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1285 Review
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Review on 🎢 Enhance Your Vinyl Experience with Audio-Technica AT-VM95SH/H Turntable Headshell/Cartridge Combo Kit by Christopher Isaac

Revainrating 4 out of 5

Comparison with Ortofon 2m Blue

I bought these on the theory that the Shibata needle is better than any other shape. It seems that any form of Shibata and Micro Linear should be better than Eillipitical in terms of clarity and separation. To be honest, I have a little hard time impressing myself. The blue Ortofon was an upgrade from my unbranded stock DENON TT wagon (which people consider the AudioTechnica AT3600L to be a special but budget device). The standard DENON sound sounded dirty and nothing special to me, but the blue is instantly wider and more powerful in each band. I was glad I heard the difference. Now, after Blue, this VM95sh is softer in the first place. I feel like I'm back in the world of Audio Technica again. For some reason (I've been cleaning up a lot lately too) the VM95 has much less surface noise than a little crackle as the record is old, it's a very smooth turntable! great separation and anything but power is a downgrade from the Ortofon. It's like a softer Japanese machine compared to the Viking Barbarian. UPDATE: I trusted the factory alignment, but after checking it turns out that it is actually not perfectly aligned. I'm not sure if making your own adjustments is always recommended in the audiophile community, but I think it should be. The factory cartridge points outwards slightly, so I had to rotate it clockwise slightly every now and then.

Pros
  • DJ Equipment
Cons
  • Damaged