MM Cartridge Talk

The new Audio Technica AT-VM95ML looks incredibly tasty to me. Love MicroLine styli and a slight bit of mass loading might be worth experimenting with.

I'll try to rank the ones I have owned (and can remember).

Clearaudio Virtuoso Wood
Nagaoka MP 500
Shure V15 MKIV with Jico SAS stylus
Shure M97xe with Jico SAS stylus
Realistic R1000 (re-badged Shure M95ed) with Jico SAS stylus
Goldring 2200
Audio Technica AT-95E
Stanton 981 HZS
Music Hall Tracker
Grado Sonata

The Virtuoso wood comes closest to some of my MC cartridges in terms of delivering smooth, dynamic, and detailed sonics.  It does soundstaging and imaging well and to my ears is fairly neutral and has a strong bottom end.  The only thing about this cart is its exposed cantilever.  I stopped using it for a long time after breaking it off twice and paying for two re-tips, but I am using it currently and really enjoying it.  It's a little more rowdy than my Hana SL, but comes close in terms of enjoyment.

The Nagaoka is a little more polite, but also perhaps a little more "brittle" sounding with some material.  Still, it's a very nice cartridge that is pretty neutral, maybe a little on the 'dark' side that does everything well.

The Shure cartridges are all nice, especially with the Jico SAS stylus.  I've never been able to get them loaded quite right to deliver a satisfying (to me) top end, they seem to be either rolled off, or too bright, depending on how they are loaded.  

The Stanton 981 HZS is purported to be a great MM cart, but mine did not sound very good.  It came with a second hand turntable I purchased, so it may just be worn out.  Replacement styli seem to be unobtanium.

The biggest bargain of them all is probably the AT-95E.  I don't know what they go for now, but they were about $100 at the time.  Mine came with a new turntable I bought.  I took it off without even listening to it as I thought it would be junk, but was surprised when I mounted it on a turntable I decided to sell.  I didn't spend much time listening to it, but was surprised by how good it sounded, especially for its price.

My all time favorite MM/MI was a Sonus Blue Label (on an LP12/Keith Monks arm in the mid-70's).  l recently found a NOS Grace F9 Ruby, fitted to my WTTT/WTTA, but I'm eyeing a new toy...Sumiko Amethyst or Grado Master3 or maybe a Benz Micro Ace H.  Anyone with thoughts on these?  My preamp is a C-J PV11 (47 dB MM gain).

That is quite true Slaw. My 1st Charisma lost it's diamond at age 4 months. I sent Musical Surroundings USB microscope pictures of the cantilever and in four days I had a brand new cartridge and a return label for the broken one. That is what I would call great service. Errors happen. It is what you do about them that counts. I would not hesitate recommending Elusive Disc and Musical Surroundings for anything they carry.

Boothroid, I have a VM95ml. For What it costs it is a great cartridge. It tends to get a little bloated in the bass. There is a bit more bloom then there should be.  It has no tendency for harshness. It Tracks Fine.