Suggestions: Replacing ATN110E Stylus

Good afternoon everyone,

Im looking to replace the cartridge on my TT and while doing some research
i've found that the genuine model might be discontinued.

Generic models are available and was wondering if this would be a great
alternative?



Ive also found the needle below which is a ATN-105, is it any better?



Thanks for your time.

 

Generics can be hit-and-miss, better stick with an original AT, like this one. Not next door, but they do a lot of business worldwide. Or you can get another AT cartridge (AT95E, AT100E, AT92ECD, ...), still plenty of choice for under $100.

 

I would never get a generic stylus again personally, been burned one too many times. Have you tried LP Gear? They have a very large inventory. Failing that, you could just change the whole cartridge as Antares says..

 

I've never replaced the entire cartridge but could sure go for a AT95E.
Would the stylus fit the cartridge i currently have installed?

Sorry for my ignorance.

 

Ive had my share of bad experiences with a generic stylus before, but it was for
an audio technica LP-60 TT.

Just checked LP Gear, looks like they might sell a genuine stylus.
I have tried LP gear before which was good, but not a fan of their customer service.

 

AFAIK it won't. There's only the 105/110/115 (and similar 4xx series that will fit your cartridge, all a bit thin on the ground now as far as original AT styli go). If LPGear has it and you prefer not to change the cartridge, then I'd say grab one.

 

Thanks for your help, turntableneedles.come just restocked on the genuine models.
Will be picking one up shortly.

Side note: is it wrong that my reciever bass + treble are not set to flat?

When set to flat the sound is as if theres a blanket in front of my speakers.
I've since set the treble pretty high (at the 4 o'clock mark) and my bass at the
10 o'clock mark. Its the only way i've been able to achieve a clean and clear sound
when playing vinyl.

having to constantly mess with the treble + bass settings doesn't seem right to me
and ive not been able to find any help on this issue for a very long time.

Ive battled this issue with 3 receivers and 2 turntables.

maybe my ears are just terrible.

 

That doesn't seem right, indeed. Which turntable and phono pre-amp are you using now? If the turntable has a built-in pre-amp that can be switched on or off, make sure to use the correct input on your receiver (pre-amp on goes to a line level input (like cd, aux, tape, video...), while pre-amp off requires a phono input on the receiver).

 

Currently have the phono pre-amp connected to the CD plug in.
My Phono Pre amp is a TC-750
http://www.amazon.com/TC-750-BLACK-Audiophile-Phono-Preamplifier/dp/B000A36LQ4

Turntable: Technics SL D2-02
Speakers: Insignia NS-A3111
Receiver: Pioneer VSX-452

I was thinking it might be the speakers, but they sound fine when playing other formats.
Ive also tried using the phono amp built into the receiver with no success.

 

Nothing obviously wrong there, Yayastone. Maybe it's just the limitations of basic vinyl compared to CD/PC playback you're hearing. Bass at 10 o'clock I can certainly follow, since basic vinyl playback tends to have bloated mid-bass (aka vinyl warmth). Treble at 4 o'clock is a little harder, as AT cartridges are not known to sound dull. Make sure your stylus is clean (Magic Eraser, regularly applied). If you really want your vinyl playback to stand comparison with CD though, there's no way around a more expensive (and carefully adjusted) cartridge/stylus like the AT440MLa, I'm afraid. Not to mention wet cleaning of your (even new) records. Not for the faint of heart...

 

Thanks for your advice! Its been helpful.

I think i've figured it out. Currently have the treble set to flat (12 o'clock) and
the bass at 8.5, which lower. Sounds great so far after spinning 4 records.
I've since raised the anti skate to 1.6 and my counterweight to 1.9.

Also, Just used a new piece of "magic eraser" and ditched the old piece i was using.

Hopefully my ears wont disagree in the following days.