If you're thinking about upgrading to this cartridge, don't hesitate and do it now! I almost completely got out of record collecting altogether after 13 years because of inner groove distortion and sibilance. For over 10 years, I had an audio technica LP 120 USB and really enjoyed this set up but noticed that the AT95E cartridge was not able to completely track in the inner grooves of my albums. I decided that it was time to upgrade my turntable and purchased a fluence RT 82 and so far have really enjoyed having it. This turntable came with an ortofon 0M 10 cartridge that sounded better than the AT95E in my opinion, but still struggled with inner groove distortion and sibilance. After many hours of research, I decided to finally pull the trigger on the AT-VM95ML and the inner groove distortion and sibilance is gone! Also, the overall sound quality sounds more defined and rich. I am able to hear things that I have not heard before and also experience a depth to the music that I have not heard before either. This cartridge single-handedly reignited my fire for record collecting!

I upgraded the cartridge on my turntable. It was easy to install and sounds great.

If you have Planar 1 just like me, we share the same curiosity and frustration over what improvement we can make. Days of exploring as many forums as we can. And it always comes to this cartridge. Easy to mount and after a few hours of usage, you'll hear the magic! If you decide to keep your P1, then it's an astonishing upgrade over your Rega carbon.

I'm a big fan of all the AT cartridges, and have tried many different bases and styli up and down the line. The 95ML is now my go-to, even over more expensive options like the 740ML; your mileage may vary based on your application and needs, but let me try and explain why this is such a steal and why you should consider it even if you have the scratch for an upgrade.

The generator in the 95 cartridge has only 2 magnets as opposed to the 4 in the 500 and 700 series from AT, so it is technically inferior in that respect. But this also results in a more "focused" sound with an emphasis on the middle frequencies and the middle of the soundstage. My 740ML has detail in spades, but hearing all the percussion spread out across that soundstage is actually a bit fatiguing after a while. It's the sort of cart that makes you ooh and ahh over discovering new things on old tracks, but rarely makes you want to just get up and dance. The 95, in contrast, absolutely rocks and rolls - it gives you less resolution and air around instruments, sure, but it's tremendously "punchy" and is still /quite/ detailed, beating my old Ortofon Blue by a country mile. I also have found that the same aggressive treble on the 5/700mls that makes the cymbals in a good recording stand out also makes bad / hot recordings sound terrible, exacerbating any sibilance problems they might have. The 95 rolls off those highs a bit, and while you lose a little sparkle, it's much more forgiving of bad vinyl. With the pressing quality of todays recordings so widely variable it pays to have a cart that doesn't show off flaws quite so much.

In terms of the other styli in the 95 range, this is still the sweet spot for me. I tried the EN, and found that to be a fine stylus for the price, but I do think the ML is a huge upgrade in terms of clarity and soundstage. The 95SH was not my cup of tea -strings sounded recessed and voices wooly. This could have been a problem with alignment or VTA, but I'm not new to turntables and do know how to set both; if it's that sensitive and fiddly it hardly seems worth the trouble to me.

Everyone's mileage will differ, and if you want absolute detail in a stately, refined package, sure, get the 740. But if you want some fun mixed in with the oohing and aging, I seriously recommend giving the 95 a whirl - you might find yourself surprised.

This Cart is attractively priced, tracks super well and has sweet silky highs. It is a tad shy in the bottom end department as compared to the Ortofon 2M Blue, but that costs a bit more. Hard to better this cart at its price point.