replacing Clear Audio MM styli

I never tried the .7 conical in the Virtuoso I owned. Does it use an aluminum cantilever? There can be no doubt that the CA MM carts can be incredibly versatile if the user is comfortable trimming appropriate styli for fit. I have moments of wishing I had kept mine, especially when reading posts like this.

Twanx said:
To my ears, the Virtuoso + 710-D7 is still a totally winning combination. I no longer have the Marantz TT15S1, upgraded to a Technics 1200 w/Audiomods Classic. The new TT came with a Grado Statement Sonata and I greatly preferred the CA for my chosen materials which are 50's and 60's jazz originals.

The Grado sounded fabulous with newer and audiophile oriented recordings, ECM pressings, etc but sounded thinner and renders more surface/groove noise in comparison to the CA with the old pressings, even when NM. My theory is that the conical tip has a better fit or interface with the older grooves. I had similar results comparing the 710-D7 to other types of stylii in the CA body--standard green elliptical, blue hyper elliptical, etc. And I am still able to attain silent, inky black backgrounds with this conical on a clean and good pressing, as well as beautiful detail and overall tonality with new and old pressings alike.

Strongest recommendations for this combination. Have not combed through this thread in a while, curious what others thought of this pairing, especially with a different listening focus than myself
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DavidTT said:
Does it use an aluminum cantilever?
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Yes it does. It's such a basic stylus, costs $10. But I love it. Maybe someday I'll be able to find a nude or more exotic conical to try in the CA body. Would be an interesting experiment
 
I have a CA Virtuoso Wood and I would like to know if anybody tried to use the new Audio Technica AT-VMN95 series stylii as a replacement stylus.
I have read somewhere that that they have the same plug with the ATN95E. If that's true then the AT-VMN95ML or the AT-VMN95SH would be a great upgrade to the OEM stylus.
 
I put an AT-VMN95ML stylus in my Virtuoso Ebony a couple weeks ago. I left the carrier intact (this is a V1 Virtuoso with a partial wood body), and so can still use its guard This replaced a Bliss shibata from TN. After some hours settling in it simply sounds way too good, stunningly superior in most every parameter I value. Sweet but detailed, outstanding soundstaging, with solid images, and that rivetting palpability factor. Stays composed in the most dynamic passages. Yak yak, on and on!

Since reporting on the earlier shibata replacement, I've installed a Jelco knife-edge arm, I'm using new Dynaudio Evoke 10s, and now the Virtuoso with this stylus are singing at level higher than any other configuration in all my years of audiophilia. I have a Benz Micro Wood SL on the way, and will see if it trumps the Virtuoso/vm95ml any better than my Quintet Bronze.
 
cgodecke said:
I put an AT-VMN95ML stylus in my Virtuoso Ebony a couple weeks ago. I left the carrier intact (this is a V1 Virtuoso with a partial wood body), and so can still use its guard This replaced a Bliss shibata from TN. After some hours settling in it simply sounds way too good, stunningly superior in most every parameter I value. Sweet but detailed, outstanding soundstaging, with solid images, and that rivetting palpability factor. Stays composed in the most dynamic passages. Yak yak, on and on!.
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So it sounds like you felt the VMN95L was a big improvement over the Bliss shibata?

I have a Bliss 710-dnHE hyper-eliptical replacement stylus in the Virtuoso that came with my Marantz TT15s1. It sounds pretty good, better than the stock stylus I think. But I'm wondering if the AT-VMN95ML would be an improvement, or more of a lateral move.
 
After getting a very obvious uprgade from stock elliptical to the Bliss shibata, I didn't really expect more than as you said a lateral move to the Audio Technica stylus. I was mostly curious to find another new replacement, and I like the carrier with its stylus guard. Not about to go back, but I must admit to getting sidetracked in a big way by an EAT Jo no.5 MC cart, playing into a new Gold Note PH-10 preamp.
 
I’ve enjoyed the virtuoso with a conical stylus for many years now, my favorite is the AT replacement with the carbon fiber cantilever. Yesterday while trying to take the stylus off this happened !

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I’m confident I can glue it back in securely and (hopefully) permanently. I didn’t think it was possible to have this cartridge fail in this way but here we are!
 
Don't use epoxy. It'll work, but epoxy doesn't impart the best sonic qualities. I recommend melamine pva glue. It dries pliable, similar to silicone but is more resilient and properly damped. Clean the old adhesive off of the generator capsule and wood body and apply a thin coat of the melamine glue to the wood top and sides, spreading it around to form a thin, uniform coat, then press the two together. Any bleedout can be cleaned up with a damp tissue. Leave it dry overnight.
 
Twanx said:
thanks the dampening quality I am definitely interested in maintaining.
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No problem. Although water based, when dry, the melamine pva comes closest to the instant set solvent based adhesives the manufacturers used initially, I believe, based on the ones I've taken apart. It's not exactly the same, but comes pretty close and is very accessible.
 
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