AT450 Cartridge
- Thread starter mnrider
- Start date
The only information I can find on the 450 points to it originally being sold with a basic, non-exotic 3x7 elliptical stylus. The current AT92E would be about the same thing, and you can get one new for less than $25 shipped.
The 450 belongs to the second generation of Audio-Technica's p-mount cartridges (that is, the generation typified by the AT92E/AT92ECD). All the bodies can be considered to be the same; it's the stylus that makes the difference. So when you ask if it's "any good", that completely depends on which stylus is in it now.
The 450 belongs to the second generation of Audio-Technica's p-mount cartridges (that is, the generation typified by the AT92E/AT92ECD). All the bodies can be considered to be the same; it's the stylus that makes the difference. So when you ask if it's "any good", that completely depends on which stylus is in it now.
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Well! If the diamond isn't worn, I think you have something special there. The empty-oval symbol indicates at least a nude-mount 3x7 elliptical diamond, probably with rectangular (aka "tombstone" style) cross section, on a straight-sided dull-finish cantilever The photo's a little unclear, but I think this is a clone of my DR400E. That's my best guess as of now. So it's more than just "any good", again assuming that the diamond isn't worn.
Here's my DR400E and its box for comparison. You'd find this same stylus under many other Audio-Technica sub-brands.
Here's my DR400E and its box for comparison. You'd find this same stylus under many other Audio-Technica sub-brands.
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jasonsong86
Super Member
Interesting, I have to bump this thread up.
I got this one new never used. It's a grey plastic but identical stylus.
Too bad I don't own a P-mount. I will probably just keep it since selling it won't really get much money for it. Maybe I will get a linear tracker that uses P mount soon.
The nude diamond does sound much more clear and more details than a bonded. I guess being one piece has better sonic properties than two.
I got this one new never used. It's a grey plastic but identical stylus.
Too bad I don't own a P-mount. I will probably just keep it since selling it won't really get much money for it. Maybe I will get a linear tracker that uses P mount soon.
The nude diamond does sound much more clear and more details than a bonded. I guess being one piece has better sonic properties than two.
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I suspect the cantilever's been stiffened a bit by heat treatment, too, though I have nothing to back this hunch up except the appearance of the cantilever. It's a good stylus, it's not widely known because of all the sub-brands and different colors, and it sounds very good. Worth pursuing.
Hifirob2
NEC and Klipsch rock!
I bought an AT 450 back in the early 90s at Good Guys. It was $79.99, and I still have the cart and packaging. The original stylus is long gone - it went out on a craigslist table I sold years ago. The label on the box says "AT 450 0.3 x 0.7 mil Nude BiRadial".
It sounded great back then. The stylus on my cart now is white, and has the same clear oval symbol with another solid oval inside of it. I have no idea what that means, but it was a cheap replacement I bought years ago, and no longer use.
It sounded great back then. The stylus on my cart now is white, and has the same clear oval symbol with another solid oval inside of it. I have no idea what that means, but it was a cheap replacement I bought years ago, and no longer use.
jasonsong86
Super Member
I have tried that but even on the SL-1200 with 52mm overhang its too long to keep the strain off the cartridge so it bends messing up VTA.
It was never used and everything is in mint condition but it's not a popular model so I doubt people are looking for it. Also P mount decks are kinda hard to find apart some of the high end Denons.
The dual oval means its a bonded elliptical. A nude should be a single oval.
ChefE
Active Member
I have this cartridge. It's body is black. The stylus holder is grey. I recall the sound reproduction is pretty good...detailed, nice separation and layers of instruments. Highs were crisp, I don't think there was roll off, same with bass. Frequencys seemed to play through rather than hacked off premature (pending on which rig I got set up).
Note: 1/2 Mounted with adapter (not P-mount directly) the stylus to the record has a small gap which may cause the cartridge body to sag and bottom out which scrapes against the records. If a record is warped....don't bother even putting it on. Standard P-mounts the gap issue is remedied and records will play perfect and sound great.
3x15x microscope of AT450 black body and grey stylus. Nice.
Note: 1/2 Mounted with adapter (not P-mount directly) the stylus to the record has a small gap which may cause the cartridge body to sag and bottom out which scrapes against the records. If a record is warped....don't bother even putting it on. Standard P-mounts the gap issue is remedied and records will play perfect and sound great.
3x15x microscope of AT450 black body and grey stylus. Nice.
Attachments
Cool! Thanks for the photos, ChefE! The grey version of this stylus usually shows up on a Studio Reference Series 6006, the model just below the Linear Contact equipped 8008. It's a shame Audio-Technica stopped making the more-advanced versions of the basic AT92E (aka AT3472 series).
You've got some of my bang-for-buck favorites in your collection.
You've got some of my bang-for-buck favorites in your collection.
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fredeb
New Member
I recently acquired one of these carts ( NOS AT450 P-mount w 1/2" adapter ) , and I am absolutely blown away by the sound quality . I have the cart mounted with 1/2" adapter on a TD166 Mk2 with TP11 Mk2 arm ( 7.5g eff mass ) tracking at 1.2g . No dynamic compliance figures are quoted in the spec sheet , but I kinda guessed it would be suited to a relatively low mass arm . Simply amazing cart !
Good Photos ChefE ! Is that a Sansui SC80 in the middle of your collection ? I also have one of those somewhere and was quite suprised at the SQ .
Good Photos ChefE ! Is that a Sansui SC80 in the middle of your collection ? I also have one of those somewhere and was quite suprised at the SQ .
Good choice. On quite a few Thorens tables with Thorens arms, the latter are high enough to accomodate pretty tall cartridges (including T4P/P-mount carts in halfinch-mount adaptor, which typically are ca. 20 mm) without the cart/needle bottom to record surface clearance problems ChefE described above - and of course the light Isotrack arm versions also fit well to the typically pretty high to high compliance of T4P/P-mount carts or respectively needles.
Greetings from Munich!
Manfred / lini
fredeb
New Member
Hi , and thanks Manfred !
The only drawback I'm experiencing with the TP11 arm is that I only have long screws ( that screw into the finger-lift ) . These screws are thinner than regular head-shell screws , so I'm having to use 2 of the Thorens headshell spacers + spare nuts and washers to get it fitted . Fortunately the arm does have VTA adjustment , so I was able to get the arm parallel to the record surface . The setup looks quite mantis-like
..... and it appears to work well .I'll post some pics on the weekend .
Should be regular metric M2 screws, iirc. Over here these would be comparatively easily available (M2s in alu version can be a bit difficult to source, though...), whereas I don't know whether a good hardware store in the US would typically also offer a decent choice of metric screws (and nuts).
Greetings from Munich!
Manfred / lini
fredeb
New Member
Thanks for the info Manfred - M2 are the same screws that get used to fasten cd roms to a computer chassis methinks , so let me give those a try . I was afraid it may be some unobtainable ( in South Africa anyway ) imperial size - whereas I should have realized that the Swiss and Germans have been using the metric system since way back when . 
