Audio-Technica AT-VM95SH

Clipdat
Clipdat Posts: 12,934
edited March 2019 in 2 Channel Audio
Just ordered one of these. https://www.audio-technica.com/cms/cartridges/559158692f2f6219/index.html

at_vm95sh_2_sq.jpg
Vinyl guys, any thoughts?

I opted for this version pre-mounted on a headshell since I don't have one currently: https://www.turntablelab.com/products/audio-technica-at-vm95sh-h-cartridge-headshell-combo

Will be coming from Ortofon Red territory, so I'm interested to see if I notice a difference.
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  • msg
    msg Posts: 10,014
    I don't have any experience with this one, but have been curious about the microline and Shibata stylus shapes.

    I thought this was a pretty good article over on Soundsmith that someone referred me to. Rich, I think.
    https://www.sound-smith.com/articles/stylus-shape-information

    Since a Shibata gets deeper and offers a greater groove contact area, should make for greater resolution and detail?
    I disabled signatures.
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  • joecoulson
    joecoulson Posts: 4,943
    Congrats Drew.
    Looks to be a great Cart. Will pair nicely with the new pre.
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  • jdjohn
    jdjohn Posts: 3,148
    I'm still living in the older world of AT carts, but I like their house sound, and this one should sound very nice. Yes, a Shibata will dig a little deeper and hit more virgin vinyl groove modulation. Technically, it's just contacting more of the entire groove side, but you get the idea. Nude mounting here, so a big plus on that for reducing tip mass. Threaded slots, so a nice secure coupling to the headshell.

    I found the 2M Red to be quite analytical...almost clinical. I think you may find this new AT more musical with better dynamics.

    You should still check alignment with the new one. Even though pre-mounted on a headshell, there's no guarantee that it will align perfectly as-is. But who knows, you might get lucky!

    What's "the new pre"???
    "This may not matter to you, but it does to me for various reasons, many of them illogical or irrational, but the vinyl hobby is not really logical or rational..." - member on Vinyl Engine
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  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,934
    jdjohn wrote: »
    What's "the new pre"???

    https://ciaudio.com/product/peq•1-mkii-mmmc-phono-preamplifier/
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  • jdjohn
    jdjohn Posts: 3,148
    Shaweet!
    "This may not matter to you, but it does to me for various reasons, many of them illogical or irrational, but the vinyl hobby is not really logical or rational..." - member on Vinyl Engine
    "Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to." - Cicero, in Gladiator
    Regarding collectibles: "It's not who gets it. It's who gets stuck with it." - Jimmy Fallon
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  • Dawgfish
    Dawgfish Posts: 2,554
    The shibata stylus should be a nice upgrade. They are very sensitive to alignment and setup however, especially vta (tonearm height). I find most cartridges I've tried with shibata stylii sound best with tonearm being slightly lower in the rear as opposed to positive vta or with the tonearm level. The highs can often be shrill with shibata stylii when tonearm is set level.
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  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,934
    Thanks for the heads up @Dawgfish. I have no idea what I'm doing in regards to cartridge setup/alignment. I know how to balance the tonearm and set the weight, that's about it.
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  • halo
    halo Posts: 5,616
    Clipdat wrote: »
    Thanks for the heads up @Dawgfish. I have no idea what I'm doing in regards to cartridge setup/alignment. I know how to balance the tonearm and set the weight, that's about it.

    YouTube is your friend here :)
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  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,934
    halo wrote: »
    YouTube is your friend here :)

    It looks like the setup with the Technics SL1200mk2 is pretty fool proof. But I may need to get one of these:

    s-l1600.jpg
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  • DaveHo
    DaveHo Posts: 3,515
    I don't recall which vendor I bought from, but I use one of the mirrored protractors. Makes for pretty quick & foolproof set-up on a variety of decks. Looks like a nice cart. Love my AT440mla.
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  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,934
    DaveHo wrote: »
    I don't recall which vendor I bought from, but I use one of the mirrored protractors. Makes for pretty quick & foolproof set-up on a variety of decks. Looks like a nice cart. Love my AT440mla.

    https://www.amazon.com/Sleeve-City-SC-CA001-Cartridge-Protractor/dp/B00OS7VO2Y

    So if I get this, then I don't need the overhang tool I listed above?
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  • codycatalist
    codycatalist Posts: 2,662
    I HATE setting up new carts. I still haven't gotten my Grado perfect yet. Might take another stab tonight. I have heard the Technics 1200s are quite easy to align, yeah my Pioneer is the old fashioned way. Ugh.
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  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,934
    I ordered the Technics specific tool and will try that first!
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  • jdjohn
    jdjohn Posts: 3,148
    codycatalist wrote: »
    I HATE setting up new carts. I still haven't gotten my Grado perfect yet. Might take another stab tonight. I have heard the Technics 1200s are quite easy to align, yeah my Pioneer is the old fashioned way. Ugh.
    Remember, when you're trying to align at the second null point, you have to slide the cart evenly forward or backward in the headshell, depending on how the cartridge (or cantilever) is angled. If you twist and try to align at the second point, you ruin the first point alignment.

    At the second point, if the cartridge/cantilever is angled toward the edge of the record, slide the cartridge backward evenly. If it's angled toward the center, slide it forward. Keep sliding until it lines-up, and then check for square/parallel on the first point again.
    "This may not matter to you, but it does to me for various reasons, many of them illogical or irrational, but the vinyl hobby is not really logical or rational..." - member on Vinyl Engine
    "Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to." - Cicero, in Gladiator
    Regarding collectibles: "It's not who gets it. It's who gets stuck with it." - Jimmy Fallon
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  • verb
    verb Posts: 10,176
    jdjohn wrote: »
    codycatalist wrote: »
    I HATE setting up new carts. I still haven't gotten my Grado perfect yet. Might take another stab tonight. I have heard the Technics 1200s are quite easy to align, yeah my Pioneer is the old fashioned way. Ugh.
    Remember, when you're trying to align at the second null point, you have to slide the cart evenly forward or backward in the headshell, depending on how the cartridge (or cantilever) is angled. If you twist and try to align at the second point, you ruin the first point alignment.

    At the second point, if the cartridge/cantilever is angled toward the edge of the record, slide the cartridge backward evenly. If it's angled toward the center, slide it forward. Keep sliding until it lines-up, and then check for square/parallel on the first point again.

    How do you compensate for the curvature of Mr. Turtle's curvy shell? :smile:
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  • jdjohn
    jdjohn Posts: 3,148
    Compliance! :p
    "This may not matter to you, but it does to me for various reasons, many of them illogical or irrational, but the vinyl hobby is not really logical or rational..." - member on Vinyl Engine
    "Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to." - Cicero, in Gladiator
    Regarding collectibles: "It's not who gets it. It's who gets stuck with it." - Jimmy Fallon
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  • dromunds
    dromunds Posts: 10,009
    Unless I’m missing something here, don’t assume the Technics plastic alignment tool is going to give you the correct alignment on other than Technics headshell/ arm.
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  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,934
    dromunds wrote: »
    Unless I’m missing something here, don’t assume the Technics plastic alignment tool is going to give you the correct alignment on other than Technics headshell/ arm.

    I think the key is 52mm, regardless of the headshell being used.

    overhang.jpg
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,801
    edited March 2019
    Y'all do know that the geometry of a swingin' arm and a tangentially-cut record groove means that no alignment is perfect, yes?

    In fact, the best that one can do is perect tangency at two points. Reflect on that for a moment :)

    The (more or less modern) controversy between different alignment strategies, I believe, arises from differences of opinion as to how badly and in what way does the misalignment across the rest of a record's surface impact the sound of reproduction of the disk from start to finish. Löfgren (B), Baerwald, Stevenson, etc. are all different approaches to do the least harm, I think.

    Devotees of the different strategies are like proselytes of different religions (for better or for worse)! :/

    I.e., don't expect too much from a little piece of white plastic as an "alignment jig"

    B)

    xz12zv7407xu.png
    source: https://www.vinylengine.com/clearaudio-alignment-tool.shtml

    The "zero" points on the y-axis in the figure above correspond to "perfect" tangency.
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  • dromunds
    dromunds Posts: 10,009
    Does the Technics plastic alignment tool fit over the end of all other headshells?
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,801
    edited March 2019
    Should fit any standard ol' "SME mount" headshell -- it just has a collar that the end fitting goes through (per the image posted earlier).
    Whether it's "correct" for any arbitrary headshell -- I dunno.
    I mean, try it with one of those cute Ortofon Concordes from way back when :)
    (or a modern one, for that matter)

    xvyupxe9khrh.png
    (borrowed image)

    FWIW, I do know that the 52 mm distance is based on the headshell gasket being properly positioned (i.e., present). :)
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  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,934
    That's what I have currently, so I'll try it with the tool when it arrives and see if it lines up.
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,801
    It's an interesting Gedankenexperiment :) from my perspective, so it would (will) be interesting to see (IMO)!

    Also 'twould be interesting to how any of the Concordes (or other all in ones) look on any of the popular protractors folks use for alignment.

    For the (heh-heh) record, from my son's brief, adolescent flirtation with scratching (is that what it is/was called?), besides a preamp with a lithe crossfader :) there are a couple of these hangin' around here. B)

    9myf915h4sb0.png
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  • jdjohn
    jdjohn Posts: 3,148
    Technically, that Technics tool/gauge is for setting overhang (not alignment per se), but can get alignment pretty close as well if used carefully. It's really meant to be used exclusively for the SL-1200 (or variants). It is meant for curved Technics arms, or variants with the same effective length, using straight (not offset) headshells.

    I would think the Ortofon Concorde will line-up perfectly with the gauge, since the Concorde is meant to be used with the SL-1200...very popular with DJs due to easy set-up. https://www.ortofon.com/dj/products/dj-cartridges
    "This may not matter to you, but it does to me for various reasons, many of them illogical or irrational, but the vinyl hobby is not really logical or rational..." - member on Vinyl Engine
    "Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to." - Cicero, in Gladiator
    Regarding collectibles: "It's not who gets it. It's who gets stuck with it." - Jimmy Fallon
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  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,934
    Well, since I have the SL-1200mk2 then it sounds like I'm on the right track.
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  • jdjohn
    jdjohn Posts: 3,148
    Yep, and you have adjustable VTA with the Mk2...
    nxbj05l9qfby.jpg
    "This may not matter to you, but it does to me for various reasons, many of them illogical or irrational, but the vinyl hobby is not really logical or rational..." - member on Vinyl Engine
    "Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to." - Cicero, in Gladiator
    Regarding collectibles: "It's not who gets it. It's who gets stuck with it." - Jimmy Fallon
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  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,934
    Yeah. I don't have the stock rubber mat, so I have the tonearm height set pretty close to zero I believe. I'll take a closer look at it soon.
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  • dromunds
    dromunds Posts: 10,009
    I had a well respected audio guy tell me once that DJ’s (“scratchers” as he called them) didn’t care about cart alignment and purposely misaligned carts for what they felt was better sound.
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  • SCompRacer
    SCompRacer Posts: 8,496
    Clipdat wrote: »
    dromunds wrote: »
    Unless I’m missing something here, don’t assume the Technics plastic alignment tool is going to give you the correct alignment on other than Technics headshell/ arm.

    I think the key is 52mm, regardless of the headshell being used.

    overhang.jpg

    My old Yamaha YP-D10 had a dimple on the headshell for stylus location. Everything starts at overhang, but some arms don't swing over the spindle allowing you to set it.

    Congrats on your new AT cartridge! I've been using and love the AT33PTG/II Dual Moving Coil Cartridge with Microlinear stylus on an air bearing linear arm (talk about easy setup!). I wore one out and bought another. Lots of folks bad mouth AT, just ignore them and enjoy.
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  • Dawgfish
    Dawgfish Posts: 2,554
    Yes the Technics overhang tool gets the alignment pretty close to ideal for the Stephenson alignment which Technics recommends for the 1200. Just make sure the cartridge is aligned straight in the tool. I have a 1200 myself. I think the shibata stylus will give you some nice high frequency detail that can be lacking with the 1200 Mk 2s stock tonearm wiring. I have a Ortofon 2M Black that sounds great on the 1200, but is a little too bright for my liking on most of my other tables and/or arms.
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