VM95ML Pre-Purchase Queries

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Kaskade10729, May 19, 2020.

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  1. Big Blue

    Big Blue Forum Resident

    Location:
    Wisconsin
    I couldn’t tell you, based on my experience. I’m listening right now, and it sounds great.
     
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  2. Kaskade10729

    Kaskade10729 Senior Member Thread Starter

    Thanks fellas; good to hear your input on it.
     
  3. Lucca90

    Lucca90 Forum Resident

    Location:
    SouthAmerica
    Personally I'm not a big fan of the AT95C, E, EN, SH, etc. There are better alternatives in this category IMO.
    IGD or a sofisticated stylus profile shouldn't be the only parameters to judge a cartridge (even at this price point)
    Just to be clear. I'm not saying that the 95 is a bad cartridge, I think it's decent cartridge with an excellent quality/ price ratio but you shouldn't buy a $150-$200 cartridge based on recommendations only, listen some samples and let your ears be the judge.
    .
     
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  4. Brother_Rael

    Brother_Rael Senior Member

    A reviewer that somehow manages to get it all wrong? Who knew?!
     
  5. nosliw

    nosliw Delivering parcels throughout Teyvat! Meow~!

    Location:
    Ottawa, ON, Canada
    His statement, "You will find the AT-VM95C outperforms 99.9% of all cartridges ever made.", is enough for me to consider his opinion bunk.
     
  6. patient_ot

    patient_ot Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    It's a very good budget/beater cartridge but hardly the last word on the series or cartridges in general.

    I wonder if his records are all trashed. Conicals are a great bet for records in rougher condition.
     
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  7. patient_ot

    patient_ot Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    And what would those alternatives be? I couldn't find anything that was better objectively AND subjectively for up to $700 USD MSRP. I'm talking high output MM/MI cartridges still being made today with OEM styli still available as well.

    Objectively from my measurements:

    -Near flat FR
    -90um tracking ability
    -27dB stereo separation

    Subjectively:

    No IGD or additional sibilance on my most aggressively cut records with the narrowest deadwax.

    Anything that doesn't meet or exceed those standards is out.
     
    Last edited: May 22, 2020
  8. Classicrock

    Classicrock Senior Member

    Location:
    South West, UK.
    Actually that is the only point that may be right considering most cartridges made are in cheap TTs below hi-fi level or for DJ use.
     
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  9. Boltman92124

    Boltman92124 Go Padres!!

    Location:
    San Diego
    Unlike some others, AT carts always sound great right out of the box. It will require more careful alignment than the 95.
     
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  10. Big Blue

    Big Blue Forum Resident

    Location:
    Wisconsin
    Yeah, I’m willing to explore other options to see if there’s something I’m missing, but, man, music sure sounds good with this thing, and it’s hard to convince myself to spend 5 to 10 times as much money (and then spend that much every 12-18 months...) on something that may yield a subtle improvement...

    If there’s something that clearly betters it at 2-3x the cost, while also pairing well with my tonearm, I’m all ears.

    For OP’s purposes, as he has stated in the past that this is very-top-of-budget, I would need somebody to convince me he could do better.
     
  11. nosliw

    nosliw Delivering parcels throughout Teyvat! Meow~!

    Location:
    Ottawa, ON, Canada
    No idea since he never stated the condition of his records.

    He also said, "Buy the Conical version first. As you are listening, I guarantee you will not be thinking it can't track, has end of side distortion, limited frequency response, bad separation, and all the other hi-fi myths out there."

    I don't get him.
     
  12. patient_ot

    patient_ot Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    I have the "C" and the 95ML. I have tested both. Objectively the "C" has worse separation (more like 20-21dB as opposed to 27dB), but OK for a conical. If you know anything about stylus shapes, when the cartridge body is the same, but the styli are different, the conical will usually have worse stereo separation. Obviously there are some exceptions, but that is usually the case, especially for high output MM/MI cartridges.

    IGD/pinch effect is a fact of life with conical styli, and will be audible and measurable on aggressively cut records. A tamely cut record isn't going to push a conical to the brink. Many old jazz records, for example, are not pushing a conical at all.

    Again, the "C" model is good for what it is. You can't expect race car performance out of a stock econobox either.
     
  13. Boltman92124

    Boltman92124 Go Padres!!

    Location:
    San Diego
    Conicals sometimes have more emphasis in the mid band. They can have a nice "presence"..vocalists more forward in the room. Does the 95c have that character?
     
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  14. Kaskade10729

    Kaskade10729 Senior Member Thread Starter

    Yes, it is indeed top of budget; I can't see spending more than this -- especially given the turntable it's going on (I realize this may be subjective at a certain point) -- on a cartridge (I realize the package deal includes the headshell, but I'm just sayin'), unless I was as deep into highly-audiophile pressings and such, as many of you are. As it stands -- and this is a quasi-response to Lucca's comment about IGD -- I'm really looking, at this point, to lower inner groove distortion, sibilance and other issues I was experiencing with the 95e, so the ML seems to make sense in that context.
     
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  15. Phil Thien

    Phil Thien Forum Resident

    Location:
    Milwaukee, WI
    Those conicals sound terrific but will do absolutely nothing for IGD.
     
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  16. Kaskade10729

    Kaskade10729 Senior Member Thread Starter

    Thanks Bolt; I think, as I said, I'm gonna play some records for a few hours and see if any difference could be heard (as the stylus slightly breaks in) before I begin my vinyl-to-CDR projects -- just to get a feel for the stylus' sound, if anything, and tweak from there.

    Do you concur that 2 grams is the right target to shoot for in terms of VTF with the 95ML?
     
  17. Boltman92124

    Boltman92124 Go Padres!!

    Location:
    San Diego
    Sure. Whatever AT recommends. The ML stylus is going to dig much deeper than an elliptical, but needs to be aligned correctly to do so. I was thinking about one of these but I'm going with the VM540ml when my 120e stylus (nude elliptical) needs replacing (which is basically brand new still and sounds awesome).
     
  18. Kaskade10729

    Kaskade10729 Senior Member Thread Starter

    Well, Audio-Technica recommends two (2) grams, but as I learned using the 95e for so many years, there is sometimes a sweet spot in terms of better tracking, even if it's a bit higher than the "recommended" (in the case of the AT95e, this was around 2.2 grams or just a smidgen over, I had found...and this had lined up with what many other owners of this cart had reported, from online research I garnered)...that's why I had asked about the VM. :)

    As for alignment, this is something I was actually going to ask about -- I plan on buying the pre-mounted cart/headshell combo, so when I get it, I can just screw the shell onto my arm and dial in VTF. How are these pre-mounted packages actually aligned? Which tables are they aligned for...is there some kind of standard?

    Here's the one I was looking to order:

    https://www.amazon.com/Audio-Techni...AT-VM95ML&qid=1590434203&s=electronics&sr=1-2
     
  19. Classicrock

    Classicrock Senior Member

    Location:
    South West, UK.
    One review on Amazon reports needing to adjust for a Technics turntable (52mm overhang). He says the pre mounted combo is set for 49-50mm overhang. Certainly needs to be checked. Probably correct for AT turntables.
     
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  20. Kaskade10729

    Kaskade10729 Senior Member Thread Starter

    Thanks.
     
  21. JohnO

    JohnO Senior Member

    Location:
    Washington, DC
    bluemooze and Kaskade10729 like this.
  22. struttincool

    struttincool Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    I just ordered a VM95e (to see if it works on my arm before getting the ML) direct from AT. Tim2020 code for a savings of 15%. No tax and free shipping. They have the headshell edition.
     
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  23. Kaskade10729

    Kaskade10729 Senior Member Thread Starter

    Thanks fellas....I don't think ordering through Amazon as we originally intended was going to be a monetary issue, but I will definitely look into B&H and direct from A-T.

    Thanks again!
     
  24. Phil Thien

    Phil Thien Forum Resident

    Location:
    Milwaukee, WI
    I'm not sure Amazon is an authorized seller, I'd check to make sure you'll get a U.S. warranty if you buy from them.
     
  25. aphexacid

    aphexacid It’s not Hip Hop, it’s Electro.

    Location:
    Illinois
    I definitely had to move it forward a few mm for my Technics
     
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