The AT150MLX is internally wired with PC-OCC copper. Mine didn't come with any cartridge leads. I can't say whether I heard "problems" with the Technics headshell, but I certainly heard *improvements* with the ZuPreme. And if you haven't heard your rig with a Sumiko or ZuPreme headshell, then you don't know if they're a waste of money or not.
If nothing else, the Sumiko/ZuPreme headshells add about 5g effective mass to the tonearm, so it changes the range of cartridges that work well with the Technics. It puts the DL-160 and AT150MLX squarely at the 10Hz resonance sweet spot. |
Hi. I'm the original poster, and Almarg explained it well. I have had this cartridge for four years and have used three phono stages with it--the phono stage in a pawnshop Amber 17, which had a series of capacitance DIP switches, a Cambridge 640P which has a fixed capacitance of zero, and my phono stage for nearly the last two years, a Jolida JD9A. The Jolida is very configurable, with MM capacitance settings of 0, 47, 100, and on up from there. My turntable's built-in phono cable has a capacitance of 100 pF. I think it's around 40 inches long.
Audio Technica's recommended total capacitive load for the AT150MLX is "between 100 and 200 pF." With both the Amber and Jolida phono stages I was able to experiment with various capacitances, and the most musical, relaxed sound definitely came in between 100 and 200 pF. The Jolida enabled me to try it at 147 pF and I liked that sound the best. Settings above 200 pF tended to sound bright and strident. You can also find testimony from other AT150MLX owners who warn that the AT150MLX can turn bright and sterile if the capacitance gets much above 200 pF total.
In fact, when I was in the market for a phono stage 2 yrs ago, I happened across an excellent deal for a demo Musical Surroundings Phonomena II for around $389. It was very tempting, but the P II's minimum capacitive input setting is 200 pF, which--combined with my turntable cable--would have created a total load of 300 pF. So I had to pass. The good news is that I really like the Jolida and it has so many gain, resistance, and capacitance settings that I'll probably be able to use it with any cartridge that strikes my fancy.
But these days I have even more reason to stick with my AT150MLX. Given that it's four years old and has at least 1,000 hours on it, I called my local LP-knowledgeable stereo store about whether I'm probably due for a stylus replacement or cartridge upgrade. He told me that the MicroLine stylus (which is what the "ML" stands for in AT150MLX) tends to last 4-5 times as long as a conventional elliptical stylus, and that mine should be good for another 3,000 hrs or so. Even though his store doesn't sell AT carts, he was very complimentary of this one and it reminds him fondly of the AT-sourced Signet cartridges from around 20 yrs ago. So I'm sticking with it. In fact, I recently changed my downstream electronics to a tube-based line stage and a transconductance MOSFET power amp, and my analog rig sounds better than ever.
In other words, any downstream changes I make serve to point up what a wonderfully musical, responsive, and great-tracking cartridge the AT150MLX is. It's ridiculously good for the money. |
12-11-12: Dsper
...I am running a KABUSA Pro S40 which is an Ortofon cartridge that fits into the arm without a headshell. I like it alot especially since I played with the capacitive load switch on the Jolida.
Getting that right added detail and helped to separate the instruments on good recordings.
However, I am getting the itch especially after reading this thread, which is very complimentary to the AT150MLX.
Trouble is it is a $450 cartridge to replace the $360 Ortofon (which replaced a Denon 103R).
Not sure what exactly what I would hear above and beyond the Ortofon with the AT150. Anyone have an opinion on that? If you know where to shop, you can get an AT150MLX for just under $325. To get its best, however, it's wise to get LPGear's ZuPreme Headshell, which adds another $55 to the equation but brings azimuth adjustability to the table. I also use a Technics SL1210M5G with the KAB fluid damper. I've also added a few other things to control resonance and vibration. Just because I wax all poetic about the AT150MLX doesn't mean it's a better choice than what you have. The KAB Ortofon has the advantage of factory-perfect alignment and balance. It eliminates a set of connections as it plugs directly into the tonearm. There should be fewer cart-headshell resonance problems as there is no headshell. I bought my AT150MLX in 2008 when the dollar was strong internationally. I got nice fur felt fedora hats from Australia for 67 cents on the dollar and I got my AT150MLX for $259 from LPGear. J&R had them for $250 and free shipping. For me it was the low cost alternative to the KAB/Ortofon setup that you have. |
12-09-12: Oatstao
why does the original poster state and I quote -
"If you want the best out of this cart, you *must* give it a capacitive load between 100 and 200 pF. In fact, my highly adjustable Jolida JD-9A phono stage indicates that the real sweet spot is right around 150 pF."
I don't have to do anything esoteric with my 150MLX on technics 1200mkII aside from proper alignment with Protractor and balance and weight.
Nothing else needs to be done in my case.
Why does this person suggest this? I get the sense that you think I'm overcomplicating installation of an AT150MLX because your experience was a simple plug-n-play. In many setups that will be the case. But it just happens that your turntable rig is a near ideal match. Your turntable has a built-in interconnect that has a total capacitance of 100 pF. Your phono stage most likely does not add any capacitance. So your AT150MLX "sees" a capacitive load of 100 pF, which is near ideal. That's not always the case, however. Many turntables have RCA jacks instead of hardwired, and the interconnects the user selects may have a capacitance ranging from 50 to 300 pF. And some phono stages have a minimum input capacitance of 200 pF. The very popular Musical Surroundings Phonomena II is one such. Therefore with some rigs you could wind up with a capacitance of 400+ pF and not realize it. Dropping an AT150MLX into that signal chain would not be as satisfactory as your and my experiences. So I'm qualifying my enthusiastic recommendation for those who have setups that aren't as naturally compatible to the AT150MLX as our turntables and phono stages. |
12-16-12: Dconsmack
I've found to achieve a flat response (+/- 1.5dB) you have to load it at 15kΩ impedance (yes!) and around 570pF total capacitance.
Since my phono stage is pretty configurable (Jolida JD9A), I got all excited and looked at the manual to see what all my DIP switch settings are. But alas, I can set a range of small increments from 100 up to 1400 ohms, but then it jumps to the ubiquitous 47K with nothing in between. Maybe my speakers roll off gently enough above 10Khz to work well in my system. What speakers are you using? I can see where if one were to have ribbon tweeters or something very linear out to 20KHz, that your approach would improve the high treble. Or it could be that I've become accustomed to a treble rise and don't know what i'm missing. |
I can hit the 570 pF with my Jolida without modification. 100pF in the phono cable plus DIP switches that can add 220, 150, and 100 pF, which all adds up to 570. Yay! If I do the Y-adapter mod to get a 15K ohm load I'll check it out and report back. |
12-22-14: Johnjohn
I agree with the original post that you need a quality turntable and arm to really hear this cartridge. I use mine on a Linn/Ittok with good results- lots of ambiance and leading edge detail. I put it on a Technics 1200 and didn't hear any improvement over a 440MLa.
I'm the OP of this thread, and ironically, my turntable is a Technics SL1210 M5G. However, I agree that out of the box, the standard SL1200 sounds murky, but that's not due to the tonearm or direct drive; it's a lack of damping and it's easily and cheaply fixed. The M5G starts with upgraded tonearm wire, and I added several tweaks--better headshell, tonearm wrap, KAB's tonearm fluid damper, Oracle Groove Isolator sorbothane mat, and a stack of gel pads, butcher block, Vibrapods, and brass cones for the platform. Every addition improved the clarity, linearity, and dynamics. From there I got improvements as I upgraded the phono stage. Throughout all these upgrades the AT150MLX shone through with more clarity, detail, transparency, bandwidth, dynamics, and musicality. I haven't heard the AT440MLa, but from the beginning and ever since, my AT150MLX has always outperformed my Denon DL-160. Similar tonal balance, but the AT consistently digs down deep and comes out with more music. |
Here's a picture of my SL1210 M5G showing the damping footers and platform, tonearm wrap, etc. that I mentioned above. |
12-25-14: Audpulse
What kind of tonearm wrap is that and what are you trying to achieve by doing so?
Instead of the $20 tonearm wrap from MusicDirect, I use about 15 cents worth of PFTE (aka Teflon) pipe thread tape available from any Walgreen's, Home Depot, or the like. I wrap the tonearm from the lock ring at the headshell end down to just in front of the tonearm rest. I was trying to track down a slight upper midrange glare left over after the other things I'd dampened. When I'd flick the tonearm's aluminum tube (with my fingernail), I could hear it ring at the pitch range where the glare occurs. I wrapped the tonearm, the glare was reduced. I flicked the knurled lock collar, it stll rang. I wrapped the collar and the glare disappeared. I recommend it for anyone putting an AT150MLX on an SL12x0 series DD turntable. |
Jedinite24:
No problem; the bigger challenge is getting me to shut up about it. :)
I can't answer the first question because I'd already been using a Sumiko headshell for a year with a Denon DL-160, and the improvement over the Technics headshell was enough that I ordered the LPGear ZuPreme version along with the AT150MLX. In general, IME the Sumiko or ZuPreme headshell is the *first* thing anybody should upgrade on an SL12x0 turntable. These headshells are much more rigid and inert, with higher quality cartridge leads. You get more transparency, lower noise floor, flatter frequency response, etc. etc.
When wrapping the tape, my goal is to dampen the ringing, not to add weight, so I wound the wrap so it just overlaps (by 1-3 mm or so for each wind. The tape is very light so it doesn't add much effective mass. It also stretches slightly and then shrinks back when winding, so it firmly grips the tonearm on its own (increasing its damping) without any adhesive to muck up the arm. My wrap has stayed intact for about 6-1/2 years without adjustment or re-wrapping.
I just counted, and the tonearm wrap has 18 or 19 revolutions starting at the knurled headshell collar down the arm to just shy of the tonearm rest. |
Jedinite24: When I got my Sumiko and ZuPreme headshells in 2008, they were $40 ea. and OFC Litz wire cartridge leads were $20/set. The Sumiko and ZuPreme come standard with Litz leads, making the Sumiko-style headshells a bit of a bargain.
The Sumiko headshell has since gone up to $90 (including premium cartridge leads); separate premium cartridge leads are $27, but the LpGear ZuPreme (which I think is better than the Sumiko) has only risen to $54.95, again with $27 worth of premium wiring. So I consider it to be the bargain of the bunch. |
