No more AT33ptg!

Sods have gone and discontinued it.

You now have a choice of the (on paper) very similar 33R in a titanium body for twice the price of the direct replacement 33EV which looks inferior for the same money.

It was way underpriced for the performance so this isn't totally unexpected, but sad nevertheless.

 

Bugger - knew I should have bought a spare!

 

Looks like <cough> $800 for the AT33R limited edition if you want an AT MC with the superb ML tip.

I see the OC9 is now at Mk3 and that a new ATF7 is available in Europe.

 

No comprendo

The only reason I can think of is the price hike has reduced sales

Are we to think the same will happen with the 440Mla ? (now not so good value)

 

Interestingly, if you look at the new crop of AT MCs - ATF7, OC9/3, AT33EV - they've all reverted to 'extended' elliptical tips and ditched the Micro Line.
The ML is a complex shape and no doubt more expensive to produce.
With hi-fi cartridge sales just a fraction of those say a couple of decades ago it must be far more expensive to produce these things in smaller quantities.
I think that inevitably the cost of really good cartridges is heading higher.

Having said that, if the 33R improves even slightly on the PTG it will be well worth $800 IMO. Still a lot less than middle range Dynavectors or the low end Lyra models and arguably better.

Cartridges like speakers are a very personal choice but getting the basics right - the technical aspects that let the cartridge extract information cleanly from the groove - needn't cost huge sums IMO. I think that once you start spending thousands you enter the world of artistry, bending the presentation to suit individual taste.

On the question of the AT440, I'm not sure but some re-sellers no longer list it.

 

WE can purchase the AT440 MLa for 187 Aust Dollars the AT33 EV has gone from
the map. I bought one for about 800 Aust Dollars like it very much Noel W.

 

$187 is an excellent price Noel assuming exchange rates are around the same as they were 6 months ago - but what's the cost of the stylus in Oz ? & where from?

just checked £110 for the 440 cart (not bad)

 

I bought an AT33PTG from a member of another forum recently and am about to tryit againstmy resident DV17D2. Should be a close run thing..
Its going in a Morch UP3 and a Rega 300.
Will report back.