AT440MLB Cartridge $139.10 free shipping

Cheapest I've seen this variant in a while:

http://www.frys.com/product/8534279

 

How does this differ from the famous 440mla? I wonder if the stylus are interchangeable...

 

I believe the mla is no longer made, this item took it's place. I think the only difference is in some of the materials used in manufacturing. In saying that, I could be completely wrong.

 

That's a great price, assuming it's in the same class as the mla, which I'm inclined to believe it is.

 

Its the replacement to the at440mla.

 

right on, thank you! i've been looking for an excuse to try one of these guys out.

 

great deal. i had the 440ml and it is a solid cartridge.

 

Amazon is still selling the 440MLA for $189

 

Anyone thinking of spending over $200 on a cart (or even $500, or $1000) needs to first listen to a AT-440MLb (or a) to determine if it won't meet all needs. I'm sure many, if not the majority of you, looking to move up from veiled dull LP sound will find what they are looking for here. And it's a superb tracker with minimal surface noise.

The newer 440MLb seems to lack the anodized cantilever of the 'a' version.

 

i am, in fact. thank you so much for your thoughts!

 

I actually like it better than some more expensive carts I've owned, including MC's at 5X the cost.

 

FWIW, I just clicked on the link above and the price has not changed, still $139.10.

 

Incredible price for a cartridge with a Microline stylus. If I didn't have too many cartridges already I'd be on this in a second.

 

Is there a MC equivalent in the A-T line?

 

How does this cartridge compare with the Nagaoka 110? (Which I am running on my RP1 and like very much.)

 

Very tempted to get this for my Rega RP-1, to upgrade the stock Ortofon OMB5 it currently has. As I'm not that well-versed in different carts, I'm wondering if the AT440MLB would be a simple swap or would there be other modifications needed to make it work with my Rega? I understand I'll need to set the tracking force and skate, etc. But what about the height?

The specs of the OMB5 list the distance from stylus tip to the centre of mounting holes and height from stylus tip to top cartridge mounting surface. I can't find similar info for the AT440MLB, though.

If anybody can share any insight, I'd appreciate it.

 

Interesting timing. My current cart is a hybrid. I have an old Signet TK3ea with a 440mla stylus mounted that I should probably replace soon. The 440a stylus seems to be out of stock everywhere or at prices much higher than the replacement stylus I purchased about a year ago. At some of the prices I'm seeing it almost makes sense to move to the 150mlx for my next stylus.

 

Apples and oranges.

 

Everyone should note that this item is currently on backorder with a projected ship date of 1/21. How good is Fry's at filling back orders? I have zero experience with Fry's.

 

I ordered a back-ordered Blu-Ray from them and in couple of weeks it was fulfilled. I was pleasantly surprised, as this BD was out-of-stock everywhere.

So, my 440mla is going on 5 years old and the cantilever I think is weakening. Is this worth getting instead of a replacement 440mla stylus? Those seem to still be in stock for around $179..

 

this is a awesome deal!

 

Ordered on January 27, 2016 and still not rec'd

Frys reply -
Dear Ron, We apologize for the inconvenience you have experienced with your order. I'm pleased to inform you that our buying and sales department has worked diligently in obtaining the Frys item number of 8534279 you ordered. It is estimated to arrive to our warehouse on 02/25/2016. Please note that this is in fact an estimated date, which means that it may even arrive sooner. Once the item is received in our warehouse, it will be shipped to your home. Be assured that you have not been charged for your order, as we do not do so until the order is shipped, only an authorization has been obtained. Although your experience was not what we would have liked it to have been, it is an opportunity to help us improve our service. We have forwarded your feedback regarding the purchase to the appropriate personnel for their review. Please let me know if you have any additional questions or concerns. You may also reach our Customer Service department directly at 408-350-1484. Thank you, Kristy A.

 

$179 is way too much for 440 replacement stylus. The 440mlb is supposed to be the replacement for the 440mla so they should be pretty damn near the same. The old 440mla stylus used to retail for around $150 (i.e. 1 year ago). Once you start getting up near $180+, IMHO, you might as well just buy a 150mlx replacement stylus. These are available on Amazon for around $190 and should fit the 440mla cart body AFAIK.

If you don't want to get the cart from Frys and just remove the new stylus from the new cart and pop it on the old cart (what I would probably do here), Thakker in Germany and CD Japan seem to have the best prices on 440 replacement styli at the present time.

I needed to replace my stylus recently as well, didn't want to wait on backorders, so I was about to order from CDJapan when I saw that Amazon had just one 440mla stylus somehow back in stock, so I just bought that. When this stylus wears out, hopefully the 440mlb replacement stylus will be more widely available through stateside sellers than it has been over the past few months.