Elliptical diamond stylus follows the groove modulation with greater precision compared to a conical stylus, offering improved frequency and phase responses whilst reducing distortion. Preassembled With AT-HS6BK Headshell I don't have an attitude; I was merely stating fact. It seems silly to suggest to someone that their stylus is wearing down because of misalignment when completely ignoring the possibility that someone is seasoned enough to understand that styli wears down after time. Is that not a confirmable fact?

It appears that the specifications given in table above for Linn K9 are incorrect, here are the correct ones: My conclusion, for the moment, is that I'm using a 20 year old K18 generator with a latest spec AT95e stylus. It's a real shame Linn parted company with AT. Anyone else tried any similar experiments? The VM95EN nude elliptical had plenty of body and drive with Alison Goldfrap’s Lovely to CU, making the ripping synth sound big and meaty. There was some softening of images across the sound stage and a de-focussed effect was apparent, especially on inner grooves with the Trondheim Soloists behind Marianne Thorsen; here the ML and SH kept them all well separated but the EN introduced blur. All the same the ‘95EN survived all the test LPs and gave a lively sound with good tonal balance. The VM95ML Microlinear gave a reasonably bright tonal balance with delicious retrieval of fine high frequency detail that came across with firm confidence. With Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Couldn’t Stand the Weather (45rpm LP 180gm re-master) his guitar strings cut out with speed, there was no muddle when the mix got complex. This quality remained right through to inner grooves where on Time to Say Goodbye (Two Countries One Heart, 180gm, 33rpm) singers Cheryl Porter and Roselle Caporale were kept well apart, as only this tip and the Shibata could do. Probably the most notable difference is the treble, where the Ortofon 2M Red stands out. The opinion of the masses, on whether this is a good thing or not, is pretty divided.With the AT-VM95E mounted on an SME M2-9 tonearm on a Michell GyroDec, the changes between the new model and the old are revealed to be more than cosmetic. The AT-95E was never the last word in subtlety and refinement and while the AT-VM95E is still on the brighter side of neutral, it brings a level of refinement to its presentation that the older model couldn’t achieve and is extremely impressive judged by the standards of its sub-price point.

Chris: Not anymore. I.e., if you compare the specs for their more recent models (e.g. VM740ML and VM750SH), you'll see, that AT's newer MLs no longer are r/R 2.5/75 µm (= 0.1/3.0 mil), as formerly specified in their older tip shape comparison charts, but 0.12/2.2 mil vs. 0.26/2.7 mil for their current Shibatas. So their new MLs merely still have a smaller, still very sharp minor radius, but the major radius shrunk below the major radius of their current Shibatas. Quoted from a post in Linn Forum ( https://forums.linn.co.uk/bb/showthread.php?tid=31475) which is no longer running.Other than that, most people who have tried both the Ortofon 2M Red and the AT VM95E would say that the latter is superior when it comes to performance. What’s Better About VM95E? Perhaps Hanpin improved newer gen LP120s, but I doubt it is in the same league as Technics or Rega. We are pleased to present the results of what we believe to be the first thorough listening test and review of the VM95 range outside of ATs own facilities. On a warmish evening in mid October our own Gary Hargreaves of Improved Performance Turntables Ltd, Colin Yallop of Chevron Audio and Mark Wheeler (Reviewer for TNT Audio) sat down and played some music using the VM95 Range. Gary’s review follows: Around 500 hours for a conical stylus, 300 hours for an Elliptical stylus, 1000 hours for a Microlinear stylus, and 800 hours for a Shibata stylus. If you want a brighter sound than the 95EN, then the 540, 740, 750, and 760 will deliver that. You could also just turn up the treble control if you have one.

The stylus is a shaped piece of industrial diamond that is affixed to the end of the cantilever. The shape is the point of differentiation. At the simplest level, it is a cone shaped tip that moves through the groove of the record responding to the information that is contained therein. By increasing the length of the tip and decreasing the width, it is possible to make the stylus sit deeper in the groove of the record and extract more information - the conical tip becomes an elliptical one. The number one criteria I adopted here was how easy it was to follow the tune however it is only my opinion and people listen for different things in their music. The VM95ML Microlinear gave the flattest frequency response of all with very little loss on inner grooves. The VM95SH Shibata tip gives fractionally less treble but it too had strong inner groove retrieval.

Another striking quality that makes it stand out is the way it delivers female vocals. It’s generally better than the Ortofon 2M Red, which has a sibilance issue. With the popularity of vinyl growing on what seems to be a daily basis, it’s unsurprising that you’ll see more and more content online featuring those wondrous discs that many of us cherish above all other possessions. Social media is rife with record players in almost all advertisement, whether it be a boutique hotel chain or a popular wine merchant, it would appear that vinyl records are the hottest appurtenance. As with any trend, comes a wave of younger and uninitiated enthusiasts, eager to get their hands on the latest buzz items… Surely they’ll never do it? But by golly, after an extended late night listening session in a secret Derbyshire ‘test laboratory’, with men of a certain age stroking audiophile beards and using highly contrived and specialist language to illustrate sonic intangibles, like some kind of mutated Vinyl version of those impenetrable Wine Bores, we strove to explain and justify the impossible, how does one stylus profile sound any different to any other?

Jico Shibata also has an audio 'hardness' but also the high frequencies seem to perceptively lag behind the rest of the music. http://www.turntableneedles.com/Audio-Technica-ATN95E-ATN3400-Type-JICO-Shibata-Stylus--our-Needle-710-DSH_p_3721.htmlThe couth and unflappable nature of its presentation is instantly recognizable from the blueprint set out by the 39 year old progenitor. We’re here to report that the (green) King might be dead, but long live the new (green) King. Prices valid in stores (all including VAT) until close of business on 28th November 2023. (Some of these web prices are cheaper than in-store, so please mention that you've seen these offers online.)