****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
Although some might say that this cartridge is a little on the hot side I tend to like it hot with my music that is. I actually have four of these installed on four different turntables The reason is because the price the sound in the quality of this product is great for an audio file like me. I've bought other cartridges but always seem to come back to this cartridge because I like the way it sounds it is a little on the hot side but like I mentioned earlier I like it that way. I think you will be satisfied with the sound that comes out of this cartridge at least that's my opinion try it you'll like it.This is a fantastic cartridge. It sounds very clean and clear. I have installed them on three of my own turntables, and a few for other folks too. You can certainly spend quite a lot more and get very high quality for it. But for a great cartridge without spending a ton, this is one of the best options.Sounds good, especially at the price, but I’m a noob, so take it for what it’s worth.It’s a small complaint, but mounting with nuts and bolts instead of screws is kind of a drag.Overall, 5 StarsSo you got a vintage turntable and for whatever reason the old cartridge isn't working and you can't get a replacement stylus because they went out of production years ago. Bummer!Stick this on it, it's standard equipment for a lot of new turntables and is just as at home on a vintage table.You can pay more for better sound but if this doesn't at least sound "good enough" to you then vinyl is gonna become a very expensive rabbit hole. Trust me. Just get this one and stop thinking about how you can make it sound better. Set it up once, get some replacement styluses for when you wear the first one out, and forget about it.Invite your friends over and put a record on. They'll take one look at your vintage turntable (with specs that otherwise beat their modern one no contest) and say "Oh nice, I've got the same cartridge on mine!"Note: if you look at your current cartridge or tonearm and realize you'll need a cartridge that has a screw at the back instead of two that go in the top, you're gonna need a p-mount cartridge instead of 1/2". Try an AT85EP for that instead-- most of the replacement options for that mount have evaporated over the past few years, but that one should also be "good enough."Audiophiles are generally categorised by the ridiculous amounts of money they spend on gear, but sometimes it takes just a little bit of experimenting and luck to realise that being thrifty and being an audiophile aren't always mutually exclusive.My analog setup consists of a restored Thorens TD-160 MK1, Rega RB-300 with upgraded wiring and spring removed, Michell Tecnoweight, Ortofon 2M Bronze and a Gem Dandy cork-rubber mat. This is being fed into a Lounge Audio preamp and then into a fully restored Marantz 2285B. Speakers are B&W CDM-1 SE. Over the past year I've gone through a few cartridges and finally settled on the 2M Bronze; reviews generally have called this cartridge "analytic" (whatever that means!) but I've generally considered it to be a really good cartridge with excellent bass & high frequency extension and lower IGD compared to the Denon DL-103R. Very recently I was offered a very good price for my 2M Bronze and I contemplated selling it, so I bought the AT95E as a stop gap measure.The cartridge arrived in a very nondescript cube box and my first impressions weren't very high. The cartridge is very light and mostly plastic. The good thing about it's shape is that it is very easy to align, but mounting it was quite a chore since the body isn't tapped like the 2M. I also had to switch the counterweight on the Tecnoweight to accommodate the lighter cartridge. Once aligned and set, I put on a Dire Straits record and right off the bat I was very pleasantly surprised.Compared to the 2M Bronze which is approximately 10 times the price, the AT95E wasn't too bad. Despite being a brand new cartridge, the AT95E had good bass and treble extension. What was most striking was that nothing leaped out at you, this cartridge has a very even keeled and well-balanced sound with no part of the frequency spectrum being exaggerated. The bass sounded a little boomy at first but with use it actually seemed to get tighter, I didn't notice too much change in the high frequencies. While the AT95E isn't nearly as resolved as the Bronze, it has pretty good extension on the bass and treble. Compared to the Bronze, the soundstage is narrower, but not to a point where it sounds bad and the AT95E is definitely on the warmer side. There are some tracks where the treble sounds a little tizzy and not as smooth as the bronze, but this is not objectionable and would probably not even get noticed by someone that hasn't heard a more expensive cartridge.Overall, for a cartridge at 1/10th the price of the 2M Bronze, the AT95E did extremely well. I've also owned and used the Shure M97xe and compared to that I would recommend this cartridge any day. If used on a good turntable, the AT95E can definitely do well and I think it was performing at the limits of its performance on my system. This is easily the best $40 I've spent on a cartridge and I have no reservations in recommending it.The only apprehension I have is about the quality of the diamond. I haven't had a chance to view it under a microscope, but I wouldn't necessarily want to play any of my ultra rare or expensive LPs with this stylus until I've examined it under a microscope.Très bonne cellule d’entrée de gamme pour un prix très modique.
