Home > Consumer Reviews > Audio Technica AT440ML Dual-Moving Magnet Phono Cartridge

Who says you have to spend an x amount of hundreds even thousands of dollars on a phono cartridge to listen to crisp and detailed vinyl/analog playback ? However, words like crisp and detailed are very meager adjectives to describe the musical sonic characteristics of this cartridge (true, the rest of your component system's own sound characteristics come into play, i.e; receiver,amp,pre-amp,turntable,speakers).If any part of your audio system does not have that "synergy", then you may notice either slight, miniscule shortcomings from the cartridge or system or both.For those with already a warm or neutral sounding system will be dramatically surprised and awestruck. For those who have just the opposite type of system and also may have an eq inline, you may want to adjust your treble settings. The AT 440ML is NOT a neutral or "warm" sounding cartridge---far from it. The upper mids and highs will possibly have your dog running out of the room. It's not bass shy either. Bass is firm but never muddy or boomy. It reproduces the lows and highs very well.There are no punchy mids (though the mids are reproduced admirably but not accurately). Some critics have said this cartridge out of the box and installed properly is reminiscent of having an inline equalizer and it's frequency knob controls in the "v" formation. Stereo channel separation is probably the best these ears have heard over any other stereo cartridge I have had in the past (from the Grado Prestige Series to a couple of high-end Shure cartridges).There is definitely a 3-dimensional sonic imaging characteristic in the AT 440ML (especially noted with acoustic and jazz music). The Audio Technica beats most other hi end named brands to the punch with such wide stereo stage channel separation. I have closed my eyes with headphones on or with speakers and I always hear and experience the "you are there" feeling that makes me appreciate records much more than the cold 2-dimensional flat sound of audio cd's. Female vocals have a soft but clear presence.Male vocals are well reproduced. The micro-linear stylus reaches deep into the grooves without carving the vinyl (YES ! a wonderful light tracker that requires anywhere from .8 to 1.6 g of tracking force).This will cut down on the wear and tear of your vinyl collection as well as your cartridge/stylus...

Does this mean that the AT 440ML is PERFECT and that you have finally reached analog playback nirvana??? Well, that depends on different viewpoints. If you have bought cheap cartridges all your life in the $20 to $40 range, then this AT 440ML will be an audio revelation that will have you realize what you have been missing all this time. BUT, it's only a taste of the high end, audiophile analog world. If you have had other hi-end name brand cartridges (an experienced audiophile) and have paid more than what this cartridge is going for, then from a monetary stance you may have paid too much---that is IF the AT's sound rivals or is reminiscent of those pricier carts. On the other hand, if you prefer the warm, neutral sound to your liking, and possibly don't want to experience ear and mind fatigue from a bright cartridge then do not buy this cartridge.The AT 440 ML is a colored (soundwise) cartridge.You will only become ear fatigued if you are used to more neutral or warm cartridges (this is where you will need to adjust your treble settings). As with most cartridges, the AT 440 ML does require a little bit of "breaking-in" period (some say 30 hours to maybe 50---depending on your playback time habits). I have owned the AT 440ML for over a year now and it does get more looser or liquid-like, smooth and sweeter in sound(but not warm or dull) with no harsh or grainy sonic characteristics (sounds like I'm describing a fine liquor or malt shake).

The last glaring question (probably one of the most important) is whether or not this is an excellent tracker (and this is a two-fold question or concern). Are words beginning with s, t, p, and f accurately reproduced (sibilance)? Yes and no.That honorary distinction would be for the Shure V15VxMR cartridge (which is now out of production and was the last of a dying audiophile cartridge breed to be had for a reasonable price range). With the AT 440ML it's more hit than miss with sibilants. About 85% to 90% of the time "spitty" consonants are pronounced accurately with a slight edge or exaggeration. However, there have been a few of my clean records where the letter "s" cuts through with that static-like harshness more than once on any given side.One such record I have that proves this theory and shortcoming of this cartridge is Joe Jackson's Jumpin' Jive swing jazz album (the letter s is tracked harshly with that annoying edgy sound). As for overall tracking quality of the music signal in general from beginning of groove to end, it has that inner groove distortion problem licked (this is where the AT 440ML shows off it's greatest audiophile strength). This is due to the linear contact stylus. Nothing MORE aggravating to a record listener than when a low budget or poorly produced cartridge, while it may sound clear and great in the first few tracks on a record side, but then as the needle goes towards the center, the last tracks suffer horribly (no matter how much anti-skate force you apply)! You will no longer have this problem with the AT 440ML; you will finally find out what you have been missing.

Keep in mind that this deep-groove tracing microlinear stylus by design,in picking up such fine musical detail, will also pick up record surface noise and dirt;That's right, that snap,crackle, and pop from static,dirt, or lint.Majority of micro-linear cartridges will do that as opposed to conical or elliptical styli that sort of tend to almost try to soften,mask or even blend out surface record noise. Conical or elliptical styli,with their larger "footprint" tip, will push dirt and other debris out of the way on the record's surface. They also do not reach deep into the groove and make that much of an accurate contact with the groove's wall as a microlinear stylus does. The microlinear stylus will reach deeper into the groove where there is more accumulated dirt or debris;it's a fact(being a light tracker however, this will not wear out your records as fast as a regular stylus cartrdige would). So, I also recommend using an anti-static brush on those not so pristine records.This is the only other area where maybe it's competitor ,the Shure M97xE cartridge, might come out a little ahead; Shures are well known and admired for their almost quiet record surface noise playback and background !

The bottom line, with both thumbs highly up, I absolutely recommend this fine cartridge. Period. Especially for a novice to the vinyl world or someone on a budget.I have found it difficult to listen to cd's or any digital musical format since owning this cartridge. In fact, I get bored with cd playback nowadays. There's just no musical "involvement".Don't be fooled by the simple black and lavender/purple? colored simple looking cartridge. It's what's on the inside of the body that really counts ! The AT 440ML possesses that bang for the buck quality that is hard to beat and will revitalize your long yearning for super (not perfect) audiophile listening and extract nuances and other fine qualities from your record collection !

(Updated 03 April 2005) The AT440ML is widely regarded as a great quality phono cartridge, but there *is* some controversy. I've been using this cartridge for well over a year now, and my opinion is that it has a very "modern" sound -- its tonal balance is almost an imitation of the typical CD player. Not that that's bad... it's just that many vinyl fans prefer the "midbass bloom" warmth and other traditional qualities of the so-called vinyl sound, and this cartridge doesn't have it -- if you prefer that kind of sound and are on a budget, look into one of the high-end Stantons. This one does tend to be a bit "V-Curvish" tonally, with a bit more emphasis on bass and treble than on midrange (as well as being a bit bright and/or thin sounding with certain systems). You'll really just have to hear this cartridge with your particular setup to decide whether you like it or not. IMO, the great thing about vinyl is that it's all about what we find pleasing (euphonic), not some unattainable standard of absolute accuracy.

As far as tracking goes, this one's a winner. Not only does it track better than 99% of cartridges out there, but it's highly detailed as well -- the stylus shape is designed to dig every bit of detail out of the groove. Surprisingly, this *does not* seem to come at the expense of more surface noise. If anything, this cartridge is pretty quiet and you'll hear less surface noise than average. I'm sure the light tracking force (VTF) helps in this regard.

Mounting-wise, I found this cartridge a bit more difficult than most. Part of the thing is I was trying to be more exacting than usual, because a Microline stylus can eat your records if it's mounted poorly. I did encounter a minor channel imbalance which was eventually corrected. Unless you're really skilled at mounting cartridges, be prepared to take some time with this one. In particular, you may want to play with VTA (if your tonearm supports it) to avoid a sound that's too thin and bright.

Overall, I'd say at around $100 this one's a real bargain. It's very nearly a mismatch with my Thorens TP16 tonearm, but with modern lightweight tonearms it should be perfect. If you do get it for use with a vintage turntable with a medium-mass tonearm (like the TP16) be advised that you're working at the very outer edges of this cart's tolerances and you may encounter issues with warped discs, etc. For me the price was worth it though... for less than $100 you get true audiophile quality, albeit with some flaws. There's an effortless quality to this cartridge's performance, one that generally only comes with really expensive models. Recommended.

I have used a Shure M91 cartridge for years. Excellent cartridge. After having a rough time finding a decent replacement stylus I decided to move on to something new. Online reviews led me to try the Shure M97xe. Very disappointed. I moved on again. Quickly. This time to the comparably priced Audio Technica AT440ML. I was literally BLOWN AWAY by the sound of this cartridge! The AT440ML reproduces high frequencies with amazing detail and low distortion, while simultaneously packing a respectable low frequency punch. You'll be surprised at what this cartridge pulls out of your grooves. At this price, the AT440ML is an incredible value. Spoil yourself.

I've recorded my albums on reel-to-reel tape for over 40 years in order to preserve them. I listen to the tape, and store the vinyl. Cartridges recruited for this duty have been higher end Empires, Stantons, Pickerings, Grados, Shures, a moving coil Ortophon, and others I've forgotten. I decided to archive the albums to DVD. I was only interested in the tracking capability of this cartridge as audio correction would be employed, when needed, using multiple programs for click/pop elimination, noise reduction, and frequency response correction. My decision to buy this cartridge was based on much research, and I almost spent hundreds more on a couple of others.

I won't bore you with the details of my system, but I am editing in 32 bit 9600 sampling rate and recording to DVD-Audio.

Read the positive reviews. The tracking is superb and detailing of all the frequencies is amazing. Music comes to life and you will hear details that sounded like miscellaneous noise with other cartridges. I suspect that one reason is the highly compliant stylus assemply.

Every cartridge I have used has some characteristic it brings to the sound - in other words, they "color" the sound. Listening to the various reel-to-reels over the years verify this, although many of the cartridges have been pleasant: "warm," "sweet," etc. This cartridge sounds very neutral, very flat in the frequency response. However, the detail produced may cause your records to sound different from what you are used to hearing.

The output from the cartridge is very strong (4 volts, I believe), and I had to use a variable pre-amp for direct recording to the computer's sound card.

One interesting aspect about the cartridge is that, even if the vinyl has been cleaned, after four sides of play, the stylus needs to be freed of dust. Multiple times, I've had to use a jewelry loupe and tweezers to remove a strand of lint. One strand of lint will cause distortion with this cartridge. If you don't clean your albums correctly, this minute stylus will dig it all out for you.

Under the scrutiny of high resolution PCM playback, the sound I am hearing is stunning, and this cartridge is primarily responsible.

This review is for the AT440MLa. I ordered the AT440ML, but I have no complaints.

I decided to dust off my old Technics direct drive turntable and play some records in the family room for the kids. I connected it to my system, a rather high-end Naim Audio preamp and amp with KEF speakers, and it sounded just like you'd expect a typical turntable would sound when mated with a high end audiophile type stereo system.

I did some research and found that the Shure cartridge (an M94 type that was purchased several years ago) really didn't get very good reviews, so before buying a new turntable I figured I'd try just upgrading the cartridge. I chose this one because of all the rave reviews and because reviewers went out of their way to say how bright and "CD like" this cartridge made their records sound.

This is exactly what I wanted because my system already excels in base and midrange, and I didn't need a cartridge that emphasizes what my system is already good at, but rather what it's not so good at.

So I bought this cartridge and carefully set it up according to instructions. Be careful to get the overhang as close as you can to specs for your turntable!

I washed off and played an old Andrews Sisters Greatest Hits record from the 70's. The horns jumped out at me and that old swing music just rocked my world! The difference this cartridge made was like night and day. Now I've got a cheap old turntable wired to a snooty high-end British system and it's actually sounding pretty good.