ms_enj
Ceci n'est pas une blonde
After the previous thread met an unfortunate demise, I figured it would be a waste to let all the info just vanish completely.
Champagne Sound for Beer Money? Huh?
For those of you that don't already know, it's possible to source an Audio-Technica AT3600L 1/2" mount cartridge with a .6 mil conical stylus on a carbon fiber cantilever for the equivalent of approximately eleven U.S. dollars.
It even sounds good to boot...
So what is the deal with this cartridge? Is it genuine?
It certainly is. Audio-Technica has a factory in Hangzhou, China. As best I can find, this is where these cartridges are made. While not every seller may be an authorized AT distributor (Chinese supply chains can be a little sketchy) the cartridges themselves are made by AT to a decent standard, and cheap enough that it's easier to buy another one from a different seller rather than returning a defective one.
Why is it so cheap?
Three words: Economies of Scale.
Being one of the largest OEMs of magnetic cartridges, the AT3600(L), and it's CN5635AL and AT95E siblings have graced and still do grace the tonearms of many, many entry level and mid-fi tables.
The AT3600 is also branded as the Rega Carbon, two LP Gear models (the CF3600LE and CF6500LE), and the Dual DMS251s, to name but a few.
This means that so many of these cartridges are made, and in such high volumes, that producing them costs Audio-Technica very little per cartridge. Low price to make means low price to sell to distributors, and even with several steps in the supply chain each taking a cut, the final price to us is ridiculously low.
Ok, so how does it sound then?
Short answer... It's relaxed, enjoyable, and makes your vinyl sound like vinyl.
Long answer... The bass and lower mids are warm but not overblown, it's fairly balanced and even through the upper mid-range, and there is more detail in the top end than you would expect for the price tag. Aligned well, it has very low IGD. It isn't the last word in precision and timing, but is certainly a cartridge that is capable of holding it's own against moving magnet cartridges that cost significantly more, and there are multiple stylus upgrade paths that bring more detail and finesse.
I don't believe you. Surely something this cheap couldn't sound any good!
Well, listen for yourself then, with three of the different stylii available for this cartridge.
Left to right - The stock AT-branded .6 mil conical, the LP Gear .3x.7mil elliptical, and the LP Gear .02x.30mil ViVid Line/Jico Hyperelliptical. The first two have a carbon fibre reinforced ABS plastic cantilever, the last one has a tapered aluminium cantilever.
Here are the same snippets of the same five tracks over three and a bit minutes:
The cartridge is aligned to Stevenson geometry, mounted to a Rega RB100 tonearm fitted to a Rega P1 turntable, which has been upgraded with a silicon drive belt, and damped subplatter. The records are on a cork mat on an MDF platter, and there is a 200g weight on the spindle. The cartridge is tracking at 2.4g and the arm is level with respect to the record surface. The stock arm wiring is going to a Pro-Ject Phono Box II with standard loading and from there to a Lexicon Alpha USB audio interface via a set of Amber interconnects. I did my best to keep the conditions as equal as possible for all 15 recordings but I am human. Also, my cat was asleep on the rug in front of the hi-fi rack the entire time, so your cat or lack thereof may affect your listening results.
Firstly, listen with the originally supplied .6 mil bonded conical stylus:
(Click to open the audio in a new tab/window.).
Carbon fibre reinforced ABS plastic cantilever, bonded stylus. This is the stylus supplied with the Rega Carbon cartridge, just without the fancy logo on the front.
Secondly, listen with the LP Gear CFN3600LE/CFN6500LE .0003x.0007 inch bonded elliptical stylus:
(Click to open the audio in a new tab/window.)
Carbon fibre reinforced ABS plastic cantilever, bonded stylus. The only difference between the two is that the CFN6500LE has a flip down guard on the front and costs a few dollars more.
Finally, listen with the LP Gear ATN3600DLXVL .0002x.0030 inch bonded ViVid Line stylus:
(Click to open the audio in a new tab/window.)
Alloy cantilever this time. Rumor has it that this particular stylus is a hyperelliptical made by JICO, given the characteristic blue dot on the underside of the cantilever. The measurements also indicate this is a biradial or hyperelliptical shape (basic form of line contact), so the name ViVid Line is most likely just marketing on the part of LP Gear.
The next step up from this one is the Turntable Needles bonded shibata, but at US$160, it's a bit too rich for my blood, so I can't comment on how it sounds. It does have some positive reviews though.
I've read there is also a .0002x.0007 inch elliptical for these cartridges, but I don't have a link to it. Feel free free to post it if you know where to get one.
I personally prefer the ViVid Line stylus as my system tends towards a little bright, and this stylus trades treble extension for control and more detail, which suits my ears just fine.
The best results with these cartridges come with them tracking beween 2.2 and 2.5g, but you can adjust and listen and find what suits your tonearm and ears.
Ok, so it sounds good. Where can I get one?
There are many sellers on eBay and AliExpress selling these. Some advertise it as an Audio-Technica, and some don't. If the ad looks similar to the one I posted up the top, chances are you'll get the right one.
The key words to search for on either site are: magnetic cartridge turntable needle
Searching for these will return multiple sellers offering these cartridges for about the equivalent of US$11.
Mine came from eBay seller tiantianupup, and arrived in Australia from Hong Kong in about three weeks. It was shipped in a nice plastic box with a pair of cap head hex screws and nuts:
Some of the really cheap sellers have been sending them unprotected in a plastic bag, so keep an eye out for a picture of a box of some description in the ad and you should get yours safely.
Many, many people have ordered these (the previous thread was over 20 pages) and been totally surprised at the sound quality they deliver, regardless of stylus, and especially considering the price. They make an excellent replacement for a faulty cartridge on an older table, or one with a stylus that is NLA, but I use mine on my primary table because I like it that much.
If you've got one of these and would like to relate your experience with it in the thread, that'd be awesome.
Hopefully this info can help others find and enjoy this great bargain!
Champagne Sound for Beer Money? Huh?
For those of you that don't already know, it's possible to source an Audio-Technica AT3600L 1/2" mount cartridge with a .6 mil conical stylus on a carbon fiber cantilever for the equivalent of approximately eleven U.S. dollars.
It even sounds good to boot...
So what is the deal with this cartridge? Is it genuine?
It certainly is. Audio-Technica has a factory in Hangzhou, China. As best I can find, this is where these cartridges are made. While not every seller may be an authorized AT distributor (Chinese supply chains can be a little sketchy) the cartridges themselves are made by AT to a decent standard, and cheap enough that it's easier to buy another one from a different seller rather than returning a defective one.
Why is it so cheap?
Three words: Economies of Scale.
Being one of the largest OEMs of magnetic cartridges, the AT3600(L), and it's CN5635AL and AT95E siblings have graced and still do grace the tonearms of many, many entry level and mid-fi tables.
The AT3600 is also branded as the Rega Carbon, two LP Gear models (the CF3600LE and CF6500LE), and the Dual DMS251s, to name but a few.
This means that so many of these cartridges are made, and in such high volumes, that producing them costs Audio-Technica very little per cartridge. Low price to make means low price to sell to distributors, and even with several steps in the supply chain each taking a cut, the final price to us is ridiculously low.
Ok, so how does it sound then?
Short answer... It's relaxed, enjoyable, and makes your vinyl sound like vinyl.
Long answer... The bass and lower mids are warm but not overblown, it's fairly balanced and even through the upper mid-range, and there is more detail in the top end than you would expect for the price tag. Aligned well, it has very low IGD. It isn't the last word in precision and timing, but is certainly a cartridge that is capable of holding it's own against moving magnet cartridges that cost significantly more, and there are multiple stylus upgrade paths that bring more detail and finesse.
I don't believe you. Surely something this cheap couldn't sound any good!
Well, listen for yourself then, with three of the different stylii available for this cartridge.
Left to right - The stock AT-branded .6 mil conical, the LP Gear .3x.7mil elliptical, and the LP Gear .02x.30mil ViVid Line/Jico Hyperelliptical. The first two have a carbon fibre reinforced ABS plastic cantilever, the last one has a tapered aluminium cantilever.
Here are the same snippets of the same five tracks over three and a bit minutes:
- Oye Como Va by Santana, from this 180g remastered reissue of Abraxas.
- So Far Away by Dire Straits, from this 180g remastered reissue of Brothers in Arms.
- People Get Ready by Eva Cassidy, from this 180g reissue of Songbird.
- Tango In The Night by Fleetwood Mac, from the original 1987 Australian DMM pressing of the album of the same name.
- Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen, from this 180g remastered reissue of A Night At the Opera.
The cartridge is aligned to Stevenson geometry, mounted to a Rega RB100 tonearm fitted to a Rega P1 turntable, which has been upgraded with a silicon drive belt, and damped subplatter. The records are on a cork mat on an MDF platter, and there is a 200g weight on the spindle. The cartridge is tracking at 2.4g and the arm is level with respect to the record surface. The stock arm wiring is going to a Pro-Ject Phono Box II with standard loading and from there to a Lexicon Alpha USB audio interface via a set of Amber interconnects. I did my best to keep the conditions as equal as possible for all 15 recordings but I am human. Also, my cat was asleep on the rug in front of the hi-fi rack the entire time, so your cat or lack thereof may affect your listening results.
Firstly, listen with the originally supplied .6 mil bonded conical stylus:
(Click to open the audio in a new tab/window.).
Carbon fibre reinforced ABS plastic cantilever, bonded stylus. This is the stylus supplied with the Rega Carbon cartridge, just without the fancy logo on the front.
Secondly, listen with the LP Gear CFN3600LE/CFN6500LE .0003x.0007 inch bonded elliptical stylus:
(Click to open the audio in a new tab/window.)
Carbon fibre reinforced ABS plastic cantilever, bonded stylus. The only difference between the two is that the CFN6500LE has a flip down guard on the front and costs a few dollars more.
Finally, listen with the LP Gear ATN3600DLXVL .0002x.0030 inch bonded ViVid Line stylus:
(Click to open the audio in a new tab/window.)
Alloy cantilever this time. Rumor has it that this particular stylus is a hyperelliptical made by JICO, given the characteristic blue dot on the underside of the cantilever. The measurements also indicate this is a biradial or hyperelliptical shape (basic form of line contact), so the name ViVid Line is most likely just marketing on the part of LP Gear.
The next step up from this one is the Turntable Needles bonded shibata, but at US$160, it's a bit too rich for my blood, so I can't comment on how it sounds. It does have some positive reviews though.
I've read there is also a .0002x.0007 inch elliptical for these cartridges, but I don't have a link to it. Feel free free to post it if you know where to get one.
I personally prefer the ViVid Line stylus as my system tends towards a little bright, and this stylus trades treble extension for control and more detail, which suits my ears just fine.
The best results with these cartridges come with them tracking beween 2.2 and 2.5g, but you can adjust and listen and find what suits your tonearm and ears.
Ok, so it sounds good. Where can I get one?
There are many sellers on eBay and AliExpress selling these. Some advertise it as an Audio-Technica, and some don't. If the ad looks similar to the one I posted up the top, chances are you'll get the right one.
The key words to search for on either site are: magnetic cartridge turntable needle
Searching for these will return multiple sellers offering these cartridges for about the equivalent of US$11.
Mine came from eBay seller tiantianupup, and arrived in Australia from Hong Kong in about three weeks. It was shipped in a nice plastic box with a pair of cap head hex screws and nuts:
Some of the really cheap sellers have been sending them unprotected in a plastic bag, so keep an eye out for a picture of a box of some description in the ad and you should get yours safely.
Many, many people have ordered these (the previous thread was over 20 pages) and been totally surprised at the sound quality they deliver, regardless of stylus, and especially considering the price. They make an excellent replacement for a faulty cartridge on an older table, or one with a stylus that is NLA, but I use mine on my primary table because I like it that much.
If you've got one of these and would like to relate your experience with it in the thread, that'd be awesome.
Hopefully this info can help others find and enjoy this great bargain!
Last edited:
