Audio-Technica AT-VM95SH Shibata Cartridge 2.7 x .26 mil

Shibata Stylus Cartridge

The Audio-Technica AT-VM95SH is a dual moving magnet cartridge built for vinyl listeners who want sharper groove tracking. Its 2.7 x 0.26 mil Shibata stylus rides deeper in the record groove to reveal detail that conical or elliptical tips miss. An aluminium cantilever and low-resonance polymer housing keep the signal clean from the first note. The half-inch mount fits standard turntables without adapters.

Upgrade From Conical Tips

This cartridge replaces entry-level spherical styli that blur high-frequency information and accelerate groove wear. The Shibata profile is worth the jump when your records are in good condition and your phono stage can resolve the extra detail it retrieves. Worn or heavily played vinyl will not benefit and may sound harsher with the finer contact line. The 3.5mV output works with any moving-magnet phono input.

Two-Screw Headshell Mount

Threaded inserts in the body let you secure the cartridge to a headshell with just two screws, no nuts required. Alignment is straightforward because the mounting geometry follows the half-inch standard. The only common issue is setting vertical tracking force too low for the Shibata profile, which causes mistracking on complex passages. The stylus assembly swaps with any AT-VMN95 replacement when wear eventually appears.