Audio-Technica AT-VM95E Dual Moving Magnet Cartridge with 0.3 x 0.7mil Elliptical Stylus

The Audio Technica AT-VM95E is an affordable dual magnet moving phono cartridge with an elliptical stylus. It comes with a stylus protector that I only take off when listening to records. It is a step up from the AT-VM95C cartridge with a conical stylus. For best results, set your tracking force to 2.0 grams as recommended by Audio-Technica

This is a great cartridge, Don't hesitate. I love how some of the other reviewers arecomplaining about bent stylus cantilevers right out of the box. This is BS. These peopleare damaging stylus themselves by accident and don't realize it or they know that theycaused it and are trying to get replacement for free. Most GEN X vinyl noobs don't realizehow delicate the "needle" actually is.

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Be very careful and check this when it arrives. I did not and when I eventually opened it the stylus was broken off from the cartridge making it unusable. I think I waited too long to open this so I can’t return it but don’t repeat my mistake, check this because there was no broken stylus in my package making me think it happened during assembly at the factory. Next time I think I will go with an Ortofon.Added 4/22/25 - while I couldn’t get relief from Amazon, Audio-Technica honored their warranty. The whole interaction was completely painless for me and A-T was quick to resolve the issue. So I’m revising this to 4 stars based on their easy warranty support. Stuff happens in business, how you resolve that stuff makes all the difference

thank you very good cartridge

The media could not be loaded. The sound quality of this cartridge rivals the $200 (in the 80's!!) Audio-Technica AT29SX. For the cost of a replacement stylus for that 29 today, I can buy approximately 3 of these!This is a great, amazing value in a quality phono cartridge. The AT-VM95E features an elliptical diamond stylus which tracks the record groove smoothly and accurately. The sound quality is phenomenal. Deep lows that had the sub under my desk making happy vibes, crystal clear highs with treble extension and clarity that a CD can't touch, and the midrange is present, forward and clear. Female vocals are textured, full and weighty. I auditioned Carole King's Tapestry and was blown away. The piano in "Smackwater Jack" was in the room with me. Stereo imaging and soundstage are broad and have good instrument placement and separation. With a claimed 20db of stereo separation, I'd call it conservatively rated. The soundstage moves outside the speakers and there's plenty of channel separation for my ears. While on the subject of specs, I have no doubt on the validity of the claimed 20Hz-22kHz frequency response! The depths of lows I was able to hear and the reach and clarity of the highs left no detectable rolloff in my listening.All said, this is beyond a great value, it's a must buy. If you're in the market for a replacement, an upgrade or are resurrecting and old turntable, look no further. I've been an Audio-Technica fan since I knew what a cartridge did. I've owned Shures, Pickerings, Ortofons, Empires and Nagaokas. I keep recommending AT.The design of this cartridge is well thought out. The threaded screw inserts are a dream for those of us with older eyes and fingers. No more fumbling with those tiny nuts. In my case, the short body on this cartridge (see the pic of my old AT-29SX above - it's long) allows it to mount fully forward in my angled Sony headshell. Alignment was confirmed on a cartridge protractor to be spot on. Not sure if this will be the case with all headshells on all tonearms. Likely not, but it's nice to get lucky sometimes!Gripes... OK, all rave reviews need a gripe or two. None rise to the level of deducting a star, mind you, but nevertheless there are some niggles. First, the old white-body AT cartridges of yesteryear had tiny colored rings around the connection pins. This made it a no-brainer to see where each wire went. Of course, this was decades before one could solve the question with a 15 second Google search. Second, every AT cartridge I bought back in the stone age included a screwdriver. What gives? Of course for $65 bucks, I suppose I can live with it. And third, wait...there is no third.Another great feature of this cartridge is the broad range of upgrade styli available. AT has carried this tradition forwards from years ago and it continues to be a reason I would choose them again.My setup here is a Sony PS-T22 (circa 1980) with upgraded audio cables feeding an iFi Zen Air Phono preamp into a FiiO K7 DAC (just using the line-in and headphone amp). From there I am running a SMSL A300 integrated amplifier feeding Neumi BS5 bookshelf speakers. For critical listening, I usually rely on my in-ear monitors. My go-to IEMs are the iBasso IT01s. These are what I used for much of the review above.

After thrifting a second turntable for my classroom setup, I took the opportunity to upgrade the cartridge and stylus on my Dual 1209 to this elliptical model. I transferred my previous cartridge and AT3600L stylus to the classroom turntable.Audio Technica has long held a strong reputation for quality cartridge/stylus combos, and this model did not disappoint. The elliptical stylus sits deeper in the grooves, providing greater depth and clarity of sound. It was easy to set up and install with basic knowledge of how the system functions. Make sure you are gentle while removing and replacing the wire leads, as these can be quite delicate. Also make sure to properly align the cartridge/stylus/head with the grooves and adjust your tonearm balance to maintain the proper tracking force, avoid damaging your records. Finally, be aware that an elliptical stylus will behave differently than a conical stylus in terms of "skating," so you will also probably need to readjust your anti-skate setting.So far, I am very pleased with the performance of this combo. It delivers a richer sound across a wider frequency range, and may even allow me to explore the quadraphonic capabilities of my vintage receiver if and when I add two more speakers to the setup.

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