MM carts

If you say so

 

Some people prefer MMs to MCs, and not just because of convenience and lower cost.

 

the 440MLa

is a fine choice. a great tracker and not as bright as some like to state. its a line contact stylus so vta adjustment will affect the sound more than conventional ellipticals.

the bass is deep and tight, i predict you will like this cartridge. eventually you will own several cartridges and the 440 won't be gotten rid of, youll want to keep it.

see my system here: http://cgi.audioasylum.com/cgi/system.mpl

note that i use numerous cartridges. its nice to have the choice.

enjoy.

...regards...tr

 

Is anyone lying about it, then?

 

Hi TTM.
Denon 103 OR 103R Best cart. under 500 Pounds.
Been around forever.
Regards Noel W.

 

You're right it does (have a different profile).

So would it be fair to say, based on this sample of two cartridges, that I'm likely to get on better with line contact than elliptical?

 

My experience, which is quite long, is that diamond shape is usually more important to sound quality than anything else about a cartridge (diamond quality and mounting usually determine most of the cost of a cartridge). The longer the contact area, the more information is retrieved. If info is missing, no fancy cantilever, generator or amplification can replace it. A Shibata stylus on a small cantilever is pretty ok in a well set-up system, even a relatively inexpensive one. Stunning, even.

Yet more important is the control that the TT motor has over the vinyl, and feeding plenty of clean power to the motor is basic. The vinyl must control the stylus, not the other way round.

Sorry to stray off topic, but it may save time and money to prioritise.

 

Agree with the above and would only add that the width of the scanning area is just as important as the length, and will greatly influence HF distortion. Narrower is better.

 

Agreed absolutely.

 

The AT-440mla came this morning.

So far it has had about 5-6 hours of play, and I have to say what an amazing cartridge this is!! The speed and tracking is dam good and the detail has very good insight. This cart really goes well with my system.

This cart needs lots more running in though.

Will keep informed.

 

Well done.

 

This cart got a good little review.

http://www.at440mla.co.uk/

 

Indeed they may - but then some people believe that they are directly descended from aliens (perhaps they are, I guess anything is possible).

Glad to read that you are enjoying your new purchase Shane. When you get bored of it you can swap back to your old cartridge and have the fun of discovering that all over again.

 

That's very true, but a more apt statement might be that some prefer MMs to MC, but then some prefer lamb to beef, or cricket to soccer, or German white wine to French, or Bizet to Brahms. Non sequiturs all.

Maybe, like others, he has returned to MMs to have the fun of discovering them all over again. I think it's at least as likely that he'll go for another MM when the present stylus wears out.

 

Ynmoan - Not all MC's are better than all MM's.. I believe that and I am not an alien

Taking a line from the stereophile review of my MM cartridge:

" The performance of the Clearaudio Virtuoso Wood was so ear-opening that I recommend that anyone thinking of spending up to $2500 on a moving-coil cartridge consider buying the $750 Wood instead, and investing the money saved in better components elsewhere in the system. "

 

Na, I don't think I will ever get boared of this great new cartridge, it suits my system better than the old cartridge.

Get that in your head

 

Looks like a bit of a bargain if the reviews are to be believed.

I currently have a Grado Prestige Gold which is often accused in reviews as being a little on the thin/harsh side.

Has anyone experience of the Grado and this AT?

 

I don't think I have ever seen a review that calls any Grado thin. I have experience of the Grado Green, and thin/harsh is the last word I would use of it, though one might come to that (mistaken) conclusion of an AT in some systems. Warm, laid back, yes, and other opinion has tended to support mine, though as many are uncomplimentary as like it. The Green is said to be not so different from the Gold, and I am surprised to learn of this. Maybe someone didn't set it up correctly?

But maybe John Grado's claims are right, and his products have a response that corresponds to real music. The really important thing is, what do you think about the Gold, Samantha?

I think that CD spelled the death knell for poor cartridges, and the analogue industry knows it cannot survive unless it produces something a bit special, or at least different, and most cartridges on sale today do offer just that, I think, though there is still scope for improvement. Note that Grado has recently updated the Prestige range by reducing moving mass, a sensible move that one would expect to produce a brighter presentation.

 

AT-440mla

Cartridge is sounding better and better each time I play a record. The speed of this cart is really good and the bass is very prompt, not bloated like the Denon. I think the case is that this AT cart suites my system better than the Denon, the Denon is more warmer sounding, so more suited to Jazz music.

This AT-440mla keeps reminding me of the older Shure V15 carts, but in a more modern up to date way.

 

The Grado is rather coarse and spitty as the tip used on all the Grado cartridges is pretty basic - of similar spec to what you'd find fitted to something like the AT95.

The 440 carries the same stylus as the OC9/33PTG from AT, plus models such as the Dynavector DV17 and Lyra Dorain.
And boy does it show in the top end which is far better resolved.