Replacement Stylus by Cartridge Model: Chart of Maker-Listed Parts

Look-alike styli are common: check the listing

Amazon results for these part numbers mix the maker’s parts with styli from other brands whose titles say “compatible with” a maker’s model. Those are not the cartridge maker’s parts, and the pairings on this page apply only to the maker’s own stylus. Nobody tested any of them for this page, so there is no basis here for calling a look-alike as good or as bad as the original. Before you order:

• Match the part number in the listing title to the replacement-stylus part in the chart, character for character (an AT-VMN95E is not an AT-VMN95EN, and an ATN95E is not an AT-VMN95E).
• Check that the brand shown on the listing is the cartridge maker: Audio-Technica, Ortofon, Grado or Sumiko.
• Check the packaging when the stylus arrives. It should show the maker’s name and part number.

The links below follow one rule. A part name links straight to an Amazon listing only when the listing’s brand is the maker, its title names that exact part, and Amazon showed a new offer in stock when we checked on October 19, 2026. Many of those offers come from third-party sellers rather than Amazon or the maker, and we cannot confirm where a seller sourced a unit. If you want certainty, buy from the maker or an authorized dealer. Every other part has a link labeled “Search Amazon for”, which opens a search, not a listing we checked.

Audio-Technica AT-VM95 series

Audio-Technica’s Japan product pages for the AT-VM95 series say the replacement stylus is common across the series, and its stylus chart marks every AT-VMN95 stylus as fitting every AT-VM95 body, with footnotes on the 78 rpm combinations. That means the cartridge you own sets the stock stylus, but you can fit any other tip in the table.

Two cautions apply. First, the 78 rpm AT-VMN95SP needs roughly 3 g more tracking force than the others, so reset the tonearm when you swap it in and swap back for LPs. Second, the AT-LP70X and AT-LP70XBT have a built-in cartridge and Audio-Technica excludes the 78 rpm stylus for them; our turntable chart has the details. Audio-Technica’s AT-LP120XUSB manual gives a rule of thumb of replacing the AT-VM95E stylus after 300 hours, and the AT-VM95ML manual gives about 1,000 hours for its stylus.

Audio-Technica AT3600L, AT91 and AT95E

These older cartridge types use different styli from the AT-VM95 series. Do not assume an AT-VMN95 stylus fits them: the AT95E’s own page names the ATN95E as its replacement, and the AT91 manual names the ATN91.

The manuals for the AT-LP60X, AT-LP60XBT, AT-LP60XUSB and AT-LP60XHP name the AT3600L as the cartridge and the ATN3600L as the replacement stylus. Audio-Technica Japan lists the ATN3600L as discontinued and says the ATN3600LC and ATN3600LE are compatible with it, with a replacement guide of about 300 to 500 hours for the LC and about 300 hours for the LE. Its ATN3600LC page adds that on non-designated cartridges or turntables you must set the correct tracking force on a tonearm that allows adjustment, so do not fit these 3.5 g styli on an arm you cannot adjust unless Audio-Technica names the turntable.

Ortofon 2M series

Ortofon’s Stylus 2M Mono page says 2M styli are interchangeable within these groups: 2M Red, 2M Blue and 2M Silver; 2M Bronze, 2M Black and 2M Black LVB 250; and 2M Mono and 2M 78. Ortofon does not list a Red or Blue body with a Bronze or Black stylus, so confirm with Ortofon before crossing groups. Ortofon says up to 1,000 hours is possible from a 2M Red, Bronze or Black stylus with proper care.

Ortofon calls the Stylus 2M Blue the correct replacement for a 2M Blue and a natural upgrade for a 2M Red. It calls the Stylus 2M Black the ideal upgrade for a 2M Bronze. Our MM cartridge upgrades guide compares the 2M Blue route with the AT-VM95ML.

Ortofon OM series

Ortofon’s stylus pages list the cartridges each OM stylus is recommended for. Ortofon’s current cartridge pages cover the OM 5E and OM 5S; the OM 10, 20, 30 and 40 styli remain on its stylus pages.

Grado Prestige series

Grado’s Green4, Red4 and Gold4 are Prestige Series cartridges with an elliptical diamond and a published tracking force of 1.6 to 1.9 g. Grado’s Red4 page says all Prestige Series styli are interchangeable, and the stylus is user-replaceable. We found no stylus-only listing from Grado on Amazon, so every Grado part below is a search. Grado sells the parts on its own site as well.

If your Grado is an earlier Prestige model, such as a Green3, Red3 or Gold3, Grado’s pages still say Prestige Series styli are interchangeable, but we found no maker chart for the older models. Check with Grado before ordering.

Sumiko Oyster series

Sumiko says the Rainier, Olympia, Moonstone, Wellfleet and Amethyst use interchangeable stylus replacements, with the Amethyst body the one difference (it remains compatible with the full range of styli). Sumiko lists the Oyster, Pearl and Black Pearl as out of production, so they are not in this chart. Every model below has a published tracking force of 1.8 to 2.2 g (2.0 g recommended).

Sumiko warns against playing shellac 78s with a 33 or 45 rpm stylus, and notes that the RS78 gives a mono signal in both stereo channels.

Cartridges that ship on popular turntables

If you only know the turntable, this table shows the cartridge each maker names and sends you to the row above. It covers a few common models; the turntable chart covers more, including Victrola.

U-Turn lists an Audio-Technica AT91B for the Orbit Basic. Audio-Technica’s AT91 manual names the ATN91 for the AT91, but we could not find an Audio-Technica page for the AT91B, so confirm the stylus with U-Turn or Audio-Technica before ordering. Fluance’s Reference-series turntables use Ortofon cartridges; our turntable chart lists which model takes which.

Before you order

• Read the cartridge, not the turntable. Different versions of one turntable have shipped with different cartridges. The code on the cartridge body or in its manual decides the stylus.
• Fixed cartridges. Some turntables have a cartridge you cannot remove, so the stylus is the only part you replace. Check your manual before you buy a whole cartridge.
• Follow the install steps. The installation checklist in our replacement stylus guide walks through the swap, and a stylus force gauge helps you set the new figure.
• Reset tracking force. Use the maker’s range for the stylus you fit, as listed above.

FAQ

Can I put an AT-VMN95E on an AT-VM95C?

Audio-Technica’s stylus chart for the series lists every AT-VMN95 stylus (SH, ML, EN, E, C and SP) as fitting every AT-VM95 body, with footnotes on the 78 rpm combinations, and its product pages say the replacement styli are common across the series. Check the tracking force for the new tip, and use the 78 rpm AT-VMN95SP only for 78 rpm records.

Is the Ortofon Stylus 2M Black a drop-in upgrade for a 2M Red?

Ortofon lists its 2M styli as interchangeable within three groups: 2M Red, Blue and Silver; 2M Bronze, Black and Black LVB 250; and 2M Mono and 2M 78. Ortofon does not list a Red body with a Black stylus, and it calls the Stylus 2M Blue the natural upgrade for the 2M Red.

Is a cheaper stylus that says compatible with my cartridge the same part?

No. A listing that says compatible with a maker’s model is not the maker’s part, and the maker’s compatibility lists cover only its own parts. Check that the listing’s brand and part number match the maker’s, and check the packaging when it arrives.

My cartridge is not on this chart. What should I do?

Use the cartridge maker’s own stylus chart or manual, or the turntable chart on this site if you know the turntable but not the cartridge. If the maker lists no stylus for your cartridge, a replacement cartridge may be the only fix.

Sources

• Audio-Technica AT-VM95C product page (Japan)
• Audio-Technica AT-VM95E product page (Japan)
• Audio-Technica AT-VM95EN product page (Japan)
• Audio-Technica AT-VM95ML product page (Japan)
• Audio-Technica AT-VM95SH product page (Japan)
• Audio-Technica AT-VM95SP product page (Japan)
• Audio-Technica AT-VM95 series stylus compatibility chart (PDF, Japan)
• Audio-Technica ATN3600LC product page (Japan)
• Audio-Technica ATN3600LE product page (Japan)
• Audio-Technica AT95E product page (Japan)
• Audio-Technica AT-LP60X product page (Japan)
• Audio-Technica AT-LP60X family user manuals (English): AT-LP60X , AT-LP60XBT , AT-LP60XUSB and AT-LP60XHP
• Audio-Technica AT-LP120XUSB user manual (English)
• Audio-Technica AT-LP120XBT-USB product page (Japan)
• Audio-Technica AT-VM95ML user manual
• Audio-Technica AT91 user manual
• Ortofon Stylus 2M Red
• Ortofon Stylus 2M Blue
• Ortofon Stylus 2M Bronze
• Ortofon Stylus 2M Black
• Ortofon Stylus 2M Black LVB 250
• Ortofon Stylus 2M Mono (interchangeability groups)
• Ortofon Stylus 2M 78
• Ortofon Stylus 5E , Stylus 5S , Stylus 10 , Stylus 20 , Stylus 30 and Stylus 40
• Ortofon cartridge pages: 2M Red , 2M Blue , 2M Bronze , 2M Black , 2M Mono , 2M 78 , OM 5E and OM 5S
• Grado cartridge pages: Green4 , Red4 and Gold4
• Grado replacement stylus pages: Stylus Green4 , Stylus Red4 , Stylus Gold4 , Stylus ME+ , Stylus 8MZ , Stylus MCZ , Stylus TLZ and Stylus XTZ
• Sumiko cartridge pages: Rainier , Olympia , Moonstone , Wellfleet and Amethyst
• Sumiko RS78 78rpm stylus
• U-Turn Audio turntable pages: Orbit Basic , Orbit Plus , Orbit Special and Orbit Theory
• Fluance ATN91 replacement stylus (RT80) and Fluance ATN95E replacement stylus (RT81)

Pairings, tips and tracking forces were checked on October 19, 2026. Amazon brands, listings and offers were checked the same day through Amazon’s product data, and offers change. Nobody tested these styli for this page.