Audio Technica AT-ML150/OCC - Too Old?


I just purchased an "NOS" at-ml150/occ and installed it.

When the material is easy to track, it sounds pretty decent, maybe a little lean and very "glassy" - lots upper midrange/lower treble hardness. Trumpets, Vocals, and other "difficult" things cause major sibliance at 1.25-1.75grams.

I'm using a fluid-damped tonearm that completely alleviated mistracking in two other cartridges, so I'm wondering..

Could this cartrige just be old and the rubber parts so dried out that it just isn't good any more? Or Something else? Old stylus maybe?

Interested in your opinions. I will post a needle drop if that helps.
128x128joelv
specifically what arm are you using and how many hours under the cartridge up to now?
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I'm using the technics 1200 arm with the KAB fluid damper (and cardas rewire).

The cartridge has about 2 hours of use so far. It has been suggested that I haven't let it break-in yet, but should it sound this bad to start with?

The VTA looks pretty spot on, as far as the arm being parallel with the platter, but I'll play with that.