Audio-Technica VM540ML/H Turntable Headshell/Cartridge Combo Kit Red

The VM540ML/H produces clear, detail, wide stage sound. My AT95E was not bad but VM540ML/H sounds a lot better, especially in mid and high frequencies. A nice upgrade for sure. Im using it on a AT-LP 1240-USB turntable.

Replaced an Ortofone 2m blue with this audio technica VM540ML/H. It sounds great. Really noticeable difference in sound. Really added space between instruments and each sound clear. Also, the highs seem louder. Not in a bad way. Ok sometimes some instruments can be a little much but mostly everything sounds noticeably better, more detailed than the Ortofone blue. I have an early pressing of Joni Mitchell’s Court and Spark lp and it sounds fantastic. Heard detail I’d never noticed before. Feels like a huge upgrade for the price. My set up: AT LP120 usb tt Schiit Mani phono preamp Denon PMA 800NE integrated amp Elac 2.0 Debut B6 speakers For additional context: The high ends seem louder and yes more pronounced. Where it was a little much for me was Dylan’s harmonica on a track or two from an original pressing of Highway 61 Revisited. This isn’t going to be a great choice for poor pressings or heavily played records with a lot groove wear or scratches because it picks up Everything. Also, if your amp or speakers tend to tilt up the highs already, it may not be ideal. I have t had it very long so I’m still getting settled to it and playing all my records again. Maribou State, Joni Mitchell, Gang Starr, Cannonball Adderly, Talking Heads, Art Blakey, Townes Van Zandt all sound fantastic.

Started out my new vinyl fetish 4 years ago with an Ortofon 2M blue, then bought a cheap AT cart as a spare, discovered I liked the sound of that more - so have now upgraded to this Microline cart. Distortion is minimised and a rich, full sound is my reward. My only warning- if you are putting this on a Technics turntable like I did, don’t spend the extra for the pre-mounted cart as it is not correctly mounted for the Technics overhang. I learned this the hard way and had to unscrew it and spend an hour adjusting it to fit. Otherwise; no complaints!

Avec cette cellule VM540 ML l’image musicale est fabuleuse ! Le grave est incroyable, les aigus et le médium juste ce qui faut à mon sens …Pratiquement pas de bruit de surface, juste la musique … Écouter un vinyle de jazz avec Louis Armstrong par exemple en fermant les yeux, c’est un voyage fantastique … Certes le prix est important mais le voyage est à la hauteur …. Musicalement

My turntable a Teac TN-570 came with an installed Audio Technica AT100E worth about $100. I was really surprised how good this turntable/cartridge/stylus combination sounded and should have been satisfied at least until the cartridge was broken in. However, I decided to go for the Gold and invest in a better sounding cartridge. Although the AT100E was very good right out of the box, I could hear some slight distortion towards the end of each of my albums(LP) and I wondered why ? Not wanting to play around with the tracking I figured a better cartridge would do the trick. I had my mind set on the Ortofon Blue which has been receiving rage reviews since I can remember. Thats until I began reading the reviews on the Audio-Technica VM540ML, which stated almost unanimously that the Audio-Technica VM540ML was the better cartridge. Oh well, for an extra $50 I might as well invest in that one, especially since I already own an AT. I purchased the Combo Kit which came with a pre-installed cartridge and head-shell, because I did not want to fiddle around with a $250 cartridge trying to install it. I eagerly waited for the Combo kit to come in the mail. It took about 3 business days. I was really surprised on how cheap looking the head-shell was. I thought it was made out of plastic, until I performed the biting test with my teeth and sure enough it was aluminum, but it sure looked plastic to me ! Also while I was trying to remove the cartridge from the packing, the stylus-guard almost came off and the stylus was actually moved to the left slightly, but I gently moved it back. And this for an extra $40 ?! The cartridge itself did not look any different than my AT100E and it seemed like there were some cut corners when it came to the build of this cartridge. It certainly did not Ooze of quality like my turntable did. In any case, I did not buy this cartridge for looks but for sound, so I placed a copy of a re-mixed Beatles album on the turntable mat and took it for a spin. Like the reviews said, I could not hear a single Snap, Crackle, Pop, but keep in mind this album was purchased recently. The sound was a little better than my AT100E, but not by much. I was not really surprised by the sound for some reason ? Dont get me wrong, the sound was better than anything I have owned so far, its just that I expected this cartridge to blow the AT100E out of the water, which it didnt. Without the noise, I would say that the sound coming out of my turntable probably matches the sound coming out of my expensive Marantz CD player, but there are some minor differences. The sound from my CD player seems to be a little more open and crisp, not as boxy. However, the sound from my TT is not as flat, has more depth and is a little easier to listen to for extended periods. Everything else such as instrument placement, base, mid range, treble is about the same although the cymbals sound a little more natural on my turntable. The reason why I gave this cartridge/stylus a 4-star instead of a 5-star, was the cheap looking head shell that cost me an extra $40 and the slight disappointment in build quality. ** The sound is great so far and I highly recommend this cartridge not only for the quality sound, but for those who want to make high-res copies of their albums on Tape or Digital if your system allows. Maybe after 20 hours of break-in period I will adjust my review. ** After the Break-in period this cartridge/stylus sounds absolutely fantastic, even better than my expensive CD player ! so I upgraded to a 5-star **

Ill never not have one these cartridges

This cartridge made a big difference. Better presence, better tracking and elimination of sibilance . Best cartridge Ive owned. Buying it with the shell made it super easy to install, or compare it with the old cartridge, which was also very good, but not this good. Music details are outrageous. I think this is it, my cartridge for a long time.

I have had this AT VM540ML cartridge for 3 weeks now and the sounds that it is drawing out of my album collection from the last 40 to 50 years is just amazing . I was going to upgrade the stylus on my AT120XUSB turntable to the AT VM95ML but I sprang for the 540 and it just keeps sounding better all the time .

Incredible. What a difference in changing the cartridge. Added this to my Audio technica 120. Wish i would have got this a while back.

Very easy to install. Just unscrew the old and screw on the new. It seems to be worth the money when compared to the original part. I like the way it sounds, certainly an improvement over the original, soundwise. Id certainly buy it again.