I actually have both the 440ML and the newer 440MLa. And to tell the truth the MLa is a touch more refined than the ML. I originally bought the ML in 2003 and had it mounted on a Pioneer PL400 'table and was duely impressed. A pretty uniform response although a little steely in the high end. My brother in law was also very impressed with its performance and actually preferred its bass response to his own V15 III. I did eventually wear out the stylus but never replaced it (it cost as much as the cart itself at the time). I popped it off and put in a vastly inferior Pickering TL-3. A few years later I had heard about the improved 440MLa and decided to try it out. This unit is worth every penny. Still very flat response and a tamed top end, but eventually the 'table I had it mounted on died (it was 27 years old and for $99 I had gotten my money's worth indeed). I picked up a Rega P3-24 and mounted the MLa and was greeted by a great sound... And a low level 60 cycle hum. It would seem that neither the Rega's motor and AT's cart designs are shielded (this is a problem with Grados as well). This isn't so noticable on loud rock songs, but on quieter recordings such as Frank Sinatra's "Sings for Only the Lonely" it is glaring and unacceptable. I am now looking into other slightly more expensive carts. The Ortofon 2m Black looks very inviting, but I digress. So all in all this is an excellent cart with the right table. Synergy synergy synergy.
My experience with this cartridge concur with everything said before with the exception, that mounted on my Linn Basik/Akito outfit the highs become liquid. A characteristic that easily can become addictive. For me it excel with acoustic music: pop, jazz or classical, especially with female vocalist like Patricia Barber, Eva Cassidy etc. And on a final note, about this ridiculous thin that the 440 have cd sound I put it to the test using lps and cds from the same label. Like MoFi lp and cd Steely Dan Aja Album or Chesky records Rebeca Pigeon The Raven lp vs cd. In both comparison I found that the lp version sounded more musical and warmer than the cd.
Terrific, and maybe the best buy cartridge on the market. If I was going to improve on this cartridge, the next step would be an Audio Technica moving coil. It tracks better than any cartridge I've ever used (I used many), including my second table and cartridge the AT311ED with the Shibata stylus (my second favorite). It's micro linear design, which rides a path similar to the original cutter on the record master (V shaped stylus). The output of this cartridge is very sensitive to the quality of your preamp, so if yours doesn't have the sound you expect, try replacing your preamp and bi-pass the one on your receiver. After all, if you had a moving coil you would match the quality of the cartridge with a similar quality preamp, now wouldn't you? The highs are airy and detailed, the mid range is there without that honkiness that older cartridges give you. My bass is solid (keeping in mind that bass is weak on some older records). Several of my Buddy Miles albums really hit the low notes, while other albums don't seem to have a lot (output equals input). Some others have said this stylus could track the Telac 1812 cannon shots, and they are absolutely correct, as very few others will consistently stay in the track. I only gave the rating 4 stars on "money doesn't matter", because a great moving coil cartridge this is not. However, it might be the best Moving Magnet you would ever want to invest in.
While this cartridge has all the nice design features and great stylus design, it's real world execution leaves a bit to be desired.
The 3 main problems I have found, after 100 hours of use. 1st, It is over analytical, in the highs. The detail is harsh, and lacks musicality. Reminds me of badly mastered 1st generation CD's. 2nd, the midrange is suspect, piano solo's come off as blurry, off balance and unfocused, as best I can desrcibe..far from sounding realistic.
3rd, the bass is a bit lean on many 70's rock albums, and particuliarly Beatles(60's) lp's. This I could live with, but the overall balance of this catridge makes it hard to listen to IMHO.
I would suggest a Audio Technica 120 E/T. At $80, and after break in (the suggested 100 hour break is exagterated in my experience, around 20-35 hours and it sounds great-the brightness subsiding) the overall balance is much better. The lows are fast and quick, without being lean, or bloated. The mids are sweet and accurate, and the highs are crystal clear and sweet, no harshness here.
You can save a minimum of $40 off the current LP Gear price, and save it for extra vinyl, cleaning supplies, what ever.
I think the bodies of these 2 cartridges are similiar in design. Perhaps the micro ridge stylus of the 440mla is less ideal than the .3x.7 elliptical in this body design.
I have found quite a few people who have some problems with the sound of the 440mla, but few if any who don't appreciate the 120 e/t.
Strengths: Great overall performance at this price, will track anything, virtually no inner groove distortion
Weaknesses: Tends to the brighter side
Bottom Line:
After reading many positive things about this cartridge, I decided to try one for myself as the Grado I was using was wearing out its stylus. I mounted the cartridge to a Technics SL-1200Mk5, and after setting up the cartridge to specs, tried out a few inner groove "torture tracks" to see how well it performed against what others had been saying. It sounded a bit "trebly" at first, but I was stunned when some records I thought had groove damage actually sounded clear! I had been listening to cartridge distortion, not worn records all this time. To be fair, the Grado stylus had more than a few hours on it and it still did better on inner groove tracks than some other cartridges I've used. In addition to excellent inner groove performance, this cartridge has the best tracking ability out of anything I have used up to this time. If there is distortion, it's the record that's the problem. This cartridge even tracks the infamous Telarc 1812 overture cannon shots at the manufacturer's specified tracking force without skipping. The much-praised Shure V15VxMR I had some time ago couldn't even do this.
However, there is a slight tradeoff at this price: the frequency response does not sound to be quite flat to my ears. The midrange sounds somewhat lower, while the treble is emphasized. Mind you, it's pretty slight, and is really only noticeable in an A-B comparison against something else, be it a CD or other cartridge.
What others have said regarding break-in I also found true. The cartridge sounded ear-piercing bright for some time, then I found it mellowed out after a few weeks of playing a few hours a day, on average. So, if you buy one and find it bright, give it some time and you'll be pleased.
I give this cartridge 5 stars because it does so many things right for a good price compared to the competition. If you are in need of a cartridge but don't have lots of money to spend, you can't go wrong with the AT-440MLa, especially if your system tends toward the "dark" or "warm" sound.
