Audio Technica
Features
Solid boron cantilever transmits signals 2.5× faster than aluminum for dynamic musical passages
Premium PCUHD® copper coil wire delivers richer, more nuanced audio reproduction
Paratoroidal dual-coil design (two per channel) maximizes electromagnetic efficiency
Dual magnet VM architecture mirrors vinyl cutter head for outstanding channel separation
Die-cast aluminum body with threaded inserts enables easy 2-screw headshell mounting
Center shield plate reduces crosstalk for pristine stereo imaging
V-cut stylus protector provides visual reference for precise needle placement
Compatible with full range of AT-VMx replacement styli for sound customization
What's in the Box?
Warranty
The AT-VMx series brings new warmth and realism to Audio-Technica’s premium dual moving magnet (MM) cartridge line, delivering an expansive soundstage that’s alive with musical detail.
Like all our MM cartridges, this updated design closely mirrors the cutter head used to make the vinyl master. It utilizes two magnets, positioned to match the left and right channels in the stereo record groove for outstanding channel separation and extended frequency response. But the new VMx series also introduces material and design changes to further refine the sound, offering responsive playback that is especially sensitive to the dynamism of musical expression.
All VMx cartridges feature a generator with paratoroidal coil construction: two coils per channel – one stacked behind the other – for greatly improved efficiency. A center shield plate separates the left and right channels to reduce crosstalk and maintain a clear stereo image. The copper wire used for the coils has been upgraded to PCUHD® (Pure Copper Ultra High Drawability), resulting in richer, more nuanced audio reproduction. The number of coil turns has also been slightly reduced to improve transient response, allowing the cartridge to react more quickly to signal changes for stunningly clean music with lifelike immediacy.
The AT-VM760xSL is equipped with an ultra-lightweight special line contact stylus that allows it to trace the record groove with incredible accuracy and minimal abrasion. This nuanced audio reproduction is further enhanced by the adoption of a solid boron cantilever, which transmits signals about 2.5 times faster than the previous model’s aluminum pipe, resulting in more accurate reproduction of dynamic musical passages.
We’ve also added threaded inserts to the die-cast aluminum body of each VMx cartridge, making it easier to mount (just two screws required), especially to the integrated tonearms common on high-end turntables. And a new V-cut in the stylus’s flip-up protector provides quick reference of the stylus position, serving as a guide when lowering the stylus onto a record.
Easy to Install & Use
Each AT-VMx cartridge body has threaded inserts, enabling it to be mounted to a headshell with just two screws – no nuts required. And the redesigned stylus protector now includes a V-cut for easy reference of the stylus’s position when lowering it onto a record.
Highly Efficient Generator
The paratoroidal coil construction of the cartridge’s generator – two PCUHD coils per channel, one stacked behind the other – greatly improves electromagnetic performance. In contrast, a slight reduction in coil turns* enhances transient response for clean, lifelike sound.
Solid Boron Cantilever and Metal Body
The three premium VMx models (AT-VM760x, AT-VM750x, AT-VM745x) feature a solid boron cantilever. Naturally lightweight and rigid, boron transmits signals from the record groove faster than an aluminum cantilever. The result is more accurate sound reproduction, particularly noticeable in dynamic musical passages. The die-cast aluminum body reduces vibrations and resonance.
Interchangeable Styli
Since all AT-VMx and VM Series cartridges share the same body design and have a removable stylus, you can use almost any AT-VMNx or VMN replacement stylus* with any VMx or VM cartridge for easy experimentation with sound characteristics.
All in the Design
The Vertical Dual Magnet design closely mirrors the cutter head used to make the vinyl master
The standard cutter head (used to record the vinyl master) uses two transducer coils, mounted perpendicular to each other at 45 degrees from horizontal, to cut the channel: one in each wall of the 90-degree record groove.
The AT-VMx cartridges use the same 90-degree V-Shape configuration as the cutter head. This way, the cartridge achieves accurate tracking, excellent channel separation, high definition of the stereo image, and extreme clarity over the entire audio spectrum.
Premium Models
These Premium moving magnet cartridges feature die-cast aluminum housings, which reduce vibrations and resonance, as well as boron cantilevers (on 45xML, 50xSH, and 70xSL models), which more quickly transmit vibrations from the record groove.
What Shape to Choose?
The purpose of a stylus is to ride along the record groove, capturing movement, which is then transferred into an electrical signal within the cartridge. Audio Technica produces styli in five different shapes (Conical, Eliptical, Microlinear, Shibata, and Special Line Contact) that make contact with the record groove and capture movement in different ways, creating unique sound characteristics.
Conical Styli
The Conical stylus is the simplest and most widely used stylus. Its spherical tip normally touches the center of the record groove walls. A conical stylus works best for low- to moderately-priced turntables and audio setups. It is also ideal for mono (vinyl with one channel) and older 78 RPM records. However, its shape prevents it from making detailed contact with much of the record groove walls, resulting in less fidelity.
Elliptical Styli
The eliptical stylus has two radii, the front radius being wider than the side radius. The front radius rides in the center of the groove like a conical, while the smaller side radius makes more contact with the groove walls. More contact with the record groove walls delivers a higher level of fidelity.
Microlinear Styli
The Microlinear stylus almost exactly duplicates the shape of the cutting stylus that produces the original master disc (the disc used to create the pressed vinyl record). This likeness enables the Microlinear stylus to track portions of the groove other styli cannot reach, resulting in extremely accurate tracing of high-frequency passages and a flat frequency response within the audible range. The unique multilevel shape also wears more evenly, greatly extending record and stylus life.
Shibata Styli
The Shibata stylus was originally developed to play four-channel (quadraphonic) vinyl records. The Shibata stylus has two radii, similar to an elliptical stylus. However, the radii of a Shibata stylus allow for more surface contact and effective pickup of ultra-high frequencies with less groove stress and distortion.
Special Line Contact Styli
The special line contact stylus is shaped to track the record groove with the highest level of precision, resulting in excellent high-frequency response, low distortion, and minimum abrasion. The special line contact stylus makes more surface contact than any other stylus shape. It should be noted that due to its high fidelity, the line contact stylus may produce more noise on heavily worn records. The line contact tip is used on our higher-end cartridges.
Round or Square Shank?
The stylus shank is the piece that connects the tip to the cantilever. A round shank can be more difficult to align when it is affixed to the cantilever. Proper alignment is needed in order to position the stylus tip precisely in the record groove.
Square shank styli cost more to make than round shank styli, but mounting them in laser-cut square holes in the cantilever locks them in precise alignment with the record groove.
Bonded or Nude?
In a bonded (or jointed) stylus, a diamond tip is glued on a metal shank that is itself glued into the hole of the cantilever. While less expensive to manufacture, this construction may increase the mass of the overall tip and affect transient response compared with a nude stylus, where the tip and shank are constructed from a single piece of diamond.
Nude styli, shaped from whole diamonds, are more costly than bonded styli. Their lower mass allows nude styli to track more accurately. Also, since our nude styli are grain-oriented, with their longest-wearing faces touching the record surface, they last longer.
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Physical Specifications | |
| Type | VM |
| Dimensions | 29.0 mm (1.1") × 18.3 mm (0.72") × 17.5 mm (0.69") (H × W × D) |
| Weight | 8.8 g (0.31 oz) |
| Threaded Hole | M2.6 × 2 |
| Technical Specifications | |
| Stylus Construction | Special line contact |
| Stylus Curvature Radius | 1.5 × 0.28 mil |
| Cantilever | 0.28 mm (0.011") diameter solid boron |
| Tracking Force | 1.8 to 2.2 g (2.0 g standard) |
| Vertical Tracking Angle | 20° |
| Static Compliance | 17.5 × 10-6 cm/dyne |
| Dynamic Compliance | 7 × 10-6 cm/dyne (100 Hz) |
| Audio Specifications | |
| Frequency Response | 20 to 30,000 Hz |
| Output Voltage | 3.7 mV (1 kHz, 5 cm/sec.) |
| Output Balance | 1.0 dB (1 kHz) |
| Channel Separation | 26 dB (1 kHz) |
| Electrical Specifications | |
| Recommended Load Impedance | 47 k ohms |
| Recommended Load Capacitance | 150 to 250 pF |
| Coil Impedance | 3.2 k ohms (1 kHz) |
| DC Resistance | 750 ohms |
| Coil Inductance | 480 mH (1 kHz) |
| Included Accessories | |
| Cartridge Installation Screws | M2.6: 10.0 mm (0.39") × 2, 8.0 mm (0.31") × 2, 5.0 mm (0.20") × 2** |
| Additional Accessories | Washer × 2, Non-magnetic screwdriver, Brush |
| Replacement Stylus | AT-VMN60xSL* (sold separately) |
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Notes: *The replacement stylus of this product is used for AT-VMx series products. In this series, we offer replacement styli with different stylus tip structures and point shapes. **Cartridge installation screws (5.0 mm (0.20")) × 2 are used to secure the cartridge in the box at the time of purchase. Be sure to keep and not lose these after removing the cartridge from the box. For product improvement, the product is subject to modification without notice. |
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