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Vinyl Asylum: REVIEW: Audio Technica AT440ML Phono Cartridge by zygon |
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12.230.173.34
Model: AT440ML Category: Phono Cartridge Suggested Retail Price: $219.00 Description: Audiophile series MM phono cartridge with Manufacturer URL: Audio Technica Model Picture: View
Review by zygon ( A ) on June 25, 2003 at 08:36:04
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for the AT440ML
I wasn't going to write a review for the 440ML this early, but I feel like I've gotten the gist of this cartridge well enough, and wanted to write this while memories of my previous cart (a Shure M97xE) are still fresh in my mind.The M97xE still had a lot of hours left on the original stylus, and was serving me well for its sturdiness, workmanlike abilities and stabilizer brush, which helped things a lot on my table's medium-mass TP-16 tonearm. Before that, I was using a cheap Stanton 500E MkII. My first impression of the Shure when I bought it was that it sounded very refined, detailed and neutral compared to the Stanton, but eventually it became clear that something was wrong. I wasn't sure what, but it didn't sound bright enough and just wasn't musically satisfying. I tried various things, including shortening the IC's and playing endlessly with VTA, but nothing helped -- I couldn't shake the feeling that I was listening to music through a hole cut in a door rather than in the concert hall or studio. I began to look back wistfully on the cruder-sounding but more musical Stanton I had before.
Something was definitely wrong. I wasn't playing records, had nearly stopped buying records -- in fact, I was beginning to lose interest in vinyl completely. My records basically sounded like CD's!
As luck has it, I received a small windfall in my paycheck, and decided to get a new cart -- had it narrowed down to a higher-end Stanton, or the AT440ML. Thanks to the recommendations of a few inmates, I decided on the 440ML (mostly due to the line-contact stylus profile), and ordered one from LPGear.
When the cart came in the mail, I was impressed by the way it looked -- the cantilever is much finer and delicate than I expected in an $89.95 cartridge, and upon looking at the tip through my stylus scope, I was amazed at its appearance -- it's a nude-mounted diamond with a fine-line profile (Audio-Technica's Microline). The entire tip is a solid diamond, and has a bluish glow when looking directly at the tip -- something I'd never seen before. The cartridge looks "expensive," except for the purplish color of the body (which isn't garish, but doesn't contribute anything to its looks in my mind).
Mounting the 440ML was easier for me than mounting the M97xE (due to more straight edges), but I confess that I'm terrible at mounting cartridges -- some kind of mental block. At first I tend to try getting it done and over with quickly rather than taking much care. My impression after listening for the first time -- the cart indeed sounded bright. In fact, so bright (compared to the Shure) that I thought my ears were going to come off. I was expecting something like that after reading previous comments, and so didn't make any snap judgments.
Eventually, I did get the cart mounted right, set VTA and azimuth for good stereo separation and minimal crosstalk, and settled down to listen -- at this point, I'd played maybe 5 or 6 LP sides in the process.
I'll have to echo a lot of what Joe Blow said in his review (if you haven't read it please check it out, it's a good one), and add some stuff of my own. My first impression upon serious listening was that someone had put a graphic equalizer inline, and seriously tipped up both bass and treble in the classic "V" curve. After a couple record sides however, I realized the sad truth -- in my system anyway, the M97xE was dull. Very dull, extremely dull, boring, constricted. In contrast, the 440ML sounds stunningly musical, open, full on both ends of the spectrum -- with perhaps a slight dip in midrange. Surface noise characteristics are "different" than with the M97xE and its elliptical stylus, not really better or worse -- different things are audible, undoubtedly due to the stylus riding lower in the groove.
This morning, I found myself playing a bit of one record after another, amazed at what I was hearing. Eventually, I settled down to listen to Tears for Fear's "Songs from the Big Chair," a record I haven't listened to much for a long time, and which I thought myself very sick of. At some point (I think during the song "Shout"), the magic just happened -- that almost mystical experience I'd heard described about vinyl before, but never yet experienced. Not only did surface noise vanish, but the room vanished, the world vanished, everything in the universe but the music vanished. Chills were going up and down my spine. I was swept away utterly in the music.
Needless to say, consider this a double-enthusiastic "thumbs up" review for the AT440ML. One thing to watch for though -- after testing with the HFNRR record, it turns out the resonant frequency with the Thorens TP-16 MkI is around 7Hz -- and the cart is thus very sensitive to footfalls and warps. I have to say though, it's a tradeoff I'd make in a second for what I'm hearing in this cartridge. In my opinion, it's a blowaway bargain at the $89.95-$99.99 price it's currently selling for everywhere. If your system is very bright for some reason you may want to think twice, otherwise my opinion (at the moment) is that the "bass-shy" characteristics some people have described is a complete myth. There's a real magic in this cartridge, probably one of the very few under-$100 (street price) models that will give you the real taste of high-end vinyl you may be craving. As it seems to be continuing to sell at bargain basement prices (if anything, it's dropped lower recently) there's no reason for anybody who loves vinyl not to give this one a try -- if the synergy is there, I'm convinced you'll be nothing but delighted, and like myself find yourself gushing in Stereophile-esque terminology. In a few brief hours, I'm hooked on vinyl again (more than ever) and ready to add lots of titles to my collection.
Product Weakness: Cartridge is a bit on the bright side, but isn't bass-shy in my opinion. Compliance issues warrant a second thought if your tonearm is medium to high mass. Product Strengths: Almost everything -- superb channel separation, high-end detail, bass tightness and detail, musicality, has the magic in spades
Associated Equipment for this Review: Amplifier: vintage Sony Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): Technics SU-C01 (vintage) Sources (CDP/Turntable): Thorens TD-160, TP-16 MkI Speakers: Headphones! Cables/Interconnects: Standard Music Used (Genre/Selections): Many -- both studio and acoustic Time Period/Length of Audition: 4 days / 12-14 LP sides Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner
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