MM Cartridge Talk

AT440ml. Microline on aluminum. Nearly new original stock. Current equivalent 540:

https://www.audio-technica.com/en-ca/cartridges/line-series/vm-series/vm540ml

Recently compared to my prior favorite Shure V15VxMR, with new Jico SAS on boron, main system downstairs and in my office system, AT won.

I used the Shure downstairs for many years, in prior SS system, while they sounded essentially identical, I preferred the Shure’s damped brush feature. I have forced air hvac system, air borne dust occasionally landing and picked up by brush prior to stylus pass. Thus that new AT stayed in the drawer for many years.

New setup, Vintage Tube Phono, AT beat the Shure by a speck. I was surprised, I thought the At suspension would be deteriorated or hardened.

Moved AT440ml to New Office System, VintageTT in office, no dust issue (location and vertical turntable), a shootout, the AT has a speck better imaging that the Shure here as well.

Now main system, large JVC plinth: MC favorite on 12.5" long arm #1; Shure in 9" arm #2; Grado Mono in compact arm #3; a dream to have all three balanced, switch arms in same listening session in seconds. Compare cartridges in seconds.

btw, the New Jico SAS on boron stylus now in the Shure has a brush, but it is not damped like the Shure’s brushes are/were.

Elliptical Stylus, I like my Shure 97xe, also has a damped brush,

I used it for a few years after I broke the V15 Shure’s original brittle beryllium stylus. occasionally use it downstairs now, still sounds surprisingly good. The Shure’s track lightly, I like that..

What’s your favorite MM cartridge and why? Bonus points if you compare your favorite to other MM carts you’ve tried and how they differ.

It’s hard to imagine ONE favorite MM cartridge. If someone will tell you ONE favorite cartridge then I will skip this opinion. It’s impossible. Once you’re into cartridges it can’t be just one.

Another very important remark is the price.

It can be a favorite MM cartridge for under $700 because it’s relatively cheap with outstanding performance, and there are too many great cartridges within this budged, but there are different MM cartridges under $3000 (if you have a decent system those carts can be much better).

Newly made cartridges or something legendary from the heyday of MM technology ?

Too many people ignoring classic high-end MM, they don’t want to buy anything used or even NOS (it’s a phobia). Too many people don’t want to buy anything until Mr.Fremer (or someone else) will tell them this is good. But reviewers like him never review classics (cartridges from the 70s/80s) today. But you will find so many opinion on this forum from different users over the years.

Some people always searching for NOS or used and can confirm that classic high-end MM are better than many new cartridges.

If you don’t want to get lost you have to tell where you’re.

If you have price limit also tell us, because not everyone can invest $1k+ in MM cartridge.

I abandoned MM carts in the mid 70s when I tried my first MC, the GAS Sleeping Beauty and never looked back. But recently when I pulled a Grace F9R out of storage and ordered Soundsmiths OCL stylus replacement for it I have been very pleasantly surprised, so much so I have found myself comparing it to my MC carts and it seems to be very competitive, and when you factor in the price and the fact I can run it without the need of a head amp in my headphone system makes it a winner. The Shure V15 certainly have their following but back in the 70s it was all about the Grace F9 and the ADC XLM MKII for me. Has anyone tried the Teo Audio CBP MM that is advertised here on the Gon with a money back guarantee? The price is so cheap that I am just looking for a reason to buy one and try it myself, especially since I am so pleased with the Grace and the SS stylus assembly. Enjoy the music

ADC XLMs sounded great - smooooth and far more detail than a Shure V-15MkIv, but had a nasty habit of the suspension just failing - about half the ones we ever sold just collapsed. The other half were wonderful. They were extremely compliant, and favored tonearms like the Grace 707 on a heavy Japanese DD. Never would get the ADC/707/TD-125-II combo to work, although a couple Linn-Sondek LP-12/707/ ADCs I heard seemed to work well.