Audio Technica's new VM cartridge series

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Scott Davies, Feb 23, 2017.

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  1. recstar24

    recstar24 Senior Member

    Location:
    Glen Ellyn, IL
    Is the only difference between the 540 and 740ml weight?
     
  2. recstar24

    recstar24 Senior Member

    Location:
    Glen Ellyn, IL
    What are your thoughts on possibly the lighter vm540ml being a better match for the GR arm?
     
  3. MusicNBeer

    MusicNBeer Forum Resident

    Location:
    Florida
    The lighter cartridge will raise the resonance but only very slightly, a fraction of a Hz. I wouldn't base my purchase on that effect. With that said, the only reasons I see to get the 740 are that it looks cooler and you can stylus swap with the 750/760 if you desire.
     
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  4. recstar24

    recstar24 Senior Member

    Location:
    Glen Ellyn, IL
    Done :) I went with the 740, lpgear has it for $300. The housing definitely looks cooler, and I think the stylus upgrade path will work out well.
     
    bluemooze likes this.
  5. theron d

    theron d Forum Resident

    Location:
    Baltimore MD
    good to know!
     
  6. Rentz

    Rentz Forum Resident

    Location:
    Texas
    This threads now got me wanting to get a new vm line
    The reports of brightness always scared be away from at before this , cart seems like a fair match for my modded ar which is a medium to heavy arm (basically a modded technics arm)
     
    Heckto35 likes this.
  7. vinyldoneright

    vinyldoneright pbthal

    Location:
    Ca
    On my system the 740ML has a rising shelf from 8.5k to 12.5k, I put a AT150MLX stylus on the VM body and flat as a pancake and yes my capacitance is less than 125pf
     
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  8. MusicNBeer

    MusicNBeer Forum Resident

    Location:
    Florida
    How much of a shelf is there in your case? I too have a touch of brightness but it's not bad. The great tracking, very low distortion, and low surface noise outweigh this. I've also realized using tone controls doesn't summon demonic entities!

    Interesting that the MLX stylus fits and works well. Boron cantilever...
     
    recstar24 likes this.
  9. punkmusick

    punkmusick Amateur drummer

    Location:
    Brazil
    I have this tad of brightness in my VM540ML. System is on the neutral side I suppose, around 220pf capacitance. Not too much treble, not aggressive and not fatiguing, just a bit, but noticeable. Got better after 10-15 hours but didn't go away completely. This is probably what makes the cartridge sound a bit thin and made me look at something with more body. Still a great cartridge for the price and in a warmer system it might be just perfect depending on the listener's tastes. A lot of people like this bit of brightness.
     
  10. recstar24

    recstar24 Senior Member

    Location:
    Glen Ellyn, IL
    Google Übersetzer

    This is a German hifi article comparing the 540 and 740 but has some nice measurements as well
     
    punkmusick likes this.
  11. punkmusick

    punkmusick Amateur drummer

    Location:
    Brazil
    This article convinced me to pull the trigger on the VM540ML.
     
    csgreene and PooreBoy like this.
  12. recstar24

    recstar24 Senior Member

    Location:
    Glen Ellyn, IL
    This article helped me pull the trigger on the VM740ML :)
     
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  13. MusicNBeer

    MusicNBeer Forum Resident

    Location:
    Florida
    Never saw the article until now.
     
  14. recstar24

    recstar24 Senior Member

    Location:
    Glen Ellyn, IL
    Its a cool article, the German translation is somewhat OK, but I just think it’s cool there are hifi mags out there that are willing to get some measurements on carts. Cool to see the GR as well as part of many reviewers tool box.
     
  15. vinyldoneright

    vinyldoneright pbthal

    Location:
    Ca

    about 3.5 db at its peak..the MLX fits perfectly
     
  16. elaterium

    elaterium Forum Resident

    Sounds fantastic on my system.
     
    Spin Doctor likes this.
  17. Spin Doctor

    Spin Doctor Forum Resident

    Yeah, it's got to be a synergy thing. Mine has zero "brightness". It does have 100% "rightness". It makes everything sound good. I'd been mostly playing records that I know sound great while mine was breaking in. It's about 10 days old now. So last night, I put on a record by the 70's funk band LTD. Nothing special about the pressing. But Man, Jeffry Osborn's vocals were smooth like butter. And the soundstage from the background singers and strings went up and over my head like a wave. Never heard it sound like that that before. I must have played that record 3 times back to back. I couldn't stop listening to it.

    Then put on Future's self titled album. Obviously a digital source, but the Roland 808 kick was big huge and round. Like a big bass bubble that you sat inside. Now I know what it's supposed to sound like...

    I freakin' love this cart...
     
    Heckto35, JimSpark, Paul K and 4 others like this.
  18. guidedbyvoices

    guidedbyvoices Old Dan's Records

    Location:
    Alpine, TX
    So after living with my VM740ML for 5-6 weeks I swapped back in my old 440mlb. It’s hard to say it’s apples to apples because the 440mlb probably has 1000 hours on it.

    My impression is that the 440 is brighter. Its brightness never bothered me because I like the detail from it and in my modest system it was never too harsh. But after getting used to the vm740ml, it is definitely not as bright and a little better at rounding out the lows, a little more mid for a little more natural sound. The vm740ml still brings out all the detail I loved and an excellent tracker. Not a major difference but I definitely prefer the vm740ml. I was happy with the 440mlb and I’m really happy so far with the vm740ml

    I will say that about 10 hours into the vm740ml was a weird couple of days where it seemed the mids seemed to take over and it almost seemed muffled, made me a bit nervous. But by 20hrs of use it settled in nicely.

    Not sure if the 740ml is worth the price over the 540ml. But I wanted the cart so I could try the shibata stylus down the road.
     
    Last edited: Dec 13, 2018
  19. guidedbyvoices

    guidedbyvoices Old Dan's Records

    Location:
    Alpine, TX
    I think the body of the cart too - that goldish looking metal body of the 740 (aluminum) vs the black plastic of the 540.
     
  20. MusicNBeer

    MusicNBeer Forum Resident

    Location:
    Florida
    Listening to Ten Years After, A Space In Time, on my VM740ML and 1210GR and all is right in the universe. This ML is so quiet yet full of detail and zero distortion.
     
  21. recstar24

    recstar24 Senior Member

    Location:
    Glen Ellyn, IL
    MINE LANDS MONDAY. Too excited!
     
  22. recstar24

    recstar24 Senior Member

    Location:
    Glen Ellyn, IL
    @MusicNBeer just curious, what do you have VTA dial set at? I’m assuming you are using stock mat and headshell.
     
  23. heartbroken_poet

    heartbroken_poet Forum Resident

    Location:
    Texas
    This is really interesting. Thank you for a wonderful thread, so much knowledge...
    I've read the whole thread and I still wonder: How much of an upgrade would be to go to a VM740ML body over the classic old AT150MLX body?
    Is there really any design or construction improvement in this new body?
    Would it be wort it to "upgrade" to a VM740?

    The ATNV150MLX stylus is still obtainable through some old stock markets, although honestly, I don't know for how long.
    I fear that going back to the aluminum cantilever would be a step back.
     
  24. PooreBoy

    PooreBoy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Lake City, TN
    If you’re wanting a cartridge that’s close to the AT150MLX, then you need to look at the AT750SH as it has the shibata stylus. I’ve had mine for almost 2 years and I still believe that it is equal to the 150mlx.
     
    heartbroken_poet likes this.
  25. MusicNBeer

    MusicNBeer Forum Resident

    Location:
    Florida
    I have VTA for horizontal tonearm. I think it's approximately 0.3mm with stock headshell and mat.
     
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