New generation of the AT95E, six different types

[vwestlife]

Only the first two, the C and the E. Starting with the EN, the label says they're made in Japan. Don't know what significance this has, but I'd get the EN for that alone, if not something higher up.

Note the large price gap between the first two and the rest:

AT-VM95C with Conical stylus priced £29/€34/$38
AT-VM95E with Elliptical stylus priced £44/€49/$57
AT-VM95EN with Nude Elliptical stylus priced £99/€119/$129
AT-VM95ML with Line Contact Microlinear stylus priced £149/€169/$194
AT-VM95SH with Line Contact Shibata stylus priced £179/€199/$233
AT-VM95SP for 78rpm SP records priced £69/€79/$90

 

[lini]

b4b: Unfortunately there don't seem to be any inside pics of the needle yet - but if these would have the country of origin embossed in the plastic again, I'd deem it likely that the country of origin on the body would actually refer to the body.

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

P.S.: Just a bit of a pity that the ML and the Shibata version don't appear to be nudies...

 

[E.Auer]

Very cool news

Love all the Stylus options.

Eric

 

[jusmee]

Maybe I'll pop my bonded elliptical out of my E3 and put in a nudie and see how it sounds.

How much difference would you expect? I tend to think the shape is a lot more important, so if a bonded and a nude elliptical are the same shape and size, I would think there would be only a small difference in sound.

 

[MCM_Fan]

Here's the US press release:

https://www.audio-technica.com/cms/news/649fd35764071bee/index.html

Pretty much says the same thing as the UK press release, but no pricing info and fewer pretty pictures.

 

[jusmee]

Well, there are a lot of factors. A nude diamond is lighter, and the ones I have are true ellipsoid whereas the bonded ones are heavier and are flattened conicals. They sound great, too, though. But there’s the market which whether a difference can be heard or not, pays more for nude ellipticals. That’s just reality.

I didn't know there were different shapes of elliptical cuts. I thought it was just the differences in the two radii. Learn something every day!

 

[bang4buck]

Lost in all this AT95 talk is that the base conical might be replacing the AT91. At least that’s how I’m reading this:

AT-VM95C with conical stylus
The series’ entry model features a 0.6 mil conical stylus and improves on the sonic performance of its predecessors, the AT91 and AT91R, thanks to a new aluminum cantilever and a new coil design offering an increased 4 mV output voltage

 

[E.Auer]

Lost in all this AT95 talk is that the base conical might be replacing the AT91. At least that’s how I’m reading this:

With a conical and higher output it could be a really nice cart for those not so lovingly handled records.

Eric

 

[jusmee]

Lost in all this AT95 talk is that the base conical might be replacing the AT91. At least that’s how I’m reading this:

They probably will drop the AT91, but keep the AT3600 ?

 

[vwestlife]

They probably will drop the AT91, but keep the AT3600 ?

They did recently discontinue the CN5625AL (yet another AT3600 variant). I e-mailed A-T about it and they said that it was replaced by the AT91R.

 

[jusmee]

They did recently discontinue the CN5625AL (yet another AT3600 variant). I e-mailed A-T about it and they said that it was replaced by the AT91R.

I think they been playing mix'n'match with these models for a while. I recently bought an AT91BL which is basically an AT3600L with yellow plastic, but with the carbon fibre cantilever. They really need to sort and consolidate.

 

[eriathomas]

I still think it's ugly as hell, but I'll be picking one up.

 

[Beobloke]

The threaded inserts are a HUGE step forward. EVERY cartridge should use same.

I will not be entirely surprised if the metal cart body underneath the bodywork is exactly the same as the old model.

Unless, of course, you use a headshell that only accepts threaded screws from the underside. Then these new ATs are off your shopping list.

 

[jrtrent]

Lost in all this AT95 talk is that the base conical might be replacing the AT91. . .

I read it the same way. Unfortunately for me, the recently discontinued CN5625AL was my favorite AT cartridge, the only one whose tonal balance in my system didn't make me cringe. The AT95E was one of just a handful of cartridges I disliked enough to remove long before it was worn out (and the AT440ML was another), so I'm not terribly excited about this new series.

 

[KentTeffeteller]

Perfect timing to fill in the space being left open by Shure.

Nashou

My exact thoughts, this series functionally will be a lot like a M75 of yore. Can cover every basic need any phonophile has, including 78 RPM applications. And reasonably priced. Can be upgraded or downgraded as needs and budget allows. Sensible and practical, and a good price point.

 

[bang4buck]

My exact thoughts, this series functionally will be a lot like a M75 of yore. Can cover every basic need any phonophile has, including 78 RPM applications. And reasonably priced. Can be upgraded or downgraded as needs and budget allows. Sensible and practical, and a good price point.

Except changing the stylus on the current AT95E is a total pain and miles from the convenience of a Shure, Stanton/Pickering, or even the AT91, for that matter. That @#$% stylus grip is so tight one can easily knock the cartridge out of alignment, or worse. Anybody know if this has been addressed in the XP5/XP7, Goldring E, Stanton 750?

 

[vwestlife]

Unless, of course, you use a headshell that only accepts threaded screws from the underside. Then these new ATs are off your shopping list.

The molding is not blocked off from below, so you could still insert the screws from the bottom if needed.

 

[vwestlife]

Except changing the stylus on the current AT95E is a total pain and miles from the convenience of a Shure, Stanton/Pickering, or even the AT91, for that matter. That @#$% stylus grip is so tight one can easily knock the cartridge out of alignment, or worse. Anybody know if this has been addressed in the XP5/XP7, Goldring E, Stanton 750?

On my Stanton 750 the stylus installs and removes quite a bit easier than on an AT95E with its stock stylus.

And you can put a Stanton N750 stylus on an ordinary AT95E -- it looks funny, but fits and works fine.

 

[SA-708]

The molding is not blocked off from below, so you could still insert the screws from the bottom if needed.

That'd still only work if the threading of the cartridge matched the threading of the bolt and headshell, or if the bolt/headshell was sufficiently smaller gauge than that of the threaded cartridge.

Ortofon ended up making alternate "Verso" versions of their 2M cartridges to get around this issue.

 

[vwestlife]

The AT-XP5 and XP7 don't have the threaded inserts, so you could buy one of those and then equip it with your stylus of choice from the VM95 range.