Worked my way through the cartridge jungle and reached the AT-VM740ML. Wise choice?

Yes, another thread about a cartridge

I have worked my way through the 'cartridge jungle' and think I reached my destination but would very much like to reality-check my result with other users. Would like feedback or alternative viewpoints.

Having spun for about a year with a Nagaoka 110, I am ready for an upgrade. My TT-system: SL1210GR and Carmbridge Audio Duo. The latter will be replaced soon with a Musical Fidelity MX-VYNL and a KAB Fluid Damper is on order.

I have to admit: I have literally read 2000+ posts on catridges on this forum. A big thank you to all contributors. At moments I gave up, so confused and just about to press 'buy' on any cartridge on any seller's page. But I continued my research and think it was worth it.

My aim is to install a neutral sounding cartridge. I strongly prefer cartridges that don't add a touch of warmness. I prefer the sound to be a bit on the bright, some my feel: crisp side. Good separation of instruments is important to me. Some background: I do a lot of vinyl transfers and have plenty of options to adjust EQ later in the chain.

About 90% of my records are 90's electronic music. All cleaned with an ultrasonic cleaner and kept in antistatic inner sleeves. I want to be able to switch catridges easily.

One of my aims was to buy a cartridge with relatively easy ways of changing the stylus and buying new styluses (via Ebay or so). I play a lot and usually change the stylus after 8 months or so (yes, I know this is early but I think I can start hearing a difference by then). Pricepoint: 300-400 USD or EUR (not more).

My initial step
I read a lot about the MC cartridges that many people use on their Technics, like the AT-OC9XML, AT33PGT/II and Denon 103-R. I was tempted to go for the latter but there are just to many posts indicating it is not a good match for a Technics. People who do add the Denon 103-R appear to have a lot of issues getting the weights right. I am hestitant about the more expensive MC-cartridges as I like the flexibility of changeing needles and the are a stiff investment moneywise.

Next step
Using this forum and YouTube, I evaluated many MM cartridges starting with the Nagaoka MP 150 and 200 line. Appealling to many, for my ears they seem to be on the warm side. On the plus side, it is easy to buy replacement styluses in Japan for a good price.

I then delved into the new Audio Technica line. Many reviewers place the new VM750SH and VM740ML (microline) cartridges soundwise in a different zone to the Nagaoka's. Listening to a few 1080P YouTube rips I could clearly discern the Audio Technica sounding more clear (crisp) and less soft then the Nagaoka's. Reviews on this forum tend to confirm this.

For a pricepoint of around 300 EUR, my conclusion is the VM 740ML is a wise choice.

Did I do a good job evaluating the options? Very open to suggestions!!

BTW: I plan to mount the on the stock Technics SL1210GR headshell. Weight-wise, that seems to be unproblematic. I didn't find a better alternative. Do other people also mount the VM740ML on their regular headshell?

 

You made a wise choice. That cartridge has an exciting and detailed sound without being harsh. The fluid damper is a helpful tweak since the compliance is slightly on the soft side. The phono amp keeps the capacitance in the recommended range, which is super important. It’s got the ML stylus so you will get the least amount of distortion; perfect for needle drops. And, it’s an Audio Technica so it’ll have super wide stereo separation and the best tracking performance available at any price. I would be shocked if you weren’t thrilled with it.
If you really want to maximize its performance and you have the patience, invest in a Mint LP Best Tractor alignment protractor. It really does make a difference and will get you the absolute most dead-on alignment possible - if you’re patient enough. As an alternative, the AccuTrack gauge is great too. The Mint is the Stevenson geometry, and the AccuTrak has an option for the actual Technics SL-1200 geometry, which I prefer, but the Mint will be more accurate.

 

Considering what kind of sound you want and why you are using your cart for, probably a wise choice. I went from a Nag mp110 to an ATVm540ml and thought I was fine....but then I discovered the Denon MC sound . I might have different expectations of sound compared to you though, all pretty subjective.
Make sure you get a proper phono stage with low capacitance settings!

 

The VM740ML is a spectacular choice! That being said, the less expensive VM540ML (which I have) is said to sound just about the same, the only difference being the metal housing on the 740 vs the plastic housing on the 540. Both use the same stylus and same generator within the cartridge. The plastic bodied 540 also has the advantage of being about 2g lighter than the 740, which should work in your favor.

I have to admit, though, sometimes I want to buy a 740 just for the premium look of the gold metal body

 

I just bought a VM750SH, after many years with Grados, which have a similar presentation to Nagaokas. I went with the shibata instead of the microline because I DID want the touch of warmth and smoothness that you are are seeking to avoid. It’s a marvelous cartridge.

Based on your very articulately stated goals, the VM740ML should be just what you’re looking for.

On my modded SL1200MK2, I find that the metal-bodied AT balances and sounds better with the 10g end-stub auxiliary weight installed.

 

Excellent choice!
AT it's always the champ in price / performance ratio ... you only need to like the sound. I like it.
The microline it's spectacular in detail and tracking, but shows you the groove information without mercy.
Red or blue pill?

Later you can try the shibata stylus, a little more forgiving.

But, you did a good buy ... sure. Enjoy.

 

Guilty as charged!

 

@Telcoman I went through the same situation when I was using a Nagaoka MP-110, Stanton 681EEE II-S with the unobtanium original stereohederon stylus, and Ortofon 2M Bronze, which I wasn't 100% satisfied with the sound due to inner groove distortion, etc. With many thanks to the people who post measurements and stats on the Audio Technica VM95ML/VM740ML, I wound up getting the VM95ML. I installed it on my JVC QL-Y5F turntable and it exceeded my expectations across all boards from my series of non-audiophile to audiophile grade records. The fact that I have yet to switch any of my three cartridges since then speaks volume, IMO.

 

From the Nagaoka to the AT you are probably gonna hear exactly what you are looking for. Plus, you'll have the fantastic AT micro line stylus. Go for it. Just beware of capacitance in cables and phono stage to stay within the AT specs.

 

I've only just begun my AT journey after many years with Grado & Ortofon entry to mid range cartridges...if the 740 is a better version of the VM95ML and 540ML, don't see how you can go wrong.

 

If you want neutrality out of the box then get the VM95ML instead.

The 540 and 740, just like other AT 4 coil designs, are not going to be neutral out of the box. The good news is that you can load them to get them close to neutral by using loading plugs and parallel resistive loading. That will smooth out the +2 to +5dB peak at 10K or so.

I used to load my 4 coil at 39K to get it very close to neutral. You can also experiment with other values, ideally using a broadcast grade test LP that has a good frequency sweep and software.

 

I thought about going upline from the VM95ML for my GR but as I don't delve into the stuff that many of you do and do not own or plan to buy a separate phono stage, the VM95ML was my initial choice for a modern cartridge to replace the universal AT450NE I was running on the GR (this is the cart I use for my Technics SL-QL1 linear tracker from the mid-80's which is a P-mount with a 1/2" adapter). The 95ML was a very noticeable improvement, especially with albums that suffered from sibilance. I knew within an hour, probably less, that I was satisfied and done with the cartridge side of things. Matter of fact, I just bought a spare at the end of the year on sale. I had debated the 540 and the lovely looking 740 but as the table is going into the amp directly and I planned to use Technics' interconnects, I didn't want to worry about capacitance issues. Now, I happily and simply just play albums and listen to music and not my gear wondering if there was something else I should be doing. People overthink audio, it drives them bonkers. It's really not all that complicated if you keep things simple and realize that even for $100k you are not going to reproduce music so it sounds live. I say that as a musician. Good table, good cart, good CDP, good integrated, good speakers, done. It's all sooo simple.

 

Really happy with mine as well Nos (95ML).
I've actually been curious on the Shibata tip for the body.

 

@Telcoman - definitely not a bad choice! Side note - the 540 and 740ml both use the exact same stylus (the VMN40Ml), and a big reason why many think they both sound similar. The 740 has the "upgraded" 700 series body, that's the difference.

The 95ml gets a lot of press on SHF, and it was inserted in the AT lineup as an addition to cover a lower price point - but I typically recommend anyone who asks to spend just a little more and opt for the 540 after trying both. They're both good, just feel the 540 is the sweet spot if I was pondering spending down to 95ml, or up to the 740.

 

Source:
Audio-Technica VM540ML Phono Cartridge Review - HomeTheaterHifi.com

 

BTW, on this topic, you won't run into weight issues mounting the 95, 540 or 740 on a stock Technics headshell. If the Technics HS is like the many I own, it's probably around 8g and is relatively light.

 

I think it’s a good call, but then I’m biased. I’m running the VM540ML on an SL-1200GR with the Cambridge Audio Duo and I like it quite a bit. I have it mounted on the stock headshell.

 

Our buddy @patient_ot likes to show the response plot from the LowBeats review, which does show more of a rise via their AP test system even though they claim the capacitance in the setup is low ...





But the Hi-Fi World review shows it pretty flat through the treble region with only a tiny rise, maybe 1dB, only the SLC version showed much of a rise ...

 

Results will of course depend on the test record and system used. One of the reasons I prefer to do my own tests with a CBS STR100 for frequency response. And with that, even with ~200pf a 4 coil AT will show a rise in the treble region without PRL. The 95ML is fundamentally flat of course.

Note that Lowbeats uses 210pf total on a Rega arm. Different arms and different capacitance may produce different results.

 

My VM540ML sounds a bit too bright and bidimensional. In a different thread, some time ago, we came to a consensus that it was probably due to 150pf capacitance on the phono stage plus cables, which would sum over the 200pf maximum spec.

 

Well, what you term fundamentally flat, others may called rolled off at the high frequency extremes, no obvious peaking though it does droop some in the midrange and then rise back up before falling off ... again the Hi-Fi World test response plot for the VM95ML ...





I think it is safe to say, that under the right conditions, both can show a pretty flat response, but it just may be easier to achieve with the 95 series. I also think it is safe to say that many around here probably have a response worse than the LowBeats measurement on their system since it is hard to get the capacitance that low.

 

Amazed and thankful for all the great insights and experiences! Highly appreciated. Most of the comments confirm the VM740ML is a solid choice given what I want to achieve and my setup.

Keeping the Holiday season and COVID in mind, even when I order the cartridge after the weekend, I don't expect it to arrive before 1st week of January but we will see!

As soon as it has arrived, I will post a transfer and share my experiences (on both the Cambridge Audio Duo and the Musical Fidelity MX-VYNL, curious if there will be a significant audible improvement).

Thanks! Large part of my record collection consists of VG+ records with minor wear, even after a good washing. So I really expect the Microline stylus to have its function.

Thanks for pointing this out. I was aware of it but honestly, I am willing to invest (maybe overinvest).

The Denon 103R will remain high on my list, but not as my first upgrade. I need a solid base and hope the AT-VM740ML will provide for it. My next upgrade will be an MC card. Maybe not as my first choice but experiment.

Great, was hoping for that.

 

The droop is less than 1dB from the looks of it, and yeah their graph does show some roll-off above 15K. Most people on this forum would be lucky to hear to 15K anyway.

FWIW my own measurements showed it was fundamentally flat out to 2oK.

And yes, high capacitance is going to be a problem for some folks with these cartridges. All depends on hearing ability and system specifics though. I think 210pf is pretty realistic even though my current main rig has less than that, more like ~180pf.

 

Cool, that's why the forum exists.

On that vane, I am recognizing a rash of great advice on many threads these days, coupled with less bickering --- I think we're all starting to get along, realize and respect there are different choices ;-) and that we all have our idiocyncrisies.

Merry XMAS all!

 

Yup, and why you have to take measurements with a grain of salt, unless you really understand the variables, controls...... heck many times those doing the measurements don't always understand them!

Good stuff Davey, as always.