Audio Technica AT ML-180 Cartridge Advice

@nandric

BTW beryllium is better cantilever material than boron.

Even better than ’’gold plated boron ’’

I can say for sure what is better in terms of cantilevers (i like beryllium on some carts, i like boron on others, and even aluminum on some of them), but i can say for sure that AT-ML180 is better than AT-ML170 and all previous models i have tried. The AT-ML180 was released in 1993 and it was the last and ultimate cartridge in this series. The AT-ML170 was made in the 80s (nearly 10 years earlier than AL-ML180). Earlier version have been discontinued when AT-ML180 was made.

I don’t really care what retipper can do with MM cartridge, but that’s the only way to get an old cart back to life (when the original stylus is not available). Remember SoundSmith and his Grace refurbishing (so many people use that option to replace the OG cantilever). And they can do that. It’s not the original sound, but it will work. Using another stylus from lower model can be an option, but in case with AT-ML180 is not the best solution. I think it’s better to buy the whole cartridge + stylus (aka the AT-ML15, 160 or more expensive AT-ML170) than tryin to buy just the stylus from inferior model to make sure it’s not equal to the performance level of the original stylus of the top model supposed to be used with this cart from the start (just a waste of money). The AT-ML150 is not a rare cartridge and the price is not high, so why not just buy the whole cartridge+stylus? The AT-ML180 deserve a much better stylus (the original, but it’s impossible to find separately from the cart). If someone can refurbish ATN180ML (Expert Stylus can do that, they told me) i don’t see the reason not to do so.

p.s. I would not advice people to use for example the stylus from Technics EPC 100c mk1 on Technics EPC 100c MK4 even if they are interchangeable mechanically. It make no sence (imo).

Well, i don't make such conclussion about cantilevers apart from the cartridge this cantilever designed for. As i said i have all types of cantilevers on my original cartridges (beryllium, sapphire, boron, titanium, aluminium etc) except maybe a diamond cantilever. Who cares about cantilever materials alone? It's much more important in which cartridge and how it was used by the original designer. As stated in my ad this AT-ML170 can be refurbished by SoundSmith with his Ruby cantilever with Nude Contact Line stylus just for $250 in the USA. So it is not necessary to pay 350 pounds for Boron with Paratrace from Expert Stylus. Of course it's up to the owner. Ateal already have his cartridge and there are many ways to refurbish it with different materials from the different retippers in the different countries. 

Buyin another fully working cartridge like your AT-ML160 is another option, but even taking this option the owner of the broken AT-ML180 can refurbish it to have another cartridge on hands, not just throw it away for nothing.  I also have another AT-ML180 OCC with broken cantilever and that's why this case is interesting for me. 

We're all know what we can try to find the original styli or inferior styli from the lower models, but this is not the case here! 

^ Quite rightly so. Ateal, your AT is a very special cartridge and deserves the best stylus there possibly exists. More precicely, it must have a miniatyre ML stylus tip ; )