Low volume on turntable??

Mark & Hockey4496, thanks for the nice words. I don’t have specific knowledge, though, that would enable me to suggest a cartridge in that price range that I feel confident would be a meaningful upgrade to your AT-95E.

But in addition to the responses you may receive in the cartridge thread you have just started, I would pay particular attention to the comment above by Mofimadness, as his knowledge of and experience with vinyl playback is pretty much unparalleled. Although his comment that "I have the AT95E on one of my tables and it’s a great little performer," together with the many favorable comments that cartridge has received at Amazon and NeedleDoctor, suggests to me that going to another cartridge in the sub-$100 range may not provide as much improvement as you might be hoping for.

In any event, do check your anti-skating per my earlier suggestion.

Good luck! Regards,
-- Al

Al...thank you for the very kind words.

Hockey et al, What surprises me the most is that you perceived apparently decent sound in the first place, with no RIAA corrector in the circuit.  Did you notice a bizarre frequency imbalance?

lewm...there is no way he could have gotten that rig to a volume level that he could even perceive a frequency imbalance.  It would have been barely loud enough to even hear.  He even states that it was "ultra quiet".

I completely agree with you that if he could have heard it louder, there would have been a very strange frequency imbalance and a rather weird overall sound.

Lew, in addition to Mofi’s comments, as you may have noted Hockey4496 did say in the OP that there was "no depth/bass." Weak bass of course being one of the major consequences of the absence of RIAA equalization that would be provided by a phono stage.

Best regards,
-- Al