Audio Technica AT-F7
The only moving-coil (MC) cartridge in this group comes from a brand with a long heritage in the analogue audio field. Audio Technica’s cartridges have been around since the ’70s and come in a wide variety of types.
This is not quite the most affordable MC in the range but it’s still a competitive price for a cartridge whose build quality clearly meets lofty standards. As with all MC cartridges, the stylus is fixed and cannot be replaced by the end user.
Straight to the point
The important features here are the nude elliptical stylus and the use of PCOCC copper wiring, which is higher-purity copper than usual. The cartridge’s low output means you’ll need a decent phono stage to make the most of it; typically that means spending at least as much as the cartridge. Decent MC stages on integrated amplifiers should be fine.
Unlike the majority of MCS, it doesn’t have captive nuts so you need to faff around trying to get the nuts onto the mounting bolts. The other installation challenge is not to damage the sylus, as you can’t install with the protector on.
The ATF7 has a refinement that eludes all but the best moving-magnet cartridges at this level, yet it’s far from lightweight. By keeping background noise to a minimum this MC gives dynamics plenty of impact, which makes for a moving experience with great music.
The bass is slightly exaggerated – not thick as such, but it seems a bit darker – it’s a balance that will suit some music better than others. It can be counteracted with a carefully chosen phono stage.
This is an assured and stately sounding cartridge that suits less percussive tunes better than the banging variety. Give it something subtle to play (such as Mop Mop’s Isle Of Magic) and it will reward you with a highly articulate midrange.
This Audio Technica gives you a good idea of what moving coils can achieve. Whether it’s as well suited to as broad a range of music as a good MM is open to debate, but those with more refined tastes will find a lot to like here.