Audio Technica Turnable Cartridge AT440Mla.Manufacturer: Audio-Technica U.S., Inc., 1221 Commerce Drive, Stow, Ohio Stow is a city in Summit County, Ohio, United States. The population was 32,139 at the 2000 census, and 34,404 as of 2005. It is a suburb of Akron, located adjacent to several other suburban communities in Summit and Portage counties. 44224; 330-686-2600; www.audio-technica.com
Standard Mount: 1/2" centers
Vector-Aligned Moving Magnet
Output: 4 mV at 1 kHz, 5 cm/sec
Channel balance at 1 kHz: 0.8 dB
Channel separation at 1 kHz: 27 dB
Frequency response: 20 Hz-20 kHz
Dynamic Compliance (x 10-6 cm/dyne, 100 Hz):
10.0/mN
Static Compliance: 40x10E-6 cm/dyne
Diamond tip type: MicroLine[TM]
Stylus construction: nude square shank
Cantilever: tapered alloy tube
Tracking force: 0.75-1.75 Gr
Internal inductance: 490 mil
Coil Impedance: 3200 ohms (1 kHz)
Recommended load capacitance: 100-200 pF
Recommended load resistance: 47k ohm
Cartridge weight: 6.5 grams
List Price: $219
This is one of the great audio bargains. It differs from the AT150MLX MLX Master Electrician (theatrical terminology) MLX Multiple Listing Exchange (real estate) in its body composition (plastic), cantilever composition (aluminum), and a thicker diameter cantilever. The fixed coil mechanism has an increased number of windings and different wire material. The nude-mounted MicroLine diamond tip and the dual-magnet setup of the AT150MLX are retained. The increased cantilever mass minimally degrades the tracking performance, but this cartridge (1) See phono cartridge. (2) A removable storage module that contains magnetic disks, optical discs, magnetic tape or memory chips. Cartridges are inserted into slots in the drive, printer or computer. still out-tracked those of other manufacturers and was close to the Shure V15-5MR, which commands crazy prices on Ebay now that it is discontinued dis·con·tin·ue v. dis·con·tin·ued, dis·con·tin·u·ing, dis·con·tin·ues v.tr. 1. To stop doing or providing (something); end or abandon: . I found a couple of cases where the distortion on the vinyl from being tracked with an elliptical el·lip·tic or el·lip·ti·cal adj. 1. Of, relating to, or having the shape of an ellipse. 2. Containing or characterized by ellipsis. 3. a. stylus stylus: see pen. (1) A pen-shaped instrument that is used to "draw" images or select from menus. Styli (the plural of stylus, pronounced "sty-lye") come with handheld devices that have touch screens, such as PDAs and video games. , was so distinct that it might not be worth archiving them, but the discs became more listenable lis·ten·a·ble adj. Being such that listening is pleasurable: an undistinguished but listenable soundtrack. lis with the MicroLine tip. The MicroLine does not perform miracles, however. Recordings salvaged from library collections may still prove unsalvageable. This cartridge is brighter then the AT150MLX, although sound quality is not as transparent. The forward sound may not be to everyone's taste, especially those who are not a fan of CD-sound. The AT440MLa cartridge lists for half the AT150MLX, but you can find it at authorized au·thor·ize tr.v. au·thor·ized, au·thor·iz·ing, au·thor·iz·es 1. To grant authority or power to. 2. To give permission for; sanction: dealers for less than $100. You are getting the same diamond tip as the legendary Shure V-15MR with only a slight loss of trackability. The cartridge is more forward than the Shure. To me, it is closer to the master tape, but is still a little bit on the hot side of neutral. A near-optimal balance is achieved with the AT150MLX, but not everyone can afford best of breed. At its street price, this is almost self-recommending given the state of the art nude-mounted MicroLine diamond tip. |
|
||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion