Which Cartridge is Right for Me?

A Guide That Looks at The best Cartridge for Your

Record Deck on a Budget

 

The traditional vinyl record is making a huge come back! Although, some may argue that it never really went away. However, if you are keen on building a collection and want to take advantage of that warm tone, an essential tune-up of your turntable is certainly worth considering!

Many audiophiles will change their tone arms, cartridges and they will alter their decks to perform better than they did coming out of the factory. In one way, it’s like tuning a classic car – throwing on some twin carbs, changing the cam shaft and exchanging the exhaust system will certainly make a considerable boost in performance. Just like car tuners, audiophiles strive to get more performance out of their ‘stock’ turntable by a series of modifications.

As we are looking at turntable cartridges for beginners and those with a tighter budget in mind, we will be looking at the great ranges available to you – all costing below £100.

The most important place to start is the join between the vinyl record and the player’s needle – the cartridge system:

Some turntables do come with a cartridge fitted. However, these often prove to be weak in terms of performance and can often lead to damaging the records if they weren’t fitted correctly prior to operation. What is suggested is that the existing cartridge, which is usually un-branded, should be replaced by a cartridge that has greater stamina and accuracy than that of the original.

A new cartridge will lead to the following benefits:

  1. More sonic accuracy. This means that the sound will be more robust and will sound more as it was intended to do by the artist.
  2. Kinder performance to the record. Playing a record over repeatedly will eventually lead to it wearing out. However, an up-rated cartridge will be kinder and will easily prolong the record’s playing life if it has been fitted and tracked correctly.
  3. A new cartridge will also help by attaining a certain and desirable sound characteristic. In essence, you can buy cartridges that feature a warm and traditional sound, or, alternatively, a cartridge can provide a more accurate and greater sense of depth or clarity. The choice of sound characteristics can help by boosting or reducing in a certain frequency range.

So, by upgrading, you can get a much better stereo-image, boost or reduce a certain sound characteristic and prolong the record’s life for longer lasting playing pleasure. Listed below are the cartridges that can help dramatically in boosting playback performance:

£17 - £50:

 

The Budget AT-91 offers exceptional value...

Priced at a pocket-money-price of only £17, this Audio Technica AT-91 cartridge is ideal for beginners and those wanting a very affordable replacement for existing budget systems. £17.00

Audio Technica's AT-95E

The AT-95E is ideal for a slightly better quality than that of the deck's original cartridge. However, apart from being a very record-friendly cartridge, this is certainly worth considering if you want to build a realistic stereo image. I own one personally, giving it a try against the class favourite - the Goldring Elan. £35.99

An enduring favourite in the budget field - Goldring's Elan

Goldring's Elan never seems to want to go away. Just as well, considering it's depth, tone and superb stereo playback. £49.50

Ortofon's OM 5E

With superb tracking weights, the Ortofon OM-5E is a favourite for great sound with the safe knowledge of safeguarding records for future playback. £49.50

£52.95 - £80.00:

Grado's Prestige Black Cartridge offer excellent affordability

Grado's Prestige Black cartridge is designed to give a stunning performance for the price that it holds, giving bigger price-tag alternatives a run for their money. However, tracking as a very strong point of this cartridge. £52.90

Goldring's Elektra

This is the big brother to the cheaper and alternative Goldring Elan. However, this offers even more in terms of a an accurate stereo image. A sound investment for an upgrade from an Elan. £59.50

Grado's Prestige Green Cartridge

Priced slightly higher then the 'Black' Prestige, the 'Green'offers a little more in terms of clarity. But, like the Black, it offers oxygen-free copper connections for smooth data transfer from the record to the speakers. £63.95

Nagaoka's MP-100 is stunning!

Nagaoka's MP-100 is one of the best examples on the market. This cartridge offers an even higher output than most for easy matching and minimal humming outputs. £84.00

Grado's lightweight Prestige 'Blue'

This model of the Grado Prestige, the 'Blue', offers even tighter bass and crystal high-end frequencies. Also, it's lighter than it's smaller siblings. £74.25 - Special price that's subject to change. Don't miss out!

Ortofon's Red is the successor to the discontinued MM series

Ortofon's Red is a serious cartridge which gets the very best out of any record. Also, it's build is ideal for professional applications. £80.00

Grado's ultimate cartridge for under £100: The Prestige 'Red'

Grado's Red Prestige is the best Grado MM cartridge in terms of tracking and musicality. Certainly ideal if you require a hearty tone. £84.60 - Special price that's subject to change. Don't miss out!

Nagaoka's MP-110

Nagaoka's MP-110 is the final cartridge for under £100. This is a superb example of great tracking, stability and refinement. A wise choice for those with a demanding expectation of what they'd like to hear from their vinyl collection.

All of the above are ideal for replacements of existing cartridges of similar or prices below these examples. However, always ensure that a cartridge either matches or falls beneath the price of the turntable, but never exceeds the performance of the turntable. This can make an upgrade pointless if the turntable also needs rejuvenation.

Tom Parker,

Sales & Website Admin