Features:

  • VM95 Series dual Magnet cartridge with 0.6 mil Conical stylus
  • Aluminum cantilever
  • Specially wound coils increase output voltage
  • Durable low-resonance polymer Housing
  • Threaded inserts in cartridge body enable cartridge to be mounted to headshell with just two screws - no nuts required
Yes.. It's THAT good.

Finally! A simple cartridge that just plainly lets you enjoy music. Face it... This is not a perfect world. But each day we go into the workforce and try to make it as perfect as possible. And with that comes the daily stress of our lives. So the last thing we want to do is come home throw on our favorite records and sit there and analyze every intricate detail or flaw about an imperfect medium. That is vinyl. We just want to enjoy music. And this cartridge lets you do that. I have bought many a cartridge in my lifetime and have spent way way more than this cartridge costs. And what did I get? Cartridges that I had to tweak continuously to get the sound I wanted. And you know something? I tweak enough in the world to make things perfect as possible daily...but not what i want to do when i come home to relax and enjoy my records...my memories. So i oedered this based on the reviews and because it was new...and i tjought maybe..just maybe..there was a $34 miracle pill. So i anxiously installed it on my Thorens TD 170 automatic turntable...gave it a good solid basic alignment..hit the start button and bam! I was in the 80s all over again! RICH SOUND.. no sibilance or harshness...just...music...that's it...music! And I like the fact that there is a conical tip. As it doesn't pick up every intricate tick and pop..it finds the muaic..which is what we are all after. And many of my records have been played heavily over many years..and this cartridge is forgiving of that...it seems to "know" what's important..remembering "when". And I'm a working man. And this isn't a working man's budget. It's well suited for today's automatic turntables I've medium mass tone arms as it is a medium compliance cartridge edit mates very well and blends with a lot of modern equipment. So yeah, it looks nice! But most importantly what it does it does right. It hits the spot and that's what it's supposed to do. So if there is a miracle available for $34 this year has found the spot! Thank you Audio-Technica.

True blue bargain!

Whether you're rehabbing an old turntable or trying to upgrade a newer entry-level one, Audio-Technica's AT-VM95C is a great starter cartridge. For the price of a big city lunch out, you get a twenty-first century cartridge for today and tomorrow that's far more flexible than you might expect. The C here is for "Conical Stylus," which makes it "entry level" among many new vinyl fans, but is an excellent everyday choice if a lot of your LPs are picked up well-loved from the record store's used bins. It's also a fine choice if you're buying new releases, and is almost certainly still an upgrade even if your turntable (like many) came with a bottom-of-the-barrel conical stylus/cartridge. If you eventually decide a conical stylus isn't your end goal, good news: the "AT-VM95" part of the equation is the cartridge body, and Audio-Technica's various more expensive options are simply the same cartridge paired with higher-end styli. Most manufacturers offer perhaps a single upgrade option per cartridge, but Audio-Technica's offering a full line here — including a stylus specifically for 78s. (If you do decide you like a "better" stylus for your fresh pressings, consider picking up an entire second AT-VM95C and another headshell for your back catalog — an entire cart is only a few dollars more than the replacement conical stylus.) Unique at this price point (and even among higher-priced cartridges, actually), Audio-Technica has opted for threaded inserts in their AT-VM95 cartridge, meaning you don't have to fiddle with teeny tiny nuts when installing. Just align the cartridge on the headshell, start the screws, and screw til tight. There's nothing more satisfying than throwing your old cartridge nuts into the garbage! While you can reuse your old screws, Audio-Technica includes new hardware, and you're best off using it: not only will you get a fresh set of washers, but A-T's shorter screws won't interfere with the full-coverage, slip-on stylus protector (another rarity at this price point). (See the attached photo — that's installed with the "standard" long screws of decades past, and just barely clears the stylus cover.) This cart sounds great, tracks well, and the sighting lines on both the cartridge and stylus make it easy to double-check that everything's lined up and installed correctly. The neat-looking blue stylus color ain't too shabby, either. Time will tell how well the stylus lives up to A-T's estimated 500 hour lifetime, but so far it's sounding fantastic and has breathed new life into my vintage JVC turntable.

Very forgiving

I’ve used ortofon, shure, and AT. This is the best bang for the buck, and it is very forgiving. That does, however, require me to drop sound quality and (sound) accuracy to 4 stars because the stylus isn’t technically hitting the entire groove. Consequently, the sound isn’t as defined. That being said, an elliptical stylus is wasted on a recreational listener. Your turntable geometry has to be on point to get the benefit of an elliptical stylus without tracking issues. This stylus/cartridge combo takes the fussiness our of the hobby. Buy a cheap alignment mirror and scale and have a blast. Spend the extra $100 on a few albums.

Yes, do it

I was getting some wicked inner groove distortion and sibilence with the original at95e that came with my At-LP120, and everything was just sounding a bit worse. I could see it wobbling in the groove. Maybe the stylus was just wearing out, I don't know. So I bought this to replace the original. If you're on the fence, because a replacement stylus for the at95e is a dollar more than this entire cartridge, or you think that maybe you won't like the conical stylus as much as the elliptical, go ahead and buy this. It sounds better than the at95e so far. It is worth the annoyance of changing the cartridge. I set the VTF and anti-akate at 2 grams. No more wobble. Everything I've played has sounded just as it should, or at least just as I it expected to sound. I'm happy.

Great Sound for a Budget Cartridge

THe AT-VM95C has features you don't usually find on a budget cartridge and is easy to upgrade by buying different styli. The convenient built in threaded inserts make installing it a piece of cake. A feature that was usually found on much more expensive cartridges. It has clear highs and has no trouble with the low end. If you get the elliptical stylus it's even better. As far as carts in this price range I thought the Ortofon Omega was the one to beat. Audio Technica did just that. Best in it's price range right now.

Great offering from Audio Technica! Easy to install! Better than Ortofon 5S

I had an Ortofon on my turntable but I did not like the design. The recommended setting as 1.75 g (VTF) but I had to set it to 1.5 g because at 1.75 g the bottom of the housing would scrape the surface of the record. I tried a couple of different Ortofons (including the OM10) and it had the same problem! My old Numark that I had for 20 years had the same Audio Technica stylus and it never gave me a lick of problems. And I am pretty rough on styluses. I am always buying records from flea markets and bargain bins and though I clean them pretty well, they can be rougher on a stylus than a brand new record can. I had an easy time installing the AT-VM95C and cartridge. I just loosed the screws in the head and removed the old cartridge and then screwed this one in. Of course, I used a protractor to make sure the stylus housing was lined up properly. Sound is great! No more problems with scraping the surface of records and I have my AT-VM95C set at 2 grams! Originally my plan was to upgrade to the AT-VM95EN but this stylus sounds so good, I may just leave it as it is.

Bargain, perfect for 45s and rough records!

A while back I installed an AT95EX cartridge on my Technics turntable, which has a much finer elliptical stylus compared to the wider conical point on this VM95c. While the elliptical stylus does produce beautiful detail and perform well with clean, quality records, I found it very unforgiving with anything remotely worn or dusty, particularly old 45 rpm records. A little crackle and pop can be pleasing, but this was excessive and distracting. I decided to try to find a cartridge that could handle abuse a little better, and this VM95c turned out to fit the bill perfectly. It has a larger point and tolerates a little higher tracking force, and it really does a great job. Anyone looking for a budget cartridge should be happy with the all-around performance of this cartridge, but enthusiasts might find something worthwhile here, too. I now keep this cartridge mounted in a second headshell that I can quickly swap in and whenever I want to spin some 45s.

Great for a casual listener

I have a few crates of vinyl that I picked up over the years. I needed a new cartridge because my old Grado black stylus broke and I could not find a replacement (just the whole cart). Sounds good enough to my ears although I'm not an audiophile. For the price it's great!

Great starter needle and cartridge

I bought this for a starter needle for rehabbing a turntable,after a while I really noticed the difference in sound quality and was totally surprised!! Easy to install in minutes ,follow the directions and your ready to go,what's really nice is that you can easily upgrade to a different needle and no need for a new cartridge ,simply snap on and off for a few bucks you can't go wrong!!

Best low cost phono pickup available

Amazing low cost cartridge and stylus. I got it for playing 45's as elliptical stylus can be deadly to them, especially the styrene ones. I also have been playing 33 1/3 LPs with it lately and it really is a stellar performer. Even with the basic conical stylus. Plus this cartridge can be upgraded with very sophisticated stylus and compete against pickups that cost many times more.

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