Audio-Technica VM540ML Moving Magnet Cartridge
Founded in 1962 by Hideo Matsushita, Audio-Technica positioned itself immediately as a leader in the manufacture and design of innovative audio products.
Humility, passion, creativity and expertise in sound are the core values behind Audio-Technica’s legacy, greatly inspired by its founder – whose imprint on the company’s philosophy is still felt today.
Today, Audio-Technica’s audio products have become globally synonymous with consistently high sonic performance paired with impeccable build construction and artistic design.
| Dimensions: | 10.16 x 5.08 x 7.62 cm; 6.52 Grams |
| Model: | VM540ML |
| Manufacture: | audio-technica |
| Origin: | China |
I’ve been a fan of Audio-Technica for many years. AT products have always had a competitive price, but this has to be one of the best bargains yet. Over the years i’ve used cartridges from Shure, Ortofon, Nagoka, Stanton and of course Audio-Technica. None compare to the AT-VM540ML. The top end and bass are subtly improved as is the channel separation. At this price it’s a must try.
I cant say for certain if it really sounds much better sonically than the Ortofon Super OM 10 that this is replacing on my Technics SL-D1, but I can say for certain that the distortion reduction was 100% worth the price of admission. Audio is crystal clear throughout the entire record, IGD be damned. Get it aligned right and this cartridge is heavenly. I really can’t see myself going back to an eliptical or conical stylus after hearing this thing.
A superb stage was the first thing I noticed followed by an definitive increase in clarity. I upgraded from a Ortofon red. I had also used a AT vm95en, another fine cartridge but not in the same class as the vm540ml.
If like me you are unsure if you should buy this then don’t hesitate. It is worth the money.
My Shure V15 cartridge finally gave up after many years, so had to change. Replaced with the Audio Technica VM540ML. Although it was expensive, it brought the life back to my vinyl record collection. Great choice.
I went with the AT-VM540ML after researching what I could to get the best bang for buck for my Systemdek IIX (which is 30+ yr.old) R & R of a stylus isn’t for the faint of heart – I used a protractor and digital scale to align and balance the weight to the specs. It’s working as advertised, definitely worth the investment.
This is a very nice sounding cartridge! It needs to be setup very carefully though. I found on my tonearm the azimuth was very critical and the ideal vtf was 1.85 g instead of 2.0 g. The vta was set by making sure the top of the cartridge is parallel to the record surface. Once i fussed with all this, the sound smoothed out and came alive. Experiment with the tracking force, and make sure your cartridge is mounted square and the azimuth is as perfect as you can. This cartridge has a neutral sound over all and low surface noise and zero sibilance and igd distortion. Truly a bargain, I’ve heard carts at twice the price not sound as good overall. Enjoy!
I remember first buying a new cartridge for my turntable and how disappointed I was. I’ve been through Shure and Nagaoka before betting on this one. The thing that always got me was how much the S’s sounded like SH’s. When you buy a new cartridge and the sibilance is worse the one you are upgrading you feel hopeless. One day I decided to try again and read around on forums, I think it was Steve Hoffman’s forum. Anyway, this cartridge had great things said about it, especially about much less outer groove distortion. That interested me, because the lack-of-distortion was what I wasn’t looking for. This thing is kind of expensive, but buy it. I wasted my time on two other cartridges that didn’t do what I wanted. Spend a little more and get this, cause I don’t have golden ears, but I like the clarity of CDs / Digital and this is the closest to that pristine high end I’ve heard from a cartridge that I’ve bought.
Ottimo prodotto, qualit elevata (caro ma vale il suo prezzo)
Installed this cartridge onto a MoFi Studiodeck. Incredible. All instruments louder and more clear than the factory installed studiotracker cartridge. More pop where it needs to be and smooth and quiet in opposing moments. Extremely satisfied.
The Audio-Technica VM540ML Moving Magnet Cartridge was easy to install and align and the sound produced by it is outstanding. It greatly surpasses the sound quality of the cartridge it replaced and considering the high quality sound it produces, I feel it is a great bargain for its price. Thanks.
This cartridge has a wide audio range, with strong bass and high end. It also seems to have a bit more channel separation than the Shure V15 Type V-MR it replaced. The installation was tedious, because the cartridge has no integral female threads like some others for the mounting hardware. At this price level, an installation jig/protractor like the Shure had would be welcome. The AT tracks very well and the microline stylus seems to extract all of the audio signal possible from the vinyl.
My first “expensive” cartridge. I’ve got an older Shure M97x, which sounds fine, but I believe the tonal separation is more discernible with this upgrade. I strongly recommend this cartridge!
Should have bought this earlier. Sound is a bit on the bright side, but that should mellow as it settles in. Pleased with LPGear (which fulfilled my order), in terms of packing, prompt shipping and service after sale. Also had it (via Amazon) for half the asking price just a couple of weeks later.
If you are a budget music lover and on the fence about spending over $100 on a cartridge, take the plunge. I knew I could get better sound out of my vinyl without spending over $500 on a cartridge. The 540 is producing the detailed sound that is on par with and better than some digital you hear people talking about. I heard details in Rihanna’s Anti album and Marvel soundtracks I never noticed. That is why I have always played vinyl, no loudness war or excessive treble or bass. Buy it, sit back and enjoy.
The cartridge sound quality is dramatically improved over the original .
If you like to hear the subtle musical nuances of vinyl, you wont be disappointed with this – unless you prefer spending a lot of money.
This is a replacement for the one that shipped with a bent cantilever. My favorite cart for under $800. No IGD at all.
Microline stylus,which means a long life and no inner groove distortion, and it has amazing sound quality. The only thing that some may not like, is that while being less pronounced than an AT440ML cart, the signature hike above 1Khz can be a bit fatiguing to many listeners until the stylus breaks in. It dims down some but is still prevalent. A nice tube preamp or EQ in your system can solve it altogether. I don’t mind it, though.
PROS: Fantastic sound, when set up properly it can eliminate IGD on even the loudest records, tracks like a champ at a light tracking force. Best value for a cart of this price that I’ve ever seen.
CONS: Sound profile can be fatiguing for some listeners. The cart can also be sensitive to anti-skate adjustments, so make sure it’s set properly. Use a CD or Laserdisc to help with that. Thanks to the type of stylus, more worn, dusty, and noisy records will show their flaws easier. Can be hard to install for a beginner.
BOTTOM LINE: A well made, fair priced intro to Microline styli, and a solid upgrade above similar competition from Ortofon and Grado, for people who are already into vinyl. If you’re not familiar with an Audio Technica sound profile, you probably won’t like this cart right off the bat. This also isn’t the cart for you if you play records that aren’t in decent enough shape or not cleaned properly.
Testina molto equilibrata,nessuna frequenza prevale sull’altra ed giusto cos.Avrei preferito maggior dettaglio e chiarezza,lo sa chi proviene da una V15III…
It is sturdy and battle-ready, especially the stylus itself. Im working my way thru my entire LP collection and this cartridge is reviving the sound and allowing me to rediscover my favorites by finding sweet sonic surprises formerly hidden in the grooves. Look at the stylus thru a 3x jewlers’ lupe in front of a white fluorescent light, and you’ll appreciate what you’re getting for the money. I love it!!
This is well worth the little more it costs over a budget model. The stylus on this cart tracks like a boss, pulls information out of the grooves others leave behind and sound as good as carts costing 3X as much. I’m using it on an older technics belt drive TT and blows away the Naga MP110 I was using prior to this A+++ buy!
This has been a huge upgrade over my Ortofon 2M Red, and nearly on par with my Ortofon Bronze. Out of the box without even breaking in, the full spectrum sound shines through with little distortion. Installation is not easy as there is no threading in the cartridge, you have tiny bolts and nuts do make micro-adjustments… PITA, so it loses stars on install.
Although the stylus and cartridge together cost the same as the entire AT-LP120USB with the stock AT-HS6 universal “-mount headshell and AT-VM95E – I found it well worth the added investment. My only issue is that the microline is so small, I have issues when starting the record. Maybe a better alignment will do away with this issue, but I have spent a lot of time using several protractors and still have this issue.
Absolutely unbelievable on my VPI Prime Scout. Wasn’t sure if the tone arm was slightly heavy for this cart but I’m blown away by the clarity and dynamics on my table.
En vue d’amliorer un diamant At95e d’origine sur une at1240, j’ai t pleinement conquis
I have the AT-120LP USB. I have made many modifications to it but by far, this has been the best upgrade I have made to my record player. I am very happy with the instructions that came with it. I found it easy to set up and get its playing. I have it set at 1.95 grams tracking. It’ll be exciting to hear how it matures after breaking in.
I’ve been a bit less than impressed. Was expecting a significant improvement in sound quality after replacing my worn M91ED. But not really that much.
After quite good time looking for upgrading the standard cartridge for the AT LP 120 USB, the VM 540ML has been the best choice! Very well balanced, detail is enhanced with so much clarity that I listen some LP ‘s repeatedly !
I would recommend to get an extra mounting headshell as well.
Very smooth, clean, high quality sound. I very much enjoy the vinyl experience again.
Such a stark contrast in detail compared to the ATN95E the Fluance RT81 comes with. Worth the investment.
Great cartridge at a reasonable price, if you love listening to vinyl then I highly recommend this excellent product. If you don’t have the right tools, then get it professionally fitted, it’s worth paying a bit to get it set up correctly
This item arrived in perfect condition and was ready to use out of the box. It’s on a 1976 Marantz direct drive model 6300 turntable.
I installed and set this up on my
Pioneer PL 707 table, I was hoping for improvement over the cartridge I was using, it was a Shure. I played Steely Dan Aja’ as a test run for the new cartridge and was instantly hearing a huge difference, the sound quality and the distinct separation was almost unbelievable. I played a few records that day and called my wife over a few times to listen for certain instruments coming from certain channels, she even said that sounds really good. I highly recommend this cartridge, for the superb sound quality, the value for the money and the Audio technica reputation!!!!
The head-shell wires did NOT want to easily attach onto the cartridge – I had to push them on using way too much force to be comfortable – luckily all went well. Figuring out the screws to use was also a pain – I put the largest on first (wrong answer) and then the medium ones (correct answer). A younger/smaller person could probably have gotten the screws on much easier but I couldn’t even pick up the washer without tweezers.
Once mounted and carefully adjusted I tried it out on a favorite vinyl record and…it sounded about the same as the AT-120 it replaced – it has a little less volume. So I played around with impedance and capacitance settings on my preamplifier and discovered this cartridge seems to produce better high-end at 100pF.
After all this tinkering, I am a bit disappointed, there is just very little if any noticeable improvement in sound quality for a cartridge costing $70 more than the AT-120 (replaced by VM530).
It *IS* a nice sounding cartridge, it just isn’t much better for the price.
Oh and as for the stylus replacement option, do not take the bait. The stylus is about 80% of the entire cost of the cartridge. I would rather just buy a new cartridge if I wore out a stylus for the cost.
Very good sound, easy to mount and easy to align.
I recommend it!
I have an OG 1975 Thorens TD-145 with the TP-16 arm. This is a very heavy arm, which means it is a real pain in the neck to match up to a cart. Over the nearly 20 years I’ve had this ‘table, I’ve tried a Grado Gold, a Grado Black, both which were horribly unstable in this arm. Then I found the AT 440 ML, the fore-runner to this cart I”m reviewing today.. The 440 ML got on *famously* with my Thorens, and it was a great sound.
But alas, the 440 was discontinued, and this one, the 540, took its place. O.O It still tracks just as well as the 440, but the sound is so much more even! It is less “bright” than the 440, but immensely detailed! I have it going to a Parasound Z-Phono, then into a Panasonic XR-55, then into 1987 Klipsch Fortes. The sound from vinyl is heavenly. I do vacuum all records that come into my house before they get their first play, though. That said, just like the 440, this one also has an uncanny ability to be QUIET. Very few pops and tics if your vinyl is good and it’s been taken care of properly. It won’t help abused records.
I *was* goign to get an OC9, but I like this so much I’m sticking with it until it wears out. Then I may just pop a new stylus on and keep going. I’ve found my sound. Well, I found my sound with the 440, but I found my sound again with this one! I was kinda upset the 440 had gone away ’til this one was in, adjusted, and properly run-in.
Nota Bene for TP16 users: In my particular setup, I used the Thorens original cartridge alignment jig, the clear plastic one that has notches for front-and-back adjustment and up-and-down adjustment. It took no shims! Just bolted it straight up to the headshell, and the Vertical Tracking Angle was *perfect*.
I spent a week refurbishing an Acoustic Research XB 1 turntable I bought as a poor student in 1978. This is a very high quality deck built to a broadcast standard.
During the refurb I could see that the mechanical engineering of the bits that matter – bearing, arm bearings, platter etc. was excellent. Cleaning, oiling with professional bearing oil from vinylclear (Amazon), setting the sub assembly suspension system, and then finally installing the 540ML, using an excellent mirrored protractor from Analogue Studio (Amazon), was a total faff.
I sourced a hard to get new belt from Malvern Audio which was critical, as this broadcast standard deck has a wow and flutter of less than 0.03% (yes that’s correct).
So the acid test? I first played Genesis’s Dance on a Volcano – astonishing clarity and perfect tracking at 1.8g. Then I tried ELP’s Fanfare for the Common Man from their Works album. Simply incredible weight to the relentless and complex bass and synths in the full extend version. Perfect tracking again. My Cambridge amp boots out 100w a channel and the REL sub another 100w so that was a house shaker.
During initial testing the deck was temporarily no more than O.5m from the right speaker (Monitor Audio Radius 90s on their lovely bespoke stands – see the photo), and the REL sub, on a glass table. Try that with anything but a Linn, top vintage Thorens, or a 1400 Project and it wouldn’t work. So a superb combo for my purposes.
The second stage of my vinyl project was to buy a new phono preamp to maximise the quality chain. I looked at two obvious options, the Cambridge Audio and the Rega Fono MM, but I had a few reservations on the flexibility of the former and the alleged poorer build quality of the latter.
Eventually, I opted for the specialist British company Ifi and its excellent Zen phono preamp after a lot of research and viewing some expert reviews on YouTube. I have just about bedded this preamp in now alongside the AT.
This is a superb combo that can extract all the quality I need from my vinyl collection. The Zen also has a specialist rumble filter for handling warps and other disc pressing issues as well as future upgrade pathways to moving coil options. It it beautifully made and Amazon had a very good price for this.
My first few week’s impressions of the AT VM 540 ML? It is a great tracker, even at its lowest recommended weight (1.8g) in a good quality arm. It brings out a precision and special ‘presence’. This is possibly to a higher ‘musical plane’ than my new (award winning) Marantz 6007 CD deck – high praise indeed. It is not artificially smoothed out like some cheaper cartridges. It extracts all the content you’d expect from such a stylus.
On classical it is very accurate yet musical. Keith Emerson’s piano concerto (Works again) is beautiful (try it – like Shostakovich). Percussion is crystal clear, brass incredible realistic and the character of a Steinway grand unlike any CD or mid level streamed affair. Real music, if your ear knows what to listen for. And it’s pretty much in 3D. My main speakers are about 3.5m apart so allows for a large sound stage.
My wife though that I believe in Father Christmas (Work 2) was superb too. So that says it all. That track nearly made us cry….
Then I dug out my copy of Mozart 41st Symphony by Kripps and the Concertgebouw on Phillips from the early 1970s – part of a boxed set. The uplifting last movement was as beautiful as ever. It took me back to playing violin in the University of Manchester’s orchestra (78 to 80)….isn’t that what it’s all about?
My final test phase was placing the turntable in its new location on an audio bench (see photo). I played a pristine first edition of Simply Red’s Picture Book album. This was so good it reaffirmed why serious vinyl set ups are very good. Silky smooth singing, amazing recording quality, every nuance audible – pure class.
Is it all worth it? Yes, if you love music and have a deck and system that can extract the full quality of this cartridge.
Would I try it in a deck under 500? Probably not, even the excellent Project Debut Carbon Evo, as the cartridge and preamp cost nearly as much as that deck. Yes, in a Rega Planar 3 or above. I think it could work well in the new Technics SL1500C with a separate preamp such as my ifi Zen or possibly work well using a Project Classic Evo. However, none of these have such a low wow and flutter and rumble, apart from the Technics, as my vintage AR. Belt drive is still the simplest and most elegant solution to true hifi vinyl.
I believe my AR will last another few decades yet. My son is eyeing it up……..
A very ruler flat frequency response, with a very revealing, yet musical nature. No warmth, or sweetness what so ever. I honestly wish it were a little bit more lush and musical. I am not saying it is bland, just slightly matter of fact sounding. Sometimes brutally honest to the recording, letting me hear things I don’t want to hear. Not very forgiving to poor recordings, and every so often a background singer will explode to the front of the music out of key, and definately mixxed in as an afterthought. In the end it does stay truthful to the recording. Great value for the money. I just wish it was a little bit more forgiving. It is indeed an extrordanary cartridge for a bargain price that does not seem to exagerate any portion of the frequency spectrum.
I bought this and after a bit of faff installing it onto the new headshell I had bought, I setup the turntable again ensuring correct balance and angle of the cartridge etc. And the distortion was completely gone. The dynamics we’re enhanced and overall it sounded better.
This has been combined with a few other upgrades such as a phono box, hybrid cork/leather mat and a platter stabilisation weight and this has absolutely maximised the sound out of my AT. On its own the cartridge really was a major upgrade but combined with the other upgrades really has extracted all the performance available.
The biggest thing for me was the cost. It is very expensive, not far off what I paid for my turntable but the enjoyment I now have means I think it was worth it.
My only concern now is when it needs replacing with a needle not being much cheaper than a new cartridge but I think it will last a few years so will worry about it then!
Recommended? Yes, necessary? No but you won’t regret it if you do!
This cartridge sounds amazing on my Thorens!
Best buy I ever made.
When you install it the sound feels very light and without bass… give the cartridge the odd 20h of break-in and magic happens!!
After that period the sound is just gorgeous, alive, makes you want to dance to the music.
The sound is very balanced. You have crisp, detailed high frequencies and intense, detailed low frequencies.
The low frequencies are very present after the break-in, you do feel them but they are so well balanced with the rest of the music. Not overpowering at all but very present, just like in a live concert.
I’ve had the Ortofon Red cartridge (much cheaper I know) but this is just a completely different ball game.
The VM540 makes you feel like you’re inside the music!
Great stylus, easy to install and worth every penny with the high sound quality.
This was so difficult to attach as the wires do not fit and you need to prize open the connections on 4 wires. But well worth it. The sound is amazing.
What a difference over my stock cartridge! My records have really opened up now, I can hear details I never could before. My neighbors probably aren’t very happy though because I can crank my system up a lot louder while maintaining a clean sound. Inner groove distortion and sibilance are a thing of the past. It doesn’t feel like I’m listening to my stereo anymore, I’m just listening to the music and that’s how it should be. And to think I was going to buy new speakers!
Oh who am I fooling? I’ll still end up getting new speakers someday but it doesn’t seem like such a pressing issue anymore.
Update: As others have mentioned, this thing will dig dirt out of the grooves of older and/or used records. One day, out of the blue, a record I was listening to started sounding really fuzzy and distorted. I panicked thinking my new and very expensive cartridge just died. Nope, just a build up of crud on the stylus. After carefully cleaning it it’s fine. After scraping out all that dirt my older records sound better than ever but it’s quite a process cleaning the stylus every song and a half while it plows through all that grime deep in the grooves that my stock cartridge couldn’t get to.
I bought this AT cart to replace an Ortofon RED on my Pro-Ject DC Carbon. This seems to be a VERY common thing for people to do. Turns out to be a super combo, so quiet and clear.
The RED is an awesome cartridge, super round and pleasing in the lows, mids. But it can get harsh in the highs and you can get some distortion especially on the inner grooves. This was my experience with a few records like Band on the Run, Aja, Physical Graffiti and some others. Same thing on my old AT LP120 w/ AT95e cart.
This AT cart is much more crystal clear. Pretty flat across the board. The highs are very musical and pleasing. NO DISTORTION! Even on the inner grooves.
I will say it doesn’t thump quite like the RED, but you can EQ that.
If you currently have a RED or maybe a lower tier AT/Shure cart like what comes on the AT LP120, GET THIS CART! I cannot say how much this has improved my vinyl listening experience. HUGE! So worth every penny.
I gave 4 stars so people would read this and also this ain’t no Ortofon Black. This is a $250 cart and you could easily spend over $1000.
Installing this cart is very tricky. It’s not threaded for screws so it uses a nut underneath each side that you have to guide the screws into. Be ready to deal with tiny fiddly bits and frustration. It took me some effort and I’m pretty good with that sort of thing, so be patient.
Highly recommend if you’re ready to spend $ on listening. The audiophile rabbit hole is endless, so get something good and stick with it for a year or 2. Then UPGRADE baby!
I have been playing records for over 30 years and this is the best cartridge I have tried in recent years. The amazing MicroLine stylus digs deeper and unearths more music than I’ve ever heard from so many of my LPs. The tone is also very neutral and may not appeal to those who expect their phono cartridges to act as equalizers, but this works superbly for me. I absolutely love this.
In a nutshell, this is the best sounding cartridge I have owned, and I have had a few good ones, including moving coils. It replaced an Ortofon Blue, an excellent cartridge in its own right, but this one blew it out of the water. I had the AT 440mla years ago, and I don’t remember it sounding this good. The fine line nude stylus tracks like a champ and you hear music like you had not heard it before-Super clear highs without shrillness or sibilance and deep, sharp lows as well.
A test of a great cartridge is that you want to listen loud, and your ears never get fatigued.
Came with small screw driver needed to replace the stock cartridge and easy to follow instructions but a set of needle nose pliers were needed as well.
Sounds noticeably better than the original stylus on my ATLP 120 USB and i am not an audiophile or a gifted musician.
Reviewing after 5 months with this cartridge. This is by far the best cartridge I’ve heard. It’s currently installed on my Audiotechnica LP3. This thing tracks like a beast. Sounds like cd quality. Nights are beautiful. Bass is decent. And most of all vocals are beautiful. Never shrill or have the “esses” issue. After using an ortofon red then going back to this I’ll never make the switch agai
Love the sound. My turntable fought me whiel I tried to get it setup, but in the end, the music coming out is all that matters…and it sounds great!
If youre looking for a good cartridge and value for your money, go for it, youre not gonna regret it.
One of the Best cartridges in the market today.
Keep listening records, I mean vinyl.
Tengo una Ortophon 2M Bronze…. y es mejor aguja que la VM540ML para discos nuevos, pero con los discos viejos la audio tcnica la gana por varias razones: la primera recorta medios, segundo, casi no se nota la lluvia, y tercero, limpia el surco una barbaridad…. En fin, yo con las dos lo tengo todo.
Nix Hhenlastig was viele bemngeln. Richtig einstellen, Kapazitt beachten ( bei mir ca. 160pf ) und bitte am geeigneten Tonarm betreiben. Notfalls mit Headshell spielen, leichter oder schwerer machen, denn dieses fliesst in die Bewegte Masse mit ein. Wenn alles passt ein prima MM System mit der schrfsten Nadel fr gut 1000 Stunden zu benutzen. Mehr muss man nicht fr ein spritziges MMler ausgeben.
I don’t write many reviews, but I felt compelled to write one after trying out this cartridge. I have a vintage Marantz 6200 turntable and had a Shure cartridge on it. I replaced the Shure with the VM540ML and it’s a night and day difference. I’m not going to attempt to use fancy “audiophile” verbiage, but I will say my records have a much fuller and more dynamic sound. The bass response is better and deeper, mids are clearer and the noise floor of records seems quieter. Prior to the new cartridge, it was obvious when I was listening to vinyl versus listening to audio from a digital source. The new cartridge brings the gap in sound quality much closer together, but of course while keeping that vinyl sound everyone loves. Amazing cartridge for the price.
Eigentlich ist ja alles bereits geschrieben worden, da kann ich mich nur positiv anschlieen.
After proper alignment, I tested the inner groove sections on a couple of “bad” records. They weren’t bad. It’s basically the limitation of an elliptical stylus. A micro line stylus should be the standard. My Shure V15 Type V with a micro line stylus sounds amazing in the same way. Since that cart has been discontinued for over a decade, the AT 540 is what you’re looking for. Same great balance of frequencies from the lowest to the highest (i.e.not overly bright), light tracking, and again, no inner groove distortion. The price makes it so worth it.
Audio chain: Uturn Orbit turntable to Schiit Mani phono pre-amp to Rega Brio-R amp to Kef Q150’s. All I can say is wow!
Nice smooth extended highs, solid bass foundation and vivid, present mid-range.
One of the things about this cart that makes me the happiest though is the tracking. Good grief my at100e drove me nuts with older albums and IGD on even brand new ones. Dark side of the moon is cut on one disc. The inner groove distortion on the last track made it unlistenable with the at100e (eliptical bonded stylus). The vm540ml tracks perfectly fine on it! It also tracks on old beat up worn out records making them perfectly listenable. Im getting a large portion of my vinyl collection back.
I bought this cart used on here so it sounded good out of the box but I hear it needs 30 hours or so of break in so be prepared for that.
It’s a pain to attach to the headshell so be ready for that as well. But, as another reviewer pointed out, it’s worth it when you finally drop the needle on some wax!
I fitted this on my Technics SL-1200 MK3D after I accidentally damaged the original Shure that came with it. And oh boy! What a difference. The treble is much clearer and I can hear all the instruments loud and clear with a perfect stereo soundstage and an inhanced bass too but not too overwhelming. Think of it as a Ronald Reagan smile in terms of equalisation.
One thing I would recommend is investing in a pressure scale and adjust it to the recommended weight ( mine was 2.0 gr).
Also Google Audio Technica cartridge/ headshell alignment template, print it off and use it to align your newly purchased cartridge. It is time consuming but you will reap the benefits of the purest sound you can extract from your vinyl.
Il suono di questa testina cristallino e molto equilibrato, capace di rivelare ogni micro dettaglio, anche delle imperfezioni del disco naturalmente. Per il suo prezzo penso che ne valga assolutamente la pena considerando anche la durata di 1000 ore.
So for less than the cost of a replacement 2M black stylus I ordered the AT VM540ML.
Out of the box after a meticulous set up (mandatory with ML styli) you get detailed treble with no harshness and great timing with a tight but light bass response…. give it a few hours and this cartridge starts to open up developing better bass and lower mids becoming more and more musical. It makes surface noise almost unnoticeable.
For me as someone who prefers musicality and sound staging this cartridge is already sounding great and will get better with more hours. All the “hifi” detail is there if you listen for it but it doesn’t force it on your attention.
This is a largely unsung audiophile bargain, a gem of a cartridge that is not out of place in systems costing orders of magnitude more. I can not recommend it highly enough.
Perfect Cartridge to use with my Technics TT and Mofi phono pre. The 540ML tracks great. Very well balanced sound.
I haven’t been into vinyl for long, but have been through a few setups. Started with a Ortofon 2m Red and Project Debut Carbon. The 2m red was errrh, okay. But it was very sibilant and lack dynamics.
Secondly I upped my game and got both a Pioneer PLX 100 and Technics SL-1200 turntables. Firstly I paired these with a Ortofon 2m blue, hoping for an improvement from the Red. And yes, there was a noticeable improvement but it was still a little shrill, and brittle. And on both the Red and Blue, I had quite severe inner groove distortion. This is a no no for me, once you hear it, it’s unbearable. The last two tracks are very muffled and get progressively worse towards the label.
So then I went to a Nagaoka MP-110, and I will say that the MP-110 is a very decent cart. It was much more dynamic, not so shrill, and more detailed. However…again I had inner groove distortion. So on I went.
I finally decided that a Microline stylus was the way forward. And I saw a few reviews on vinyl forums citing this cart as a gem. And boy, indeed it is.
Absolutely no inner groove distortion. It’s virtually completely vanished. The last song is just as clear as the first. And just to note, it was only aligned in a jiffy with the technics overhang gauge. If I spent more time with a protractor I could probably eliminate that last 1% of distortion.
Secondly the sound…just wow. Very very detailed without being shrill and sharp like some AT carts. Very punchy and dynamic with very plentiful bass. It feels like a blanket has been lifted from my headphones compared to the Nagaoka.
I will say however that I am using it with the DJ Art Preamp. A very modest preamp indeed, but has the useful feature of being able to load it as 100pf. Once you add the ohms of your phono leads, it’s getting near 200pf. AT recommends under 200pf for this cart to avoid it being too bright. So just a little warning to those people with preamps with non adjustable preamps that might be running at 150-200pf before the leads. In this case, it could very well be a little bright for you. So try to run it through a 100pf preamp (or preferably lower), or at the very least, use the shortest rca cables you can
Apart from that little warning, this is a supreme cartridge. I cannot speak of every cartridge obviously but I think you would have a VERY hard job trying to beat it at this price point. I have heard 500 carts that are inferior to this
So don’t hesitate, just buy it, and enjoy music without inner distortion and smooth punchy sound.
Muy buena cpsula, una gran definicin y precisin en el sonido.
El nico contra que le encuentro es que suena un peln demasiado brillante, pero sin llegar a ser molesto.
Exactly what reviews describe well balanced sound. Doesn’t colour music can’t wait to hear it connected to a better preamp
Le testine AT generalmente riproducono un ottimo suono, ottima separazione di tutte le gamme di frequenza. Non ho trovato troppa differenza con l’AT 120, il prezzo non giustifica la qualit , considerando poi che l’amplificatore SAE a14 150 + 150 dopo 35 anni fa ancora la sua parte quindi insignificante la risposta tra 25000 e 27000mhz, compensata con il parametrico e la regolazione delle ottave. Comunque tutte le testine AT concludendo hanno un suono pi metallico rispetto ad un Denon o Bang Olufsen. Gli euri non sono pochi per una testina oltretutto mal confezionata in una scatoletta di cartone
A voi la scelta!
Appena montata, senza attendere il giusto rodaggio, gi tutt’altra musica… Aperta, gradevole negli alti e giusta nei bassi buone le voci ed i medi. Equilibrata.
Wird betrieben an einem Pioneer PLX 1000 -> Project Tube Box S2 -> Denon PM 520-AE -> 2x Roth Audio Oli RA 1 Lautsprechern. (PC Zimmer Setup)
Hatte vorher einen Ortofon 2M Blue. Der war auch gut, aber der hier ist ein gutes Stck besser.
Ich hasse diese Esoterik Floskeln, aber der Ton ist klarer als der 2M Blue, als ob man ein Tuch zwischen Lautsprecher und mir entfernt htte. Ferner ist die Stereotrennung strker was manche wohl als “breitere Bhne” bezeichnen wrden.
Mit dem Blue hatte ich manchmal probleme mit scharfen S Sounds, dies ist nun deutlich besser. Es macht einfach Spass Musik mit dem TA zu hren.
Die Befestung ist etwas weird. Die Muttern sind zu gro um Sie am Tonabnehmer zu befestigen, also musste ich es umgekehrt machen (Schraubenkopf am TA und Muttern auf Headshell). Das sieht irgendwie nicht richtig aus, aber erfllt seinen Zweck ohne Probleme 😀
Randnotiz: Finde es gut, dass der Nadelschutz fest mit dem TA verbunden ist und einfach nur hoch und runter geklappt werden kann. Die Kappe vom Blue wurde sehr schnell von meiner Katze entdeckt und in die Weiten der hinter Schrank Welt entfhrt.
The VM540ml cartridge is a first rate product. If you are looking to upgrade I highly recommend you give this cartridge a try.
Not much to add to the other great reviews. But the cart tracks like a bloodhound, is easy to setup and sounds great.
Will highly recommend this cartridge as well as the seller, came 2 days after my order placement …. Grea
Opens the soundstage. Higher highs, deeper lows, and yes, it tends to dig the junk out of a dirty record.
…so clean your dang records and keep a Mr. Clean Magic Sponge on hand.
(If you’re not familiar withbthos stylus cleaning method, get familiar.)
Excellent sound and well packed. Easy to fit with good instructions
Spielt Top kann nur empfohlen werden allerdings ist hier scheinbar das falsche Befestigungsmaterial eingepackt worden. Muttern viel zu gro… Daher nur 4/5
Best bang for the buck currently! I was skeptical after trying a 440mla years ago which chased me away due to brightness. The AT engineers did some kind if electrical adjustment to correct this. Detailed but smooth!
The product itself is exceptionally well made, and I am very happy with all aspects of the performance. Two things do not sit well with me though. The first is that Audio Technica continues to ship these cartridges with the wrong mounting hardware. The nuts are too large to fit inside the strakes along the sides of the cartridge body, and too big to fit in the mounting channels on the top of the (ubiquitous) Technics headshell. The second issue is the useless, but expensive fake headshell that is included with a heavy, mounded plastic base as part of the packaging. These things go directly into the garbage, but add several dollars to the cost the customer pays. I would prefer Audio Technica forgo this wasteful and excessive overpackaging and instead provide better quality headshell wires made from litz wire.
Fiddly as all hell to fit on my Sony PS-HX500 turntable thanks to the non removable head shell and incredibly thin and fragile wires.
Superb performance though, night and day improvement over the standard cartridge with big reductions in surface noise and bigger improvements in detail.
Audio Technica cartridges have a reputation for being overly bright. I’ve use AT carts in the past (the 440MLa and 150MLx) and while I thought the 440MLa tended to brightness, the 150MLx, properly loaded, was actually lush yet detailed.
The VM540ML captures the lush sound of the 150MLx. It’s beautifully balanced from top to bottom. Bass is strong and tightly defined. There’s zero brightness, folks. Forget about AT’s rep. The VM540 is smoother than the Shure I was using.
That’s right. An AT that’s less bright than a Shure. I’ve got a phono stage with adjustable settings so I capacitance and resistance was properly set for both carts.
And like every other Microline Audio Technicas, the VM540ML is a sibilance killer.
You can buy a replacement stylus from AT, too. In fact, there’s a whole family of styli that can be used with the 540 including a stylus made for 78s.
This was the easiest five-star rating ever for me.
Really improved the sound of my turntable – worth the inestme
An excellent choice in its modest price range.
In raw output quality and A/Bing between concurrent playback of digital tracks via a Schiit Audio Yggdrasil DAC from rips and Tidal (no analog section upgrade on the yggy, yet) I would say I am getting about 80-85% of the total clinical resolution with the VM540 on a Sony PS-X2 set at 1.90 gram tracking force. I consider this to be absolutely amazing and well beyond what I was hoping for.
Now I paid good money for that DAC and its well worth its cost and then some IMO; it still is the single best audio purchase i have ever made. This cart obviously has varying defects in reproduction compared to it and truth be told, it’s not worth going over. What is most important to note is that there is zero problems with any sort of sibilance. It has pretty much bomb proof tracking @ 1.8g and beyond. For my ears 1.9g had the best sound on my Sony PS-X2 and its stock tone arm and an Audio Technica AT-HS10 headshell.
What impressed me most is how clearly synthesized sounds sound synth and how naturally correct brass horns and anything stringed. The instrument separation, soundstage, everything is rendered in just a lovely and natural way.
Also it’s worth noting discs I had that sounded worn out on other rigs with spherical or conical styli sound brand spanking new save for years of grime that just can’t be cleaned out. Surface noise (lack of) is very good.
For most budgets I would say this is an excellent cartridge to get provided your tone arm is a good match. Its performance is stunning given its price and compared to my digital end.
Update edit 5-22-18: moved to a Sony PS-X6 (similar but superior table) about 50hrs into life and it’s more wonderful still
It sounds much better than the Sony’s conical stylus, as the 540ML has no inner groove distortion. It tracks better than the Sony (which lacks anti-skate). I was annoyed that the Sony would skip on two of my favorite records I purchased new. This cartridge tracks perfectly. It also requires much less tracking force at 2g. I measured the Sony at 4.4 grams. So, it sounds better, tracks better, and is gentler on my records.
The P-mount turntable with the elliptical stylus works just fine, but this picks up more detail in the grooves, for better or worse. For a turntable I’ll occasionally use casually, I might get a less expensive elliptical stylus. For a turntable I sit down and listen to and want to enjoy, I’m very happy with this cartridge.
Una testina che si rilevata molto equilibrata, dove non c’ una gamma che sia pi in evidenza delle altre. Ha un ottima estensione di frequenza rilasciando le note con la giusta fluidit propria del segnale analogico.
I was enjoying my Michell record deck more than ever with the VM 540 ML. But, and this is a big but, you have to spend the time and patience in setting the cartridge up for alignment. That means vertical tracking force, height, azimuth, and then you will be rewarded with great sound. I track at 2 grams, and no mistracking, except when a ball of fluff had to be cleaned from the stylus . Little surface noise, and much better controlled than the Ortofon Blue. A second-hand recording of Forty second street from a few years ago, had individual clapping and feet tapping dance punching out of the speakers. Live recordings with clapping showed up individual crisp handclaps, rather than a mush of applause. Percussion instruments such as snares, timpani, piano, triangle, come out sharp and clear.
I have experience of various cartridges over the years, on different decks, and this one is a very good compromise. Fitting the cartridge to a Tecnoarm was a bit of a challenge compared to the Ortofon, but perservere and you will not be disappointed ! Yes, it is better than the Rondo Blue Moving coil through the top of the range Naim phono preamp, and that shocked me !
Amazing sound reproduction, very clear imaging, I cant detect any inner groove distortion or sibilance issues.
Balanced waveforms across both channels when digitising into audacity, something I struggled to achieve with previous needle.
The headshell leads supplied work fine but I briefly had an at440 which came with seemingly better quality leads, not a big issue, but would have been nice to get the better leads at this price point.
Stylus brush and mini screwdriver are thoughtful and useful additions.