Audio-Technica AT-VMN95ML Microlinear Replacement Turntable Stylus Red

Upgraded to this from the original stylus that came with the turntable. Wow! Incredible upgrade in sound quality! Besides the sound being so much more fantastic, the stylus just plows through on the vinyl record. Yes it picks up dust as it goes along, but tracks well and does not skip. From my research, the stylus with last at least 3 times longer and have less wear on your vinyls. Recommended for everyone who bought the Audio-Technica AT-LP120XUSB-BK turntable with the original stylus green Audio-Technica AT-VM95E. Well worth the additional $100.

I replaced the VMN95E stylus on my AT LP120X with this stylus. Previously I was getting significant inner groove distortion in the last 1/3-1/4 of a lot of albums (mostly brand new albums that had barely been played). With some albums, distortion would show up even earlier with especially heavier recordings. After switching to this microline stylus, the inner groove distortion is essentially gone (or at least it is so low that it is covered up by other noise). Records that had tracks that were basically unlistenable because of distortion sound completely fine with this stylus. I primarily bought this stylus to try and fix my IGD issues, and it definitely succeeds at that. There may be an additional fidelity improvement from going to this stylus over the elliptical stylus, but that isnt as big a difference as the reduction in IGD. Basically, if you have a cartridge that currently has the elliptical version of this stylus and you are experiencing inner groove distortion, buy this stylus. It isnt cheap, but it will fix your issue and theoretically has triple the lifespan of the bonded elliptical stylus. It is a straight swap, so you dont need to realign or readjust anything.

I bought an Audio Technica AT- VM95E a while back, with the bonded elliptical (green) stylus. For the money, its impressive. I then bought the conical (blue) stylus for playing older, mono records. It is also impressive for that purpose. I recently got a VM-95EN stylus too. Thats the nude elliptical (orange). It REALLY impressed me. Compared to the bonded elliptical, its clearer and noticeably more defined, has a more open top end, is punchier and tracks better. Finally, I just got the AT-VM95ML, micro-linear (red) stylus. And as great as the nude elliptical is, this stylus represents a significant improvement over it. Its even punchier, has an even better top (and bottom) end, has noticeably better clarity and definition, a slightly wider and deeper soundstage and tracks amazingly well at 2 grams. I have yet to hear even a hint of inner groove distortion. The nude elliptical is very good in this regard too but the ML is even better. The other thing I noticed right away was lower surface noise with this stylus shape. The music seems to just leap out of the grooves. The dynamics are amazing and the noise level is low. Theres a real solid feel to the sound of the cartridge with this stylus. Its fun and exciting to listen to! Sonically, its a bit on the brighter side of the spectrum. All the styli I have for this cartridge share that quality to some extent. It doesnt bother me at all. On most records, it sounds great. On the few that it doesnt, I have other cartridges to choose from ready to go in head shells. If you couldnt tell by now, I really like to play with different phono cartridges and styli to get different sounds and to discover which cartridges and styli are best for different types of records, whether they be new, old, stereo or mono etc. Anyway, if you already have an AT-VM95C or E and you can afford to pick one of these styli up, I can assure you, you will not be sorry! If you have an EN, nude stylus, the improvement is still quite noticeable but less than if you are upgrading from a C or E stylus. Audio Technica has really produced a great product line with the AT-VM95 series and very smart to offer such a comprehensive line of available styli for them. Notice, I use the word STYLI, not STYLUSES. The plural of stylus is styli, folks, like stimulus and stimuli Just a pet peeve of mine. OK, lecture over. I dont have the Shibata stylus yet, maybe someday! Buy this stylus for your AT-VM95 cartridge. You wont regret it!

Good seller, good stylus

I bought this as an upgrade from my VM95E. The difference in performance is dramatic. The tracking is greatly improved, rendering inner-groove distortion and congestion a thing of the past. It tracks just as beautifully as my old AT440MLA, with a more natural sound signature. The microline stylus digs deep to retrieve details that a conical or elliptical stylus simply cannot reach. It also greatly reduces surface noise. The sound on well-pressed records is so engrossing, you’ll want to keep playing music for hours on end. I still keep my elliptical and conical styli for records in really rough shape, but this stylus is suitable for pretty much anything you’d want to play. It is pricey, but the sound and stylus longevity more than make up for it. For most people, this is the last stylus you’ll ever need. There may be “better,” but it’s a matter of diminishing returns beyond this level of performance. Take proper care installing and aligning, and you’ll want to listen to your entire record collection all day long. And honestly, that’s what this hobby is all about.

Was a little hesitant given the high price tag, but after a bit of listening, I can confidently say it is well worth it. Sound quality is vastly improved, even on my budget setup. Way better than the stock VM95e on the LP120x. No adjustment needed to alignment, balance, or tracking force, even though I did it anyway just to be sure. Inner groove distortion is greatly reduced if existent at all as well as sibilance. However, I havent noticed much difference in terms of surface noise, though perhaps some might find the improved sound quality helps them ignore whatever ticks/pops are in their records easier. Rated for 1000 hours, so I will definitely buy another one of these when the time is up.

This ML is similiar, if not identical to the older/more expensive 440MLa/b. You get all the benefits of the sound quality from the microlinear from a less expensive cart system. This stylus gets down in the groove and gets past the worn parts near the top from older needles. Not only that, inner groove distortion is much less or gone (depending on how far in the record was cut). And a little secret, as of Feb. 2022, look at the price of the AT-VM95C cart/stylus combo. Add that price to just this replacement stylus. <wink wink> Both stylii will fit on the AT-VM95 cart, so youll have both styli for less than the cost of the AT-VM-95ML combo! And that conical stylus will come in handy for those styrene single 45s and other records that the ML might not sound great on.

I’m satisfied, the delivery was fast and the package well-packed. The quality is great, I really feel the difference in the sound

Accidentally broke my new stylus cleaning the T.T. bumped up to this one by recommendation from other vinyl people! Very happy! ; )

Wow!!! What an improvement!! Not to mention easy to install, that is for the LP120. I was skeptical at first because of the cost but finally decided to take the chance. The sound is so much warmer and more crisp! So happy with my decision!