Specification
6 - audio-technica phono cartridges guide - 2019/20
Choosing the right cartridge
The ultimate performance potential of any record playing system
is defined by the capabilities of its phono cartridge. Tonal balance,
response range, clarity on musical peaks, stereo separation and
imaging, along with freedom from noise and distortion are all aected
at the outset. The selection of this first component is critical to the full
enjoyment of the rest of your system.
Your choice of cartridge can also strongly aect the life of your records.
With vinyl records becoming more and more dicult to replace, it’s an
important point to keep in mind when selecting a cartridge or upgrading
your system.
Since Audio
-Technica has long been recognized as a world leader in
phonograph cartridge design and production, we oer a wide range of
models designed to match turntable/tonearm requirements, performance
levels and budget considerations. This brochure is intended to help make
your decision easier by giving you as much information as possible.
It will also give you specific “numbers” for all of our cartridges, with
additional detailed information on our Audiophile Series. But no matter
which model you select, we’re confident you’ll find your Audio-Technica
cartridge to be outstanding value in every respect.
Choosing your cartridge format
Audio-Technica cartridges can be:
– P-mount (plug-in),
– half-inch mount (1/2”)
•
P-mount cartridges have four terminals at the back that simply plug in
to the end of the tonearm. The cartridge is then secured to the tonearm
with a single screw.
•
Half-inch mount cartridges also have four terminals at the back, but
they have larger pins that connect to four individual wires at the end of
the tonearm. The cartridge is secured to the tonearm’s headshell with
two screws, spaced 1/2” apart.
Cartridges such as AT81CP and AT85EP are P-mount design, though
they can be used as 1/2” cartridges using the optional half-inch adapter
bracket AT-PMA1. Once equipped with the optional half-inch adapter
bracket AT-PMA1, P-mount cartridges become compatible with both
half-inch mount tonearms and half-inch mount headshells.
The specifications (pages 44 to 47)
The most important specifications include frequency response, channel
separation, channel balance and output level.
These “numbers” are an attempt to describe how your cartridge will
perform, and how well it will meet your needs. Frequency response
is a measure of the range of sounds that the cartridge will reproduce
uniformly.
This “flatness” of response ensures that no frequencies are given over- or
under-emphasis. And uniform response is a hallmark of Audio
-Technica
Vector Aligned cartridges, with even the least expensive units providing
smooth reproduction within their stated ranges.
Channel separation is another key specification. lt is the measure of
how well one channel “ignores” the other stereo channel, so that you
don’t hear signals from the right channel in your left-side speaker. lt’s
measured in dB, and the higher the number, the higher the separation.
Separation is especially important at the higher frequencies, a region
where Audio
-Technica cartridges are particularly outstanding.
Channel balance is a measure of both production quality and good basic
design. Both sides of a stereo cartridge should have equal loudness
when equally recorded levels are present.
Output level is important in matching your cartridge to the electronics.
Too low a level can result in noise, too high a level can over-drive a
preamp into distortion. However, the output levels of all A-T Dual Magnet
cartridges will work well with virtually any magnetic phono input.
There are a number of other measurements of phono cartridge
performance, but in the final analysis, the most important characteristics
to you will probably be how well the cartridge performs audibly, how
it interfaces with your other system components, and how carefully it
preserves your record library for future use.
ls tracking force important?
Yes, but not to the exclusion of other characteristics. Each cartridge
(regardless of its manufacturer) operates best in a particular range of
tonearm tracking forces. lt is important that this range is within the
capabilities of your turntable if optimum performance is to be achieved.
Keep in mind also that record wear goes up as pressure on the record
surface increases. Tracking too light can cause as much (or more)
damage as tracking too heavily.
© 2018 Haruki Kodama Photography