Audio Technica AT33EV

When Audio-Technica celebrated its 45th anniversary in 2006 with the AT33ANV, the Japanese brand marked a turning point in its range of moving coil cartridges: for the first time, a duralumin cantilever equipped the AT33 series. The enthusiastic reception of this limited-edition model led the manufacturer to further refine and make this approach a permanent part of the line. The AT33EV is the culmination of that process, a cartridge that retains the much-praised architecture of its predecessor while benefiting from targeted improvements in resonance control and material quality.

A cantilever forged for aeronautics

Duralumin is not a random choice. This aluminum alloy reinforced with copper, originally developed for aircraft structures, offers a particularly favorable stiffness-to-mass ratio. On the AT33EV, Audio-Technica shapes this material into a tapered tube: the cross-section gradually decreases as it moves away from the pivot point, which reduces inertia at the tip where the diamond meets the groove. This geometry promotes a rapid response to the fine modulations of the record without compromising overall robustness.

At its end is mounted a solid elliptical diamond, cut in a square shank with curvature radii of 7.6 × 17.8 µm. This profile fits within a playback philosophy that favors tonal richness in the midrange and bass, where quality elliptical styli have traditionally excelled.

Damping unwanted vibrations

The quality of a phono cartridge does not depend solely on its signal-generation system: chassis resonances can color and blur the sound. Audio-Technica addresses this issue by using Hanenite resin, a proprietary material with pronounced damping properties. This thermoplastic polyester resin fills the inside of the aluminum body and surrounds the cantilever pivot, creating an effective barrier against unwanted vibrations. The body itself combines cast aluminum and synthetic resin in a composite construction designed to provide structural rigidity and acoustic neutrality.

This focus on damping is also found in the dual-damper suspension system that controls cantilever movement, a proven technique that Audio-Technica has been refining for decades in its moving coil cartridges.

Dual moving coil architecture

The AT33EV is based on a “dual moving coil” architecture: two separate coils generate the left and right channel signals. This configuration increases channel separation (30 dB at 1 kHz according to the specifications) and contributes to the extended frequency response, quoted as 15 Hz to 50 kHz.

The coils are wound with 6N PCOCC copper (Pure Copper by Ohno Continuous Casting), a Japanese manufacturing process that produces a monocrystalline copper wire with no grain boundaries in the direction of signal flow. This type of conductor is known for minimizing electrical discontinuities that could degrade transmission. A high-energy neodymium magnet energizes these coils, while a rigid synthetic resin mold (VC mold) holds them firmly in place to prevent any parasitic movement.

The 10-ohm impedance represents a calculated compromise: low enough to limit line losses, yet still compatible with most MC phono preamplifiers on the market. The 0.3 mV output places the AT33EV in the “low-output” MC category, which requires either a phono stage with appropriate gain or a step-up transformer.

Installation and setup

The standard 1/2” (12.7 mm center-to-center) mounting format ensures compatibility with the vast majority of tonearms and headshells on the market. Audio-Technica supplies all the hardware needed for installation: mounting screws in two lengths (13.5 and 18 mm), nuts, washers, plus a set of PCOCC copper leads (reference AT6101). A non-magnetic screwdriver and an antistatic stylus brush complete the package.

The nominal tracking force of 2.0 g (recommended range 1.8 to 2.2 g) and the 23° vertical tracking angle match common standards, which simplifies setup in most systems. The dynamic compliance of 10 × 10⁻⁶ cm/dyne at 100 Hz makes the AT33EV a good match for medium effective-mass tonearms, which covers the great majority of mainstream models.

Technical Specifications

Construction

• Type: Stereo moving coil phono cartridge
• Stylus: Elliptical, solid diamond with square shank
• Curvature radius: 7.6 × 17.8 µm
• Cantilever: Duralumin
• Body: Aluminum, synthetic resin
• Coils: Single-crystal copper (PCOCC)
• Terminals: Copper

Audio Performance

• Frequency response: 15 Hz to 50 kHz
• Channel separation: 30 dB at 1 kHz
• Channel balance: 0.5 dB (at 1 kHz)
• Output voltage: 0.3 mV (at 1 kHz, 5 cm/s)

Electrical Characteristics

• Recommended load impedance: Minimum 100 Ω
• Coil impedance: 10 Ω (at 1 kHz)
• DC resistance: 10 Ω
• Coil inductance: 22 µH (at 1 kHz)

Mechanical Parameters

• Vertical tracking angle: 23°
• Tracking force: 1.8 to 2.2 g (nominal 2.0 g)
• Static compliance: 40 × 10⁻⁶ cm/dyne
• Dynamic compliance: 10 × 10⁻⁶ cm/dyne (100 Hz)

Physical Specifications

• Dimensions (W × H × D): 16 × 16.6 × 26.5 mm
• Weight: 6.9 g

Included Accessories

• Non-magnetic screwdriver
• Anti-static stylus brush
• 2 washers
• 2 nuts
• 2 mounting screws (13.5 mm)
• 2 mounting screws (18 mm)
• 1 plastic protector
• 1 set of single-crystal copper connection cables (AT6101)