• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

Signet TK3ea w/ATN140lc Stylus

awise1961

awise1961

Super Member
I've been cartridge rolling lately on my Thorens TD-150/Rega RB300 and my latest MM cartridge is absolutely something to write about.
Those of you following the Shure M97Xe thread would know that I was playing one this past week, and it is a great cartridge for the money, and I will be trying it with a Jico stylus very soon. Before that I was playing a Stanton 681eee Black Body that was wonderful. The week before that was an AT95SA. This was very tempermental to set up, but very refined at it's price.
However, this combination of a Signet TK3ea body with a new ATN140lc stylus(from stereoneedles.com) is a unbelievable in a MM set up. I had the TK3ea and searched for options for a stylus for it and happened upon an old Audiogon thread that peaked my interest, so I ordered a new ATN140lc stylus that arrived on Friday the 19th. I am currently listening to Jimi Hendrix's Electric Ladyland and I am hearing details that I did not on the Shure M97XE. This cartridge set up is more detailed than the Stanton 681eee, and has better base response than than the AT95SA. It's like melding the two together. This is now my favorite MM cartridge ever, and I will be ordering a spare ATN140lc stylus this week to have waiting in the cabinet.
My next contender is my Stanton 881s body with the new LPGear Shibata stylus that I ordered on Thursday. The stylus should be here by Wednesday, so this will be a good trial for the Thanksgiving Holiday. However, right now I am already thanking for the giving of this Signet TK3ea/ATN140lc combo. It will be tough to beat in the MM world to me.

Al. Wise
 
Register to hide this ad
Thats good to know. I was just talking about this line of carts this morning over coffee.

Is the TK3Ea a Signet model or an AT/Signet?
I sold a TK1Ea and a TK3Ea recently without trying them. Both were AT made but I think there is an earlier line that was just Signet. Ive got a TK3E and a TK9Ea that look completely different and are just marked Signet with their logo.


..
 
Nice to know that a 140LC will work good on an RB300. I was guessing that it would be a little too compliant. Dyamic cu is 14 @ 100Hz. I just got an ATN140LC but I haven't used it yet.

AFAIK, Signet was always part of AT. It was their high end line. The TK3E, 5E, etc were part of an earlier series. The AT-15/20 series of styli will fit them. The TK3Ea, 5Ea, etc are newer. An ATN140LC will fit the current 440/120 series.
neo
 
Amongst my collection I have Signet's TK1e, TK3e, this TK3ea, and a TK9ea cartridge. The Signet line was the high end of Audio Technica, like Lexus is to Toyota. There is a significant difference in body style between the TKe and the TKea series. I'm amazed at the sound of this cartridge.
Yes, it is higher compliance than what I would normally pair up with a mid mass tonearm like my RB300, but the sound is great and in the end that's what I use to define what works, or not.

Al. Wise
 
Very nice. I have two Signet AM series (a 10 and 30), two TK5ea, one Tk7E, three TK7SUs, and two TK9s.

I dig these Signets. :thmbsp:
 
Hi, AWISE1961: Published information on Signet is sketchy but there is reason to believe Signet operated largely autonomously with parts supplied by AT until AT "took them over" in the early '90's. This gives cause for those marked "Signet by Audio Tech.". Same for the later styli, packaging is labeled AT, Signet division instead of the prior "Signet, Stow Oh.". During a telephone conversation with one of the buyers for a large internet supplier, he mentioned he had been involved with AT when the Ohio Signet building was sold, he thought this was in '96. The new owners proceeded to dispose of all stock including wharehoused cartridges and stylii, as well as the microscopes and testing equipment at each assembly station, tossing the material into dumpsters and hauling it all to a land fill. The horror, the horror!

Peace.
 
awise1961 said:
I've been cartridge rolling lately on my

However, this combination of a Signet TK3ea body with a new ATN140lc stylus(from stereoneedles.com) is a unbelievable in a MM set up. I had the TK3ea and searched for options for a stylus for it and happened upon an old Audiogon thread that peaked my interest, so I ordered a new ATN140lc stylus that arrived on Friday the 19th. I am currently listening to Jimi Hendrix's Electric Ladyland and I am hearing details that I did not on the Shure M97XE. This cartridge set up is more detailed than the Stanton 681eee, and has better base response than than the AT95SA. It's like melding the two together. This is now my favorite MM cartridge ever, and I will be ordering a spare ATN140lc stylus this week to have waiting in the cabinet.
My next contender is my Stanton 881s body with the new LPGear Shibata stylus that I ordered on Thursday. The stylus should be here by Wednesday, so this will be a good trial for the Thanksgiving Holiday. However, right now I am already thanking for the giving of this Signet TK3ea/ATN140lc combo. It will be tough to beat in the MM world to me.

Al. Wise
Click to expand...

Bringing this thread back -- I just scored a TK3Ea body, and I happen to have an AT155LC stylus from stereoneedles, that I bought for my Signet AM20. I'll be trying out the 155 stylus on the TK3Ea - I hope I have the same results you did with the 140LC!
 
Interesting, I got great synergy from a AT7V body and a AT440ML stylus assembly. Much sweeter midrange with all the details that the line contact stylus brings. I haven't heard another AT cart sound like it which is why I wondered in another thread if the AT7V was a Signet throwback.
 
Bringing this thread back from the dead. I'm using a TK3Ea with an AT125LC stylus and it sounds wonderful. This is a cheaper bonded line contact diamond. I paid $65 for the stylus. Considering that the Signet bodies can be had for under $30, this makes a killer $100 MM cart. The compliance is suitable for mid to mid-high mass arms so it should work well with most vintage 'tables. I have it set up at 1.25G and it sounds wonderful. Would probably benefit from some VTA tweaking to get the stylus angle just right in the groove as the finer shapes seem to be fussy about this, but the initial rough setup sounds very fine. I think this is a keeper.
 
Bauhausler said:
Bringing this thread back from the dead. I'm using a TK3Ea with an AT125LC stylus and it sounds wonderful. This is a cheaper bonded line contact diamond. I paid $65 for the stylus. Considering that the Signet bodies can be had for under $30, this makes a killer $100 MM cart. The compliance is suitable for mid to mid-high mass arms so it should work well with most vintage 'tables. I have it set up at 1.25G and it sounds wonderful. Would probably benefit from some VTA tweaking to get the stylus angle just right in the groove as the finer shapes seem to be fussy about this, but the initial rough setup sounds very fine. I think this is a keeper.
Click to expand...

Clearly, given the right stylus, these "Ea" Signets can sing! I have a TK3Ea on which I installed an ATN120E, or so I thought. Turns out I have the wrong cantilever & stylus in the stylus carrier, a straight pipe rectangular shank nude. My guess is it's the .2 x .7 mil from the Japanese market AT120Ea but it's only a guess. Anyway, it turns out to be a very good combination, not, I suspect, up to the level of the LC styli discussed here but very good never the less.

John
 
Last edited:
I just switched the AT125LC stylus over to a Signet MR 5.0 body because that had better coil balance than the TK3Ea (nearly perfect 0.5% difference) and that sounds very good as well. The more modern MR has slightly lower inductance and output than the TK*E and TK*Ea bodies. Excellent treble clarity and very low sibilance. I hope to find that this combo works well on the AT 1009 arm that's going on my next 'table.
 
I just tried the stylus from an AT440MLa on a Signet TK3Ea body. On my examples of the body and stylus the AT440MLa stylus will only fit the TK3Ea body if you trimed the upper edges of the stylus grip. Otherwise it comes about 0.010" from fully engaging due to the plastic mount on the Signet body coming down lower on the sides than the mount on the AT440 body. This leaves the magnets about 1/4mm lower than they should be and the flat bottom of the stylus grip is not in contact with the bottom of the cart body as it should be. Possible resonance problem.
The AT125LC and similar styli have a shorter side and will fully engage on the TK3Ea body without modification.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom