List of 14 recommended, budget phono cartridges that will deliver audiophile grade sound quality and perform well above their price point.
Hi-Fi news, gear reviews, and interviews
Shure has announced that its cartridges will soon be no more, “…we have made the difficult decision to discontinue production of Shure Phono products effective Summer 2018.” In a relatively brief press release, released today, veteran hi-fi manufacturer and long-time creator of respected cartridges, Shure has decided to pull out of the “phono” market inferring...
List of 14 recommended, budget phono cartridges that will deliver audiophile grade sound quality and perform well above their price point.
Out of production for two years, the Statement Series top of the range of Grado Cartridges is back and remarkably improved. Sporting a newly designed shape of all imported Jarrah wood from Australia, the lowest mass coils ever used, more precise construction, and double the output, we have a stunning contender for ideal reference cartridge. The... Read More »
Venture into vinyl with this anything-but-basic turntable from Audio-Technica, a leader in phono cartridge design for over 60 years. Crafted beautifully in stunning white, with all the great features of the redesigned AT-LP60X fully automatic belt-drive stereo turntable, the AT-LP60XBT has the added convenience of Blue
The four new moving magnet cartridges from Sumiko include the Rainier, Olympia, Moonstone and Amethyst. The two new moving coil cartridges, the Songbird and Starling which will be part of the Reference Series product line The Sumiko Rainier, Olympia and Moonstone all utilise a common housing and generator assembly, so the stylus assemblies are interchangeable....
List of 14 recommended, budget phono cartridges that will deliver audiophile grade sound quality and perform well above their price point.
The four new moving magnet cartridges from Sumiko include the Rainier, Olympia, Moonstone and Amethyst. The two new moving coil cartridges, the Songbird and Starling which will be part of the Reference Series product line The Sumiko Rainier, Olympia and Moonstone all utilise a common housing and generator assembly, so the stylus assemblies are interchangeable....
Fully automatic, Bluetooth-enabled belt-driven turntable from Audio-refreshed in UO exclusive colors. Connects to powered speakers and headphones via cables or Bluetooth for an unforgettable, flexible listening experience through your whole space, all with the high-quality performance you'd expect from Audio-Technica. Available exclusively at Urban Outfitters. Features - Audio-Technica UO Exclusive LP60X-BT Bluetooth Record Player - Bluetooth enabled - Fully automatic belt-drive operation - 2 speeds: 33-1/3 + 45 RPM - Anti-resonance die-cast aluminum platter - Integral Dual Magnet™ phono cartridge - Replaceable diamond stylus - Built-in switchable phono pre-amp - RCA output cables to connect with audio systems & powered speakers - Stores up to 8 Bluetooth-enabled speakers & headphones in memory - Tonearm lift button - UO exclusive Content + Care - Includes turntable, 45 RPM adapter, RCA 3.5mm-dual RCA male output cable and dust cover - Plastic - Wipe clean - Imported - Made in compliance with US electrical standards. To use this item outside of the US, pair with an outlet adapter and voltage converter made specifically for use in your location. Size - Dimensions: 14.7"l x 14.15"w x 3.84"h - Weight: 5.73 lbs - Shipping package dimensions: 19.29"l x 17.2"w x 7.01"h - Shipping package weight: 8.11 lbs
These handy Headshell rulers ensure you get your turntable cartridge set just right. As any vinyl lover knows, a poorly aligned cartridge will give poor sound quality and can lead to excessive wear on both the stylus and record. To use simply place the ruler on top of your record and measure from the front and side to ensure your headshell is sitting level and square to the record.Ideal for use with all types of cartridges and headshells and tonearms, from brands such as Rega, SME, Shure, Ortofon, Audio Origami, Linn, Pro-Ject, Audio-Technica, Fluance, Technics, Thorens, Garrad and more.Levelling TipsLevelling a tonearm and cartridge is both simply and a little bit or an art from, to ensure the best results you may need to consider the following:A Headshell mount kit with spare washers, shimes, nuts and bolts. This helps to level the phono cartridge in the shell.Consider your LP collection as part of your levelling strategy, heavy weight LP's are thicker and will require the arm to sit higher than thinner discs (leading to uphill or downhill sloping of the cartridge). Ideally measure with the thickest disc in your collection and then use a thin mat to sit thinner records on. This can save both re-levelling work and wear on your equipment and records.Check your downforce with a turntable weighing scale to ensure that the head in not exerting to much force after you have levelled it. A small adjustment may be required to balance the tone arm back to correct downforce.SpecificationsDimensions (W x H x D): 61*49*10mmDimensions (W x H x D): 2.4*1.9*0.4inchItem name: Azimuth Ruler, Head shell Square, Tonearm Calibration Ruler
How to choose the right one for your turntable
Hi-Fi news, gear reviews, and interviews
Please Note: Delivery of this product is 4-6 months from date of order. Lyra again turns the analog world on its ear with the introduction of the Etna phono cartridge. Sharing its name with Sicily’s majestic Mount Etna, Etna the cartridge is an impressive monument in its own right, one that melds tried and true Lyra design tenets with designer Jonathan Carr’s very latest thinking on phono cartridges. Etna was designed with a strong emphasis on engineering efficiency, so that its performance would be as far beyond the sum of its parts as possible. For this reason, although it shares some of its design philosophy with Atlas, the concepts are executed rather differently. Etna employs a solid titanium core structure machined with non-parallel surfaces to inhibit internal reflections whenever possible, but unlike Atlas (and Titan i before it), this is mated to a slightly undersized, asymmetric, mirror-black anodized duralumin outer body that locks over the core like a very tightly-fitting jigsaw puzzle. The core and body are augmented with bronze and stainless steel resonance control rods, then pressure-fit together into a pre-stressed, solid, void-free structure which is comprised of multiple materials and complex internal shapes. The constrained-layer nature of this construction dramatically reduces the resonant signature of each material and creates a far more neutral-sounding body structure than otherwise possible, while the high body stiffness benefits transients, dynamics and resolution. Etna uses a yokeless dual magnet system, diamond-coated boron rod cantilever and Lyra-designed variable-radius line-contact stylus. Lyra remains the only cartridge manufacturer to mount the cantilever directly into the cartridge body to create a rigid, seamless connection between the cantilever assembly and tonearm headshell. Why? Linear transducers such as phono cartridges are inherently inefficient devices, on the order of 5 -10%. In other words, of the vibrational energy that enters a cartridge from the LP groove, only 5-10% will be converted into electrical signal. The cartridge’s internal damping system will dissipate some of the remaining 90 to 95%, but much of the excess vibrational energy will reflect inside the cartridge, creating internal echoes and a general diminishing of fidelity. It is quite easy to hear this with many cartridges- play a highly modulated LP with the power amp turned off, and bring your ear close to the cartridge. The “needle talk” that you hear is excess vibrational energy which isn’t being controlled properly. Etna’s direct-mounted cantilever helps conduct this excess vibrational energy into the headshell, where it is safely dissipated within the greater mass of the tonearm and turntable plinth. Etna utilizes the asymmetric design concept first seen in the flagship Atlas, but moves the screw/screwhole all the way to the front of the cartridge and interposes a bronze damping barrier between it and the mechanical path linking the cantilever assembly to the tonearm headshell. Freed of all obstructions and voids, the rigid, direct path established between cantilever and headshell is highly effective at draining away vibrations once they have been converted into electrical signals, effectively suppressing induced resonances and internal reflections that would otherwise manifest as sonic colorations. A narrowed mounting area couples Etna more tightly to the headshell and facilitates the transfer of vibrational energy into the tonearm, giving even better control over spurious resonances.
In 1999 Dynavector released the revolutionary DRT XV-1 stereo cartridge that pioneered the unique topology that included 8 Alnico magnets, magnetically stable front yokes, square shaped front armature within the rather spectacular deep 'v' shaped front elevation. Combined with Dynavector's patented Flux Damping this cartridge quickly became the worldwide benchmark for music lovers and the audio press alike.
How to choose the right one for your turntable
List of 14 recommended, budget phono cartridges that will deliver audiophile grade sound quality and perform well above their price point.
The four new moving magnet cartridges from Sumiko include the Rainier, Olympia, Moonstone and Amethyst. The two new moving coil cartridges, the Songbird and Starling which will be part of the Reference Series product line The Sumiko Rainier, Olympia and Moonstone all utilise a common housing and generator assembly, so the stylus assemblies are interchangeable....
Koetsu Rosewood Signature Moving-Coil Phono Cartridge -
Fully automatic, Bluetooth-enabled belt-driven turntable from Audio-refreshed in UO exclusive colors. Connects to powered speakers and headphones via cables or Bluetooth for an unforgettable, flexible listening experience through your whole space, all with the high-quality performance you'd expect from Audio-Technica. Available exclusively at Urban Outfitters. Features - Audio-Technica UO Exclusive LP60X-BT Bluetooth Record Player - Bluetooth enabled - Fully automatic belt-drive operation - 2 speeds: 33-1/3 + 45 RPM - Anti-resonance die-cast aluminum platter - Integral Dual Magnet™ phono cartridge - Replaceable diamond stylus - Built-in switchable phono pre-amp - RCA output cables to connect with audio systems & powered speakers - Stores up to 8 Bluetooth-enabled speakers & headphones in memory - Tonearm lift button - UO exclusive Content + Care - Includes turntable, 45 RPM adapter, RCA 3.5mm-dual RCA male output cable and dust cover - Plastic - Wipe clean - Imported - Made in compliance with US electrical standards. To use this item outside of the US, pair with an outlet adapter and voltage converter made specifically for use in your location. Size - Dimensions: 14.7"l x 14.15"w x 3.84"h - Weight: 5.73 lbs - Shipping package dimensions: 19.29"l x 17.2"w x 7.01"h - Shipping package weight: 8.11 lbs
Venture into vinyl with this anything-but-basic turntable from Audio-Technica, a leader in phono cartridge design for over 60 years. Crafted beautifully in stunning white, with all the great features of the redesigned AT-LP60X fully automatic belt-drive stereo turntable, the AT-LP60XBT has the added convenience of Blue
List of 14 recommended, budget phono cartridges that will deliver audiophile grade sound quality and perform well above their price point.
Product highlights: moving-magnet design 0.3-0.7 micron elliptical diamond stylus frequency response 12-30,000 Hz output voltage: 4 mV stereo separation: 30 dB channel balance: 1.5 dB tracking force range: 1.8-2.2 grams recommended tracking force: 2 grams load impedance: 47k ohms cartridge weight: 6.5 grams warranty: 1 year 60-day returns MFR # 844682008233 Item # 782OLYMPIA
A reexamination of my Phasemation PP-300 cartridge review will be helpful in learning about Phasemation as a company, its info/philosophy, etc. I spent a few very pleasurable months listening to and writing about the gorgeous little nugget from the Japanese high end company. Sp
Item specifics Condition:\t New: A brand-new, unused, unopened, undamaged item in its original packaging (where packaging is applicable). Packaging should be the same as what is found in a retail store, unless the item is handmade or was packaged by the manufacturer in non-retail packaging, such as an unprinted box or plastic bag. See the seller's listing for full details. See all condition definitions\tCustom Bundle: No Modified Item: No\tCompatible Brand:\tFor Technics Model: Phono Cartridge Type: Phono Cartridge Unit MPN: Does Not Apply Cartridge Type: Phono Stylus & Cartridge Unit UPC: Does not apply Package Includes: LP vinyl phonograph head stand*1
The four new moving magnet cartridges from Sumiko include the Rainier, Olympia, Moonstone and Amethyst. The two new moving coil cartridges, the Songbird and Starling which will be part of the Reference Series product line The Sumiko Rainier, Olympia and Moonstone all utilise a common housing and generator assembly, so the stylus assemblies are interchangeable....
Cartridges MM Under $500 Shure M97xE This "V15xMR Junior" is among the best cartridge buys. It is usually discounted to under $80 and includes Shure's damper/brush. Tracks all day at 1.25 grams. Somewhat soft, but solid sound. Can be upgraded with Jico stylus to near V15xMR status. Read Full Review
List of 14 recommended, budget phono cartridges that will deliver audiophile grade sound quality and perform well above their price point.
Product Description Celebrate our proud 110-year history of defining audio excellence with the Denon limited series Anniversary Edition DL-A110 premium MC phono cartridge with exclusive silver-graphite headshell and included carrying case. Still hand-spun in our headquarters in Shirakawa, Japan, these signature Denon cartridges are our longest-running products. Our legacy of meticulous perfection means you can sit back and savor your music in remarkable detail.
Fully automatic, Bluetooth-enabled belt-driven turntable from Audio-refreshed in UO exclusive colors. Connects to powered speakers and headphones via cables or Bluetooth for an unforgettable, flexible listening experience through your whole space, all with the high-quality performance you'd expect from Audio-Technica. Available exclusively at Urban Outfitters. Features - Audio-Technica UO Exclusive LP60X-BT Bluetooth Record Player - Bluetooth enabled - Fully automatic belt-drive operation - 2 speeds: 33-1/3 + 45 RPM - Anti-resonance die-cast aluminum platter - Integral Dual Magnet™ phono cartridge - Replaceable diamond stylus - Built-in switchable phono pre-amp - RCA output cables to connect with audio systems & powered speakers - Stores up to 8 Bluetooth-enabled speakers & headphones in memory - Tonearm lift button - UO exclusive Content + Care - Includes turntable, 45 RPM adapter, RCA 3.5mm-dual RCA male output cable and dust cover - Plastic - Wipe clean - Imported - Made in compliance with US electrical standards. To use this item outside of the US, pair with an outlet adapter and voltage converter made specifically for use in your location. Size - Dimensions: 14.7"l x 14.15"w x 3.84"h - Weight: 5.73 lbs - Shipping package dimensions: 19.29"l x 17.2"w x 7.01"h - Shipping package weight: 8.11 lbs
The Project Pick-IT S2 MM Phono Cartridge offers an elevated cartridge experience. Its remarkable audio performance, assiduous design, user-friendly approach, broad compatibility, and exceptional value proposition truly differentiate it. Amp up your turntable setup with the Pick-IT S2 and rediscover the captivating allure of your favorite vinyl records, delivered with previously unheard depth, detail, and dynamism.
List of 14 recommended, budget phono cartridges that will deliver audiophile grade sound quality and perform well above their price point.
List of 14 recommended, budget phono cartridges that will deliver audiophile grade sound quality and perform well above their price point.
List of 14 recommended, budget phono cartridges that will deliver audiophile grade sound quality and perform well above their price point.
Highlights Frequency Response 20-27,000 Hz Channel Separation 30 dB (1 kHz) Vertical Tracking Angle 23° Vertical Tracking Force 1.8-2.2 g (2.0 g standard) Stylus Construction Nude square shank Description The VM750SH Shibata stylus cartridge is a premier 700 Series model in Audio-Technica’s new VM cartridge line – a line that harks back to A-T’s early days as a manufacturer primarily of high-end phono cartridges, while also incorporating today’s advanced technology. Like all VM cartridges, the VM750SH is equipped with dual magnets that are positioned to match the left and right channels in the stereo record groove for outstanding channel separation and extended frequency response. The cartridge’s Shibata stylus provides greater surface contact with the record groove than an elliptical stylus does, resulting in the pickup of ultra-high frequencies with less groove stress and distortion. Includes mounting hardware.
Only the third release in an exclusive line, the latest McIntosh turntable is their most approachable to date. The MT2 is a belt-driven table, with a moving coil cartridge that is compatible with moving coil phono inputs and moving magnet...
Hackaday Prize judge [Ben Krasnow] has been busy lately. He's put his scanning electron microscope (SEM) to work creating an animation of a phonograph needle playing a record. (YouTube link) This is...
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Product highlights: low-output moving coil design neodymium magnet and permendur yoke dramatically enhance magnetic energy PCOCC (Pure Copper by Ohno Continuous Casting) coils ensure pure audio transmission vibration-resistant aluminum and synthetic resin cartridge housing Shibata stylus traces record grooves with extreme accuracy multilevel shape reduces wear on records solid, tapered boron cantilever frequency response 15-50,000 Hz output voltage: 0.4 mV stereo separation: 30 dB channel balance: 0.5 dB load impedance: 100 ohms 11/16"W x 11/16"H x 1-1/16"D cartridge weight: 6.9 grams warranty: 1 year 60-day returns MFR # AT33Sa Item # 057AT33SA
