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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
ateal OP
97 posts
 
@ronco, sounds like you have a great selection of AT and Signet carts. These vintage MM's are certainly a pleasure to use. I will let you know how it compares to the AT ML180/150.

@rauliruegas, thank you so much for starting the very long and informative MM thread as it has given me the knowledge to seek out and discover these rare and wonderful MM carts. Thank you also for your advice on this thread which has been very helpful. Can I ask what were your observations of the ML180 vs the TK10ML?

@nandric, thanks for the advice on the cantilever rebuild. I agree with you that it is better to use the factory ML150 than to seek out a rebuild of the ML180 as the rebuild will no doubt add too much mass and will not reproduce the same sound as an original ML180. I guess the only way for it to sound exactly like a ML180 is to find an ML180, which I think is impossible. 

Thanks all.


   
chakster's avatar
chakster
6,144 posts
 
So what shell we do if we have those rarities with broken styli ?
I actually have AT-ML180 OCC with broken stylus, i also have AT-ML150 OCC with broken stylus from the AT-ML170.

Everything still can be competelety re-cantilevered or fixed by SoundSmith or Expert Stylus companies. The total cost of this job is not so expensive as nandric said, if the cantilever is Ruby by SS.

I’m pretty sure it can be a very good cartridges and there is a chance to find genuine replacement from the lower models to use or to transplant. At least MM styli are interchangeable. Fixing a broken stylus does not mean that you can not use the original stylus as a bonus. 

ateal OP
97 posts
 
@chakster,  I totally agree with you that these rarities with broken cantilevers should be rebuilt by Soundsmith, Expert Stylus, Garrott Bros, VdH etc, and that the results of these rebuilds, whilst not exactly the same as the original, will be great.

My personal situation is that I was very lucky to find a NOS ML150 stylus for $200 within a week of buying the broken ML180 and for me I am happy to use this stylus as it uses very high quality gold plated Beryllium and has provided great results.

If the ML150 did not come along when it did, I would probably be sending the ML180 to VdH for their "Boron Tube" cantilever option and suspension upgrade which I was quoted around $750 incl. shipping and insurance.

nandric's avatar
nandric
4,086 posts
 

Ateal, What do you mean with VdH ''boron tube'' and ''suspension

upgrade'' for $ 750? Assuming some hazy ''upgrade'' without precise

knowledge what you are talking about is curious ''advice''.  The

suspension by AT styli consist of the ''rubber ring'' in front of the

stylus holder + tension wire inside the tube behind the cantilever.

The whole stylus/cantilever construction is fastened with the small

screw inside the stylus holder. No retipper whatever can do anything

to ''improve'' suspension by AT styli. A boron tube can eventual be

glued on the restant of the old cantilever but ''above'' what can

such boron tube be glued if the whole cantilever is broken of?

Guessing like Raul and chakster do is not an responsible way to

give advices.  There is no shame involved by confession to don't

know. For Raul and chakster obviously a big problem. Do you

want to join them in this attitude?

totem395
390 posts
 
chakster
It was top of the line Victor tonearm for their TT-101
Not to be overly nit-picky but the UA-7045 arm was supplied on the 
N.A. JVC QL-10 and in Japan the TT-101 drive would be found used with 
the longer UA-7082.

Now back to the original topic.
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