Audio-Technica is the world leader in phonograph cartridges. Its cartridges are used by many renowned companies as original installed equipment and under private label. It is one of the last manufacturers to offer a full line of phono cartridge products that meet the needs of many budget segments, turntable/tonearm requirements, and performance levels.

Audio-Technica's moving magnet cartridge design is patented and delivers "PRACTICALLY IDENTICAL TO THE CUTTER HEAD" performance. Instead of using a single, large magnet like other cartridge manufacturers, Audio-Technica's patented Vector-Aligned™ Dual Magnet design positions two tiny magnets 90 degrees apart. These magnets are positioned directly in line with the two groove walls and each magnet incorporates a separate, independent coil structure. This low magnet mass and geometry allow exact translation of record groove motion into matching electrical signals, ensuring excellent channel separation, extended frequency response, and superior tracking.

Each Audio-Technica cartridge is hand-assembled with tolerances held to mere thousandths of an inch. Stringent quality control assures that tolerances and  performance criteria are maintained for each product. This attention to every micro detail in design, construction and final assembly results in superior phono cartridges that are delightfully musical and musically accurate.

With the new and improved AT440MLa phono cartridge, Audio-Technica delivers musical excellence in an affordably-priced audiophile cartridge that rightfully should be compared with moving magnets costing up to $500. Yes, it is that good. The Audio-Technica AT440MLa's excellence lies in the suitable employment of advanced designs uniquely available to Audio-Technica because of its rich technical history and production capabilities:

• Audio-Technica's Vector-Aligned Dual Magnet design, which uses two tiny magnets to achieve ideal geometry and low magnet mass, for excellent channel separation and extended frequency response.

• The Audio-Technica AT440MLa MicroLine™ stylus produces better high frequency response with less wear and distortion than elliptical or conventional linear contact styli. The small curving rate of the MicroLine stylus enables it track and playback the inner part of the record groove that other styli can hardly maintain. Also the curving rate of the MicroLine stylus does not change until the stylus is almost worn unlike that of conventional styli which increases as they are used. Accordingly, the MicroLine stylus has a much longer average playing life. It plays better, longer.

• The Audio-Technica AT440MLa's Paratoroidal Signal Generator is composed of a unified, laminated coil core wound with a single piece of wire eliminating internal mechanical and electrical connections, minimizing magnetic losses and assuring better signal transfer. The coil incorporates PCOCC wire (Pure Copper by Ohno Continuous Casting), a special copper with virtually no transverse crystal barriers to impede signal transmission, for distortion-free sound. PCOCC is used in the construction of its coil and lead wires.

Audio-Technica AT440MLa Specifications

Output voltage at 1000 Hz, 5cm/sec.          4.0 mV

Channel balance at 1 kHz                              0.8 dB

Channel separation at 1 kHz                          27 dB

Frequency response                                       20-20.000 Hz

Dynamic compliance (x10-6 cm/dyne)         10

Static compliance (x10-6 cm/dyne)             40

Stylus type                                                     0.12 mil Nude square Micro-Linear stylus

Tracking force range                                      1.0-1.8 g

Tracking force, recommended                       1.4 g (14 mN)

Vertical tracking angle                                   20°

Coil impedance at 1kHz                                  3.2 kOhm

Coil inductance at 1kHz                                 490 mH

Recommended load resistance                      47 kOhm

Cartridge colour, body/stylus                        Black/Violet

Cartridge weight                                             6.5 g

Dimensions (mm)                                            L 17.3 x W 16.0 x H 28.0

Replacement stylus unit                                 ATN440MLa