[Wayner]

 

That's right. Smusic Directt has raised the price from $99 to $199. Sales must be terrific. I have found another source and it is Jj and Rr music. I have ordered 3 extra styli and one more cartridge before they raise their price. 

I can't tell you how this really pisses me off. As the official AT440MLa pimp, I wish I could declare something  .

Just when the world is getting a little nicer, somebody has to be GREEDY and muck it all up.

W

[WEEZ]

Wayner,

Needle Doctor and a few others have them for $99 still. Hell, street price on the 150MLX is around $250, I think.

WEEZ

[TheChairGuy]

LPGear is still $84.95..... http://www.lpgear.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=LG&Product_Code=ATC05&Category_Code=A3

Needle Doctor (who gives away nuthin' and is in your area, PimpBoy ) is still $99.99, too  http://www.needledoctor.com/Audio-Technica-440MLa-Cartridge?sc=7&category=909

ditto for Garage-a-Records https://www.kconline.com/garage-a-records.com/cgi-bin/index.php?order=1----AT440MLa----Audio+Technica----99.95----0----1

and

Amazon still cheap, also http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-AT440MLa-Turntable-Cartridge/dp/B000F6W8X6

 

[Wayner]

Thanks for the info WEEZ and John, but I'm worried that the price increase may be from Audio Technica and the price will go up everywhere. I will monitor the other sites to find out.

Cheers!

W

[TheChairGuy]

Thanks for the info WEEZ and John, but I'm worried that the price increase may be from Audio Technica and the price will go up everywhere.
W

It could well be - Music Direct may be the first to run out of the less-expensive supply of the AT440's.  Bet they'll sell a fair bit more AT150MLX's now if $199 is the price of the AT440MLa. 

The spread at $150 between the two was too large to ignore for anyone....at only $50-70, it's a more logical step to get the mu metal shielding and more inert boron cantilever of the 150MLX.

Wayne, btw, the AT150 replacement stylus assembly fits the AT440 body (confirmed by AT long ago) in you ever wanna' upgrade your nine AT440MLa's you now own 

Ciao, John

[caddisgeek]

They cost that much in OZ already, what, do they go up to $400 

[Toka]

While I'd hate to seem them raise the price (if that is indeed the case), I must admit it does make more sense given their current product offerings. The huge gap between that and the 150MLX, and the essentially non-existant gap between it and the 120E, probably caused a bit of consumer confusion. Who knows, though...I'm sure we will find out soon enough. 

[Wayner]

I've heard that the mark-up on cartridges is almost the same as jewelery. There must be tremendous profit in it as there is very little material cost. The real cost may be the technology to make it (equipment, know-how) and marketing.

It's also funny how almost if not all dealers have a no-return policy (maybe can exchange for defect). Perhaps I should shell out my 401K's and become a cartridge dealer.

If prices go up universally, I'm goin to need a new Ho to pimp. aa

W

[WEEZ]

Wayner,

You are correct..there is a high unit mark-up for phono cartridges. But I wouldn't cash-in my 401k's if I were you

WEEZ

(ps: if you DO become a dealer...shoot me your best price on a 150MLX, okay? )

[TheChairGuy]

I'd love to have firsthand info on what that markup is.

I often (too often, I think  ) that it might cost $10 to make a Grado Black (list $40.00) and not more than $75 to make the $1200.00 (list) Master in that series. No one is forcing anyone to buy anything, so my hat's off to them, but it's amazing what a likely markup there is on these things.

Wayner - WEEZ and I are CPO's for Grado already.  That's Chief Pimp Officer...you'll just have to find another cheap brand to tout on your own  

I hear the Nagaoka's are good and not terribly pricey 

http://stores.ebay.com/William-s-Stylus-Shop_Cartridges_W0QQcolZ4QQdirZ1QQfsubZ3QQftidZ2QQpZ2QQtZkm