A/B AT-VM95E vs AT-VM95ML

You might end up doing what I did. Calculating the cents-per-hour cost of the E and ML shows the ML is ever-so-slightly cheaper, so I waited till around half its lifespan was used and ordered the ML. Should have started with the ML, butr you never know till you try, and the E is more affordable to try out.

 

I made about a dozen A/B recordings of Floyd, Genesis, Beatles, Nick Drake, and Bob Dylan side closers but I didn't realize I had the recording gain turned up (I usually set it to zero for recording vinyl). I'll likely do some more A/B tests of more challenging side closers so people umming and ahhing about getting ML over (or after) an E can hear the difference, with the note that this ML is very new (been played 100 minutes so far) versus the c.150-hours-played E.

 

And it's worth repeating that the cents-per-hour cost of the ML in fact makes it (slightly) cheaper than the E.

 

I was told there would be no math!

 

That's not a bad idea. I ended up with a bent stylus on a Goldring cartridge. Even though I liked the cartridge it was expensive to replace it and so I got the AT-VM95E which I like too and which is cheaper to replace. However since the microline stylus can be installed on my cartridge and has a longer life, I probably will buy one at one point.

 

It's the records that have value, not the stylus. Choose accordingly. Anyone who buy used records knows.

 

Some more samples (c.12-seconds) for comparison, all excerpts from side closers:

Bought used:
E-'Los Endos', Genesis, A Trick of the Tail (original German pressing)
ML-'Los Endos'

E--'Thriller', Michael Jackson, Thriller (Japanese 1st pressing, 25-3P-399)
ML--'Thriller'

E--'Stairway to Heaven', Led Zeppelin, fourth album
ML--'Stairway to Heaven'


New (bought in recent months):
E--'Get Back', Beatles, Let It Be (Special Edition, remix)
ML--'Get Back'

E--'Things Behind The Sun', Nick Drake, Pink Moon (Island, 2013 reissue)
ML--'Things Behind The Sun'

E--'It's All Over Now, Baby Blue', Bob Dylan, Bringing It All Back Home (Orig. Mono Rec. edn, played in stereo)
ML--'It's All Over Now, Baby Blue'

E--'In Your Eyes', Peter Gabriel, So (Caroline/Real World, 2016 reissue)
ML--'In Your Eyes'

 

The ML sounded better on all of these. It was most noticeable in the acoustic tracks (Nick Drake and Bob Dylan).
The ML clip for the Led Zeppelin plays Pink Floyd.

 

Oops! Looks like I've deleted the ML Zep. Here is the 'Comfortably Numb' A/B:

E--'Comfortably Numb', Pink Floyd, The Wall (Japanese original pressing)
ML --'Comfortably Numb'

 

Quite a bit of distortion with the micro line here. Is this pressing known to have issues?

 

If it's the new remix box set thing the answer is yes. Loads of comments about it.

 

It's not the remix box set, it's the 1-LP.

 

This is the 'Made in Canada' 1-LP Let It Be.

 

Do you hear more distortion on the microline than the elliptical in the 'Get Back' sample?

 

Seems to be some struggle with either high gain, rough copies or other issues. I somewhat recently recorded a few moments from records with a mid life (>300 hrs) ATVM95ML. You can hear the defects and surface noise, and some of the recordings are hotter than others (I don't have a way to adjust volume so I used inline attenuators), but this is typical of the cart on cleaner recordings.

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Definitely could be high gain, rough copies, or other issues.

 

Well, the ML needs a very tight alignment; and I have experienced having too much gain and like the VM95 because it puts out a little less voltage. Good luck!

 

Yes. It’s distorted no matter which cartridge and stylus is used. Do not use this as a basis for comparison for anything.

EDIT: If it’s the new 1LP version. The old one based on the 2009 digital mastering is ok.

 

It is the new 1-LP version.

 

It’s the mastering, not the cartridge. I listened causally to those samples, and both have the same distortion, not surprisingly.

 

VM540ML.

 

No, I was just surprised to hear that much distortion with a microline on a record that must be in in good condition because it's new.

 

Yes, I had been reading about the distortion on the thread dedicated to this release but there was some dissension about it and so I bought the vinyl super deluxe Let It Be. I have to say I didn't notice the distortion until I listened to the track on my LP on headphones (as I rarely listen on headphones) after hearing the distortion on the sample posted in this thread.
Bummer. I have ordered the CD version as Amazon had it on sale. The CDs apparently don't have the distortion.

 

Would be helpful if someone with both carts could start a similar thread A/B-ing those with snipped of LP side-enders.

 

Until then one can use this as help for now.



The sound differences are extremely slight if audible at all.
As for inner groove tracking, the ML should objectively perform better still.
In my mind ML is clearly superior as its cheaper too, because AT doesnt have to pay license to use it unlike the SH profile.