Thorens TP90 tonearm - cartridge selection

I use the TP90 on a Thorens TD 320 mkIII turntable with Pro-Ject Phono Box S2 Ultra phono stage. I listen to all-analogue recordings of acoustic music, mainly chamber and orchestral works from baroque to classical period, often HIP. Keep this in mind when reading the information below. Music genre can have a significant impact on cartridge selection.

My experience

Ortofon 2M Blue: lacking in detail, with overwhelming lower mids and bass. I tested a used cartridge, so this may have been caused by stylus wear.
Audio-Technica VM530EN: the very opposite of the 2M Blue. Very detailed, MC-like sound, but lacking in bass.
Ortofon Quintet Red: similar to the VM530EN, with a slightly better balance between treble and bass. The step to MC did not bring the expected improvement, The price difference not fully justified.
Audio-Technica AT33PTG/II: my final cartridge for quite some time and the most balanced of the four. Lots of detail, sybilance under control, but still a little bass-shy.

I conclude the MicroLine stylus is what makes the AT33PTG/II superior to the others for my use. I also doubt that MC is necessary for me. This is my current assumption which may prove completely wrong, as e.g. the new AT33xEN with nude elliptical stylus sounds amazing in this comparison video.

MicroLine / Shibata cartridges survey

As the AT33PTG/II is out of production, I prepared the survey below of currently available models with an advanced stylus shape (MicroLine, Fine Line, Special Line or Shibata) that cost less than 750 EUR.

The tables also show the compatibility with the Thorens TP90 tonearm. For a medium-heavy arm (effective mass 17 g), a cartridge with low to medium compliance fits best. The arm/cartridge resonance should be around 8–12 Hz. Except this single column, the tables should provide a general overivew of the advanced stylus cartridges available in October 2026.

Moving magnet (MM)

Cartridge	Stylus [µm]	Cnt.	Price [EUR]	Cmpl. [cu]	Wt [g]	Res. [Hz]	Ht [mm]	VTF [g]	R [Ω]	C [pF]	Note
AT-VM95ML	ML 3/56	Al	149	17	6.1	8	17.2	1.8–2.2	47k	100–200	1
AT-VM95SH	SH 7/69	Al	170	17	6.1	8	17.2	1.8–2.2	47k	100–200	1
AT-VM540xML	ML 3/56	Al	+196	12	6.4	9	17.3	1.8–2.2	47k	100–200	2
AT-VM545xML	ML 3/56	B	+246	12	6.4	9	17.3	1.8–2.2	47k	100–200	2
AT-VM550xSH	SH 7/69	B	+280	12	6.4	9	17.3	1.8–2.2	47k	100–200	2
AT-VM560SL	SL 7/38	B	+529	12	6.4	9	17.3	1.8–2.2	47k	100–200	2
AT-VM740xML	ML 3/56	Al	242	12	8.8	9	17.5	1.8–2.2	47k	150–250
AT-VM745xML	ML 3/56	B	319	12	8.8	9	17.5	1.8–2.2	47k	150–250
AT-VM750xSH	SH 7/69	B	299	12	8.8	9	17.5	1.8–2.2	47k	150–250
AT-VM760xSL	SL 7/38	B	566	12	8.8	9	17.5	1.8–2.2	47k	150–250
Goldring 1012GX	FL 6/?	?	410	14*	6.2	8	?	1.5–2.0	47k	125–225	4
Goldring 1022GX	SL 8/?	?	397	14*	6.2	8	?	1.5–2.0	47k	125–225	4
Goldring 1042	SL 6/?	?	390	14*	6.2	8	?	1.5–2.0	47k	125–225	4
Goldring 2300	FL	?	599	12*	7.6	9	?	1.5–2.0	47k	100–200	4
Ortofon 2M Bronze	FL 8/40	Al	345	22	7.2	7	18.0	1.4–1.7	47k	150–300	5
Ortofon 2M Black	SH 6/50	Al	498	22	7.2	7	18.0	1.4–1.7	47k	150–300	5
Rega Nd7	FL 3/30	Al	579	15*	6	8	?	1.75	47k	150–300	6
Sumiko Amethyst	SL 5/20	Al	599	20	6.5	7	?	1.8–2.2	47k	?	7

Moving coil (MC)

Cartridge	Stylus [µm]	Cnt.	Price [EUR]	Cmpl. [cu]	Wt [g]	Res. [Hz]	Ht [mm]	VTF [g]	R [Ω]	Note
AT33PTG/II	ML 3/56	?	587	18	6.9	7	16	1.8–2.2	>100	8
AT33xMLD	ML 3/56	Du	599	10	10.1	9	16.1	1.8–2.2	>100	8
AT33xMLB	ML 3/56	B	729	11	10.1	9	16	1.8–2.2	>100	8
AT-OC9X series	var.	?	538+	28	7.6	6				9
Hana SL mkII	SH	Al	749	17	8.6	7	?	2.0	>80	10
Ortofon Quintet Bronze	FL 8/40	Al	493	15	9	8	19.2	2.1–2.5	>20	11
Ortofon MC X30	FL 8/40	Al	698	15	8.6	8	?	2.0	>50	12

Notes

One VM95 body with six interchangeable styli (AT-VMN95…)
Not sold as a complete cartridge: a VM500-series body (e.g. AT-VM530) fitted with a separately sold stylus – AT-VMN40xML for the VM540xML, AT-VMN45xML for the VM545xML, AT-VMN50xSH for the VM550xSH, AT-VMN60xSL for the VM560SL. The price is for the stylus only. Audio-Technica says almost any VMN stylus fits any VM/VMx body. Compliance is taken from the VMx cartridges that use the same styli; the weight may differ slightly.
Goldring 10xx same body, only the stylus differs. Goldring 2300 different body
2M carts have same body. The resonance a little low.
three-point fixing
Sumiko gives dynamic compliance 12 at 100 Hz
AT33PTG/II: discontinued, succeeded by the AT33x series
AT-OC9 resonance with TP90 can be too low. The AT33 is the stiffer alternative more suited for this heavier arm.
Hana gives dynamic compliance 10 without frequency; as a Japanese maker it is taken as 100 Hz
same body all Quintet carts
successor of the Quintet series.

Columns

Stylus – ML MicroLine, FL Fine Line, SL Special Line / line contact, SH Shibata, followed by the tip dimensions in µm (minor/major axis) where known; ? = major axis not published. Values published in mil were converted (1 mil = 25.4 µm), hover over them for the original.
Cnt. – cantilever material: Al aluminium, B boron, Du duralumin; ? = not known (yet).
Price – lowest retail price incl. VAT in German or Czech shops, checked Sep 2026 “+” means the price of the replacement stylus only (note 2).
Cmpl. – dynamic compliance at 10 Hz in µm/mN (cu). Japanese makers and Sumiko quote it at 100 Hz; those values were multiplied by 1.7 as Audio-Technica advises. * = estimate or unofficial value (notes 4, 6).
Wt – cartridge weight.
Res. – resonance frequency with the TP90 arm, calculated as f = 159 / √((17 g + cartridge weight + 2 g screws) × compliance).
Ht – height. Ortofon heights include the stylus; confirmed by measuring a Quintet Red. Audio-Technica does not say whether its heights include the stylus, but at least for AT33PTG/II I confimed it does.
VTF – recommended vertical tracking force.
R, C – recommended load resistance and, for MM, load capacitance.

Left out

Over 750 EUR: AT33Sa, Ortofon MC X40, Quintet Black S, 2M Black LVB 250. Also left out are cartridges with elliptical, conical or spherical styli (e.g. AT-VM530, Ortofon Quintet Red and Blue, MC X10 and X20, the Nagaoka MP series).