Audio-TechnicaAT-VM95ML VM95 series Microlinear stereo cartridge Red

I presume that I am not the first person to realise that hi-fi magazines and reviewers use hyperbole to sell the latest pieces of gear and create mythologies about the glorious products of the past, and of course to sell magazines and get hits and in so doing pay the mortgage and feed the kids, so I have learnt to take reviews with a bit of a pinch of salt and come to the understanding that the differences between product X and product Y are often not so much seismic as subtle. And the case is the same here (indeed it seems to me to be especially the case with phono cartridges and CD players).I changed the Rega Carbon cartridge on my Rega P1 to a Rega Bias 2 which was a nice warm sounding cartridge. However, the Bias 2 suffered from considerable hum as it neared the centre of a record and did not track the inner disk so well in the RB110 arm (Rega MM cartridges are unshielded so perhaps there is a trade off here, a higher output - about 7mv - and warmer sound at the cost of a little hum, assuming you can live with that - as goes the tracking, I found out much later that Rega themselves apparently no longer recommend the Bias 2 for use on the P1, presumably an arm/cartridge mass issue - the Bias 2 is pretty light at 4.5g). I then changed from the Bias 2 to an Audio Technica AT VM95e. This was slightly less warm sounding but tracked better in the RB110 arm (especially once I had blu tacked a little neodymium magnet to the back of the arm base to make up for its lack of anti-skate, although this didn’t improve tracking with the Bias 2). The VM95 cartridge mass is 6.1g. I also bought an AT95c stylus for use on old, worn records. The sound here was very similar, but the VM95e was that little bit more refined and clearly a better tracker. No noticeable hum at all with this cartridge, but a lower output than the Bias 2 (4mv vs 7mv). Taking into account the difference in output between the Rega Bias 2 and VM95 cartridges, once I had added a little increase in volume via the amplifier, I felt the “weight” of the sound of the VM95e was really not that different from the Bias 2 and that what I lost in warmth was made up for in terms of better detail and better tracking. And it was a little over half the price of the Bias 2, so overall an excellent move for the moneyHowever, over the course of time, and being an obsessive perfectionist like most hifi addicts, I noticed that on some records the VM95e still had some issues, for example struggling a bit with loud horn passages on Freddie Hubbard’s Open Sesame (Blue Note 80 series). I also have a Rega P3/Elys 2 set up (yes, there is a little hum but less than with the Bias/P1). This combination tracks these passages in Open Sesame better, but you can still tell it’s a disk that puts demands on a stylus.So, getting to the denouement of a long story, after reading between the lines of a legion of reviews online, I purchased an AT VM95ML yesterday evening. Amazingly it arrived this morning. I clicked the stylus into the body of the cartridge on the Rega P1 and ... well, the difference is subtle and not seismic, but .... better resolution of detail, a little less body but less bloat to the bass, and better tracking. The VM95ML has slightly less output than the VM95e (3.5mv vs 4mv) which is actually noticeable and needs to be taken into account when comparing the sound. Overall, however, I think this is a really good sounding stylus and a very good tracker. Ultimately, I was intending to use it as a possible replacement for the Elys 2 on my P3. Although the Elys 2 has it detractors it is a cartridge that I have been happy with, but I’d prefer to have a cartridge that was shielded as, although the problem is at an endurably low level in this instance, I really am sensitive to hum. I have not as yet been able to make a direct comparison between the VM95ML and the Elys 2 but my initial impression from my listening session today on my P1 outfit is that, despite the VM95 styluses having a certain “house” sound (and so too the Regas), the VM95ML is likely to sound nearer to the Elys 2 than to the VM95e or VM95c. I surmise this may be down to the fact that both the VM95ML and Rega Elys 2 have nude styli and the VM95e and VM95c are bonded. [November 2020: I surmised wrong, the Elys is not nude.]Of course, the VM95ML costs around three times as much as the VM95e. Is it three times better? In the sense that a giraffe is three times taller than a gazelle, probably not, but in the sense that “would you notice the difference every time you played it and is that a good difference”’ then the answer is yes. More to the point, a micro line stylus properly set up apparently has a lifespan of 1000 hours whereas an elliptical is supposedly only around 250 hours. That is according to Audio Technica. I’m not entirely sure those figures are definitive, I certainly managed well over 250 hours on my first VM95e stylus, probably more like in excess of 400 before I felt it needed changing, but if there really is anything in them (and the user treats the stylus with care, of course!), then the VM95ML’s £100 price difference above the VM95e would appear to have some sound justification. In short then, the VM95e is very good, with a sound that will keep many people happy. The VM95ML clearly shares the house sound of the series but it is also clearly a step up in all respects except value for money in terms of which, however, it promises to be comparable. I think I’ve said quite enough.Update: We’ll, 24 hours have passed and I clearly haven’t said enough and it seems I must humbly eat some of my words above. I couldn’t resist it and so I replaced the Elys 2 on my P3 with the VM95ML. A rather delicate job as the contacts on the VM95 seemed just a tiny bit fatter than those on the Elys and I’d stupidly just had a strong cup of coffee. Word to the caffeinated wise: calm down, take a break and drink a big cup of water, then try again when your hands have stopped trembling. Anyway, no damage done. And the result? Well, really not subtle in this set up (P3, Elex-R, B&W 705s vs P1, Cyrus 8, MA Bronze 2). In common parlance, OMG or, (for those who know the film Team America, JTFC!). The Elys 2 is now officially retired as the VM95ML is superior in almost every respect: the lower output makes little difference here, no hum, better tracking (at 2.0g vs 1.75g), more detailed but not fatiguing treble, more balanced mid-range, less bloated but better detailed bass, less noticeable surface noise). And everything I throw at it sounds good, from Herbie Hancock to Lucinda Williams, The Delines to Blue Oyster Cult, Monteverdi to Culture, what I thought was a thin-sounding RCA reissue of Surrealistic Pillow no longer sounds thin, what I took as over-emphasised bass on the first track of Crosby, Stills & Nash is now controlled, a dead sounding near 45 year old first UK issue of Pretzel Logic sounds alive, and Freddie Hubbard’s trumpet sounds clean and free of any hint of distortion. I hesitated over spending around £140 on this cartridge but couldn’t resist taking a punt on it when I saw it on Amazon Marketplace for £120. If I’d spent the larger amount then I’d have still thought it was the best hifi bargain I’d purchased for some time .... all-in-all I am extremely pleased with the VM95ML, it is breathing new life into my record collection. Of course, there is in here some testament to the capabilities of the Rega P3/RB330 over the Rega P1/RB110, but it is the VM95ML that puts these differences in clear perspective. I’ve read a bit about there being synergy between Rega tone arms and cartridges but, pace Rega’s propaganda, this is synergy.Helpfully, the interchangeability of styli on the VM95 cartridge led me to this purchase by my taking a punt on the humble VM95e in the first instance. Maybe it is also leading me on a very steep learning curve to feel a little less cynical about the hifi reviewing trade, which if I recall is where I started this review.P.S. 26 November 2019. After more listening, tinkering and evaluation a quick summing up: Assuming you experience the same anti-skate issue on the Rega P1 as I did, the easiest method to overcome this is by affixing a small neodymium magnet to the back of the arm base, and this improves the inner disk tracking with the AT VM95e and Rega Carbon. The Rega Bias 2 really doesn’t seem to work properly on the Rega P1, magnet or no magnet; this is a problem of tracking and not sound. The 95e sounds marginally more refined than the Carbon and maybe tracks a little better, but some occasional sibilance is evident on vocals. Popping the 95ML stylus into the cartridge improves things a little more and effectively eliminates sibilance, it is also a significantly better tracker than the 95e, but it’s virtues are much more apparent on the Rega P3 where it really shines. It offers audible improvements over the Elys 2 in all respects (though personally I don’t think the Elys 2 is a bad cartridge). And, unlike Rega’s cartridges, there is no hum from AT’s. Because the AT is taller than the Elys, VTA is out very slightly (about 1 degree from optimum) but, this doesn’t negatively affect the sound in this instance and I’m happy to follow Rega’s advice and avoid shims. In terms of value for money, the P3/95ml combination is well worth it, but (having made the comparison through my main system) the basic P1/Carbon is an astonishingly good music maker nonetheless. However, the P3 is clearly engineered to a higher standard than the P1 and the 95ML is clearly the better cartridge here. In and of itself the P3 has the edge in clarity and dynamic punch over the P1, but it is nonetheless an edge rather than a gulf. The P1 has an exceptionally engaging sound which, if it isn’t exactly 100% hifi like the P3, is definitely 100% fun. I mention all this because I’ve never found any reviews directly comparing the P1 and P3.P.P.S. 25 November 2020. Hmmm ... well, one year on and I've decided quite a lot depends on the system. In my P1/Cyrus 8 DAC/MA set up the 95E sounds markedly more punchy than the Carbon compared to how it sounds in my P3/Rega Elex R/B&W set up where the Carbon (mounted on a P1) sounds livelier. The Carbon has a nice relaxed sound in the Cyrus system but is veiled and considerably less dynamic in comparison with the 95E in this set-up. The VM95ML remains doing good work in the Rega Elex/B&W system and it has kept me extremely happy, so I have no plans to replace it. Early in the year I acquired another P3 (yes, I know, it's a sickness, but I got it very cheaply) and added it to my Cyrus system. For most of this year I had the 95E set up on that turntable and the Carbon on the P1 (hence the above observations). However, I did notice that the 95E had some difficulty consistently tracking demanding records which became an increasing niggle for me. I swapped the 95ML into this system on a couple of occasions and noted its more-or-less flawless tracking by comparison, but it seemed to lack the punch in this system compared to the 95E (could this be anything to do with the different phono stage set-ups? I use a Rega Fono Mini in the Cyrus system, in the other system the Elex R has its own phono stage, but this is supposed to be the same as the Fono Mini and so ought to make no appreciable difference. Certainly, also, the lower output of the 95ML seemed somehow more dramatically noticeable in this system compared to the 95E. Maybe it's all down to the different sonic characters of the amps and speakers?). Consequently, I went back to reading loads of reviews in an attempt to winnow some sort of objective sense out of them. There seemed little point plumping for another 95ML in this system if it didn't deliver the same sonic benefits that it imparted to the other system. Then a couple of weeks back, based on all this winnowing, I decided to plump for a VM95EN. Problem solved! This seems to track as well as the 95ML but works the sonic magic in the Cyrus set up, while the 95ML does the job in the other system. I have heard tell in various reviews that as a step-up from the 95E and in comparison with the 95ML the 95EN is the hardest to justify in terms of value for money, but I disagree with this assessment. The 95EN is worth the extra money over the 95E for tracking alone, but it is also a "better" sounding cartridge for my money with improvements in detail retrieval and realism (more akin to the 95ML). The 95E still has real punch to its sound, in part perhaps due to its higher output. However, the 95ML doesn't sound as good in this system as it does in the other, and that again more than justifies the 95ENs price: it's no longer questionable value if the relatively-better-value-but-more-expensive-alternative doesn't actually sound better in the set-up in question. And, as the 95ML lights-up my Elex/B&W system, so too does the 95EN light-up my Cyrus/MA system.So, here we are a year on from my last P.S. and where am I? Very happy with the following set-ups: Cyrus 8 DAC/MA Bronze 2 fed by a VM95E/Rega P1/Pro-Ject Phono Box E and VM95EN/Rega P3/Rega Fono Box Mini (the Pro-Ject Phono Box E is another story, but absolutely a bargain at £50) and Rega Elex R/B&W 705S2 fed by a Rega VM95ML/P3. Lessons learned: it helps to have more than one turntable and one system in order to make comparisons between turntable cartridges and, although there are clearly objective differences between cartridges and that as a rule you get what you pay for, how well a cartridge performs depends in part on the degree to which it matches the system that you partner it with. Oh, and, the process of getting it right might cost you rather more money than you might have paid out if only we lived in an ideal world where you could get things right on the first go. But, when you're satisfied that you've got it right just hold off tinkering and listen to the music. Consequently, I won't be trying the Shibata until the Microline needs replacing.Update: 16 July 2022. I see quite a lot of people have read and felt my review was helpful, so maybe another update is due for your kindness and evident patience. Almost another two years further down the line and I’m still using the 95ML on my main system and it’s still tracking and sounding superb having played some 400 albums so far. I have not been tempted to replace it with the Shibata version and I’m pretty sure I’ll stick with it when it needs replacement. On the other system the 95EN is still in place on the P3 and the 95E is still doing most of the work on the P1. I’m now on my third 95E stylus and, although I initially thought that managed better for wear than the 250 hours suggested by Audio Technica, I suspect my initial estimate of use must have been an overly generous estimate as the second 95E had played no more than 250 albums before I felt it needed replacing (however, maybe I have also become more adept at noticing the slightest effects of the initial signs of stylus wear and tear on tracking, probably because I’ve got used to the superior tracking abilities of the ML and EN versions of the 95). I’ve replaced the Monitor Audio Bronze 2 speakers in my second system with ATC SCM7s which are a considerable improvement, sounding both more detailed and more natural, but these have not embarrassed either of the cartridges in use in this system (although they have embarrassed some of the CDs in my collection), in fact the 95EN sounds more noticeably better than the 95E through them than it sounded through the (more forgiving) Bronze 2s. And, for anyone who’s curious in the knowledge that ATC rate their notoriously inefficient SMC7s as needing an amplifier with a minimum of 75wpc to drive, the Cyrus 8 (well, it’s actually an 82DAC) rated at 75wpc is more than capable of driving them; they’re much less efficient than the Bronze 2s but the 82DAC has ample power in reserve which never came in to play before, so it’s doing what it was designed to do with the new ATCs whereas it was just sleepwalking with the old MAs.Anyway, back to my experience of Audio Technica’s 95 series cartridges: after much use and careful listening, I remain extremely contented, nay almost ecstatically happy. For those of a certain age, in the words of Tony the tiger “They’re great!”P.S. Image of neodymium magnet on the P1 for those who are not sure how to set it up. Essential that you get the polarity the right way, but it’s easy to figure out: if the magnet is the right way round then the stylus tracks the inner groove well, if it’s the wrong way round it mistracks badly. Also, images of both systems to prove that I’m not making all this stuff up!.

Replaced a Goldring E3 with the AT. Previously used various other cartridges at a lower price point.The most noticeable difference is the bigger soundstage and more detail. Excellent bass and mids. On my system the treble is a bit bright but it may improve with adjustment and when it's run in.It tracks superbly and I consider it a worthwhile purchase.Be aware though that if you have noisy records they will sound worse. This cartridge will expose any flaws be it dirt or damage.On pristine, spotlessly clean records it sounds great.I'll be using the E3 on a second turntable to play the records with surface noise on and saving the AT for the very best recordings.Equipment: Systemdek iix900, Edwards Audio phono, Rotel amp and B&W speakers.

An excellent cartridge. Punches above it’s weight price wise. Good alignment is a must. A tad thin sounding but detailed and great tracker. Got this for the convenience of changeable stylus.

I have an inherited an old NAD 533 (essentially a Rega Planar 2 with mdf base). After replacing the standard maintenance parts and re-gluing the motor which had come loose, I was fairly happy with the result. With the original Goldring Elektra cartridge and needle (probably pretty worn) the detail was pretty good but lacking in bass and had some tracking issues. I have no previous experience changing cartridges. The AT VM95ML is pretty much a direct replacement in terms of weight and height. That simplified the process and, despite some trepidation about breaking the skinny wires and plugs, the change over was done without incident. The VM95 cartridge lacks colour coded pins so I had to rely on a small black & white labelled picture to check the connections and then used the coloured pins on the old Goldring cartridge as a reminder. The pins are slighter wider spaced than the Goldring which helped getting the plugs attached. Screwing to the arm was easy and it seems I got the position right by eye first time according to the protractor and testing with lps.I’m happy with the resulting sound quality. Good detail and clarity across the range and a decent precise bass that works well with my Rega floorstanding speakers. No background hum. No problems so far with skipping on lps that I previously had problems with. Recommended as a good and trouble free cartridge saw for the rb 250 and similar arms.

How can I explain this!I have all of vmn range and the shabata comes out on top every time it has top end bass and treble and mids equally as great as very difficult to find a stylus that gives all three.But I also like one from the 90s its the at91 back then it was a lot when first on market then new products are developed. People get confused between at 91 and At3600l.Both styles are conical but if you find a genuine at91 look at the shape of diamond it's at a small angle and it's a hidden gem.The difference between the two styleses are how much weight can be used. But in my opinion more weight more record ware.But I read a review and form which I would agree with whole heartedly different genres of music need different styles seriously as I have two copies of a Beatles album ok one at time of press 60s and a remake from 2000s both identical but the shabata stylus is so awesome in the 60s vinyl record and I used a more modern styles for the 2000s version same millivolts from cartridge same tests on both results are spectacular in difference in sound and depth quality. But if you just want to play your records the vmn 95 green elliptical stylus is fine the conical is not the best its blue. But personal preference. I say read and try different combinations you will find one that you will love. Thank you.