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Audio Technica AT ML-180 Cartridge Advice

Just acquired an Audio Technica AT ML-180 cartridge with broken cantilever and was looking for advice on where to get a new cantilever rebuild and what material to choose from. My preference is a new Boron cantilever but was not sure who, apart from Soundsmith, offers this service.

Also would like to know which is the best tonearm to use for this cartridge once it's fixed. It can either go on my Audiomods Series 5 (eff. mass approx. 11g) or the arm on my Yamaha GT 2000 which has an effective mass of approx. 20g.

Thanks in advance.
ateal
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rauliruegas
12,851 posts
 
Dear @ateal: I think your today tonearm will works fine as a fact you can't say after the re-building which will be the new compliance figure or its VTF range.

I was a fan of the 180 but not now. In the other side and with a vintage cartridge when the cantilever, stylus tip shape and dampers are changed the cartridge will performs with different performance quality levels.

So you can choose boron but you can choose by material too that by its characteristics is better than boron. It's just an election, both can sounds good but I don't know for sure wich one can have higher quality levels.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
@ateal I'm gonna send one of my Stanton CS-100 WOS to Expert Stylus in the future to get Paratrance diamond and new cantilever. Then i will be able to compare it to the original Stereohedron. For rare Stanton top of the line cartridge owner the Expert Stylus was numero uno service. That's how i know about them, loads of feedbacks online. 

Now we have Nandrik as an advocate of Expert Stylus.

The low pound is maybe the only one good thing about brexit.     

If you will send them your Audio-Technica let us know.
Then i will think about mine

But do you have the original Audio-Technica as the reference to compare the sound? If not then you never know what you got after refurbishing. 

There is nother service in UK called NordWest Analogue, but the guy never responded to my request regarding Audio-Technica and his prices is higher, you can try  www.northwestanalogue.com/
ateal OP
97 posts
 
WOW, so many great responses. Thanks so much for all the information. I need to go through it all and digest.

Based on the comments it sounds like the lighter weight tonearm would be the best, which is what I am good with. 

Also sounds like I need to go for Boron with the best stylus profile. 

Thanks again 


nandric's avatar
nandric
4,086 posts
 

Dear chakster, Before you make jokes about my ''best MC cart''

you should check tech. specs . of my Allaerts MC 2 . You will

not believe what you see. Now regarding our advice to ateal.

My (pre) assumptions are that no retipper can provide the right

cantilever/stylus combo as well that the AT 160 can be get for

about 300 GBP. In this context I think that AT 160 is his best

option. If ateal lives in Europe he can borrow my AT 160 to try.

If the postage to Russian Federation was cheaper you could

also and at last learn about AT 160 (grin).

chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
Allaerts MC 2 - is that the one which cost like a used car ? 

Well, thanks for the offer, but i will stick to my working AT-ML180 OCC 
It was a genius combination to end up with 300 quid offer for AT-ML160, someone should buy it to compared to 170 and tell me the truth.  
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