Audio Technica AT-LT10

Overview

The Audio-Technica AT-LT10 is a universal headshell, the small mount that carries your cartridge at the end of a removable headshell tonearm. It is not a cartridge itself. It accepts any standard half inch mount cartridge, with or without threaded inserts, and twists onto the arm through the usual four pin bayonet fitting.

The die-cast aluminium body keeps mass low at roughly 10 grams while staying rigid, so it adds little to the effective mass of the tonearm and passes less vibration into the cartridge. Oxygen free copper lead wires carry the signal from the cartridge pins, and a slip resistant finger lift lets you place the stylus precisely.

Elongated through holes let you slide the cartridge forward and back to set overhang and effective tonearm length correctly, which is the part of cartridge setup that most affects tracking across the whole record.

Key Features

• Universal half inch mount headshell for four pin bayonet tonearms
• Accepts cartridges with or without threaded inserts
• Lightweight die-cast aluminium body, approximately 10 grams excluding lead wires
• Oxygen free copper lead wires
• Slip resistant finger lift for precise cueing
• Elongated through holes for accurate overhang adjustment
• Supplied with mounting screws and plastic washers

How the AT-LT10 Compares

AT-LT10 versus a premounted cartridge and headshell

The AT-LT10 is the headshell on its own, for listeners who already own a cartridge or want to choose one separately. If you would rather buy the two matched and aligned together, the Audio-Technica AT-VM750xSH/H and the AT-VM740xML/H pair an Audio-Technica cartridge with a headshell, and Ortofon offers the 2M Bronze and the 2M Black premounted on an SH-4 headshell.

AT-LT10 versus upgrading your lead wires

The AT-LT10 arrives with oxygen free copper lead wires fitted, so it is a complete mount rather than a bare shell. If your existing headshell is sound and you only want to improve the connection to the cartridge pins, the AudioQuest HL-5 headshell leads address that on their own.

Recommended Turntables and Cartridges

The AT-LT10 suits any deck with a removable headshell tonearm, and it needs a cartridge to carry.

• AT-LP120XUSB Direct-Drive Turntable A stable direct-drive platform with adjustable tracking force and anti-skate, which makes setting overhang on the headshell straightforward.
• AT-LPW40WN Belt-Drive Turntable A fully manual belt-drive deck with a well-damped tonearm that takes a universal headshell.
• AT-LPW50PB Belt-Drive Turntable A refined manual belt-drive turntable whose low-noise design rewards a carefully aligned cartridge.
• Audio-Technica AT-VM510xCB A moving magnet cartridge with a conical bonded stylus, a forgiving and inexpensive way to fill the headshell.
• Audio-Technica AT-VM520xEB An elliptical bonded stylus for more precise groove contact and clearer detail, on the same VM platform.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Audio-Technica AT-LT10?
It is a universal headshell, the mount that carries your phono cartridge at the end of a removable headshell tonearm. It is not a cartridge itself, so you fit your own cartridge to it.

Does the AT-LT10 include a cartridge or stylus?
No. The headshell is supplied on its own with mounting screws and washers. You supply the cartridge.

Which cartridges fit the AT-LT10?
Any standard half inch mount cartridge, with or without threaded inserts. The supplied screws and washers cover both cases.

Which turntables can use it?
Any turntable whose tonearm takes a removable universal headshell with the usual four pin bayonet fitting. Audio-Technica decks such as the AT-LP120XUSB, AT-LPW40WN and AT-LPW50PB all use that fitting.

How much does it weigh?
Approximately 10 grams excluding the lead wires. Headshell mass forms part of the effective mass of the tonearm, so it affects which cartridge compliance suits your arm.

Why do the mounting holes look elongated?
So you can slide the cartridge forward and back to set overhang and effective tonearm length. Getting that right is the part of setup that most affects tracking across the record.

Does it come with lead wires?
Yes, oxygen free copper lead wires are fitted. You can replace them with an aftermarket set if you want to experiment.

Can I install it myself?
Yes. Mount the cartridge to the headshell with the supplied screws, connect the four lead wires to the cartridge pins by colour, then twist the headshell onto the tonearm. We are glad to walk you through alignment.

Should I buy this or a premounted cartridge and headshell?
Buy the AT-LT10 if you already own a cartridge or want to choose one separately. If you would rather have the two matched and aligned for you, look at the premounted options that ship as a cartridge and headshell together.

Do I still need a phono preamp?
Yes, unless your turntable or receiver has one built in. The headshell does not change that, since it carries the cartridge signal without altering it.

Does it come with a warranty?
Yes, it is covered by Audio-Technica USA support for the original owner when bought from an authorized dealer like All Elite Audio.

Why buy from All Elite Audio?
We are an authorized Audio-Technica dealer in Maryland with this headshell in stock, offering genuine products, full warranty support and expert setup guidance.