Audio-Technica AT-VM95C

When my cartridge finally went at the end of last week I took that as my queue to pull the trigger. Between ordering the RT85 and receiving it I started using an AT-VM95C cartridge just to cover me for a few days, so this is an even bigger upgrade than it would have been at any other point for me. The record pictured on it is Cult Leader's *A Patient Man*, but as I started typing this I switched it out to the "definitive edition" of Nine Inch Nail's *The Fragile*.

I have a Stanton T.50 with an Audio-Technica AT-VM95C cartridge (conical stylus). Clearly not the greatest turntable on the market, but the sound quality is good and it’s a workhorse. It’s been in use since the early 2000s. The short, straight tonearm is funky, but works fine with a conical stylus.

And maybe a new cartridge in a bit. I recommend the AT-VM95**E** or C, as you can keep the cart and just swap out the stylus when you want to upgrade again.

"Speaking of force and vigor, the AT-VM95C (conical)—which is even cheaper than the $49 elliptical version, at $34—sounded cool, fast, and powerful but also detailed and invigorating. It played complex recordings, like the Stravinsky Conducts Histoire Du Soldat Suite, with power-packed, pitch-perfect bass, a flawlessly toned and detailed midrange, and enough upper-octave energy to make trumpets, drums, and woodwinds sound lifelike and exciting. Drum impact was spectacular. Music-pleasure–wise, Audio-Technica's VM95C was the most satisfying cartridge in this survey.

I wouldn't sleep on the entry level VM95C, a conical. Herb Reichert of Stereophile reviewed the entire family: