AT95 Special Edition

[lini]

S_s: Got a reply in the meantime, but unfortunately it turned out that this owner got his exemplar with a used table and without any documentation...

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

 

[Sultan swing]

Thank you, lini!
Can't believe that nothing comes up on google about that Pro.
The only thing I've read was that someone considers his AT95sa (Shibata) a Pro.

 

[releone71]

Could it be of any interest?

http://williamthakker.eu/Thakker-AT-95-HE-AT95HE-Tonabnehmer_c32-317-549_p12231_x2.htm

That is not an "SE" or any other mumbo jumbo, just an upgraded stylus with hyperelliptical diamond. Though I think it's the most advanced (and effective) upgrade I've ever seen since I started this topic.

Well done Mr. Thakker!:thmbsp:

 

[dlaloum]

HE version Also available at:
http://www.turntableneedles.com/Cartridge-AT95HE_p_3926.html
http://www.lpgear.com/product/LPGAT95HE.html

Shibata versions:

http://www.turntableneedles.com/phono-Cartridge-AT95SH-AT95SA_p_3949.html
http://www.lpgear.com/product/LPGAT95SA.html

Someone in Japan has started making HE and Shibata styli for the AT95... who is unknown as each vendor is selling it under their own name/brand.

The thing that makes a Special Edition version interesting is if the cartridge BODY (not the stylus) has been hand selected for matching channels in both the inductance and resistance parameters...

Once you have a really good body, then you can fit whatever stylus you want. You could send it to a retipper and have a ruby cantilever with a microridge needle put on it...

 

[releone71]

The thing that makes a Special Edition version interesting is if the cartridge BODY (not the stylus) has been hand selected for matching channels in both the inductance and resistance parameters...

Once you have a really good body, then you can fit whatever stylus you want. You could send it to a retipper and have a ruby cantilever with a microridge needle put on it...

You are absolutely right. Anyway the fact is we are not sure IF that Special Edition deserves our trust.

 

[neobop]

Someone in Japan has started making HE and Shibata styli for the AT95... who is unknown as each vendor is selling it under their own name/brand.

The thing that makes a Special Edition version interesting is if the cartridge BODY (not the stylus) has been hand selected for matching channels in both the inductance and resistance parameters...

Once you have a really good body, then you can fit whatever stylus you want. You could send it to a retipper and have a ruby cantilever with a microridge needle put on it...

I believe that someone is Jico, selling them to LpGear as a special order. Everything about those styli looks identical to other non SAS Jico styli I have. There is also a fine line called vivid line.
http://www.lpgear.com/product/LPGATN95VL.html

It's highly unlikely that there will ever be a special edition AT-95 w/matched channels. The cart is too inexpensive. That only happens to TOTL models and I don't think they do that any more. I personally believe that the 95 is a nice sounding cart that benefits from one of these styli, but lack of OCC wire prevents it from competing in the very top levels of performance. You can always plug one of those styli into a Clearaudio body and hear the difference for yourself. Enjoy it for what it is, a nice cart with a straight forward balanced presentation.
neo

 

[marcmorin]

I believe that someone is Jico, selling them to LpGear as a special order. Everything about those styli looks identical to other non SAS Jico styli I have. There is also a fine line called vivid line.
http://www.lpgear.com/product/LPGATN95VL.html

It's highly unlikely that there will ever be a special edition AT-95 w/matched channels. The cart is too inexpensive. That only happens to TOTL models and I don't think they do that any more. I personally believe that the 95 is a nice sounding cart that benefits from one of these styli, but lack of OCC wire prevents it from competing in the very top levels of performance. You can always plug one of those styli into a Clearaudio body and hear the difference for yourself. Enjoy it for what it is, a nice cart with a straight forward balanced presentation.
neo

Point of note here...........What makes copper "oxygen free" is actually the iron has been removed from the copper. The normal manufacture process will create wire that is 99.9% pure. I'm excluding of course house wire, or copper clad wire. The companies selling carts based upon their "purity numbers" are just adding to the price of that advertisement.

 

[neobop]

I don't think AT advertises their carts any more. I'm not positive about that, but some regions don't even have any info about carts on their web site.

It's not just about purity, which can go to 99.9999% (6 - 9s). LC is long crystal and PC is continuous casting (I think). TOTL AT have had this in one form or another for years.

It's interesting that the 95 and Clearaudio have almost the same output. 3.5mV vs 3.6. The 95 has 400mH and the CA has 420. The impedance of the 95 is 2.8K ohm and the CA is 660. I'm guessing about the wire.

 

[james73_2010]

This is a most interesting thread. I currently have an AT95E stylus in a 3400 body mounted on my SL1200, MK2.

How does it sound?



James H

 

[james73_2010]

I have an ATN-112EP stylus in the post to me. It has the same stylus profile (bonded .4 x .7 elliptical) as my old AT-450E, except it's brand new. So, I'm looking forward to hearing it.

BTW - does anyone know where I could buy a stylus guard for the ATN-112EP stylus as, obviously, I dont already have one??

Well, my ATN-112EP stylus arrived from andydeals on Ebay. £19 delivered to the
UK - not bad at all for a genuine AT .4 x .7 elliptical. It's the same stylus profile as
the native AT450E stylus, of which (I'm sure) the last one I bought cost me more
than the cartridge!!

Thank God AT stopped making the AT450 stylus - I'd probably still be the only idiot buying it....

Anyone got an answer to my query about getting a stylus guard for this thing??


James H

 

[boreas]

It's highly unlikely that there will ever be a special edition AT-95 w/matched channels. The cart is too inexpensive. That only happens to TOTL models and I don't think they do that any more. I personally believe that the 95 is a nice sounding cart that benefits from one of these styli, but lack of OCC wire prevents it from competing in the very top levels of performance. You can always plug one of those styli into a Clearaudio body and hear the difference for yourself. Enjoy it for what it is, a nice cart with a straight forward balanced presentation.
neo

Point of note here...........What makes copper "oxygen free" is actually the iron has been removed from the copper. The normal manufacture process will create wire that is 99.9% pure. I'm excluding of course house wire, or copper clad wire. The companies selling carts based upon their "purity numbers" are just adding to the price of that advertisement.

Just as a point of information, "OCC" doesn't refer to oxygen free copper or even copper for that matter, though it typically involves copper or aluminum. "OCC" refers Ohno Continuous Casting a method of casting metal that, as I recall it, results in drawing a wire that is one long crystal, greatly increasing its conductivity.

John

 

[beej]

How does it sound?



James H

Morning James.

Quite good actually. I liked it pretty well on my PL-9 (very low mass arm) but is clear better suited for the SL1200. A touch on the bright side, perhaps, but overall for the money quite nice. Comparing it to the M97xE, for example, it is what I would characterize as livelier.

 

[Jonny Ramone]

Anyone got an answer to my query about getting a stylus guard for this thing??


James H[/QUOTE]

My AT P-mount styli look like that. I THINK the guards would work.

 

[james73_2010]

Anyone got an answer to my query about getting a stylus guard for this thing??




My AT P-mount styli look like that. I THINK the guards would work.

Yes, the blue ATN-112EP stylus I have originally fits a P-mount. So, where can I
get a stylus guard for it? :scratch2:



James H

 

[neobop]

The 1/2" mounts that substitute for that stylus come with flip down guards. I think the P-mounts came with guards that fit over the front of the cart.

 

[lini]

neobop: Yup.

James: You'd probably have to find a nice owner with a superfluous exemplar of these slide-on guards or buy a new old stock 102P family cart - 'cause the guards only came with the complete carts, while the replacement needles even in original AT packaging didn't have a guard (instead these were protected from flying around in the box by a blister cap)...

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

 

[neobop]

TurntableNeedles sells some replacement styli with specially fitted guards. I don't know if they have one of yours, and you probably don't want to buy another stylus now. I assume they're like your 450E guard. You could take the guard off the 450 stylus but your 112 doesn't have the dimples to seat the guard. If you really need one the easiest thing might be to make one out of a thin sheet of aluminum. The piece should be about 15mm wide and long enough to bend in a U shape around the plastic holder. A lip on each end, requiring precision bending, could hold the guard on the top of the plastic. That way it would slide on and off. I think it's better to have a removable guard anyway. I usually remove the flip-down guards cause they might rattle. It just seems like unnecessary baggage when playing a record.