Happy listener

Best sounding cartridge I have ever owned. My vinyl sounds better than I have ever heard with my old cartridge.

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Bargain cart.

Most of the reviews had it right. I know $350 seems like a LOT to some and others might think you can't get anything decent for that much. Well you do get a lot for that much money. A WHOLE lot! I got one to try out on a third table that I wasn't using( Rega P2). Broke it in for about 20 hours and then compared to my best table (VPI traveler) with a $1000 cart. Holy crap, this sounds great! More detail, airy highs, bass is good and more clarity. I can understand vocals that I couldn't before. So I switched it and put it on the VPI and it's even better. Also better than the $750 Hana sl that's on my P2. I think it's a bargain at $350!

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The finest sound for the cost. Excellent!

I've had this cartridge for a few months now. If you align it and set it up correctly the sound really comes through. I use the recommended 2 gram setting. I writing this now as I got my first half speed remastered album where the information done by the cutting head when manufactured, means there is much more clarity on the record and this cartridge and stylus bring it out! I was thinking of going to a Shibata or SLC stylus but Shibata from I understand is more for classical and the sound quality on this cartridge/stylus I couldn't justify paying $200-$300 more for an SLC (Special Line Contact). Also this stylus has a 1000 hour life. The others are recommended to be replaced sooner. So it is a win/win situation with the Micro Line VM series. Highly recommend. Also Crutchfield's Tech support is always a HUGE plus as lifetime support.

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VM740ML

Sounds great! Nice upgrade from the stock cartridge that came with my turntable.

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Audio-Technica VM740ML

Excellent, still searching for the perfect sound....

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Audio-Technica VM740ML

Excellent cartridge! Smooth, extended response without any excessive brightness for clear, musical sound quality. The microline stylus tracks anything without any hint of distortion. I listen to a wide range of musical genres and the 740ML is very pleasing regardless of what may be playing. A great cartridge and a good value. Highly recommended.

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Audio-Technica VM740ML

definite improvement over the stock Akai BT-500 cartridge. Really brings out the music

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Audio-Technica VM740ML

Just the best sound I have ever heard! Well worth the money , over the lesser quality needles! Sounds like you are in the studio! Thanks Dana Bloxom

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Audio-Technica VM740ML

If you are looking to replace a Signet TK7, AT ML170, Shure V15typeVmr, or a Stanton 881s with a new cartridge with a readily available, reasonably priced OEM replacement stylus, then you should seriously consider this model. It essentially picks up where moving magnet cartridge development left off since the transition to CD's in the mid 1980's. Assuming proper set up, alignment, and loading, if you hear "mistracking" with this cartridge chances are good that you're actually hearing a poor pressing, worn grooves, or mic/mixer overload during the recording process. It is important to stay within Audio Technica's recommended TOTAL capacitance loading range of 100-200 pf if you want the smoothest overall frequency response. (This has actually been true for several decades when it comes to AT cartridges.) Overall, the presentation is neutral and revealing with perhaps a touch more push in the high frequencies (between 5kHz and 15kHz). Ultimately whether you notice this depends on your speakers and room acoustics. But if you're after extracting the most information embedded in the grooves with the least amount of sonic doctoring, the VM740ml fills the bill. As for turntable/tonearm matching, I am using the Technics SL-1500C (also purchased from Crutchfield) and cannot fault the combination. Set up/alignment with the removable Technics headshell could not be easier. I simply set the geometry, overhang, and VTA according to directions and have gotten excellent results at 2 gm.

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Richmond

After years of using both moving coil and Moving magnet cartridges ranging in price from $250 to $1800 dollars, The AT VM740ML exceeded both my expectations and beat every cartridge except the most expensive MC and this difference is very small and only perceivable on the most finely recorded and exceptionally pressed vinyl. My System uses a Coda Fet-01P, Levinson ML No. 27, and Adam Tensor Delta Semi-Active Speakers. The turntable is a Schiit Sol. The tracking force was set to 2.0 grams and the alignment method used was the Lofgren B geometry. I did try Bearwarld geometry but settled on the Lofgren as it presented the best sound at the record's inner groove. The cartridge comparisons included: Nagaoka 500, Goldring 1042, AT VM540ML, Denon 103R, Dynavector 2x20, and Lyra Delos. All of these cartridges presented music slightly differently but the AT VM740ML presented the largest sound stage and detail retrieval only edged out by the Lyra Delos and at 1/5 the cost. The AT VM740ML is refined, detailed, spacious, focused, lively, solid, and at the same time intimate. I would also say that few, cartridges out of the box, were as consistent as the AT VM740ML in their sound signature with delicacy being the great gain from some break in ~ 75-100 hours. Another interesting and useful tool is that the AT VM500 and VM700 use interchangeable styli ranging from the conical, nude elliptical to a Shibata. They also offer a special line contact (the most expensive of the offerin

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Upgrade your turntable!

Awesome upgrade that totally changes the game!

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Audio-Technica VM740ML

Sounds great on my REGA Planar 2 as a replacement for the carbon cart.

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AT VM740ml cartridge

I love the way this cartridge sounds it is very forward but yet not in your face it is like being in the studio and listening to the band playing the music it sounds are just incredible so Lively and Rich I would recommend this cartridge for anyone .Thank you Crutchfield for helping me choose the perfect cartridge for my turntable

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Audio-Technica VM740ML

An excellent mid-range MM cartridge with a modern stylus profile. It runs on the brighter side compared to a Nagaoka I also have in hand, but that's not a negative in my system, which is more smooth and mid-range focused. Great for detail enthusiants, and a very good tracker - no skips despite testing on a couple fairly warped records. Not sure if the aluminum body provides any clear benefits to its cheaper, plastic bodied ML cousin, so performance/cost is up in the air. I was pleasantly surprised to find gold tonearm leads in the box, allowing me to switch out the ones that came with my headshell.

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Outstanding

An outstanding cartridge. It tracks superbly, the separation is fantastic, and the range is magnificent. Some have said that it is a bit "bright". It might have been a bit bright initially, but after about six hours, the brightness faded. To me, there is only one question when rating any product: Would I buy it again at the price I paid (regular price)? My answer: Absolutely.

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Great cartridge

Brings out the details from the records, however, also let's one know when the recording isn't as great. One noticeable difference is that the records sound much quieter and can hear less of the crackles etc. Using this with a 1210GR turntable...would highly recommend this cartridge. Additionally, the service from Crutchfield has been fantastic as always!

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Better bass and treble compared to $100-200 ootiins

Installed on an older Kenwood KD 5100 turntable that is in good condition that I purchased used. At this point, I have about 10 hours of use on this cartridge. Happy to say it has been the best sounding cartridge I have used in my year and a half of experience with vinyl. Clear improvement for both bass and treble when compared to the 2 cartridges I've used from a tier below ($100-200). Additionally, the soundstage is more defined and images are more precise. A bit unexpected, but I also think the noise from some of my older records is lower so that it is easier to focus on enjoying the music. No negatives as of yet. Will probably just encourage me to keep seeking improvement, which is probably a bit negative since it won't come cheap :)

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Audio-Technica VM740ML -- the best of three!

I'm quite pleased with this cartridge. It tracks well, and sounds very good over the short time I've used it. It is clean, top to bottom, and is pretty well-balanced over the entire frequency range. However, the cartridge is just a touch bright for my taste. The highs are very clean, with no obvious distortion getting in the way -- but they do seem to be a bit enhanced to my ears. On the other hand, the three cartridges (all in the $300-$500 price range) that I've tried in my system recently sound much the same. I am quite willing to admit that this could be due to my ears (I've gotten used to the little silver discs!), or to some other peculiarity of my system. Or it could just be chance -- and my finite budget. Of the three cartridges, though, this one is my favorite. One of the others (another moving magnet) has a hint of coarseness in the highs. The second (a moving coil) has just an inkling of a "hollow" sound, not pronounced, but tiring to listen to, even over just one side of an LP. These are, of course, very subjective comments based on limited listening to some of my favorite classical LPs. If you are into pop or jazz, this "review" may not be of any use to you. But if you enjoy classical music and have at least a mid-level system, this may be the reasonably-priced cartridge that you're looking for.

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Audio-Technica VM740ML

It seems like a great cartridge. It sounds very clear and bright - perhaps a bit too bright for my speakers. However, my system is set up in a very lively room so I will have to look into damping it a bit.

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Highly Recommended

Bright, open, airy, detailed, dynamics through the roof. I upgraded from a very old Pickering cart that was excellent in its day, but its day was a long time ago. That's by way of saying that if your current cartridge is newer and/or pretty good, the improvement may not be as pronounced for you as it was for me. That said, I couldn't be more pleased with the AT 740. It's not inexpensive, but I think worth the price. I simply can't imagine that paying $600, $800, or more could result in a significantly better sound. Be aware that mounting it to your headshell can be challenging. Neither pair of included screws fit mine (one too long, the other too short). But DO NOT discard the one screw that holds the cart to the black plastic retaining device in which it ships. That screw turned out to be the Goldilocks screw for me ("just right"). Find a second one that size in your tool kit or the hardware store and you're good to go. The included nuts will fit that screw. (Obviously, your headshell may accommodate different screws.) Be sure to wet clean your records (including new ones) to get most of the dust out of the grooves; it takes a little effort, but it's oh-so-worth-it. The AT VM740ML is a terrific cartridge which has given my vintage Dual 701 TT a new lease on life. Recommended in the highest terms.

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Nice cartridge

The 740 represents the low end of ATs high-end MM line, which includes the 740, 750 and 760. For reasons I do not understand, the cheaper 740 has the most advanced stylus shape of the three [Namiki Precision Jewel Company, Micro Ridge/Line], followed by the 750, which features a Shibata diamond, and lastly the 760 which sports a Fine Line. You'd think it would be the other way around. Neither the Shibata nor the Fine Line possess the scanning and contact radius of the Micro Line stylus. As far as I can tell, the 740 is similar (if not the same) electrically as the lower priced VM540ML, which replaces the discontinued 440ML. AT claims the 740 aluminum body suppresses resonances better than the VM540 plastic body. I have no idea if this is true, or just marketing. In any case, a recent on-line technical review of the lower priced VM540ML found that the 440ML's 6dB peak (from 12-15kHz) is missing, which is a good thing. The sound, IMO, is like a smooth 440ML, sans the aggressive highs. It tracks as well as anything I've encountered. If you want the "romantic" type sound of something like a Denon DL-103, this is probably not going to do it for you. If you would like an AT-440ML without the aggressive highs, I'd certainly recommend you look in to the AT540ML. If you want something a little more cosmetically presentable, and perhaps even sonically better than the 540, for just a little more money, then the 740ML is hard to beat.

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