Product Description
AT120E/T Cartridge: Vector-Aligned Dual Magnet design and A-T's exclusive Paratoroidal signal generator. .3 x .7 mil elliptical.. Audio-Technica warranties this item for one year from date of purchase..
| List Price: | $145.00 |
| Price: | $109.00 |
| as of Fri, 22 Feb 2013 07:40:53 GMT ***Remember, deals price on this item for sale just for limited time*** | |
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #38590 in Car Audio or Theater
- Brand: Audio-Technica
- Model: AT120E/T
- Dimensions: .15 pounds
Features
- Stylus Shape 0.3 x 0.7 mil elliptical
- Frequency Response 15-25,000 Hz
- Vertical Tracking Force 1.0-1.8 grams
- Output 5.0 (mV at 1 kHz, 5 cm/sec)
- Mount Half-inch
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful.
By "mosethecat"
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!
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful.
By Tall Paul
Great sound from this one. Nice depth and stereo seperation. Lots of bass. It starts off kinda bright but tapers a little after a few days and mellows. Be sure to use the correct tracking force and use a bullseye level for your turntable.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful.
By Joseph Dorne
My "A-Ha!" moment with vinyl happened some years ago. I had a Pro-Ject Debut turntable and had just upgraded the stock cartridge to the much-lauded Audio-Technica AT440MLa. Disparaging claims of its supposed "brightness" of sound actually appealed to me, as my vintage amp and speakers tended to warm things up. I put on my Mo-Fi pressing of The Beatles' "Abbey Road" and cranked it to a moderate level. I had never heard so much detail from that album, any album, any reproduced recorded music in my life up to that point. I have since moved on to different gear, but that same table now belongs to my best friend, who enjoys it daily.
The AT120E/T is the unsung little brother to the AT440MLa. In many ways, this relationship manifests itself in the differences in sound reproduction between the two. Both sound very lively and dynamic, making all kinds of music incredibly fun to listen to. The difference is in the stylus assembly, and thus the overall sonic presentation. The 440 is indeed bright, at least to my ears, when not being complemented by a warmer-sounding system. It sounds fantastic with rock music, but instruments such as the cymbals and brass in some jazz and orchestral recordings can sometimes be a bit exaggerated. The 120, on the other hand, sounds much more balanced to me. Every bit of detail is still there, but without the glaring brightness and eventual listening fatigue. The midrange seems more natural, as opposed to the slightly scooped-out nature of the 440. It does not have quite the stereo imaging or dimensionality of its big brother, but it is no less enjoyable for it. It sounds great with all kinds of music, being ultimately a more satisfying cartridge than the 440 in my mind. It is less about "hi-fi" and more about music. My Steely Dan and Pavement records sound equally awesome, if that makes any sense.
The 440 gained notoriety in great part due to its tracking ability, and for good reason. The innermost grooves of a record are the narrowest, and are very difficult for the stylus to track. A great stylus, such as the "micro-line" found on the 440, digs deep into the grooves to track accurately and minimize distortion. It will also be nimble enough to track the wider grooves during especially loud or complex passages. The 120 features a 0.3 x 0.7 mil nude elliptical stylus, which is relatively unheard of at this price level. The resulting tracking performance is 95% as good as that of the 440. It tracks beautifully. Even on some old, worn records, it digs deep to bring out more of the music and less of the noise. It is bettered very slightly by the 440, but that's to be expected. Only during the inner grooves of overly long sides (I'm looking at you, The Bends) did the cartridge begin to distort. Nevertheless, it sailed onward, doing the best it could and actually making the music sound pretty acceptable given the circumstances. Rather than sounding harsh and terrible, it merely sounded closed-in and grainy. Even my Denon DL-160, a truly incredible cartridge, has a bit of trouble with these sorts of passages. I've yet to find a cartridge that tracks everything under the sun perfectly, and I believe that the true vinyl lover must occasionally admit defeat and accept imperfection if they are to be at peace. You want perfection, listen to CD's.
If you are getting into / getting back into vinyl and you really want to reap the benefits of the format without maxing out your credit card, this is the cartridge I wholeheartedly recommend. If you've been living with a cheaper cartridge and want to hear what vinyl can really sound like, this is a great next step. Shop around, get a good deal, but don't skimp on your cartridge. It is the first transducer in the vinyl signal chain. If it misses a beat, nothing else in your stereo is going to bring it back. Go too cheap and you'd might as well listen to your iPod. If you want to extract all that glorious analog nuance on a budget, the AT120E/T is your guy.
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