Most of the Amethyst at a quarter of the cost

After I broke my cartridge, I bought several to understand what I was actually paying for. The one that surprised me most was the cheapest of the serious ones: the Audio-Technica VM95SH, at about $200 to $250.

My reference point was the Sumiko Amethyst, the moving magnet McIntosh fits as standard on the MT5, a $10,000 turntable. It balances between an audiophile cartridge and an everyday, highly revealing one, and it performs excellently without screaming upgrade time. In my opinion it is a superior all-round option.

On the other hand side, the VM95SH was the revelation. It has most of the Amethyst's properties, effortless detail, dynamic range and musicality, at a quarter of the cost. The main difference is that it is not as analytical.

My own turntable runs a moving coil now, and I will not pretend the VM95SH replaces it. But if you have a more affordable turntable, I would strongly recommend it outright. Cartridge changes up to $400 are fairly impactful even in a less revealing system, and this one sits comfortably inside that range.

Not every revelation costs $3,000. This one cost about $250.