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AT440MLa: buy new stylus or replace with a new cartridge?

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Rumble

Active Member
The needle/stylus on my AT440MLa needs replacing. This cart is around 12 years old, so is it worth investing in a pricey replacement stylus, or should I just get a completely new cartridge, maybe a AT440MLb? I like the AT fine, but I'm open to suggestions in something comparable in sound/quality. My t/t is a '70s Marantz 6100, so I'm trying to keep things below $200 if I can (M/M type).
 
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I believe that most retailers have the AT440MLb cartridge almost the same price as the ATN440MLa stylus. The 150 stylus is usually around $200, but not sure if the extra $ is worth it, even if its only $20 more.

In my case, I have a drawer full of ATN440MLa replacement stylus, but needed another cartridge body, so I bought the AT120Eb (at $130). It is the same body as the AT440MLa(b).
 
DustyOldPile said:
Hmm. I have an AT130E body that's currently unemployed...
Click to expand...

Looks like its the same stylus style, so I'd say you could put on yours, or an ATN440MLa, ATN440MLb or 150. The coils of your cartridge should measure somewhere around 790 to 800 ohms.

'ner
 
Well, I have heard that combo yet, not saying that I'm not going to do it, its on the list. Not much difference in price between the ATN440MLa and the 150.......

'ner
 
needlestein said:
FWIW, for is comparative purposes the difference in price at LPGear between the ATN150MLx ($199) is $44 for the ATN440MLb ($146) and $25 or so for the ATN440MLa ($175). You may be able shop around for better prices, though.

Whether it's worth it or not is up to the listener. I have both. I think there's a huge difference in sound between the 440MLa and the 150MLX. 150MLX just has a fuller, richer sound to me.

If putting a $200 or so 150MLX stylus on the 440MLa body gets you the same sound as the 150MLX, you just made a $200 cartridge sound like a $350 cartridge.
Click to expand...
I suggest just buy 150MLX cartridge.
 
WaynerN said:
Looks like its the same stylus style, so I'd say you could put on yours, or an ATN440MLa, ATN440MLb or 150. The coils of your cartridge should measure somewhere around 790 to 800 ohms.

'ner
Click to expand...

I've posted this before, but it never hurts...


Basically, any of the following stylii will work on the AT100-family cartridges. Sorry for the long list, this forum doesn't
have spoiler tags. The Line Contact (LC) and MicroLine (ML) will offer the biggest improvement.

ATN100E - bonded .3 X .7 elliptical tip, straight aluminium cantilever
ATN103 - bonded .6 conical tip, straight aluminium cantilever

ATN120E(i) - bonded .4 X .7 elliptical tip, straight aluminium cantilever
ATN120E(ii) - nude .3 X .7 elliptical tip, straight aluminium cantilever
ATN120Ea - nude .3 X .7 elliptical tip, straight aluminium cantilever
ATN120Eb - nude .3 X .7 elliptical tip, straight aluminium cantilever
ATN120E/II - bonded .3 X .7 elliptical tip, straight aluminium cantilever
ATN120ZE - ??? elliptical tip, ??? cantilever

ATN125LC - Tianium-bonded LinearContact, tapered aluminium cantilever
ATN130E - nude .2 X .7 elliptical tip, tapered aluminium cantilever
ATN135E - nude .2 X .7 elliptical tip, tapered aluminium cantilever
ATN140LC - nude LinearContact, tapered aluminium cantilever
ATN140ML - nude MicroLine, tapered aluminium cantilever

ATN150E - nude .2 X .7 elliptical tip, beryllium cantilever
ATN150ANV - nude MicroLine, sapphire cantilever
ATN150Ti - nude MicroLine, tapered titanium cantilever
ATN150MLX - nude MicroLine, gold coated boron cantilever
ATN155LC - nude LinearContact, beryllium cantilever
ATN160ML - nude MicroLine, gold coated beryllium cantilever

ATN430E(/OCC) - nude .3 X .7 elliptical tip, straight aluminium cantilever
ATN440ML(/OCC) - nude MicroLine, tapered aluminium cantilever
ATN440MLa - nude MicroLine, tapered aluminium cantilever
ATN440MLb - nude MicroLine, tapered aluminium cantilever
ATN450E(/OCC) - bonded .4 X .7 elliptical tip, straight aluminium cantilever


And you can also use the p-mount variations! I have an ATN112EP .4 X .7 elliptical, an ATN122EP .3 X .7 elliptical, a
JICO-branded ATN102EP (a .3 X .7 elliptical), an EVG-Japan 3rd party stylus (another .3 X .7 elliptical) and a Shibata.
Got the 3rd party stylii from: http://www.turntableneedles.com/ and http://www.thevoiceofmusic.com/

Oh, and there's stylii from the Signet range of MM cartridges as well that can be used.

So, quite a few options available... :D :smoke: :music:


I have an AT450E and use a variety of stylii for it.

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James H
 
I'm thinking I'll just get another complete AT440MLa, as I've been happy with this one for a dozen years, and it works well with the Marantz. If the stylus alone was at a reasonable $100, I'd just get the stylus. But at $175, I may as well just add another $20+ and get a new cart. I'm tempted to buy the ATN150MLX stylus like needlestein suggested, but if my current cart would croak, I'd have to fork out even more dough than I have. So, it's looking like I'll just get another complete unit ,and keep my old cart for a spare. Thanks for all the replies everyone.
 
Thanks for everyone's input in this thread. I have a 440MLa that has a few hundred hours on it and now have a good idea on what my next move should be.
 
If you find the AT150mlx to be a little bright, and you don't mind doing a small electronics project, try loading it at circa 30kohms using Y-adapters and an 85-90kohm resistor in parallel with the phono input on each channel, especially if you can't keep the capacitance really low. My 150 is fine without, but I do prefer the presentation a little more with the lower resistance. A superb cart, right up there with my Lyra Argo, and a whole lot less expensive.
 
You WILL really enjoy that stylus :)

Please be very careful around it though. They break cantilevers easily - ask me how I know :(

I have run MLa styli on the 150 body since I can't quite cough up the $ for another MLX right now. And since I could A-B-C compare them all side by side, I will say that the best is the 150/MLX combo by a noticeable margin, but not huge. Next best is the MLa on the 150 body. Followed by the MLa on the 440 body. I only briefly had the MLX on the 440 body before a dust cloth caught the thing and it snapped w/o so much as a tug ...

The MLX on the 440 body sounded very promising, but I did not put enough vinyl under it to able to say much definitive...

A few hundred hours is not really worn out. That usually occurs between 500 and a 1,000 hours.

My thinking when I first read this thread was to have you replace the stylus assembly because you already likely have a good alignment established. Why mess with that?

And at the level you are playing now, I do suggest learning how to load your cartridges, or get a switch select-able loading capability on an upgraded phono stage :D
 
I had a Shure M97xE cartridge go bad. I've tried it on another headshell/turntable and put a different stylus (known working) in it. Still bad - only plays one channel.
 
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