Audio Technica VM540ML. I love it!!!

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Kiko1974, Apr 12, 2018.

  1. patient_ot

    patient_ot Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    I don't think a turntable of that nature is made for switching carts very often. Just not practical. If you wanted to swap out your current cart on a more semi-permanent basis, that would be an idea to explore. Just make sure you are able to get the capacitance down low. That includes the input capacitance of the phono preamp, the cabling that runs through the tonearm, and the cable that runs from the back of the TT to the phono pre input.
     
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  2. fried

    fried Forum Resident

    Location:
    Paris
    Choices, choices.

    Try a Jico stylus in my Shure V15 iii. I bought a generic Thakker stylus which has been excellent for €50.

    Or go for a new AT vm540ml...maybe p'n'p

    Arm is a Sme 3009 v2 detachable headshell.

    Thoughts appreciated.
     
  3. Kiko1974

    Kiko1974 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Are there any "generic" replacement stylus for the VM540ML? The stylus alone is almost as expensive as a new cart.
     
  4. mj_patrick

    mj_patrick Senior Member

    Location:
    Elkhart, IN, USA
    Just an update of sorts... I've been playing the heck out of this cart... also doing a lot of vinyl captures, or "needledrops" via USB to a PowerBook while using this VM540ML cartridge... I've had a few exceptional rips that sound glorious, even when played in the car.
     
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  5. patient_ot

    patient_ot Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    You can probably find one but it'll be a cheap bonded elliptical, nothing like the OEM stylus.
     
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  6. sathvyre

    sathvyre formerly known as ABBAmaniac

    Location:
    Europe
    Save some money and buy the AT-VM95ML instead. Same stylus as AT440ML, but better sound (not as bright).
     
  7. Chester0711

    Chester0711 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Minneapolis,MN
    I would love to hear someone give these a head to head .....VM95ML vs. VM740ML. Half the price, but is it half the sound?
     
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  8. sathvyre

    sathvyre formerly known as ABBAmaniac

    Location:
    Europe
    95ML sounds better to me, not as bright as the 540. I never heard the 740...but the stylus should be the same for all of them !!!
     
  9. sathvyre

    sathvyre formerly known as ABBAmaniac

    Location:
    Europe
    ...and no: the 95ML is not half the sound...;)
     
  10. Big Blue

    Big Blue Forum Resident

    Location:
    Wisconsin
    There will be some dependence on the rest of the system, of course, specifically the tonearm and the phono stage. While the published dynamic compliance spec is the same for the two at 100 Hz, I have read they measure differently at 10 Hz (540ML being higher compliance than 95ML), which makes the tonearm matching not quite the same. Also, the brightness of the 540 may be reigned in by a phono stage that can be adjusted to the right capacitance (admittedly, not all that common a feature). The 540 does have a better channel separation spec, and, while the diamond is a ML for both of them, I think the 540 may use a finer/lighter cantilever.

    Now, I use a 95ML, and I think it sounds great, but I don’t know that it’s universally a better choice than a 540ML.
     
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  11. sathvyre

    sathvyre formerly known as ABBAmaniac

    Location:
    Europe
    I had the 440MLb, the 540ML and the 95ML. Last one sounds best to me. I have an Audio-Technica AT-LP140XP and use the internal phono preamp of my YAMAHA AX-550 amp. Sounds wonderful.
     
  12. MountainKing

    MountainKing Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago, IL
    I think that last part explains what you're hearing. Nothing wrong with that turntable, but there's limitations with it and the internal phono. As you upgrade you'll get more out of the 540, there's a huge sound jump between the 95ml and 540ml in my system.
     
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  13. sathvyre

    sathvyre formerly known as ABBAmaniac

    Location:
    Europe
    I tested the 540ML on a friends equipment. Has a great external phono preamp where you can configure everything...the 540ML was still too bright. Mostly I prefer my MC cartridge AT33PTG/II, but the 95ML has nearly the same frequency range :)
     
  14. bever70

    bever70 Let No-one Live Rent Free in Your Head!

    Location:
    Belgium
    So how much was the total capacitance for your friends system (tt + phono preamp) ?
     
  15. sathvyre

    sathvyre formerly known as ABBAmaniac

    Location:
    Europe
    I think around 30pF on the preamp.
     
  16. Big Blue

    Big Blue Forum Resident

    Location:
    Wisconsin
    My perspective is of someone considering spending a little more to move from a 95ML to a 540ML, not someone looking to save a little money by going with a 95ML instead of replacing the stylus on a 540ML, so I am curious about your impressions. Have you compared the two on your 1200?
     
  17. SNDVSN

    SNDVSN Forum Resident

    Location:
    Glasgow
    I have a 95sh and a 540ml, the 540ml is far superior, believe me.
     
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  18. MountainKing

    MountainKing Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago, IL
    On the 1200 and the Rega. The differences between the two were a little more noticeable on the Rega than the 1200, but that's just to my ear. The other poster found it too bright so that's cool.
     
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  19. sathvyre

    sathvyre formerly known as ABBAmaniac

    Location:
    Europe
    If you are into bright sound, the 540ML is the better option. If you want to listen to music with a very balanced frequency range, the 95ML works fine. Nothing wrong with it.
     
  20. SNDVSN

    SNDVSN Forum Resident

    Location:
    Glasgow
    I don't find the 540ml overly bright but I have a low cap set up, the VM95sh just sounds dull in comparison.
     
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  21. patient_ot

    patient_ot Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    Definitely NOT. However, to say one is better than the other isn't quite right either. These carts will have different loading requirements to achieve a flat-ish response and are meant for two totally different types of tonearms.

    The 500/700 series is meant for lighter tonearms, ideally less than 10g in effective mass. You can try it on a 12g-ish arm and possibly get away with it depending on certain factors, but it's not meant for a medium to medium heavy 15g + effective mass arm.

    The VM95 series is meant for medium to medium heavy arms. 15g + minimum. It will also work on some 'tweener type 12g-ish arms, but will benefit from a little more weight on the arm.

    The VM95 series is easier to load. Depending on your system, you may have to tweak loading a bit with the 500/700 series. I can get a near flat response with low capacitance cables + 100pf and 47k loading using the VM95 series.
     
  22. struttincool

    struttincool Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    taken with a grain of salt
     
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  23. patient_ot

    patient_ot Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    Did you test the frequency response on these? If not, it's just guesswork. That's the problem with these "it sounds bright" and "its sounds dull" type of posts. Many people never bother to do a simple test to see what the FR actually is.
     
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  24. SNDVSN

    SNDVSN Forum Resident

    Location:
    Glasgow
    Everything is a compromise anyway, if you have a dull sounding record you want a bright cart and vice versa.
     
  25. SNDVSN

    SNDVSN Forum Resident

    Location:
    Glasgow
    We have these wonderful things called ears, they don't lie.
     
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