Audio-Technica AT-VM95ML Dual Moving Magnet Cartridge with Microlinear Nude Stylus,red

Product Information

Planning to get an ML stylus at some point as its a bit cheaper and it might be nice for extracting a bit more drive out of records that are somewhat constricted in dynamic range and sound compressed by default. Weaknesses- Transparent to the point of seeming thin, dry character, some higher frequencies are brilliant to the point of glaring, analytically sterile presence. Of course I like to have a good balance which I have more or less managed to achieve but with just a slight tip away from bright.

VM95ML upgrade woes | Steve Hoffman Music Forums VM95ML upgrade woes | Steve Hoffman Music Forums

Is this overt crispness an anti-skate issue? I have my anti-skate set to match VTF as per AT's rec.

I really have to crank up my volume on that LP to get any sort of decent headroom, maybe the ML will open things up for stuff like that. AT themselves never marketed any upgraded styli for the AT95 leaving other companies to take on the task including LP Gear, Jico and The Audio Files, who’s 95P Paratrace is considered by many the best of the bunch. The VM95 Range

Audio-Technica AT-VMN95ML VM95 Series Microlinear replacement Audio-Technica AT-VMN95ML VM95 Series Microlinear replacement

My displays are helpful when I look at other's recorded music and I see the wave form "fill" my screen and often look like a flat top hair cut near or at 0db, compressed and limited probably to -0.5db. right to the edge. This happens way too often in pop music. I prefer a balanced sound with nice low (tight and deep) and realistic/clean detail at the top. (lol... so I want everything in one hehehhe). The stereo- Technics SL1500C turntable w/ KAB damper, Graham Slee Era Gold V preamp, Yamaha A-S801 amp, JBL L82 speakers, Rythmik L12 sub.How many people will notice that the capacity of the modern amps / receivers phonosstage is too high? 1%? 5%? Characteristics shared between all styli are a warm, full-bodied sound that is also quite punchy. There’s a lot of drive here, though the VM95 is not voiced such that standout bumps in frequency make it an unpleasant listen. Rather it has a bit of ‘oomf’ to use a technical term that makes it, if anything, great fun above all else. It sounds much like the predecessor, though with more evenhandedness and control than the AT95, which tends to sound dry and a bit dull in comparison. VM95C I have read and practiced over the years that you do want to turn on that last bit, which is above the -6db threshold (6 x the bit rate is the dynamic range). One engineer I read said that there is no reason to go above -5db, but I think that leaving 3db of loudness disregarded as not a good practice and it lowers the rest of the music as well. I generally do not go over -2db in my own work, but overs in digital are bad, so I avoid them at all costs. I noticed in these two files I had clearance at the top of the wave forms by going to -1db. The albums- PJ Harvey- Dry, George Benson- the Shape of Things to Come, Sonic Youth- Dirty, Nina Simone- Sings the Blues.