Audio Technica Shibata vs Microline
Posted: Sat Feb 27, 2021 6:48 pm
As you'll see in my signature, I have been using the Audio Technica VM95ML cartridge for the last few months. There are 6 different stylus options for the VM95 body, and the ML version I've been using is, as you might expect, a microline. You can swap the stylus for any other in the range, the cartridge bodies are apparently identical, so I recently bought a Shibata (the VM95SH) to compare, as I had read it's a slightly more relaxed sound.
I had a hugely entertaining morning listening to the SH. I didn't bother trying to A-B with the ML, partly because I hate the process and partly because I was more interested in my reaction under "normal" circumstances. What follows, then, is entirely unscientific and should not be taken as anything other than one man's experience and opinion. To be honest, I'm surprised that 2 styli offering virtually identical frequency responses could yield such a different subjective feel, but here we are.
All told, I really like the VM95SH, my early sense is that it delivers exactly what I wanted it to deliver, and it will almost certainly be my daily driver from now on. I can't in all good conscience tell you that I think it's "better", but for my use it's certainly more enjoyable. I really admire the ML for its detail retrieval, the clear and open sound it presents, the treble air, crisp cymbals, and of course its great tracking (a huge contrast to my previous Elys, which was horrible in that department). Compared to the SH I find it to have a more focused sound, I find it quieter in the groove and it has a sparkle and projection that can really open up a good recording. There's no doubt the ML allows me to listen further into the mix, pick out lines with ease, etc., but I've had misgivings about the tonal balance on some records for a while now, and in the worst cases I found myself not listening to certain albums because I wasn't really enjoying them.
In contrast, the Shibata is a more expansive sound, less focused but subjectively "bigger", with a deeper soundstage. To use the old analogy, where the ML is a more front-row presentation, the SH is a few rows back, and it might sacrifice a bit of detail for a broader-brush kind of sound. However, I find the overall tonal balance more to my taste, and it's much "easier" to listen to if that makes any sense. Acoustic bass lines in some older jazz recordings were inclined to get a little lost with the ML, but now they're more balanced again. The entry of the horns on Sonny Rollins "Alfie" didn't have me reaching for the volume control to turn it down, in fact quite the opposite. Yes it's more laid back, and if you're not looking for that then stick to the ML. Me, I found it more lifelike (that's very system dependent!) and it seemed to bring an extra gorgeousness to the sound that I found compelling. It's not all good news, of course. I found sibilant sounds *slightly* less well-handled -- Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes, one of my personal torture tracks, is much cleaner with the ML. I noticed surface noise where I hadn't really noticed it before, so it seems less forgiving in that regard. But still, I just enjoyed everything more, and that's why we're here.
There are swings and roundabouts then, but what's great about it is that I don't have to choose. If I find myself pining for the other presentation, a stylus change takes approximately 10 seconds. I'm delighted to have both, I'd strongly recommend both. I think they're a steal for the price, the SH is the more expensive of the 2 and it was 174 euro shipped to my door.
I had a hugely entertaining morning listening to the SH. I didn't bother trying to A-B with the ML, partly because I hate the process and partly because I was more interested in my reaction under "normal" circumstances. What follows, then, is entirely unscientific and should not be taken as anything other than one man's experience and opinion. To be honest, I'm surprised that 2 styli offering virtually identical frequency responses could yield such a different subjective feel, but here we are.
All told, I really like the VM95SH, my early sense is that it delivers exactly what I wanted it to deliver, and it will almost certainly be my daily driver from now on. I can't in all good conscience tell you that I think it's "better", but for my use it's certainly more enjoyable. I really admire the ML for its detail retrieval, the clear and open sound it presents, the treble air, crisp cymbals, and of course its great tracking (a huge contrast to my previous Elys, which was horrible in that department). Compared to the SH I find it to have a more focused sound, I find it quieter in the groove and it has a sparkle and projection that can really open up a good recording. There's no doubt the ML allows me to listen further into the mix, pick out lines with ease, etc., but I've had misgivings about the tonal balance on some records for a while now, and in the worst cases I found myself not listening to certain albums because I wasn't really enjoying them.
In contrast, the Shibata is a more expansive sound, less focused but subjectively "bigger", with a deeper soundstage. To use the old analogy, where the ML is a more front-row presentation, the SH is a few rows back, and it might sacrifice a bit of detail for a broader-brush kind of sound. However, I find the overall tonal balance more to my taste, and it's much "easier" to listen to if that makes any sense. Acoustic bass lines in some older jazz recordings were inclined to get a little lost with the ML, but now they're more balanced again. The entry of the horns on Sonny Rollins "Alfie" didn't have me reaching for the volume control to turn it down, in fact quite the opposite. Yes it's more laid back, and if you're not looking for that then stick to the ML. Me, I found it more lifelike (that's very system dependent!) and it seemed to bring an extra gorgeousness to the sound that I found compelling. It's not all good news, of course. I found sibilant sounds *slightly* less well-handled -- Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes, one of my personal torture tracks, is much cleaner with the ML. I noticed surface noise where I hadn't really noticed it before, so it seems less forgiving in that regard. But still, I just enjoyed everything more, and that's why we're here.
There are swings and roundabouts then, but what's great about it is that I don't have to choose. If I find myself pining for the other presentation, a stylus change takes approximately 10 seconds. I'm delighted to have both, I'd strongly recommend both. I think they're a steal for the price, the SH is the more expensive of the 2 and it was 174 euro shipped to my door.