Honestly, AT makes some incredible cartridges.
There are countless "better" options, but they offer diminishing returns considering how spendy they are.
this post was submitted on 21 Apr 2026
9 points (90.9% liked)
BudgetAudiophile
1493 readers
16 users here now
A place for AUDIO enthusiast to share, discuss and listen to others people setups
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
Yeah, the VM95E should be a cheaper choice, and value for money. Audio Technica carved themselves a niche on the market by making really good cartridges and styli that are also affordable to most people.
Keep the RXT-4 around in case you feel adventurous in the future. AFAICT it's really from Shure's well received M97 series, rebranded for selling at Radio Shack. Or you can put it up for sale and fund your next cartridge ๐
Edited to add: Shure.com link identifying the RXT-4 as a relabeled M97HE.
Oh yeah - I'll hang on to the Shure. Today I just want to play the records I've had in storage for years. Who knows about tomorrow.
My concern about it is though - how do I know it's good? Is the only way to find out to buy a new stylus and see if it works? I've played an old record and it sounded terrible. I'm assuming it's the stylus, but could also be the cartridge?
Most likely it's just a worn out stylus, but you do say your TT has been through a lot. The cartridge could be damaged, although they're sturdier than the needle part.
There are probably ways to check a cartridge's health โ my guess is you'll need a good microscope and some intimate knowledge of how a functioning cart of that make and model is supposed to look and work? That's beyond my expertise, I'm afraid.
The stylus is more than a bit worn out!
With that level of damage I suspect there's a chance the cart is also damaged and I'm going for a cheap AT for now.
Oh, yikes. Yeah, that stylus is a hazard to your records. If you're at all worried about the cart, it's probably best to write that off, too.