I like the technology of creating a needle to mimick the cutting head. I choose this cartridge because it seems to me that needle shaped like the cutting head would fit better in the groove and cause less record wear as opposed to diamond eliptical shapes.

Performance to price ratio defys faulting this cartridge.

A fantastic cartridge right out of the box and probably one the best audio deals I've come across ever considering the special price.

I'm interested to see how it compares to Sumiko's Blue Point and hopefully someone will post such a review. In my system, I found it very refined and articulate with only a few hours on it. It delivers those fast passages and handles the weight of an orchestra with finesse. Beautiful cartridge for the money. I'm using it with a Graham Slee Grand Amp 2 Special Edition MM phono amp.

Top to bottom it delivers the details for around $85 and sounds like I paid a whole lot more. With a replacement needle for it around $80, what they hey, I'm buying another cartridge. Tracks beautifully at around 1.4 grams, great specs as well.

My speakers use Seas Millenium tweeters and deliver a really smooth sound even with solid state.. I'm also using darker cables so that has something to do with it as well as I'm not getting any of the brightness the other reivewers mentioned. Ultimately, it's the synergy of your system components that forms your sound.

See my review of the Technics SL1210MK5G for complete equipment listing.

Fast, detailed, punchy. A Fine Line stylus, tapered cantilever, dual magnets, and pure copper continous cast coils all for under $100 - an audiophile bargain!

Will be too bright for some systems. Midrange performance might be a little suspect.

My Ortofon OM 30 was not working well in my Harman Kardon ST7 Linear Tracking Turntable, so I bought the AT 440 ML as a cheap replacement. Little did i know that the AT would prove in many respects a better cartridge than the Ortofon, despite the very large price difference between the two cartridges (the AT is virtually a third of the price). Reviews of the 440ML have indicated that it is too bright. This is certainly true for the first 20 hours or so that you use this cartridge, when you will almost certainly experience a hard, bright sound that will make you wonder if you are still listening to vinyl. But that all that changes once the cartridge breaks in, when you are treated to a fluid, fast, punchy and detailed sound. True, this cartridge will not do bright recordings any favours, and would probably not work in bright systems, but it is more even handed than first impressions (at least for those first 20 hours anyway) would suggest. Contrary to expetations, the cartridge is capable of immense warmth from warm recordings (like for example the Beatles "Let it Be"). There is a stronger sense of listening to how the music was recorded (for example you can more easily pick the difference between early 80s digital recordings and 70s analogue recordings). Its not perfect though - piano for example doesn't seem quite right, and treble lacks the sweetness of a moving coil - but at under $100 how could anyone complain? A particularly useful way to turbocharge a warm system.

amazing value cartridge, stylus easily changed without removing cartridge from the arm. will last for many years if cleaned regularly.

none found.

this cartridge was recommended by my hi- fi dealer on setting up my linn sondek/ittok. the cartridge is well suited to this deck, the sound is lively, detailed and engaging on all styles of music and brings out the best qualities of the linn. i also have an AT 440 fitted to my regar planar3/rb300 and is equally suited.