ADVERTISEMENT – This review contains affiliate links*
The Audio Technica AT-VM95ML turntable cartridge is incredibly popular amongst audiophiles and vinyl enthusiasts. Since its introduction in 2018 it has been one of the most recommended cartridges. In 2025, we still consider it to be the best phono cartridge under $200. But what makes this inexpensive moving magnet cartridge so great? Find out here!
The cartridge with the best sound quality in its budget price range
The AT-VM95ML is the most affordable turntable pickup with a microline stylus currently available. This stylus is what makes it perform so incredibly well. Microline (also known as Micro Ridge) is a type of line contact stylus, one of the most advanced stylus profiles. It allows for excellent tracking even at the inner grooves and accurate tracing of high frequencies. Say goodbye to inner groove distortion! Many hifi enthusiasts think this phono cartridge offers by far the best sound quality in its price range. High end sound at a low cost. It will resolve dense passages of classical music or even heavy metal with great detail.
Long stylus life
Longevity is a factor: While its price does appear quite high when compared to the more affordable turntable cartridges of the same series, such as the AT-VM95E, one must consider that a microline stylus can last for up to 1000h, while the elliptical stylus of the VM95E will only be good for approx. 300 hours. Taking this into consideration, the cost per hour is the same for both cartridges, but the performance of the microlinear needle is a lot better than that of the entry level turntable cartridge. Even if it’s a bigger expense at first, it’s the best value for money in Audio Technica’s AT-VM95 range.
Gentle on your records
Microlinear styli touch a larger portion of the groove wall, distribute the tracking force more evenly and are thus causing less wear than other stylus types.
Best performance for used records
Worn, old, used or vintage records can sound better with microline or other types of line contact styli. These touch a larger part of the groove wall, essentially bridging the worn spots left behind by heavy tracking conical or elliptical styli of years gone by. Perfect for ripping your vinyl collection with the best possible quality. Some people even think that a ML will ride deeper in the groove than other styli, but that is a myth.
Easy upgradeability from lower tier AT-VM95 series phono cartridges
The bodies of the AT-VM95 series turntable cartridges are identical. It’s just the stylus assembly that is different. Even if you start out with the cheapest option, the AT-VM95C with a conical stylus, you may simply swap the stylus to a microline one for improved performance. The microline replacement stylus is the AT-VMN95ML.
Steady supply of replacement styli
Any cartridge of the AT-VM95 line is a great investment for the future of your turntable. Audio Technica usually supports these cartridges for many decades. Supply of replacement styli should not become a problem anytime soon. And there are plenty of different styli to choose from.
Flat frequency response at reasonable load
Audio Technica cartridges are infamous for being rather bright sounding. This is not the case here Measurements show the AT-VM95ML has a rather flat frequency response when loaded properly. If you favour a neutral sounding phono cartridge, this one is a great choice!
And it’s easy to get the cartridge loading right. Despite the specs (asking for 100–200pF), measurements show that this cartridge performs best between 250 and 300pF. This can easily be achieved even with older preamps that have 200pF at their input. Learn more about cartridge loading here.
Frequency respone graph generated with SJPlot. At 270pF the resonant peak is low in level. Note that this setup has a steeper high frequency roll off than what is expected, as the stylus rake angle has not been set correctly.
Setting up the AT-VM95ML
Advanced stylus types have a reputation to be more difficult to set up than simpler stylus shapes (but they are totally worth the effort!). Ideally your turntable should have adjustable VTA (vertical tracking angle or tonearm height). Precise azimuth adjustment can be a plus. That being said, the microline’s major radius allows for quite a bit of error. So while accurate alignment is a plus, it’s not as critical as some people make it out to be. In fact, we found this cartridge easier to set up than its elliptical counterpart.
The VM95 series has no flat, vertical surfaces on its front. This makes it difficult to align with a two point protractor, as the pencil lead trick requires will not work. For this cartridge, we recommend using a custom arc protractor for precise alignment.
The cons: Why this cartridge may not be the right choice for you
- Flat frequency response and perfect detail retrieval may not be what you are after. Many favour vinyl for its warm sound, to which a cartridge can contribute a lot. If you prefer a cartridge with more bass and slightly subdued treble, you may want look into the AT-VM95SH with a Shibata stylus instead (many consider this to be a sonic upgrade, even though the microline gives higher fidelity with less distortion and less treble roll off at the inner grooves). Or if you don’t care for high fidelity and simply want to rock out to music, even the inexpensive AT-VM95C can be a good choice.
- Looks: quite frankly, the VM series looks cheap with its plastic bodies. We’re not too fond of the design ourselves.
Technical specifications to consider
- Audio Technica, like most japanese cartridge manufacturers, specifies the dynamic compliance of the cantilever at 10 x 10-6 cm/Dyn (100 Hz). To calculate the tonearm resonance accurately, it needs to be measured at 10 Hz instead of 100 Hz. Resonance measurements made with turntables of known tonearm mass show it to be around 14–16 CU, which is moderate.
- This makes it a good match for tonearms of moderate mass, such as the one used on a Technics SL-1200 MK2.
Conclusion: The AT-VM95ML is still the best cartridge under $200
While any cartridge from the AT-VM95 series is a good deal and is worth a recommendation, the ML variant is popular for good reason: It’s the biggest bang for the buck. You simply cannot get as much performance at this price point with any other cartridge.
If you want to experience the incredible performance of a micro ridge stylus, there is no competition in its price range. Its main competitors are Ortofon’s 2M Red and Nagaoka’s MP110. These have “only” tipped elliptical styli. The 2M Blue has a nude elliptical stylus and tends to be more expensive than the Audio Technica with its superior profile. Many will prefer the Ortofon or Nagaoka sound, which is a matter of taste. But from a technical point of view, the VM95ML will outperform them. We think it’s the ultimate budget audiophile cartridge. No matter if you’re just getting into vinyl or have been an enthusiast for decades: It’s priced so low that anyone can afford it—and it’s worth every penny!
Buy this cartridge on Amazon