---
product_id: 1165573
title: "Audio Technica AUD AT440MLA Phonograph Cartridge"
brand: "audio-technica"
price: "469 kr"
currency: ISK
in_stock: false
reviews_count: 8
url: https://www.desertcart.is/products/1165573-audio-technica-aud-at440mla-phonograph-cartridge
store_origin: IS
region: Iceland
---

# 20-20,000 Hz frequency range 27 dB channel separation 1.0-1.8 g tracking force range Audio Technica AUD AT440MLA Phonograph Cartridge

**Brand:** audio-technica
**Price:** 469 kr
**Availability:** ❌ Out of Stock

## Summary

> 🎧 Elevate your vinyl experience—hear what you’ve been missing!

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Audio Technica AUD AT440MLA Phonograph Cartridge by audio-technica
- **How much does it cost?** 469 kr with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Currently out of stock
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.is](https://www.desertcart.is/products/1165573-audio-technica-aud-at440mla-phonograph-cartridge)

## Best For

- audio-technica enthusiasts

## Why This Product

- Trusted audio-technica brand quality
- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Key Features

- • **Dual Magnet Design:** Delivers superior stereo separation and immersive soundstage presence
- • **Plug-and-Play Upgrade:** Transforms your turntable into a high-fidelity powerhouse with minimal setup fuss
- • **Optimized Tracking Force:** Set at 1.4g for flawless playback—even on warped records
- • **Precision MicroLine Stylus:** Tracks vinyl grooves others miss for crystal-clear highs and extended stylus life
- • **Durable Gold-Plated Beryllium Cantilever:** Ensures longevity and consistent performance over thousands of listening hours

## Overview

The Audio Technica AT440MLA phonograph cartridge features a MicroLine diamond stylus that delivers exceptional high-frequency clarity and reduced wear. Its dual magnet design and 27 dB channel separation provide a rich, immersive stereo soundstage. With an optimal tracking force of 1.4 grams and a durable gold-plated beryllium cantilever, this cartridge ensures precise, distortion-free playback, even on challenging vinyl grooves. Perfect for audiophiles seeking a premium upgrade that breathes new life into their vinyl collection.

## Description

Product Description MicroLine shaped diamond tip for better high frequency response with less wear and distortion than elliptical or conventional linear contact styli. Dual Magnet cartridge design, Paratoroidal generator coil circuit, a Micro-Linear stylus, PCOCC wire. desertcart.com Enjoy remarkably accurate tracking, separation, and performance when listening to vinyl with this dual-moving magnet phono cartridge. The 1/2-inch mount cartridge features a MicroLine shaped diamond stylus that tracks portions of the groove that other styli simply cannot reach, ensuring that high-frequency passages sound clear and crisp. The multi-level shape also wears remarkably evenly, extending the lives of both the record and the stylus itself (up to 1,000 hours). In addition, the AT440ML boasts a small curving rate that improves playback over the entire 5 Hz to 32 kHz frequency range, even for the inner part of the record groove. Other features include a gold-plated beryllium cantilever for added durability and a tracking force of 0.8 to 1.6 grams. The stylus is covered by a one-year warranty.

Review: Absolutely awesome cartridge - Although I had my doubts whether this cartridge might meet my expectations, I was very pleased after installing and testing the AT440mla on my Technics SL-1500 turntable. I've been so used to my old standby Stanton 680EE that i was really taken by surprise at the difference in sound with the AT cartridge! Although I took great care to align the cartridge using the overhang jig that came with the Technics TT, I was still anticipating mistracking and/or the need to tweak the adjustment several times. But when I installed the AT, did the overhang adjust, balanced the arm and set tracking force and antiskating to 1.4 gm, I purposely put on a record with very strong S's and to my amazement, they all sounded very smooth without the piercing sharpness I had been used to with the Stanton. The sound on that vinyl was very smooth and silky, best way I could describe it. Stereo separation blew me away too, as I noted a very strong sensee of presence of not only left and right but center, and one other thing. The vinyl just plain sounded "quieter." Rather than being disappointed, I was very glad I nailed all the adjustments first time out and it's now staying just as it is, perfect! Oh, I have some warped vinyl and it tracks flawlessly. My only problem is one which I would have with any cartridge, I am visually impaired and have 10% vision, and I find mounting a cartridge combersome and frustrating, both in handling the very small screws and the wires, but I persevered and did this all on my own and it all works marvelously. My only other shothere is watch the price of this cartridge. It will go up and down. A friend of mine got his for $159 from another source, then I saw on desertcart prices ranging from $162 to $209 for this same cartridge. I kept looking and when I saw the price listed as $99.88, I grabbed one really fast. So keep checking before you buy and you'll find a better price. Even at a higher price it's a good bit of bang for the buck but if you can save more that's great. Take it from a 40+ year broadcaster and audiophile, this cartridge is wonderful and if you install it correctly, it will blow you away! UPDATE: I've changed turntables, going from an old Technics SL-1500 from which I will try to sell off some of its parts, to a brand new Technics SL-1210 Mk2. I took the extra time to remount the AT cartridge onto the new Technics headshell rather than leaving it on the aftermarket blue-painted headshell that I had for the SL-1500 and found by trial and error that I needed to mount the cartridge onto the headshell with the AT-supplied screws and bolts, not the Technics ones. The Technics headshell comes with much longer screws than what's needed for this cartridge, also the bolts with the Technics headshell package are five-sided, the ones from the AT set are simply round. If you try to mount with the Technics bolts it won't turn far enough to properly hold the cartridge in place, so you have to use the round bolts. Having limited vision I didn't catch this at first but after wasting a lot of time trying to figure out what I was doing wrong, I saw the problem. OK enough about that. After making sure all my work was done to spec and the stylus lined up perfectly using the Technics overhang jig, and judiciously setting up the tonearm, I played a bunch of my vinyl that could prove problematic for most setups and it all played wonderfully. I had even a better experience with my new setup than with the old, and I don't have any discernible tracking distortion anywhere on the vinyl. One added comment, many have said the cartridge has a kind of V-shaped audio curve, but I have to say if it's V-shaped, it's fooling me, and I'm an audiophile and broadcast DJ. I think what does it for me though is my phono preamp is a Stanton 310B which in itself is legendary, and it seems to bring out the midrange well just as it's set. The preamp has DIP switches on the back to compensate for cartridge characteristics at different frequencies and I like the way it's set right now. Now with the new TT in place and the AT440mla, I've got as good a setup as I'm ever going to find for my budget, so as I do a lot of archiving vinyl to hard drive and to CD, I'm very confident I'm doign it all as accurately as possible. In setting up the cartridge on any turntable, just make sure you do the overhang adjustment exactly as specified, or you will never achieve the great sound this cartridge has to offer. That's a big if, I've seen many people who just slap cartridges on and think it's OK, but it doesn't work that way. Take the time to set this puppy up and you'll enjoy your turntable so much for years to come.
Review: Great cartridge for the money! AT440MLa - I decided to resurrect my sound system last year. Got tired of seeing it sit in the cabinet collecting dust. Great equipment should be used after all. Those Klipsch speakers have hardly seen any use. There was a time when I spent hours listening to and recording albums on my sound system. Now that the kids are off on their own, time to break out my toys again. I pulled everything out and gave everything a good once over. If something needed professional attention, the device went into the shop. Everything finally all hooked up and sounding good except for my Technics SL1710 with an ancient AT15sa cartridge. Shopping around for advice, I came to desertcart.Com to see what I could find here. Liked the write ups on the AT440ML and the price was certainly in my budget. Placed my order. A few days later, received my new cartridge from Electrinic Expo LLC. Anxious to hear my old albums again, I mounted the cartridge, pulled out my favorite Moody Blues album and gently cued the tonearm. I was amazed! I had just listened to the same album the night before and thought it was missing something. Thought it was a setting on my amp or maybe my equalizer needed tweaking. Now the album sounded clear and I heard passages that I had forgotten about. Delicate notes and tones. I was listening to a dynamic expanse of sound I had been missing before. The music was fuller and more robust while at the same time keeping the highs crisp and clear. I was very pleased. Then I heard that the AT440ML was no longer available. Vendors were sending out the new AT440MLa in its place. I read how some folks were not happy with this arrangement. I took a closer look at my new cartridge and discovered that it, too, was an AT440MLa! Had I been the victim of a bait and switch sale? This cartridge isn't the one I ordered. I decided to research the AT440MLa and was pleased to discover that the 440MLa is a superior cartridge. The 440MLa looks the same as the old 440ML, but boy does it ever sound different! It is not nearly as bright as the 440ML. It is much flatter. Bass response is solid and clean with no muddiness. Midrange is very neutral, and the high end is extended with no signs of brightness. This cartridge sounds extremely refined. Most inexpensive cartridges tend to sound just that, cheap. They are either muddy, or bright and lacking detail. Not this one. It really sounds "expensive". It has what I like to call "layered depth". You don't simply hear the music, you hear into it. For someone on a budget who desires a great little cartridge, this is the one. The AT440MLa certainly brought my system back to life.

## Features

- Frequency Response: 20-20,000 Hz
- Channel Separation: 27 (dB at 1 kHz)
- Tracking Force Range: 1.0-1.8 grams (1.4 optimal)
- Stylus Construction: 0.12 mil Nude square Micro-Linear stylus
- Recommended Load Impedance:47,000 ohms

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| ASIN | B00009MK3A |
| Brand | Audio-Technica |
| Color | zwart/blauw |
| Customer Reviews | 4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars (138) |
| Date First Available | October 2, 2001 |
| Global Trade Identification Number | 00020051428288 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Item Weight | 8 ounces |
| Item model number | AT440MLA |
| Manufacturer | Audio technica |
| Material | Alloy Steel, Iron |
| Number of Pieces | 1 |
| Product Dimensions | 3 x 2 x 1 inches |
| Shape | Round |
| UPC | 088021769946 611101428947 881110003606 020051428288 014444735541 808113019472 100177415055 072090507639 071021122101 042005102501 012307097881 962327386208 115970756250 809386501817 044111179002 521227330201 807031782000 420051025010 004200514282 999993475394 080000292001 151903429624 014445411857 809187148044 163120558988 042005142828 804067723625 012303347690 420051000000 168141467462 8049042174… |

## Product Details

- **Brand:** Audio-Technica
- **Color:** zwart/blauw
- **Material:** Alloy Steel, Iron
- **Number of Pieces:** 1
- **Shape:** Round

## Images

![Audio Technica AUD AT440MLA Phonograph Cartridge - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41APxngGEaL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Absolutely awesome cartridge
*by B***S on May 28, 2011*

Although I had my doubts whether this cartridge might meet my expectations, I was very pleased after installing and testing the AT440mla on my Technics SL-1500 turntable. I've been so used to my old standby Stanton 680EE that i was really taken by surprise at the difference in sound with the AT cartridge! Although I took great care to align the cartridge using the overhang jig that came with the Technics TT, I was still anticipating mistracking and/or the need to tweak the adjustment several times. But when I installed the AT, did the overhang adjust, balanced the arm and set tracking force and antiskating to 1.4 gm, I purposely put on a record with very strong S's and to my amazement, they all sounded very smooth without the piercing sharpness I had been used to with the Stanton. The sound on that vinyl was very smooth and silky, best way I could describe it. Stereo separation blew me away too, as I noted a very strong sensee of presence of not only left and right but center, and one other thing. The vinyl just plain sounded "quieter." Rather than being disappointed, I was very glad I nailed all the adjustments first time out and it's now staying just as it is, perfect! Oh, I have some warped vinyl and it tracks flawlessly. My only problem is one which I would have with any cartridge, I am visually impaired and have 10% vision, and I find mounting a cartridge combersome and frustrating, both in handling the very small screws and the wires, but I persevered and did this all on my own and it all works marvelously. My only other shothere is watch the price of this cartridge. It will go up and down. A friend of mine got his for $159 from another source, then I saw on Amazon prices ranging from $162 to $209 for this same cartridge. I kept looking and when I saw the price listed as $99.88, I grabbed one really fast. So keep checking before you buy and you'll find a better price. Even at a higher price it's a good bit of bang for the buck but if you can save more that's great. Take it from a 40+ year broadcaster and audiophile, this cartridge is wonderful and if you install it correctly, it will blow you away! UPDATE: I've changed turntables, going from an old Technics SL-1500 from which I will try to sell off some of its parts, to a brand new Technics SL-1210 Mk2. I took the extra time to remount the AT cartridge onto the new Technics headshell rather than leaving it on the aftermarket blue-painted headshell that I had for the SL-1500 and found by trial and error that I needed to mount the cartridge onto the headshell with the AT-supplied screws and bolts, not the Technics ones. The Technics headshell comes with much longer screws than what's needed for this cartridge, also the bolts with the Technics headshell package are five-sided, the ones from the AT set are simply round. If you try to mount with the Technics bolts it won't turn far enough to properly hold the cartridge in place, so you have to use the round bolts. Having limited vision I didn't catch this at first but after wasting a lot of time trying to figure out what I was doing wrong, I saw the problem. OK enough about that. After making sure all my work was done to spec and the stylus lined up perfectly using the Technics overhang jig, and judiciously setting up the tonearm, I played a bunch of my vinyl that could prove problematic for most setups and it all played wonderfully. I had even a better experience with my new setup than with the old, and I don't have any discernible tracking distortion anywhere on the vinyl. One added comment, many have said the cartridge has a kind of V-shaped audio curve, but I have to say if it's V-shaped, it's fooling me, and I'm an audiophile and broadcast DJ. I think what does it for me though is my phono preamp is a Stanton 310B which in itself is legendary, and it seems to bring out the midrange well just as it's set. The preamp has DIP switches on the back to compensate for cartridge characteristics at different frequencies and I like the way it's set right now. Now with the new TT in place and the AT440mla, I've got as good a setup as I'm ever going to find for my budget, so as I do a lot of archiving vinyl to hard drive and to CD, I'm very confident I'm doign it all as accurately as possible. In setting up the cartridge on any turntable, just make sure you do the overhang adjustment exactly as specified, or you will never achieve the great sound this cartridge has to offer. That's a big if, I've seen many people who just slap cartridges on and think it's OK, but it doesn't work that way. Take the time to set this puppy up and you'll enjoy your turntable so much for years to come.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great cartridge for the money! AT440MLa
*by C***R on September 26, 2008*

I decided to resurrect my sound system last year. Got tired of seeing it sit in the cabinet collecting dust. Great equipment should be used after all. Those Klipsch speakers have hardly seen any use. There was a time when I spent hours listening to and recording albums on my sound system. Now that the kids are off on their own, time to break out my toys again. I pulled everything out and gave everything a good once over. If something needed professional attention, the device went into the shop. Everything finally all hooked up and sounding good except for my Technics SL1710 with an ancient AT15sa cartridge. Shopping around for advice, I came to Amazon.Com to see what I could find here. Liked the write ups on the AT440ML and the price was certainly in my budget. Placed my order. A few days later, received my new cartridge from Electrinic Expo LLC. Anxious to hear my old albums again, I mounted the cartridge, pulled out my favorite Moody Blues album and gently cued the tonearm. I was amazed! I had just listened to the same album the night before and thought it was missing something. Thought it was a setting on my amp or maybe my equalizer needed tweaking. Now the album sounded clear and I heard passages that I had forgotten about. Delicate notes and tones. I was listening to a dynamic expanse of sound I had been missing before. The music was fuller and more robust while at the same time keeping the highs crisp and clear. I was very pleased. Then I heard that the AT440ML was no longer available. Vendors were sending out the new AT440MLa in its place. I read how some folks were not happy with this arrangement. I took a closer look at my new cartridge and discovered that it, too, was an AT440MLa! Had I been the victim of a bait and switch sale? This cartridge isn't the one I ordered. I decided to research the AT440MLa and was pleased to discover that the 440MLa is a superior cartridge. The 440MLa looks the same as the old 440ML, but boy does it ever sound different! It is not nearly as bright as the 440ML. It is much flatter. Bass response is solid and clean with no muddiness. Midrange is very neutral, and the high end is extended with no signs of brightness. This cartridge sounds extremely refined. Most inexpensive cartridges tend to sound just that, cheap. They are either muddy, or bright and lacking detail. Not this one. It really sounds "expensive". It has what I like to call "layered depth". You don't simply hear the music, you hear into it. For someone on a budget who desires a great little cartridge, this is the one. The AT440MLa certainly brought my system back to life.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ An excellent tracker ...
*by H***N on April 27, 2006*

This review is about the 440Mla (which is what is in the market now). This came with a high recommendation from HIFI dealers. I heard from an HIFI dealer that 440MLa has a flat frequency response compared to the old 440ML. The 440ML has a frequency range of 5 to 32 KHz. I have not used 440Ml to do the comparison myself. So I can't comment on this. Mounting wise I had some difficulty since this is my first cartridge over 5g in weight (around 6.5g). The counterweight was at the very edge and this created some issues while I played some warped records. So I bought a record clamp to correct this issue. Sound wise this is more close to the tonal characteristics of a CD, but still preserving the sonic characteristics of a vinyl. I have just put around 20 hours in it. Might smooth itself with another 20-30 hours. The mid range seems to be a bit suppressed. The bass is good without being boomy or muddy. Channel seperation is again very good. Now for the real area where the 440MLa works like a champ "Tracking". It is absolutely a wonderful tracker. It tracks the inner grooves almost near perfectly on my old records. I'm hearing a clean sound on the inner groove tracks which I never heard before. Part of it is due to the micro line stylus. This also picks up all the details of the grooves and you may hear more pops and more surface noise. I have set my tracking force at 1.2g which gives me excellent reproduction on my setting. As for recommending this cartridge, it depends on what you are looking for. If you like warm sounding cartrdige and if brightness causes you fatigue, I would recommend Shure M97XE over this. Otherwise this is one excellent product at an unimaginable price tag.

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*Product available on Desertcart Iceland*
*Store origin: IS*
*Last updated: 2026-03-16*