Audio-Technica Got It Right With the VM95 Cartridges

 

There are many reviews of the VM95 series of Audio-Technica cartridges, many of them positive, even effusive.

I have been biased by the description of AT carts as "bright-sounding" hence have avoided them as my system/room tends to be unforgiving of bright playback.

Having finally tried the green AT-VM95E elliptical, I must say that this is not a bright cart, actually falling into the warm side of neutral.  Quiet a well-balanced sound.

I won't repeat all the reviews, but one thing that impressed me immediately was the relatively quiet background (coming from a Shure M55E with Jico stylus). Compared to the Shure, the AT is less mid-forward and more extended in the higher frequencies.

The VM95 cartridge has a practical advantage -- one can easily swap the stylus to any of the other models, from the conical VM95C all the way to microline VM95ML and shibata VM95SH models.

It was a matter of seconds to switch to the blue VM95C. 

The conical is more rounded at the lower frequencies and less extended in the highs than the VM95E, but definitely fun and musical. Great for 70's and 80's tracks -- The B-52s sounded really good, as so did Toto IV and EWF's Miracles from Powerlight.

For well-recorded vinyl, the I find the VM95E great in my system so far. It really deserves all that effusive praise.

Well done, Audio-Technica!

Associated equipment:

Technics SL1200 Mk2

Jolida JD9 phono stage

LSA Standard Integrated Amplifier

Dynaudio Contour 1.3MkII

Acoustic Zen Wow and VdH CS122 cables