A/B AT-VM95E vs AT-VM95ML

The Dogs clips made me realize how much used to be IGD-free I've got in a year and a half of using the ML stylus. Hearing the A sample was just a wow moment.

 

Your 'wow' on listening to A being a bad 'wow', rather than a 'wow, that's good'?

 

Yeah, a bad 'wow'. That's how my records have used to sound before the switch to VM540ML.

 

Im not sure I hear any looseness or wavyness, just distortion, crackle and edgyness.

 

Seamus has less edgy and sibilant vocals on the ML. Sounds very nice by the way, never heard that Japanese press before.

Barn sounds about the same for both, not too challenging a track though, you might need more complex music to get the E to slip up. The ML might have been slightly less noisy however.

 

Your impressions line up with mine there.

 

Great cartridge! My ML served me well up until a few days ago when my Hana SL arrived. I think in that price range the VM95ML is a no brainer.

 

Barn sounds sounds slightly brighter and less compressed to me with the ML.

actually the first sample is mostly distorted in the right channel - I guess the previous owner didn't set his anti-skate..

 

The ML vs E debate is pretty fast decided in favour of the ML. The ML vs the SH is far more interesting I think.

 

It does sound like your elliptical stylus may be a bit worn.

 

I'm on my second 95ml so was thinking about the SH or a vm740ml but as I love the sound so much as is don't know if I'll bother to change ...

 

Its around 130 hours I believe OP calculated. Not worn out, the ML is simply better.

 

ML wins ;^)

 

I don't disagree that the ML may be better. I know the calculation on the elliptical is 130 hours but that doesn't mean it's the same as brand new. It's just that its performance may have deteriorated, even if it isn't worn out.

 

Its not if it "may" be better, it simply is. If the ML was at 130 hours or E at 0 it would still be about the same results Im sure.

 

I'm not so sure about that.
Anyway, I'm interested in this thread as I currently have the AT-VM95E on a turntable and am thinking of replacing the stylus with the ML one when it becomes worn. Right now it sounds fine.
I used to have the AT-440 with the ML stylus and it was great at tracking.

 

If this doesnt convince you, Im not sure what will.

 

Trying to find a great, non-worn copy of a popular classic rock album like this is not easy. Would probably need to go through and check several copies to find the "right" one. I found Sample A utterly unlistenable and it's a pretty good illustration of why I only used advanced styli now for most of my records. After several years now I can't go back. Just not possible for me.

And I've tried all the major advanced shapes still available - Shibata, Ogura, FG, ML/MR - and I personally prefer the ML/MR by a longshot.

 

My point was that a brand new stylus was being compared to one that was at almost half its expected lifetime.
No doubt the ML sounded better on most samples. But maybe wear was a factor as well as stylus type.

 

Sample A definitely has distortion throughout and it sounds awful, so it's definitely the VM95E. B sounds better thus it's the VM95ML.

Neil Young's They Might Be Lost and Pink Floyd's Seamus sounds much better on the VM95ML.

The VM95E in Seamus has inner groove distortion and splattering sibilance while the Neil Young track has some distortion but not as egregious as the others. Then again, it's not a particularly challenging track as a closer song.

As an owner of the Audio Technica VM95ML, that cartridge does wonders with inner groove distortion and it made listening a whole lot better than ever before with a wide array of records in my collection, audiophile and non-audiophile alike. It also helped me discern which albums I own that have serious groove wear and damage in the inner groove area.

 

Although the VM95ML is stomping the AT-VM95E here in what seems like a pretty fair fight, I'd still like to speak up on behalf of the humble AT-VM95E, which I bought a few months ago because I wanted to finally practice installing carts, using a new U-Turn Orbit Custom I bought as a second TT for mostly casual listening. I was also curious after reading a lot about what killer deals these less expensive new-generation Audio-Technica interchangeable-stylus cartridges are proving to be.

I worked hard on really getting the AT-VM95E dialed in, and although I haven't yet put many hours on it, I'm quite impressed by what I'm hearing. No issues with IGD that I can hear, and the sound quality is balanced, sweet, and lively with no distortion or obvious bothersome problems for such a cheap cartridge. I'll probably splash out for the ML once the elliptical starts to approach 300 hours, but in the meantime from my perspective the AT-VM95E is no joke, and actually incredible for the price, however much nicer (and $100 better) the ML may be.

 

Possibly, but I've heard plenty of elliptical and conical styli that sound just like that on end of side tracks when brand new.

 

Microline is so much better! Much less distortion.

 

That's correct.

 

Yeah, I'm probably going to wait till May, when the remixed Pink Floyd Animals comes out in 5.1 and in vinyl.