.
The AT85EP
@@TheAudiophileMan Thank you.
I am looking for a replacement MM cartridge for my Dual 701 turntable. I have an Ortofon 2M blue on another tt and it is okay but not really to my liking. Details seem to be there but clinical sounding. Thinking of an AT 540 ML or 740 ML but my Dual has limitations. Great TT but no adjustable VTA. Low mass tonearm. May not be able to balance a heavier cartridge. Any thoughts? I have used an ADC XLM/ZLM for years but that company is long gone and I need a more modern replacement. TT was recently professionally refurbished and works great. ZLM is great at 1.0 gm. but I am looking into the future. Newly acquired Hegel V10 phono pre-amp seems to have made things better.
Nice video ! I have an old juke box i have fitted a 12.00 quid cartridge ,a stereo amp and all new cables , the juke box plays singles and at the moment it sounds a bit rubbish I wonderd if a better cartridge would help and which type ? I will send a photo
I have an Audio Technica AT320 cartridge and just ordered a replacement stylus (elliptical diamond.) I play this on a Sony PS-T15 turntable through a Yamaha RX-V590 receiver. Should I upgrade the cartridge? How far should I go? I can’t see spending $600 and up for a cartridge on this system. Thanks!
If you have a budget like that then I recommend upgrading the entire turntable. Please don't spend $600 on a cartridge for the Sony - the arm won't provide a suitable support system for such quality. Best value is a complete turntable upgrade.
Hi Paul
Just bought a turntable again after about 25 years without one. It’s an Audio-Technica Bluetooth model LP60XBT.
I’m intrigued by your advice around cartridge upgrade.
I’m not hampered by budget, but I want to get the best return on the choice I make.
Is changing the shell + cartridge an option?
What should I do, please?
(No going back for me now ! 😀)
Hi Graham - before we go any further, can you list the rest of your hifi system please?
That's pretty much it. Output is into a portable Bluetooth speaker.
For that system, I wouldn't go any further than what you have, Graham. What you have is great for your purposes and ideal for your situation and I'm sure you get a lot of pleasure from it but I wouldn't want you to waste any cash on upgrades. To enhance what you do have, I would actually look at isolation. That is, separating both the turntable and speaker from each other and from outside vibration and high frequency noise to tighten the bass, lower the noise floor and add some air to the midrange. You can do this by placing the deck on its own shelf unit, the speaker on a separate shelf and place them both on low cost sorbothane feet. Let me know if that interests you and I'll dig out a link. These feet costs just a few pounds for a set of 3-4.
The Audiophile Man
Thanks Paul
I had a feeling I wasn't going to be high maintenance !
Yes - tell me more, please.
Check out my 'feet' review here: theaudiophileman.com/elusive/
Not sure of the prices have altered since then, I have to add.
Also, for your deck and speaker. Something strong, light and low cost, an IKEA table for example, would be fine. Don't share the space with anything else, avoid hulking great coffee tables and massive sideboards (they retain vibration and the stuff never leaves the wood). Strong, light, sturdy, nothing that wobbles...
I have a Stanton ST.150 turntable. Is it a conical or eliptical? Not sure I'm getting great sound. I also have Bowers and Wilkens speakers. The system is about circa 2010. I use an Integra receiver. Maybe its just my tinnitus that I can't hear much definition, but would like your opinion about what I should do? I don't think Stanton is even a company anymore. I think they sold out to Gibson guitars and then ended production? Thanks for your comments and help in advance.
Hi Nathan - conical, I reckon. Your turntable is aimed, dead centre, at DJ use. As is the cartridge. The turntable is full of DJ tools too. It's a specialist piece of kit. I would recommend, if you want to focus on sound quality, looking for another specialist piece of kit, but this time for a home hifi environment. I firmly believe, that you should use the best tools for the job in hand. Keep your Stanton for DJ use, it's perfect for that. If you want a home hifi, get the right tools for that job. Come back to me if you get yourself a budget. I'll help all I can.
@@TheAudiophileMan I've got thousands to spend but probably something more modest. It is twelve years old. I'm using a generic Stanton stylus. A D68800SL. Its set at 2.5grams. So, I thought conical was 4-5+g. I'm not a DJ. I bought it at a local electronics store. It was one of two they had. The other didn't have 78rpm and was a automatic. hehehe I should have gone with it; but on a scale of 1-10 how good is a Stanton and have they gone out of business? Should I keep it and just upgrade the cartridge or just swap it? I was also thinking of getting a portable turntable; but heard they aren't the best for my records and are conical. But have looked into Jesse Dean Designs in southern California for an upgraded one with a different tonearm and stylus/cartridge. Thanks again, Nate
I been building on my setup for 3 months now. I have an older Gemini TT03 with a very Short Tone arm and a straight head shell when bought it, 212 mm from pivot point to diamond tip, Pivot to spindle is 230 mm. 2 question How should this Cartridge alignment be done. Not much out for this Very short tonearm. And question 2, am I stuck with Conical styli. I did find a Nude conical at LP gear, sounds pretty good Or is a new Turntable needed to use better styli.
What is typical “break in period” for a Sumiko cartridge? How many hours?
Anywhere between 20 and 50 hours, I reckon. Normally the former.
great video. Got a old Pioneer pl-12, and on it is a Empire 999 XE cartridge with a orginal Empire needle. I sounds still nice. what to do? what is better next buy from this cartridge. Got the player from an old lady that was done with it. but she did not know anything about the player.
Thank you, Andrew. I'd hook a new VM95E from Audio-Technica to it. That would be a definite upgrade.
I recently came to own a Dual 1229 that I restored and fitted with the Orofon Super OM 10 E. Great sound from this unit. It comes highly recommended from me. Thanks for being out there with this kind of info by the way.
My pleasure, Martin.
What if you listen mainly to linn drums, 303, kr55, cr78
Absolutely amazing and informative, I just loved the whole bit !
As per your suggestion, here is my question..
I have a Technics SL-BD3 (my uncle gifted me his old and beautifuly preserved gramophone/turntable), a P-mount cartridge, EPS-30CS stylus system and I was wondering...
What would be the single best cartridge upgrade possible I could put on it (I believe I saw a few mentions of Audio-Technic and Ortofon) ?
Thank you so much for the help and kindness, cheers !
Audio-Technica make decent P mounts: www.audio-technica.com/en-gb/cartridges/line-series/p-mount-series. This will give you an idea what to look for. Here's the Ortofon example, another fine design: www.ortofon.com/omp-p-616
Any of these would be of use.
@@TheAudiophileMan Thank you so much for the suggestions !
Did some digging as well and it looks like this..
As my first planned cartridge upgrade, Audio-Technica seems to be the favorite over Ortofon (the AT85EP).
However as a future serious upgrade and probably the most I'll be able to go is something along the lines of a ADC PSX-40 or something with a moving coil or shibata stylus (i.e. Audio-Technica LP Gear Series V Shibata stylus) !
These consults make me very excited !
Complete newbie here as described at start of video
Technics SL1210 MK 5 turntable
Mission 778x Amp
Mission LX 1 MK 2 speakers
All brand new
I’m by no means an audiophile but would like some advise on cartridge please ?
How can I help?
@ was considering the audio technica AT3600L cartridge as a start off option
Hi. I need your help identify a improved cartridge for a turntable model
JVC. L-A110
The system i have is missing a cardridge
And theres so many choices out there
Plz help me pick the right one
Thank you
Hi I absolutely loved your take on things really helpful. May I ask you a few questions regarding my setup. I have a Rega 2 deck Audio technica 95 cartridge , Rega 3 mk 3 phono ,into a Acarm alfa ajm29 amp with Diunaudio emit 10 speakers. What upgrade cartridge would you recommend I go for to the value of £100 . I listen to rock music black sabeth weather report peter greens fleetwood mac Joe bonamass. I would really appreciate your input on where I need to go regarding a £100 cartridge. Many thanks and keep up your fantastic videos. Gerald 💯👌
I have a crosley. I believe it has a standard cheap ruby or sapphire needle. Would upgrading to a Diamond needle be better or conical or elliptical?
I'll answer this in Friday's video - watch the skies.