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AT95e why does everyone love this?

Fine, then we both are happy! Just as it should be. And with AT95E, I belong to a minority for sure, also myself being surprised I stick to this one. (Anyway, until say last seven years, I mainly used Goldring G1022/G1042 for my listening. Before upgrading deck and phono stage. Made a big difference in sound.)
 
Quartz_Lock said:

But why is EVERY piece of vinyl exhibiting these harsh characteristics? Can EVERY old record be that damaged? If so, why are ONLY the end grooves doing this? Shouldn't there be at least SOME outermost tracks affected? Sure, there are scratches down the vertical length of some of these old records, which pronounce themselves as that brief "clack clack" as the stylus passes over them, but for the most part these records are terrible ONLY towards the end.



Yes, I was the one who stated the Miles Davis record tracked great (the 180 gram Legacy reissue) -- but there are no vocals on this album (which causes me the most trouble on LPs) and it doesn't seem to be cut close to the label. I can't really go by that.

My OTHER recent brand-new purchase was a 180 gram reissue of Saturday Night Fever (BRAND NEW in the wrapper) which DOES exhibit end-of-side distortion, which is a friggin' head scratcher...
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Agree that it is unlikely that every record is bad.

Possible causes of your dilemma:

- alignment
- out of spec stylus (or worn)
- problem with tonearm and or anti skate

You can eliminate variables one at a time?

If you had another cartridge, and you were sure you aligned it correctly, it sounds good that would tell you your tonearm is not the problem and then you would have two variables left.
 
Quartz_Lock said:
Alignment was checked exhaustively, too. It's to the point I don't want to fiddle with it anymore; it has become a daunting task to do all these measurements and adjust the cartridge in the shell with tiny screwdrivers
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Out of curiosity, how did you check the alignment? Did you use an alignment protractor?
 
Quartz_Lock said:
I have played with anti-skate exhaustively with no audible changes either way; I am using a turntable that's notoriously bad with regard to its anti-skating, but on the other hand I'm hearing that this doesn't matter as much as it's made out to be...

Alignment was checked exhaustively, too. It's to the point I don't want to fiddle with it anymore; it has become a daunting task to do all these measurements and adjust the cartridge in the shell with tiny screwdrivers...I just want to listen to records, but alas, it just doesn't seem that easy. If the arm is defective, I don't know what to do; if the stylus is shot, I will give the turntable another chance with a better one (though I have been experiencing this IGD since the day I took the friggin' thing out of the box).
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What deck is this? I looked back in the thread but couldn't find where you mentioned it. Alignment isn't all that critical so long as it's ball park, and so long as the cart is a good match for the arm. If you've done everything right and the record is clean, then I suspect the cart is simply a poor match, or the sample you have is defective somehow.
 
Ken Boyd said:
I hope no one takes this wrong but I would never figured that people interested enough to spend time posting and chatting here on AK would be using a 35 dollar cart on there turn tables.
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There's an entire thread dedicated to the Shure M35X, which costs about the same.
 
it seems like most bases have been covered but i will recant. i don't know the arm/tt combo so i can't comment except that it may be a cheap one, or not in that the OP has a nagoaka.

proper mount, alignment, vta, vtf, and cleanliness should all be considered.

the at95e isn't a bad cart, one came on the $1500 thorens i just received and it sounds better than it should. no complaints here. i keep reading about people with inner groove distortion and i must say, i haven't had that problem with the grace 707 arms and the MMT that i have, nor any of the linear trackers i have had.

but go back and re-check the fundamentals to make sure something hasn't gone awry. i have found loose cartridge nuts and other simplistic things that i hadn't noticed for a while and had to correct them.
 
Something here isn't ringing true..... thread after thread has been dropped into by this character Quartz-Lock; taking over each thread on his own personal quest - and he's even started a fresh one of his own too - whilst never actually doing anything that anybody ever suggests that he does...like realigning the cartridge for one - it's all anti-skate/VTF befuddlements...
Don't know about you folks, but he is starting to sound like 'someone' who did 'exactly' the same thing a few years back here, with the same turntable (AT-LP120 USB) and cartridge, and with exactly the same so-called problems, and never followed the advise of the forum...just continued to fudge through the same old old arguments, with exactly the same type of writing style and language, and fortunately, ended up disappearing... ;) Can't remember that previous poster's user-name...something to do with water, and wells, if I remember correctly?
I think he's back.... plumbing the depths again.... a troll from the bottom of a well perhaps?
 
The thought has crossed my mind too. 'Have to say though, with the outpouring of suggestions from generous AK members, I'm learning things I didn't know.
 
Time to get real. Its a $50 dollar cartridge that tracks at 2.5 grams. If this is all you have, get out of vinyl.
 
You obviously haven't heard one. If you have, you failed to align it properly.

Another thought: can you adjust the antiskate on your turntable? It does make a difference.
 
That's what was getting to me also, a lot of discussing and no doing in 4-5 threads re the AT-95e and the AT LP-120USB. I behaved and didn't dump on the AT LP120USB.
 
I'm not expecting it to be garbage, I'm expecting it to be an over performing $50 dollar cartridge. However, things need to be put in the proper perspective. It is what we thought it was.......so to speak.

I'm not denying that its probably the best $50 dollar cartridge out there. I have many ATs. I'm saying its a $50 dollar cartridge. Stop making it into something that it is not. I make the Grado Longhorns for god's sake!n They do not compare.
 
It's a budget cartridge. Budget times call for budget carts. Plus in situations when listening is not critical, why would I put hours on my expensive styli. When I cook dinner in the next room, I can't hear a difference between an AT95E and an AT440MLb.
 
SSaxdude said:
It's a budget cartridge. Budget times call for budget carts. Plus in situations when listening is not critical, why would I put hours on my expensive styli. When I cook dinner in the next room, I can't hear a difference between an AT95E and an AT440MLb.
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That might be a problem. I have many AT carts and can tell the difference (easily) between any of them.
 
No anti-skate? You are out of your mind......

This debate proves that many do not have their tables/arms set correctly, or do not know how to set them correctly.
Needlestein, Mr. Fremer gave the AT cart it's "hall of fame" which I do not. There are so many folks here at AK that have bought into his BS, and are having lots of problems with either IGD, fuzzy performances or other issues, how can I possibly give Kudo's to the cartridge. I have to be honest to my self before I can pass that along to someone else. I certainly can recommend it to someone that is looking for a "modest" cost cartridge for a nice "modest" table and the results might be pleasant. But in the long run, it is not going to be up the ladder, not by an even slightly long shot.

When are we all going to start talking the real?.............
 
WaynerN said:
That might be a problem. I have many AT carts and can tell the difference (easily) between any of them.
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Good for you?

I can clearly tell the difference when I'm actually listening. My point is that over the sound of the stove and the stereo being in the next room surrounded by several walls, it doesn't make any difference. Or when I have company over and we're drinking...I'm not really listening for the stereo imaging or the fast transients that my higher end AT give me over the AT95E.

AT95E = casual listening. Signet MR 5.0lc/ATN140LC = critical listening. That's the real.
 
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