Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I've owned many budget cartridges in my vinyl life. Grado,ADC and many Audio Technica. They aparently still make cartridges with great skill in Japan. In the under 100.00 price range, AT makes the 120. 110, 95 and quite a few others. They have different degrees of performance however none are unworthy. All are musical and fun. I will try and avoid cliche' when assessing the 120.
The 120 will handle all types of music well, but seems particularly well suited for rock. It has a full sound and does not appear to have weaknesses or exagerations in any of the musical bands. It breaks in fully at about 50 hours and lasts around 500 hours (my experience). Just for a thrill, I got in touch with Turntableneedles.com. They are a reliable internet vendor with good manners and a ton of information about cartridges. On their advice, I decided to upgrade the existing 3x7 diamond tip with an genuine Audio Technica nude diamond (AT125). When I did this, the 120 went to a whole new level in sonic performance. I have had a couple of good MM carts in the past, a mid level Grado MM, an Ortfon MC and one of Audio Technica's higher level MM's called the 150. With the upgraded needle, which only costs 80 bucks, the cartridge can give better mid level cartridges a serious challenge. Extended soundstage, instrument individuality, and significantly more musical clarity.
So, the stock AT120 is a great cartridge and does nothing wrong. It can easily and relative inexpensively upgraded for about 80 dollars and what you are left with is a true performer that will give you a long vacation from the urge to upgrade. Consider this as a possible solution to your search for the ultimate sound without overpaying and consequently feeling shorted.
A bow and hearty congratulations fo Audio Technica for respecting the serious music listener where it matters most, true value!
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