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Seriously Considering an AT95 Cart.

shoggoth80

shoggoth80

Active Member
So, I have been thinking, searching, looking at numbers, thinking about arm mass, and relative tracking force... yadda yadda... so on...
After reading a lot of threads here, user feedback, and a fair bit of googling, following linked sites, and bookmarking some stuff... youtubing for videos and reviews...

I think I want an AT95. I like AT's stuff generally. I like the ability to upgrade to much nicer styli (I might buy it out the gate with the better stylus, haven't made up my mind yet). My tables have arms that run 11 and 12g respectively. This seems to be a cart that works well in that range.

For the price, hard to beat? Even with the $100 tag of the AT95VL? I could get the base cart, but would probably want to jump needles pretty quick. My system isn't "hi-fi" but I do like good sound and detail retrieval.

Input from the hive mind? It all sounds like a tough to beat set up.
 
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Since the upgrade styli all cost more than the original cartridge and stylus together, I'd get the AT95E with the basic 4x7 elliptical and see how that goes first. But the AT95E is a no-brainer purchase for a first cart or a "spare" turntable, especially since you already like the AT "house" sound. Take the plunge.
 
shoggoth80 said:
So, I have been thinking, searching, looking at numbers, thinking about arm mass, and relative tracking force... yadda yadda... so on...
After reading a lot of threads here, user feedback, and a fair bit of googling, following linked sites, and bookmarking some stuff... youtubing for videos and reviews...

I think I want an AT95. I like AT's stuff generally. I like the ability to upgrade to much nicer styli (I might buy it out the gate with the better stylus, haven't made up my mind yet). My tables have arms that run 11 and 12g respectively. This seems to be a cart that works well in that range.

For the price, hard to beat? Even with the $100 tag of the AT95VL? I could get the base cart, but would probably want to jump needles pretty quick. My system isn't "hi-fi" but I do like good sound and detail retrieval.

Input from the hive mind? It all sounds like a tough to beat set up.
Click to expand...

I used an AT95e on my Mitsu LT-640 for about 9 months and then went for a VL stylus for it. It's a clear improvement with a surprising drop in groove noise and improved staging. Highly recommended for medium mass arms.
 
Good to know. Kinda made up my mind about it. I am still using what I have on hand at the moment. I'll be picking one up when I get paid again. Whether I get the VL right out the gate or not, I am undecided on.
 
I would easy recommend the AT95e for an entry level cart. I would not upgrade the stylus. I would move up to a AT120e or the AT440mla. When I thought I was ready for something better. The move up in carts. Is very noticeable. I don't know that the AT95VL will be as much of an improvement. If you got the money. Go for the AT440mla. It's really is a big step up from the AT95e. The AT440mla can be had for less than $150.00. If you find the right deal.
 
I love the AT120E, best bang for the buck, I'd start with that. Very reasonably priced and sounds way better than several options for way more $$
 
I have in my current cart collection:
Shure M91ED
Stanton 600
Precept PC440 (made by AT)
AT 155LC sans stylus
Grado ZF3 sans stylus
AT71 with conical and elliptical
Pretty sure I still have an Ortofon OM5e somewhere.
The last three are in a box in storage.

Trying to get a cart that is inexpensive, (round about $100 or less) that uses an elliptical at the least, and falls into medium compliance. The AT95 seems to fit that bill. I wouldn't be considering this course, if it wasn't going on a backup table with a 12g tonearm.
 
Hm. This may sound weird, but have you considered the Denon DL-110? Works well with a tonearm about 12g, costs just a few dollars less than $100 shipped to you, works fine in a standard MM input loaded with 47k (but better in the 100 ohm vicinity if your preamp can swing it), sounds great. The only caveat is you have to buy it from Comet Supply (and see the several threads on Comet and Denon) to get that price. But you won't regret the purchase. Oh well, just a thought. I like the Precept 440 too.
 
Really? The DL-110 would fall into medium compliance territory? I might be in trouble. Use the Denon on my main table and the 95 on my back up? Hmmm...
 
Remember, you can adjust the effective arm mass by using lighter and heavier headshells. But I've had good results with a Technics SL-1700 Mk2 arm and the carbon-fiber arm on an Onkyo 1030F.

The recommended VTF for the Denon is 1.8g; the recommended VTF for the AT95E is 2.0g. That tells me that the compliance of the two carts is similar.
 
dynamic73 said:
...I don't know that the AT95VL will be as much of an improvement. If you got the money. Go for the AT440mla. It's really is a big step up from the AT95e. The AT440mla can be had for less than $150.00. If you find the right deal.
Click to expand...

I do know, having used both, and I prefer the sound and the trackability of the AT95vl to the AT440mla (as well as the better price).
 
rnorton said:
I do know, having used both, and I prefer the sound and the trackability of the AT95vl to the AT440mla (as well as the better price).
Click to expand...

Ok so you like the AT95e with the AT95vl stylus better than the AT440mla. I find that hard to believe. But I might just have to buy a AT95vl stylus and give it a try. I've been wondering if there was a really good stylus. To put on my AT95e. That would make it better. Thanks
 
* All in my opinion & personal experience: *

I own the AT95E, AT120E (also ATN125LC stylus upgrade), older AT15SA, AT15SS, AT12, as well as ADC XLM, ADC ST XLM II, three Stanton 681EEE, and several more. Even a few AT92ECD Universal P-mount/1/2" mount. A pretty good selection.

You really can not go wrong with the AT95E. I feel the same about the AT92ECD. Both similar in sonic performance and better than anything I've come across in the under $100 price range.

In other words, unless you come across a deal on something like a AT120E for $70 (I did), you can't really do better. If you want the VL. . . buy that right away or just buy an AT120E.
 
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I loves me some ATs -- I have a 152LC, a 140LC, a 120e, a 15sa, and the OC9ML II MC. And I've also owned and heard many more. The AT house sound can be bright and detaily, and the 95 plays up that sound a bit too much for my tastes. YMMV.

The Denon DL-110 would be my choice in that price range. They're awesome.
 
shoggoth80 said:
I have in my current cart collection:
Shure M91ED
Stanton 600
Precept PC440 (made by AT)
AT 155LC sans stylus
Grado ZF3 sans stylus
AT71 with conical and elliptical
Pretty sure I still have an Ortofon OM5e somewhere.
The last three are in a box in storage.

Trying to get a cart that is inexpensive, (round about $100 or less) that uses an elliptical at the least, and falls into medium compliance. The AT95 seems to fit that bill. I wouldn't be considering this course, if it wasn't going on a backup table with a 12g tonearm.
Click to expand...

Interesting assortment there. Since you already have a 155 body and it happens to be the same as a 120 or 440, why don't you get a stylus for that?

The ATN120E is a nude elliptical and you can get it for $70. Max VTF is 1.8g and it should be fine on a 12g arm. Any 100 series stylus will fit including the ATN150MLX. That might be interesting to compare to your PC440, but that's not what you're really looking for.

The AT95 is a great budget cart. At 47K, freq response actually seems flatter than the others, but even aftermarket upgrade styli are limited to bonded tips, and the cart benefits from potting, which is easy.

Doesn't make sense to buy the same body again.
neo
 
I'm wid dem boys.... :thmbsp:

Get a stylus for the 155 :yes:

BUT - (there is always a caveat) - the AT100/120/440/150/155/others family is basically high compliance and best with low to low-mid mass arms.

The AT95 is mid compliance and best with low-mid through to mid-heavy arms.

If your arm is in the right category (low mass), the 155 has substantially more upside than the 95....
If your arm is on the heavy side of mid mass then the 95 would be the better option.

bye for now

David
 
I was under the impression that 11g and 12g arms were thoroughly in the mid-mass category, hence moving away from the higher compliance carts as options.
 
11g / 12g is lower mid mass (the original 12g SL1200mk2 brochure claims that the arm is "low mass")

In reality one of the parameters that determines what will match well in the grey zone between lower-mid and high-low mass is the damping of the suspension.

A lot of current relatively high compliance cartridges (AT120/440, 2M) do quite well due to being relatively heavily damped.

Although Ortofon's own Ortophase paper / article from the early 80's stated that when they tested several identical cartridges, varying only the damping of the cantilever the lower the damping the better they sounded - but that the lowest damped ones had too much high end rise due to resonance - so the best was the lightly damped next one down.... this was part of the design brief for the MC100/200 and the OM series as well as the legendary MC2000.
The 2M's have clearly moved away from this design criteria.

In a 12g arm, I would opt for an AT95, or a Nagaoka MP series - I prefer lower compliance to higher damping....
 
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