Audio Technica AT150mlx cart discontinued-replacement stylus?

Hi AT150mlx fans!

I really like this cart and microline stylus combo since it tracks so well with no IGD. Sorry to see it discontinued.

Has anyone yet tried the new ATN150SA replacement Stylus? Not much on Audio Technica website. Specs simply show Shibata...How does it track and handle IGD?

Thanks

 

Wack! Recently got the MLX. Looks like they swapped the boron cantilever for aluminum.

 

Wha?

 

Seems to me they have gone back to the same needle as on the AT20SLa, in principle. It´s one of my favorites, no IGD on this one.

 

I've mentioned this before but I once got four (!) dud ATN150MLX styli in a row. One wouldn't even stay on the cartridge body. It would just randomly fall off. The others had various degrees of misshapen and/or poorly mounted styli and/or skewed cantilevers. The difference between how clean the ML stylus is mounted on the current boron rod cantilever vs how it was mounted on the even more brittle beryllium rod of my ATN160ML from the late 1980s is visible. The modern versions use a lot of material to hold the stylus on the cantilever. I wouldn't be surprise if they weren't true nude square-shank styli anymore. The old version has the square shank clearly inserted through a hole on the cantilever tip with only a speck of glue holding it in place. In addition, I've been hearing more reports of people with ML styli having lots of clicks and crackles predominately in one channel or the other. I wonder if whoever was making these boron rods with ML/SAS styli on them just couldn't maintain their quality control for a fair enough price? Boron isn't like beryllium. Beryllium dust is toxic. That's part of the reason you stopped seeing beryllium cantilevers and an increase of boron ones. So I wonder about the seeming drop-off in quality these past few years.

 

Not familiar w/ this cart & stylus combo. What kind of stylus does it have? Shibata?

For the at150mlx --> at150sa, it appears that they've switched from the microline Nude Square Shank .02 to the Shibata Nude Square Shank 0.3 x 0.7 mil style stylus.

 

Yes it had a nude Shibata. I think they have a Shibata on the Sa, which means the 0.3 x 0.7 is wrong.

 

Could be, that 150mlx was brittle, it may have been due to the adhesive. My cat bumped my tone arm last Christmas, did two long jumps and was done, man I loved that cart...

 

Has anyone actually seen the new ATN150SA stylus listed as a replacement for the AT150MLX. All I see on the AT website is that the AT150MLX is discontinued. Under their entry for the ATN150SA, it simply says:

Replacement stylus for these cartridges:
AT150Sa
​

The bodies certainly look the same and I hope I won't need a replacement stylus for a long time, but I do recall how fast I accidentally knocked the stylus off my original 150MLX cantilever when it slipped out of my hand and bounced onto a record label several years ago.

Also, I see lots of folks around the net talking about putting an ATN150MLX on an AT440MLa body, but how about the reverse? Anyone tried a 440MLa or MLb stylus on an AT150MLX body? Does it sound like a 440, a 150 or some sort of hybrid?

 

I've had an AT 150 MLX for the last year or so and it's the best MM cart I've ever heard. Absolutely gutted to hear they are discontinuing it, and replacing it with an inferior AND more expensive model. I've bought a replacement stylus, but when it's worn out, it's worn out... I can't see the SA sounding better, just based on the specs.

AFAIK all those higher end MM AT stylii will fit on all the carts.

 

I have seen a couple of sites mention that The ATN150Sa stylus is specified for the Audio-Technica AT150Sa cartridge and its progenitors (AT150MLX and AT150ANV)

 

Yes, there are no worries that it will fit, but will it sound as good?

 

FWIW, when I tried a 440MLa stylus on a 150MLX body, I liked it better than either the full 440MLa or the 150MLX stylus on the 440MLa body. Compared to a regular 440MLa cartridge/stylus, crosstalk was lower and more even between channels up and down the spectrum. A little smoother tone. Also backgrounds seemed a little "blacker" which was probably due to the superior body construction. On the other hand, the 150MLX stylus on the 440MLa body just never sound "right", there was this "haze" that never seemed to go away. Slight tracking ability improvement on the toughest of material but that was the only plus for me with that combo.

If you ever come across an AT155LC body for good price, don't hesitate to buy it. Compared to the good AT150MLX cartridges I've had, it sounds even smoother and has a bigger, more precise soundstage when paired with the ATN150MLX stylus. The ATN160ML, AT440MLa, and ATN140LC styli also sound wonderful, with the 160 being a cut above all of the rest.

 

That's good to hear. Maybe I'll do a shootout at some stage between an MLX, SA and 440MLa on the MLX cart body.

 

Hopefully it will sound better. Looks like it's gonna cost more that the MLX stylus too. I'm due to replace the stylus on my 150MLX sometime later this year. Looks like I may be forced into going with this beast. I'm already having trouble finding a MLX stylus in stock online without paying way too much. I'm sure that's only gonna get worse.

 

I just ordered a replacement MLX stylus. Will wait to hear reports on the SA. Something tells me it won't be as good. Different stylus, different cantilever etc.

 

Hi

Looking forward to your shootout results.

Maybe the At440MLa stylus (anodized Aluminum catilever), or the new at440MLb replacement (regular Aluminum cantilever) on the At150MLx body will be a good alternative to the at150SA stylus. The at400's are Microlines while the new at150SA is a Shibata.

 

I am fortunate that I have 2 spare new atn150MLX styli purchased at reasonable prices last year. I think best current price out there is around $225-250, or you still can get a full AT150MLx body/stylus for $320.

Anyone know the shelf life of the Audio Technica rubber/cantilever assemblies? Will a 10 year old stylus/cantilever still perform well, let alone still be properly attached?

 

Yeah, I'd rather stick with MicroLine because I know how good they can sound, and have never tried a Shibata.

 

Yep, just paid $250 for my replacement 150 MLX stylus. Not sure whether to try and track more down, or go for an SA and a 440 to do a shootout, it's tempting! But then if the 150 turns out to be the winner, I'll be gutted I didn't buy more of those...

 

Naaaa, after 10 years it must be disposed of. Send it to me and will take care of mother earth by recycling it.

 

About a month ago I decided I was coming due to replace my stylus. I checked around the usual places and found one on amazon for $156, it was sold by amazon but said it would take extra time to ship, no worries. After a week and it hadn't shipped I checked back and the "other sellers" were $185-200ish. No worries I had mine locked in.

Then a couple days later they send me a cancellation notice! I check the other sellers and the price is up to $254!

So I went back to LP gear and they had two listings for the ATN150MLX, one was $254 and the other was $199, I double checked the specs and they were identical so I bought the one for $199 and it arrived a few days later.

But now I'm not gonna swap it out until I absolutely must.

 

It should be fine. I'd seal it up in a small airtight container to be on the safe side. When I bought my NOS ATN160ML a while back, the little plastic stylus case had been entombed in clear packing tape. That stylus was probably 20 years old or more when I bought it.

 

I recently lucked into an NOS at20ss stylus that was produced in the late 70's. It performs perfectly.

 

Thanks for the replies guys.

Here is Audio Technica's reply on stylus cantilever rubber life:

We are not able to state an exact shelf life. Humidity levels and the exposure to UV are the primary concerns. As long as these can be controlled, shelf life could be years. Store replacement styli in a dry place away from direct sunlight.