Audio-Technica AT-VM95E Dual Moving Magnet Cartridge

I ordered the AT-VM95E to replace the cartridge on my Denon DP 300F that was purchased from Turntable Lab a few years ago, and I am really enjoying it a lot more than the Ortofon 2M Red that came with the turntable. I feel the 95E sounds better to my ears and the 2M Red sounds a bit flat to me, it’s okay, I am by no means an expert, I just know what sounds good to me. My favorite cartridge so far is an Audio-Technica AT 120E that I bought years ago, also mounted on another Denon head shell so I can swap them out when I want to. I am very happy with the VM95E and I am very happy with the service I get with Turntable Lab.

Big improvement for LP3

I was skeptical that I'd hear a big difference by switching to this cartridge, however it did not disappoint! I find it very hard to A/B audio sources when there's more than about a minute between A and B, but despite my further skepticism that I would, I did! I noticed a richer and more detailed sound.The headshell supplied with my LP3 has extremely tiny leads, and I had to use tweezers. My advice would be to have just the ONE cup of coffee until after the surgery is complete. Only minor nit, sounding great and has me spinning vinyls every single day.

Fine product, but why no replacement wires?

I'm really pleased with the performance of this cartridge. I'm certainly no expert, but my records sound great with it. My one complaint is that it doesn't come with a set of wires to connect it to the headshell. There's no good reason why a new set shouldn't be included with the cartridge when they are just as critical to good performance as the cartridge itself. Actually, I have another complaint but it is not related to this product: the wires from Audio-Technica cost $44! I made the mistake of ordering a set for $24 that came with a new headshell, but the contacts on the tonearm side of the headshell were too short to make solid contact and the wires were not of substantial enough materials to be of any use. They metal-fatigued instantly. Still, there's no good ... MoreI'm really pleased with the performance of this cartridge. I'm certainly no expert, but my records sound great with it. My one complaint is that it doesn't come with a set of wires to connect it to the headshell. There's no good reason why a new set shouldn't be included with the cartridge when they are just as critical to good performance as the cartridge itself. Actually, I have another complaint but it is not related to this product: the wires from Audio-Technica cost $44! I made the mistake of ordering a set for $24 that came with a new headshell, but the contacts on the tonearm side of the headshell were too short to make solid contact and the wires were not of substantial enough materials to be of any use. They metal-fatigued instantly. Still, there's no good reason a set of wires should cost $44 in my mind.

Good sound, good price, comprehensive instructions

I was recently inherited a good used turntable and arm, but its Ortofon MC's stylus was missing. The turntable manufacturer told me that an AT-VM95 MM would be a satisfactory substitute for the time being; the AT-VM95E I therefore bought from Richer Sounds does the job well, with excellent sound, for a very good price. The VM95 is longer but lighter than the Ortofon. To get the tracking angle right the VM95 has to sit right back in the headshell, and I've had to adjust the weights a bit too. The instructions are comprehensive, and make setting up pretty straightforward. All in all, I'm very pleased with the VM95E, and I think my use of it "for the time being" may well become "permanent", at least until I improve the rest of my kit.

Great bargain cartridge that performs better than its price

Full Disclosures:I did not buy it at PE. I DN think PE carried it when I bought it from BezosKingdom (same price, free shipping, hint hint PE).I am not a vinyl snob. I don't pick apart "inner groove distortion," own a $2000 TT, keep a spreadsheet on hours of play to be sure I timely replace the stylus, own 37 cartridges and headshells and change them out depending on the record I am playing, etc. I have two TTs from way back in the day, a Sanyo TP 600SA (purchased in 1976) and Yamaha P-200 (purchased in 1984 or 85). This cart is on the Yamaha (see pic); its predecessor (AT95E) is on the Sanyo.I am almost 67. I think at one point my hearing was pretty good for reviewing speakers,and hence should have been pretty good for reviewing cartridges but not so sure ... MoreFull Disclosures:I did not buy it at PE. I DN think PE carried it when I bought it from BezosKingdom (same price, free shipping, hint hint PE).I am not a vinyl snob. I don't pick apart "inner groove distortion," own a $2000 TT, keep a spreadsheet on hours of play to be sure I timely replace the stylus, own 37 cartridges and headshells and change them out depending on the record I am playing, etc. I have two TTs from way back in the day, a Sanyo TP 600SA (purchased in 1976) and Yamaha P-200 (purchased in 1984 or 85). This cart is on the Yamaha (see pic); its predecessor (AT95E) is on the Sanyo.I am almost 67. I think at one point my hearing was pretty good for reviewing speakers,and hence should have been pretty good for reviewing cartridges but not so sure anymore.Certainly not as good as it once was.My system (other than speakers) is what I would call mid-consumer level. IE, not HT in a box, but not close to audiophile. Denon 5.1 HT receiver, the Yamaha TT. (The Sanyo is in my den for digitizing vinyl.) The speakers are Wayne Jaeschke's Dayton Budget MTM's (his design should be on the PE project page) and a sub of my own design using a 12" Dayton Audio Reference RSS315HFA-8 and a long ago discontinued Dayton plate amp, I think 200W. (See pic for right front MTM and sub.)I used to have an Empire 2000E-III cartidge that I bought probably in 1979. Even back then I paid about $100 for it. I loved it, but as I was refurbishing my 2 TTs a couple of months ago I broke its mounting bracket and am not paying $200+ on ebay to get a used one.Hence, the need for a new cartridge. I actually got 2, the AT95E, and this one.With that boring background:I like the VM95 a lot. First is the ease of mounting. Dexterity was never my forte, my fingers have always been like clubs and they got worse as I aged. Mounting the AT95E with the tiny screws and round nuts took me an hour, during which my vocabulary steadily devolved. This one is a breeze to mount and align.As to sound, to my ears, the highs are crisp but neither sibilant nor tinny. The bass is tight, clean and musical, but my guess is a system without a sub might find it a bit lacking. The mids are balanced. They do not blare or shout, two things in mids that drive me nuts. BTW, that is a great benefit of Wayne's MTM design -great mids. Detail is very good, especially on the high end. Imaging is also good, which I do not think can always be said of vinyl playback. I love Pat Metheny's American Garage and still life (talking) and PinkFloyd's Wish You Were Here with this cartridge.If you have the money, equipment and ears, I am pretty sure you can get a better cartridge and might want one. If you have an average system and turntable, with or without good speakers, and you need or want a new cartridge with money left over to buy some records, I do not think you can go wrong with this one. I would note that I read a lot of reviews before settling on this cartridge and its predecessor. Obviously not all review will be good. But a lot of people whose systems ranged from something like mine to much better said this cartridge competes very well with ones costing twice as much. So did a goodly number of professional reviewers.

Great upgrade

I have an old Rega RP1 which still had its original cartridge. I needed an upgrade that was not going to be too expensive. This cartridge has met my needs. It is absolutely brilliant for the money with a much more open sound, enabling me to hear more of the individual instruments, and a good bass and treble. If you have a limited budget, but want a decent cartridge this is ideal.

Like hearing my vinyl for the first time!

I bought this cartridge after a recommendation from a friend. I am so glad I took his advice as the Audio-Technica AT-VM95E has made my vinyl collection sound like I've never heard it before. The dynamics are so much better than my previous cartridge and I'm hearing things on the records that I didn't know were there! The quality for the price is excellent.

Perfect AT-95E Replacement

I've had my AT-LP120 USB-BK for nearly two years; the AT-95E that came with it was a wonderful cartridge, especially after it had time to be broken in. However, once I found out that the AT-95E was discontinued, I knew that I needed to find a replacement. The AT-VM95E is the one to replace it! It tracks all of my records well; sound distortion in the inner grooves are nearly extinct; the stereo separation is improved over its predecessor. The feature that I LOVE about the AT-VM95E is the ability to change the stylus to one that you desire to have without having to replace the entire cartridge. Talk about versatility! I'll be holding onto the AT-VME 95E cartridge for as long as I can! (Later on, I'm going to upgrade the stylus from the E to the ML.)

Safe modest upgrade below $100 price range

Installed for a friend who was replacing his original cartridge on his Denon DP-300 turntable. It sounds a lot better than the original. Stereo separation and depth, sound stage. Lighter tracking force, 2.0 g. Elliptical has more detail than the original conical stylus. Had the correct mounting screws. I gave it a 5 because it did more than I expected for it's budget price. If this were my turntable I go to the $200 price range cartridge's for even better sound.

The best value in cartridges.

I've been using my trusty old AT440MLA for many years, but it's been discontinued and the prices for replacement styli have skyrocketed since I bought it. I liked the idea of this cartridge with its interchangeable options, and as a parent of a curious child, my days of expensive hi-fi gear are over. So I rolled the dice on this cartridge, and I'm glad I did.First, this thing is so easy to install. The captive screws should be a feature for all cartridges. Newbies to cartridge installation need not fear. The sound is absolutely incredible for how inexpensive it is. I've owned many cartridges in the several hundreds of dollars range, and I honestly don't miss them. It may not be the last word in minuscule details, but it makes any kind of music an absolute joy to ... MoreI've been using my trusty old AT440MLA for many years, but it's been discontinued and the prices for replacement styli have skyrocketed since I bought it. I liked the idea of this cartridge with its interchangeable options, and as a parent of a curious child, my days of expensive hi-fi gear are over. So I rolled the dice on this cartridge, and I'm glad I did.First, this thing is so easy to install. The captive screws should be a feature for all cartridges. Newbies to cartridge installation need not fear. The sound is absolutely incredible for how inexpensive it is. I've owned many cartridges in the several hundreds of dollars range, and I honestly don't miss them. It may not be the last word in minuscule details, but it makes any kind of music an absolute joy to listen to. It isn't overly bright or bassy, everything sounds smooth and natural. It gets out of the way of the music. Tracking is excellent for an elliptical, but obviously improvements can be made as you upgrade the stylus. Only the very longest sides give the elliptical tip any trouble at the inner grooves, but it's not egregious. I've owned more expensive MC cartridges that couldn't track this well.All in all, I think AT hit it out of the park with this series. Their carts are always the best bang for buck, and this might be their best value yet. I think you'd have to spend a lot more money to beat it.