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Blind Test: AT150MLx vs AT440MLa

To my ears both are close to each other. Having two AT-440MLa's, but no 150MLx--I think A is the 440 and B is the 150MLx. B sounds just a wee bit warmer and slightly veiled...but just by a hair.
 
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Cool comparison. I've had both cartridges and in fact have a new 150MLX on the way! I like both samples and could live with either. A is a little crisper. I am only listening with cheap headphones at the moment though!

I will say A:150 B:440
 
Gee...I wasn't expecting so many replies. Thank you all for participating :)


WaynerN said:
What alignment is the cartridge in?
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Technics alignment tool.
VTF: 1,25g (150MLx), 1,4g (440MLa) [Pro-Ject Measure It II digital gauge]
VTA, azimuth and AS: Adjusted for each cart with a bubble level and Hi-Fi News Test Record.


mjwraw said:
all four samples sound a bit lacking in bottom end ? (possibly even a bit thin ?).
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It may be the record.

marcmorin said:
can't open them
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Mmm... maybe your player doesn't support flac files; you will either need to convert them or install the required codecs... or watch the video instead ;)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBfPgI4XAYY

It seems that Cartridge A is winning hands down so far :) I'll unveil the "secret" tomorrow night (CET) ;)

Regards! :smoke:
 
I can't play FLAC files of that resolution so I had to use the Youtube clips. I prefer the clip that starts at 2:37. The cymbals, sibilances and all high frequencies are cleaner on that clip than the previous. The bass sounds normal for that song to me (I have the LP, not the 12" single). Neither lacking nor bloated.
 
B.

More balanced, more detail, cleaner, less congestion with the highs (which some are calling 'crisper' and/or 'mistracking' on A) ...but the B is slightly (very small) a bit nasal.

But cartridge B has more detail to clearly illustrate that some of the recording that sounds like mistracking is actually a vocal effects track, mostly in the R channel.

I slightly prefer the B cart. Yes, the differences are not that pronounced, and they two carts have (quite obviously) the same family resemblance.

Will be interesting to find out which is which. :)
 
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I prefer B. A seems to have an edginess to the highs that I often hear in AT440MLa samples, so I'm guessing A is the 440 and B the 150.
 
Mr.6L6 said:
B.

More balanced, more detail, cleaner, less congestion with the highs (which some are calling 'crisper' and/or 'mistracking' on A) ...but the B is slightly (very small) a bit nasal.

But cartridge B has more detail to clearly illustrate that some of the recording that sounds like mistracking is actually a vocal effects track, mostly in the R channel.

I slightly prefer the B cart. Yes, the differences are not that pronounced, and they two carts have (quite obviously) the same family resemblance.

Will be interesting to find out which is which. :)
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I didn't listen to the video, just the flac files. Listening very closely to the cymbals on A is where I picked up what sounds like either mistracking or ringing from sub-optimal loading.
 
Thanks, I would have been a bit disappointed otherwise.
Thanks for doing this.
 
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I got it wrong, which is fine by me!

This was fun - thanks for doing it, and I hope to see more blind tests in the future! :thmbsp:
 
Q-E-2 said:
Cartridge A: 7 votes

Cartridge B: 4 Votes

Ok, here we go...

SPOILER BELOW

Cartridge A: AT440MLa

Cartridge B: AT150MLx

:D
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I assume the conclusion is that for creating digitized music file from vinyl record, more listener perfer the cheaper AT440MLa.

A few can listen through the files and picked out Cartridge B as the superior cartridge and gave the reason from what they heard.

Can you share your own direct listening experience without the digital files? How would you characteristize each of these cartridges?
 
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