Audio Technica AT7V, Signet?

[jimreeves]

Saw it mentioned in another thread that LP Gear had a special price on the Audio Technica AT7V MM cartridge, so I checked it there and did some googling to find more info. Some folks commented that it looks very similar to a Signet cart which was discontinued but had a loyal following.
Well, it appears this was a Japan-only release as almost all search returns are in Japanese only. I can't read japanese and couldn't stand the mystery, so I ordered one up from LP Gear and it arrived yesterday.
The AT7V comes nicely packaged giving the impression of a higher quality offering with a fake S arm alignment gauge, 2 sets of aluminum mounting screws and a stubby slot-head screw driver (I needed one of those!).
The instruction sheet unfortunately confirms that this is a Japan release, all text in japanese characters.
While there are a few specs you can make out, it's still a mystery what the stylus tip is (updates below), though I can tell you that it appears physically smaller than the .07 x .1 special elliptical tip found on my Denon DL-160.
I mounted to my Luxman PD-277 arm using Stevenson alignment and set the tracking force and anti-skate at 1.75 grams to give it a spin. It's pretty close to a square box shape so mounting to the Luxman non-removable shell was relatively easy.
I have a Audio Technica AT-6605 test record with some torture tracks near the end of side two that produce a 300Hz tone progressing 60-70-80-90-100u lateral and 50u vertical. In order to track them all I had to reset the tracking and skate to 2 grams, after which it handled those as well as the 100Hz lateral and vertical 50u tones on side one.

I did some comparisons to the DL-160 cart mounted in my Pioneer PL-707 and I have to say I'm very impressed! Apart from the AT7V being a higher output (5mv) MM cart, right out of the box it seems to have a very sweet, refined midrange and clear but not overly bright top end. Bass is a bit warmer if not quite as tight as the DL-160. I'm sure things will change as it wears in but I'd say it's a bit less analytical-sounding than the Denon.

Because the AT7V is a higher output MM cart it seems to be a better match with the Luxman 240mm straight aluminum arm and lowers the noise floor too. It tracks beautifully and doesn't pickup any more surface noise than the Denon which is very good in that regard.

I don't have any other AT's to compare it with, but if my memory serves it doesn't have any excessive brightness that some AT's exhibit.

I tried to get some closeup shots but my digicam isn't very good. (see posts 28 & 29 below for closeups)

Anyway, check it out. I think it's a winner!

Jim

[jimreeves]

More pics...

[Balifly]

Save the clear plastic mount the cartridge came with.
Looks like an overhang measurement tool, handy for S arm headshell mounting.

The AT 7V sound like a great match for the Luxman PD-277 turntable.

[Stanton681EEES]

Stylus tip is suppose to be a 02x07 bi radial elliptical

[jimreeves]

I always save all the stuff that comes with carts. I think you're right, it has overhang adjustments. Haven't owned an S arm table since the 70's though.
I should mention if it isn't obvious already that the Luxman and the Pioneer I have setup are quite different, even though they're both direct drive straight arm tables. So a direct comparison of the two carts isn't happening here. I think the AT is better suited to the Luxman while the Denon is better suited to the Pioneer.

[jimreeves]

Originally Posted by Stanton681EEES

Stylus tip is suppose to be a 02x07 bi radial elliptical

I don't have a scope to get a closer look at it, but that sounds about right. Where'd you find that info?

[MyComa13]

Jim,
Thanks for the write-up on this cart. I, too, have been looking for info on it and became frustrated by my inability to read Japanese. Sounds like this is a nice cart, especially at its price point. I really like the DL-160, so if it can compete with the Denon I have to believe it's worth a try.

One thing, you mentioned it was a higher compliance cartridge...Higher than the Denon? Just by looking at he VTF specs, it would seem that the AT (2g nom) is a little lower compliance than the Denon (1.6g nom). Did your test record results show something different?

I'm interested because I'm considering this cart for a medium mass S arm. It's so hard to find decent MM carts in a lower compliance.

[deaner33]

Nice write up. I have a Signet TK7E that came with a TT purchase. I plan on getting a replacement stylus for it at some point. That cartridge does look pretty similar to my Signet.

[jimreeves]

Originally Posted by MyComa13

Jim,
Thanks for the write-up on this cart. I, too, have been looking for info on it and became frustrated by my inability to read Japanese. Sounds like this is a nice cart, especially at its price point. I really like the DL-160, so if it can compete with the Denon I have to believe it's worth a try.

One thing, you mentioned it was a higher compliance cartridge...Higher than the Denon? Just by looking at he VTF specs, it would seem that the AT (2g nom) is a little lower compliance than the Denon (1.6g nom). Did your test record results show something different?

I'm interested because I'm considering this cart for a medium mass S arm. It's so hard to find decent MM carts in a lower compliance.

I may be talking out my arse regarding the compliance, since these two carts may be measured differently. Denon's specs are a mystery, listed as 10x10-3m/N and 10x10-6cm/dyne with 100Hz test record. No way to know if that's static or dynamic compliance. This AT is in Japanese but appears to be 35x10-6cm/dyne static and 7x10-6cm/dyne dynamic which should indicate it is slightly less compliant than the AT440MLA, also measured by AT at 100Hz.

From a tracking force perspective the DL-160 and the AT7V may not be very far apart. Using the same test record I mentioned earlier I found my DL-160 tracks best at 2 grams in either tonearm.

From a mass perspective, the AT outweighs the Denon by nearly 2 grams unless you're using the extra weight provided with the DL-160.

There's alot to it that I don't understand, so your guess is as good as mine!

[Balifly]

Originally Posted by jimreeves

I don't have a scope to get a closer look at it, but that sounds about right. Where'd you find that info?

Here is a link to some information in English!
You may have already seen this previously in your research.
http://www.lptunes.com/Audio-Technic...dge-p/at7v.htm

[Stanton681EEES]

Originally Posted by jimreeves

I don't have a scope to get a closer look at it, but that sounds about right. Where'd you find that info?

I think I found it a couple of days ago on some Euro site.
I know the replacement stylus isn't cheap.

[Duane]

Originally Posted by jimreeves

I should mention if it isn't obvious already that the Luxman and the Pioneer I have setup are quite different, even though they're both direct drive straight arm tables. So a direct comparison of the two carts isn't happening here. I think the AT is better suited to the Luxman while the Denon is better suited to the Pioneer.

Nice write up.I also own the PL-707 and am curious as to why this cart may not be suited to it.Have you tried using it with the Pioneer?

[lini]

Originally Posted by jimreeves

(...) listed as 10x10-3m/N and 10x10-6cm/dyne with 100Hz test record. No way to know if that's static or dynamic compliance. (...)

Dynamic, of course. Otherwise they wouldn't need to mention the test signal...

S681EEE: The only hint to the tip shape I've found was on a Japanese site, and according to that it's a spherical... And actually the needle is pretty inexpensive - both the recommended and the street price are lower than for an ATN120E in Japan.

Greetings from Munich!

Manfred / lini

P.S.: I've researched a bit further, and I think the line in the spec section between the static compliance and the vertical tracking angle tells the tip shape - and I think that three character word means it's an elliptical, but there don't seem too be any curvature radii mentioned... Hmmm, a macro pic of the diamond would be helpful...

[jimreeves]

Originally Posted by Duane

Nice write up.I also own the PL-707 and am curious as to why this cart may not be suited to it.Have you tried using it with the Pioneer?

I haven't tried the AT in my PL-707, only because I have a DL-160 in one shell and a DL-110 in a spare shell. They make a great combo with the 707 arm. I have no doubt that the AT7V will work great in the Pioneer. It's just that the noise floor is so low in the PL-707 (>80db) that it works better with a lower output cart than my Luxman table does (>60b).

Apart from that, I was kinda looking for a higher output MM cart that could track as well as the Denons, make music as well and keep surface noise to a minimum. Ordering the AT7V was a crap shoot due to the lack of info for it, but I think I've found what I was looking for!

[Duane]

Thanks for the reply.What you are hearing from this cartridge is interesting.

I am looking at the AT150MLX for a future purchase.It seems to be a great match for the Pioneer arm. It also tracks very well from reading the reports from owners.