Let's be candid about it – Father's Day can sneak up on the best of us. But for those of you looking to splash out on dad this weekend – and you've left it very last minute to buy something meaningful – this Ortofon MC Quintet Blue moving coil cartridge might be just the thing.

If your dad has a turntable that is in dire need of an upgrade, then one way to refresh it could be by updating the cartridge. The five-star Ortofon Quintet Blue is a former What Hi-Fi? Award-winner that will do the trick, and you can even make a decent saving thanks to its current discount.

Available for just £399 from Peter Tyson, this deal could complete or upgrade your old man's vinyl setup. But act fast, as there's only one left in stock!

Ortofon has been making moving coil cartridges for almost 80 years. In that time, the company has produced more than 100 different models, and this experience makes itself known in products like the Quintet Blue.

Moving coil cartridges tend to be more pricey than moving magnet designs, but the Quintet Blue walks the line between affordability and precision by implementing an elliptical tip and aluminium cantilever into a design that is otherwise reminiscent of Ortofon’s more premium Black cartridge.

Weighing 9g, the Blue should sit comfortably at the end of most tonearms, and is easily mounted via a squared-off ABS body with captive threads.

The cartridge’s output voltage of 0.5mV (1kHz, 5cm/sec) is also fairly respectable for a moving coil, which tends to output lower voltages than a moving magnet design, but it is still low enough that you'll need a dedicated moving coil input on your amplifier or phono stage.

If you are buying the MC cartridge for Father’s Day, it might be worth checking whether your dad’s system already has these features.

So let's talk about the sound. In our review, we described the Quintet Blue as a “terrific performer”, adding that we were impressed by its “refinement and ability to render treble textures”.

Rhythmically, we found it “surefooted” with a “fine sense of drive”, but did note that it fell slightly behind the similarly-priced Goldring 2400 moving magnet cartridge when listening to heavy rock music.

If your dad has been looking to add a moving coil cartridge to his record player, as dads sometimes do, this bargain could be just the thing for those willing to spend a little extra on Father’s Day.

Whoever you're buying for, there’s only one left in stock, so don't hang around if you want to pick up this Ortofon Quintet Blue MC cartridge for just £399 from Peter Tyson.

MORE

Read our guide to the best cartridges: budget and premium options for your turntable

Check out our Ortofon Quintet Blue review

And our best turntables 2026: top record players tested by our expert reviewers

If you want to upgrade your record player, and you have a spare £12,999 (around $17,000 / AU$24,000) knocking about, this new high-end Ortofon cartridge could be for you.

The MC Vertex is the "most advanced moving coil cartridge" that Ortofon has ever made. Its new materials and tweaked geometry promise to give more accurate groove tracing and signal generation. Don't worry, there's a more affordable option for us mere mortals, too, with both models being unveiled at the High End Vienna 2026 show.

At the heart of the MC Vertex is the new Vertex diamond, whose scanning radius of 4 μm and extended contact radius of 110 μm makes for a more even pressure distribution along the walls of a record's groove. This means more stable tracking, lower wear and more consistent detail extraction.

The cantilever that the diamond is mounted on is also made of solid diamond. Because it's extremely rigid with a low mass, it will transfer energy efficiently and so remain controlled.

And the cartridge housing and internal core? Sadly they're not diamond – that would be asking a bit much – but titanium, and were produced using Selective Laser Melting for greater control of geometry, mass distribution and internal damping. All of which should make for a structure that's mechanically stable, and that reduces unwanted resonances for a clean, accurate signal reproduction.

There's also a refined magnetic system with a non-magnetic armature that reduces moving mass and eliminates unwanted magnetic interaction. This combines with high-purity silver coils to ensure the signal generation remains stable and linear with an improved transient response and precise tracking across the frequency range.

Ortofon's own Wide Range Damping system is onboard to help control mechanical behaviour. This uses a platinum disc between two dampers made from proprietary Ortofon rubber compounds to manage resonance across the audible frequency range but without compromising the dynamic response.

And if the MC Vertex is a little dear for you, Ortofon has also announced a follow-up to the MC X40, which is much more affordable.

The MC X50 (above) costs €1499 (around £1300 / $1700 / AU$2400), and claims to be the MC X Series' "most advanced implementation". The stylus and cantilever have been refined from the MC X40, to provide more control and consistency in tracking a record's grooves.

The nude Micro Ridge diamond pairs with a boron cantilever for high stiffness and a low moving mass, resulting in a fast and controlled response time. The rubber suspension is made by Ortofon with a compound that was developed purely for the MC X50, and works with the diamond stylus and boron cantilever for stable tracking and consistent contact with the groove.

Ortofon's more affordable cartridges have reviewed very well – the MC X30 won an Award last year, as did the Ortofon Quintet Blue in 2023. So it'll be fascinating to see how its mega high-end MC Vertex performs, and if the MC X50 can maintain the brand's high standards at the mid-range level.

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Audio-Technica has launched a new flagship moving coil cartridge at the High End Vienna 2026 show, and at £9999 / €11,000, it's also one of the most expensive cartridges we've encountered from the Japanese manufacturer.

The AT-MCD1 cartridge is designed to deliver "an exceptional level of precision and realism" and builds on over 60 years of Japanese audio engineering and craftsmanship. It takes design points from the limited edition AT-MC2022 cartridge made for the 60th anniversary, and refines it further for greater detail, speed and smoothness.

Key to the AT-MCD1 cartridge's design is the integrated, one-piece diamond cantilever and stylus tip, an unusual construction which allows for "ultra-precise signal transmission."

The 0.2mm square diamond cantilever claims to deliver precisely focused vocals, controlled low frequencies and refined highs, as well as "fast attack and decay with outstanding clarity." We're also promised more realistic and fatigue-free listening thanks to unwanted high frequency resonances being reduced.

This lab-grown diamond is created through CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) to offer excellent uniformity and high reliability, making it an ideal material for use in a cantilever.

The AT-MCD1 is also the first Audio-Technica cartridge to feature a newly-developed Shibata stylus, whose refined profile (R2.7 x r0.08 mil) allows the stylus to trace "even the most intricate groove modulations with more accuracy".

Combined with the "highly responsive" diamond cantilever, the AT-MCD1 is able to relay subtle details of a recording, delivering a "lifelike listening experience."

The cartridge body structure is light and rigid, and combines titanium, aluminium and elastomer materials, which help to control resonances. Each housing is mirror-polished by hand, and then receives an ion-plated finish that adds durability as well as the black finish of the MC cartridge.

Additional features include a dual moving-coil generator that offers high separation and a wide frequency response, while a high-efficiency magnetic circuit offers higher output voltage.

The cartridge also has PCCOCC (high-purity, long-crystal copper) coils, gold-plated terminal pins, and threaded mounting holes to make it easier to install on tonearms and compatible headshells.

Each AT-MCD1 cartridge is individually engraved with a serial number and comes packaged in a solid cherry wood case, which certainly feels necessary for the asking price of £9999 / €11,000. Imagine the high-end turntable it will be mounted on...

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Audio-Technica is a cartridge manufacturing giant, so when the company overhauls one of its core moving magnet ranges, we can’t help but be interested.

The AT-VM740xML sits in the upper echelons of the new VMx range, which includes entry-level polymer-bodied models alongside premium die-cast aluminium options. There are mono variants too, though only available in the polymer housing.

Design

The Audio-Technica AT-VM740xML is the first rung metal-bodied option, with the difference between it and pricier siblings coming down to stylus profile and cantilever material. For example, the ’740xML uses a Nude Microlinear stylus profile with an aluminium cantilever, while the range-topping AT-VMx760xSL (£519 / $599 / AU$849) is specified with a Nude Special Line stylus profile and a boron cantilever.

A stylus profile has a big effect on the cartridge’s ability to track the record groove accurately, while the greater rigidity of boron aids the transmission of vibrational energy. Thankfully, the stylus assemblies are easily interchangeable, so it is possible to start with the AT-VM740xML and upgrade at a later date.

Audio-Technica is proud of the twin-coil per-channel generator system used in the VMx range, claiming it mirrors the structure of the original cutting lathe more accurately than the conventional alternative and improves efficiency.

Look inside the ’740xML’s metal housing, and you will find a central shield between the left and right channels to reduce crosstalk, which helps with stereo imaging and reduces distortion. The cartridge’s internal coils are now made of purer copper than that used on the previous generation VM series to improve performance.

A reduction of coil turns is said to aid dynamics, but this also results in a relatively low output of 3.2mV (1kHz, 5cm/sec). That output level isn’t anything to worry about though, as this Audio-Technica will play well with any moving magnet phono stage on the market.

Ease of set-up

This is an easy cartridge to fit. It has threaded holes in the body, so there is no messing around with small nuts when securing it to the headshell as before. Alignment is easy thanks to the ‘740xML’s multitude of straight edges.

Our testing is done with a Technics SL-1000R record player; its detachable headshell makes things even more painless.

The rest of our system is a Cyrus Phono Signature/PSX-R2 phono stage feeding a Burmester 088/911 MkIII amplifier and ATC SCM50 speakers. This high-end set-up isn’t typical of the kinds of systems that the AT-VM740xML will be used in, but it does a great job of putting a spotlight on the cartridge’s performance.

We also use a Cyrus 40 AMP with KEF LS50 Meta speakers to hear how the Audio-Technica responds in a more appropriate system context.

Our comparison cartridges are the Sumiko Rainier moving magnet (£129 / $199 / AU$299), Audio-Technica’s own AT-OC9XEN moving coil (£268 / $399 / AU$699) and the Nagaoka MP-200 moving magnet (£399 / $549 / AU$649).

Sound

Given a few days to bed in, the AT-VM740xML turns in great results. We play around with the tracking weight within the recommended 1.8-2.2g range and settle in the middle at 2.0g as the best compromise between tracking ability, tonal balance and general liveliness.

The AT-VM740xML isn’t the most exuberant or dynamic cartridge we’ve heard at this level, but it remains an engaging proposition nonetheless. As we work our way through a range of music that takes in Nitin Sawhney’s Human set, Holst’s Planets suite and The Boatman’s Call from Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, it becomes clear that this is a clear and well-balanced performer.

It sounds a little cleaner and more precise than the expressive Sumiko, tracking basslines with greater dexterity and grip. There is a decent amount of weight and authority at lower frequencies, and that helps to deliver the essential sense of menace in music such as Holst’s Mars well.

Moving up the frequency range, we admire the Audio-Technica cartridge’s clarity through the mids and its articulate way with vocals. Nick Cave sounds suitably gruff yet vulnerable during Into Your Arms, while the instrumental backdrop comes across as wonderfully cohesive, maintaining the song’s delicate momentum and melancholic feel.

Dynamics, particularly subtle shifts in intensity, are communicated well, and we like the way this cartridge renders the texture and tonal richness of instruments. It sounds understated and natural, making it easy for us to get lost in the music rather than think of the mechanics of hi-fi.

It helps that the tonal balance is even and avoids over-egging any specific part of the frequency range. Bass is powerful, taut and tuneful while the highs combine bite and refinement well. Feed the cartridge a poor record, and it won’t hide the fact, but equally the Audio-Technica won’t make a meal of things either.

Stereo imaging ability is equally pleasing. As we listen to the Holst suite, we can’t help but enjoy the focus and stability of the soundstage. It remains stable as the music becomes more demanding, which isn’t always a given.

Rhythmically, things are sure-footed rather than enthusiastic. There is a good sense of drive to the Nitin Sawhney set, along with the ability to tie things together so that the music’s message comes through clearly. Songs such as Fragile Wind hit hard emotionally and are delivered with the lightness of touch they deserve.

Pay more for something like the Nagaoka MP-200 and you will get even greater resolution and dynamic fluidity. The MP-200 is certainly a more subtle performer, particularly when it comes to dynamic shading. But, given that the AT-VM740xML comes in at around half the price, this is more an observation than a complaint.

By the standards of its direct peers, this cartridge is a capable all-rounder that is as informative and musically coherent as we’ve heard at this level.

Verdict

The AT-VM740xML is an accomplished design. It is easy to fit and unfussy in nature, while being sensibly priced. We think it will work without issue when partnered with any good sub-£1000 record player, and has a blend of attributes that will see it shine in most cases.

Add the easy upgrade path into the equation and the only logical conclusion is to recommend it highly.

Review published: 17th April 2026

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Build 5
• Compatibility 5

MORE:

Read our review of the Sumiko Rainier

Also consider the Nagaoka MP-200

Best cartridges: budget and premium options for your turntable

Japanese audio brand Analog Relax has unveiled a new moving-coil cartridge inspired by some of the most iconic and valuable classical instruments on the planet.

The new EX700 MC phono cartridge features a main body carved from Tyrolean tone wood, the same material from which Stradivarius violins are constructed, promising a sound “that sings like the finest stringed instruments”.

Aside from its wooden construction, complete with what Analog Relax describes as a special “violin varnish” finish, the new cartridge employs a custom-made line-contact stylus promising exceptional groove contact and minimised distortion.

The EX700 also features a boron cantilever designed to deliver exceptional speed, control and clarity, as well as a high-purity copper wire for greater tonal richness and dynamic integrity.

A multi-neodymium magnet system, meanwhile, aims for a more stable performance and greater control.

The new cartridge retails at the colossal price of £7288, quite the sum to pay in order to give your vinyl a decidedly high-end upgrade.

It is also a lot more premium than most of the cartridges we get in for testing here at What Hi-Fi?. Our premium pick of the best cartridges currently available – the Pro-Ject Pick-it DS2 – will set you back around £599.

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If you're looking to breathe new life into your turntable, Audio-Technica might have just the thing.

It's announced a raft of new cartridges and other accessories that promise to elevate your vinyl listening experience. Let's see what's new.

First, the cartridges. The AT33x dual moving coil phono cartridges have a host of sonic and engineering upgrades over the previous AT33 Series.

The five-strong line-up includes two mono cartridges (for those listening to LPs mixed in a single channel), which claim to be unaffected by vertical noise components picked up from the record groove.

All five models have Audio-Technica's dual moving coil structure with independent left and right coils for the stereo units, providing distinct channel separation, along with a sound that's "dynamic yet delicate and refined" according to Audio-Technica.

All models are hand-crafted in Japan, and have threaded mounting holes for easier installation. Their composite cartridge bodies are made of die-cast zinc, aluminium and high-rigidity polymer.

The cartridge base is made from rigid die-cast zinc to help resonance suppression, and make the bass and midrange clearer.

The new cartridges use PCOCC (pure copper by Ohno continuous casting) and gold-plated cartridge pins, and they have either neodymium or samarium cobalt high-strength magnets.

You can use each with a variety of tonearms too, thanks to the newly developed suspension and rubber damper design, which has a lower compliance than Audio-Technica's other cartridges.

The new cartidges are:

• AT33xMLB: microlinear nude stylus, solid boron tapered cantilever – £699 / $899 (around AU$1400)
• AT33xMLD: microlinear nude stylus, duralumin tapered pipe cantilever – £599 / $799 (AU$1200)
• AT33xEN: 0.3 x 0.7 mil elliptical nude stylus, duralumin tapered pipe cantilever – £519 / $699 (around AU$1000)
• AT33xMONO/I: mono, 0.65 mil conical nude stylus, duralumin pipe cantilever – £479 / $649 (around AU$1075)
• AT33xMONO/II: mono, 0.65 mil conical nude stylus, duralumin pipe cantilever – £349 / $449 (around AU$690)

The company has announced a range of turntable accessories, too. These include two new slipmats (one made of cork and rubber, and one just of rubber), two cartridge alignment tools and a stainless-steel disc stabiliser. Prices start at $14 (around £11 / AU$22).

There are also new AT-ST3 Speaker Stands, made from rigid alloy steel with vibration-damping cork feet. They cost $59 (around £44 / AU$91).

If your turntable needs some love, the above might be worth checking out. They're all much cheaper than buying a new model, but if you do want a more serious upgrade, consult our list of the best turntables.

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Find out: how does a vinyl record make a sound?

The introduction of a completely new cartridge range is a pretty rare event. Given the maturity of the technology, it often takes years, and sometimes decades, for manufacturers to develop new products that suitably advance the cause.

So, when an industry major such as Ortofon replaces its Quintet series of affordable moving coils with the all-new MC X range, we’re keen to have a listen.

This is a four-strong lineup, with the MC X30 sitting one down from the range-topping MC X40 (£895 / $999). The main difference between the four cartridges comes down to stylus profile, which gets increasingly more ambitious as the price increases.

The MC X30 uses a Nude Fine-Line stylus while the range topper features a rather exotic Nude Shibata. The first two rungs of the range feature elliptical profiles in standard and Nude forms.

Given that the entry-level model, the MC X10, retails for just £269 / $299, it is clear that Ortofon is attacking the affordable moving coil market with considerable aggression.

Having heard the complete range at the company’s rather nice demo room in Denmark, it is fair to say that it has plenty of reasons for such confidence.

For us, the Ortofon MC X30 is the real sweet spot of the quartet, though all the models make sense from a price/performance perspective.

Build & compatibility

The heart of the new MC X design is a MIM (Metal Injection Moulded) hexagonal-structured core onto which the moving coil generator assembly and connection pins are fixed.

This rigid structure promises greater precision in the way these components are mounted, as well as providing a structure of immense rigidity. The outcome of these positives should be improved sound quality.

The MC X30’s output is rated at a decent 0.4 mV, and so shouldn’t present any issues when working into a typical moving coil phono stage. Similarly, the 6-ohm internal impedance means that the conventional 100-ohm loading most phono stages present will be just fine. The recommended tracking weight of 2.0g is around par for the course and works well.

This is hardly a budget cartridge, so it only really makes sense with a relatively ambitious record player. Rega’s Planar 3 RS Edition (£999 / $1795) is a good starting point, with the MC X30 making sense up to the likes of the Technics SL-1300G (£2799 / $3299).

We, however, use it in our reference system to put a magnifying glass on its performance.

Our record player is the Technics SL-1000R, coincidentally the very same turntable that Ortofon used to demonstrate the MC X range on launch, feeding Cyrus’s Phono Signature phono stage, in turn fed by the optional PSX-R2 power supply.

To provide some context, we have the previous generation Ortofon Quintet Blue moving coil, a Nagaoka MP200 moving magnet, Vertere’s Sabre MM and our high-end Kiseki Purpleheart cartridges on hand for comparison.

The rest of our system is made up of the Burmester 088/911 MkIII amplifier and ATC SCM50 speakers. We also have a PMC Cor amplifier partnered with a pair of Epos ES-14N as an alternative.

Sound

It doesn’t take much listening time to realise that the MC X30 is a winner. It is a superbly balanced cartridge that ticks all the boxes, especially considering its price point.

As we listen to Orff’s Carmina Burana, the Ortofon delivers a cleaner and more precise sound than the talented Nagaoka MP200 (£449 / $449) or last-gen Quintet Blue. Detail resolution is excellent, and we can’t help but admire the crisp yet unforced manner with which the moving coil cartridge renders the leading edge of notes.

It is a pleasing performer tonally, too, with just the right balance of top-end bite and overall refinement. Instruments and voices come through with naturalness and fluidity, while there is enough subtlety on hand to draw sonic textures convincingly.

This Orff piece is hugely demanding when it comes to dynamics, and the MC X30 doesn’t wither when faced with wide-ranging swings, nor does it smother subtle shifts in intensity.

Stereo imaging is pleasingly expansive and stable. Instruments and voices are laid out with care and focus, and that focus remains unerring even when the music becomes busy. We enjoy the stability of the image and the controlled way the cartridge layers the musicians and sounds..

Switching to Mary J Blige’s No More Drama set shows that the Ortofon knows how to have fun. Both the Nagoka MP200 and pricier Vertere Sabre (£845 / $1199) show more enthusiasm when playing the track Family Affair, delivering rhythms with more zest, but the MC X30’s calmer, more controlled manner has plenty of appeal too.

We can hear deep into the mix and track low-level instrumental strands with ease. The lows are taut and punchy.

We have nothing but praise for the MC X30’s generally high level of composure and articulate nature. This is a cartridge that prefers to put the spotlight on the music rather than itself. We are just fine with that.

Verdict

The Ortofon MC X30 is a hugely talented performer. It is superbly balanced and delivers a high standard of clarity and precision.

Partner this moving coil cartridge with a suitably capable turntable and phono stage, and we’re sure you will be pleased. Highly recommended.

Review published: 16th July 2025

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Build 5
• Compatibility 5

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Best cartridges: budget and premium options for your turntable

The phono cartridge, whether a moving magnet or moving coil, has been around for the best part of 80 years.

That's given the technology plenty of time to be fully developed and honed, particularly as the basic operating principle – electric current being induced in a wire by moving relative to a magnetic field – is so well understood.

A cartridge of today looks pretty much the same as one made last century, so it would be easy to assume that we’ve reached the endpoint of cartridge development. But I don’t think that is true.

In my experience, the hi-fi industry is full of clever engineers who always look for ways to squeeze even more performance from their products. Here are three examples I’ve come across recently...

Ortofon's injection-moulded steel core

Completely new cartridge ranges are an infrequent occurrence in hi-fi. So when an industry major such as Ortofon replaces its respected Quintet collection of relatively affordable moving-coil cartridges with the new MC X series, I’m interested.

Having seen the cartridges being made myself, it's clear that Ortofon hasn’t sat on its laurels here. The core of the new MC X design is a honeycomb-structured stainless steel frame made using clever MIM (Metal Injection Moulding) technology.

This rigid structure provides an ideal support for the moving coil generator assembly, offering the potential for more precise construction and, consequently, improved sound quality. The exterior body is little more than a dust cover at this point.

While I've seen similar ideas used in multi-thousand-pound high-end cartridges, this is the first time I’ve come across it implemented in something remotely affordable.

The other impressive aspect of the MC X series is its use of Ortofon’s in-house rubber-making expertise. Unusually, the company develops its own rubber compounds for use in the cartridge’s suspension, giving it plenty of scope for improving performance.

DS Audio's optical cartridges

I find the concept of optical cartridges genuinely exciting. It isn’t just a variant of the moving-magnet/coil principle, but a fresh way to do the job.

Note that DS Audio isn’t the first company to have made an optical cartridge. There were examples from the likes of Toshiba, Kenwood, Trio and Sharp decades ago, although these failed to catch on for reasons both technical (excess heat from the internal bulbs) and commercial (by the late 1970s, the big manufacturers had started to divert resources towards new technology such as CD).

However, the advent of LEDs is fundamental for DS Audio’s cartridges to work. We tested the company’s entry-level DS 003 a little while back, and inside it are two small infrared LED lamps, one for each channel, and a matching pair of light detection photocells.

While the DS 003 has a pretty conventional aluminium cantilever (and line contact stylus tip), rather than the cantilever being attached to a magnet (or coil) as it would in a conventional cartridge, here it has a ‘shading plate’ instead.

This plate is positioned between the LEDs and the photocells. As the stylus traces the bumps in the record groove, the plate moves in sympathy, and the photocells detect any change in brightness from the light received from the partnering LED. That change represents the music signal.

The advantages of such a design are obvious. Firstly, the mass of the Beryllium shading plate is much lower than a typical coil or magnet, so the stylus tip can track the bumps in the record groove with more agility and accuracy.

Secondly, no unwanted internal magnetic effects are generated, as they would be in conventional setups. The result should be better sound.

There are complications, though. Heat is no longer a hurdle, as LEDs produce so much less of it than the bulbs used in those early designs.

But the cartridge still needs power for those LEDs, and the electrical output from those photocells is, of course, very different from that delivered by a conventional cartridge in terms of the relationship between stylus tip movement and the electrical output generated.

All this means that the DS 003 can’t be plugged into a conventional phono stage. Think of the DS 003 and the partnering equaliser box as a package, where the box works as a phono stage and power source for the cartridge.

Regardless of the complications, the use of optical technology is intriguing. The complexity may mean that it never reaches true mass market levels, but given the sound quality the DS 003 produces, I can’t wait to see where it goes.

Vertere Audio's hybrid ruby/aluminium cantilever design

Vertere may be a small company, but its cartridge range has expanded impressively over the last few years. The brand's latest model is the hugely impressive moving-coil Ruby One.

Priced at £9200/$12995, the Ruby One is hardly for everyone! But it does feature an interesting twist on traditional cartridge design.

The big difference between it and the company’s excellent Xtrax (£5800/$6499) is the use of a telescopic hybrid ruby/aluminium cantilever in place of the more conventional all-aluminium version in the cheaper model.

As Ruby is considerably stiffer than aluminium, less information is lost in ‘bending’ modes.

The combination of the ruby and aluminium telescopic section ensures a more extended and linear frequency response, which in turn makes the new cartridge sound more harmoniously coherent when compared with the Xtrax.

The Ruby One's nude diamond micro-ridge stylus profile and better resonance control of the generator help too, of course.

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Ortofon has just released the replacement range for its long-running and highly respected Quintet series of affordable moving-coil cartridges.

The new Ortofon MC X is a four-strong range comprising the MC X10 (£269), MC X20 (£429), MC X30 (£599) and range-topping MC X40 (£875).

We were fortunate to have a quick listen to all four models at Ortofon's offices in Denmark, and our first impressions are hugely positive. Each model offers improved detail and finesse over the step below.

To find out more, we took the opportunity to sit down with Peter Wieth Hjordt, Ortofon’s product director and the driving force behind the new models.

What Hi-Fi?: What is your role at Ortofon?

Peter Wieth Hjordt: I work on both the commercial and technical side of Ortofon, which gives me the ability to bridge those two worlds and help the company make products that the customers, distributors and retailers are actually asking for, rather than just what we think they should buy.

I also work with the engineering team, driving the development of those new products.

How did you first get started in hi-fi?

I first got interested in the early 1990s when I went into the high-end department of a local hi-fi shop. I had saved a few bucks and was ready to buy something, but I couldn’t really get a proper answer to my questions.

So, afterwards, I contacted the person in charge of the high-end section (who wasn’t in when I visited) and ultimately ended up working there.

Over the next years, I studied so that I could fully understand the technical aspects of hi-fi while progressing through numerous retail shops to distribution, and then ultimately came to Ortofon.

What are the relative merits of moving-magnet and moving-coil cartridges?

The big advantages of moving-magnet cartridges are the replaceable stylus – really good if you damage it or wear it out – and their higher output levels. They are easier to make, and the process can be automated.

The swappable stylus also means that it is easy to upgrade to the performance of models further up the range. The high output level of moving magnets also means that there is less of a demand on the partnering phono stage in terms of gain, noise levels and distortion.

Moving-coil cartridges have to be rebuilt if you damage the stylus, so it isn’t possible to repair or upgrade them in the same way. However, they have a lower moving mass, and that is critical to track the detail and dynamics of the signal in the record groove.

In terms of sound quality, provided your turntable and phono stage are good enough, moving-coil cartridges will tend to sound better.

What were the design priorities for the new MC X range?

With all the development work we have done in recent years, I knew right from the beginning that we could get better channel balance and a wider sound separation.

We could make big improvements in the magnet system as well as optimise the rubber damper (suspension) material. A lot of development has been done on rubber compounds over recent years, and I knew we could get better results.

All of this makes it possible to take performance to another level over the old Quintet range.

Stylus shape is the main differentiator between the various MC X models. Why is it so important, and what is the hierarchy?

The stylus is in contact with the sides of the record groove, not the bottom. The shape of the stylus dictates the amount of contact it makes and how accurately it can track the undulations. So, that’s why the narrower stylus profiles will usually sound better.

The most basic option is called Spherical, followed by Elliptical, both mounted on a titanium shank (that is then attached to the cantilever). The next step would be to get rid of the shank and mount the diamond directly to the cantilever, which we call ‘Nude’.

In such a design, the Elliptical diamond will be narrower in profile, giving a better sound. Fine-Line and then Shibata are next.

At the very top is a profile like our own Replicant 100, which has such a narrow shape that we haven’t found a way to make it better without turning it into a cutting head!

Cartridges are a mature technology. Where do you think improvements are possible?

It’s a tough question. There are many areas where we are focusing. We can improve the cantilever by introducing a more rigid material, such as diamond, but, of course, that is limited to only the most expensive cartridges.

Introducing a boron cantilever in an MC cartridge priced below £1000, as we have done with the new MC X40, gives some of the benefits, and I think that’s pretty magic. It allows us to deliver a high-end performance at a more affordable level.

Instead of using an extruded aluminium core and machining afterwards, making one using MIM (Metal Injection Moulding) and stainless steel, as we have with the new range... that is next level.

With this production method, new shapes and ways of designing the structure open up the possibilities. Also, refining the rubber compounds used in the cartridge suspension will make a huge difference.

What system do you have at home?

My main deck is a Technics SL-1210GR. I also have a Mark Levinson 331 power amplifier and Revel Performa F328 Be floorstanders.

I just sold my preamp so am in the market for a new one. It will be dangerous for me to go to the Munich High End show and see what is there!

What do you think the high-end Ortofon cartridge of 2050 will be?

That’s an interesting question. If we are looking at the same way of construction and sticking with the MC principle, I think we will have new, better ways of doing the magnetic system and suspension.

I’m sure there will be different materials and new alloys, as well as advanced AI simulations that help optimise the performance of every part.

MORE:

Check out the best cartridges we've tested across all budgets

Moving magnet vs moving coil cartridges: which is right for you?

High End Munich 2025: latest news, hi-fi product launches and highlights

German audio manufacturer Clearaudio has announced its latest moving-magnet cartridge, the N1. Promising to deliver the brand's considerable pedigree in the world of turntables and cartridges to a more affordable price point, the new N1 aims to "set a new benchmark in the entry-level MM cartridge class".

Clearaudio is no stranger to a product that pushes the boundaries of price as well as performance, with its statement Diamond Jubilee MC cartridge currently retailing at an eye-watering £22,000 / €25,000 thanks to its use of premium materials such as 24-carat gold wire and a zirconium oxide body.

While you won't find it adorned with any gold or silver, the N1, claims Clearaudio, will deliver "sonic performance far beyond its price category". The newly designed anodised aluminium housing provides the new cartridge with a rigid structure, while a weight of just eight grams "offers an ideally balanced tonal weight" for both light and heavy tonearms.

The N1 also features a clever quick-swap stylus system, allowing for a fast and hassle-free stylus replacement even while the cartridge is still mounted.

This latest cartridge is at the vanguard of a line of more affordably minded products from Clearaudio, and while we can't give away the details just yet, watch this space for upcoming announcements when they arrive.

Coming in either black or silver finishes, the Clearaudio N1 moving-magnet cartridge is available now, priced at €99. We'll get more prices to you as soon as they are confirmed.

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High End Munich 2025 preview: what to expect from the upcoming hi-fi show

Japanese cartridge brand Nagaoka is celebrating its 85th anniversary this year with a brand new flagship model, called the Nagaoka MP-700. It sits at the top of its long-running MP line of cartridges, and will be launched officially at the High End Munich show next month (15th to 18th May).

Nagaoka started in 1940 as a maker of precision parts for clocks and watches, then moved on to fine jewellery before embarking on stylus tips and cartridge manufacturing. Its mid-range MP-200 cartridge impressed us so much with its all-round performance that it won a What Hi-Fi? Award for the best cartridge over £250.

The new flagship MP-700 cartridge is designed to deliver "ever more refined and accurate sound reproduction, bringing listeners closer to the original performance."

The MP in the name stands for Moving Permalloy, a variation on the conventional moving-magnet cartridge design. Here, the MP design includes a lightweight permalloy piece attached to the cantilever, thereby 'significantly' reducing mass, and allowing more freedom and precision in the way the stylus moves.

The MP-700 features a boron cantilever and a micro-ridge nude diamond stylus measuring 0.12 x 0.3 mil, which promises "exceptional detail retrieval from vinyl grooves". A newly integrated suspension wire in the pivot system further helps with stability, separation and clarity across all frequencies.

The shielded case and cartridge frame are made from ultra-duralumin (a copper-aluminium alloy), which is further treated with a triple layer of nickel plating, black tin plating and an insulating coating – all of which aims to protect it against static interference, heat, wear and tear, and ensure the exterior’s longevity.

As a flagship product, this cartridge won't come cheap when it becomes available in May. The Nagaoka MP-700 will be available for £1149 / $1399, while the cartridge with headshell (MP-700H) costs £1249 / $1499. The replacement stylus JN-P700 will cost you £599 / $789. Let's hope its promise of delivering "accurate representation of treble, bass tones and timbre for a more vivid and lifelike listening experience" comes true.

MORE:

Read our Nagaoka MP-200 review

Our guide to the best cartridges you can buy

Moving magnet vs moving coil cartridges: which is right for you?

If you're looking to trick out your deck, a £22k gold and diamond cartridge should be just the ticket. As the price suggests, the Clearaudio Diamond Jubilee MC is no ordinary cartridge, being constructed from the finest materials to celebrate Clearaudio's 45th anniversary.

(We know, we know: a diamond jubilee actually celebrates 60 years. But we guess 'Sapphire Jubilee MC' wouldn't have quite the same ring to it. And diamonds!)

This flagship moving coil cartridge's body is made from zirconium oxide, which is one of the hardest and most stable materials around. Its manufacturing tolerance of up to 0.001mm minimises unwanted vibrations for a purer sound, according to Clearaudio.

It builds on Clearaudio's $17,000 Goldfinger Statement V2.1 from a couple of years ago. Its ultra-thin 24-carat gold wire coils are more efficient and create an "exceptionally clear and detailed sound reproduction", Clearaudio says.

It also has the same high-frequency shielding as the original Goldfinger Statement to help eliminate interference.

High-strength neodymium magnets and the revised coil geometry deliver "unmatched dynamics and resolution", while tracking accuracy is improved by the new freshly angled cantilever.

The precision-cut Micro-HD diamond isn't just for looks. It should ensure unparalleled groove tracking for a more precise and detailed sound.

Only 45 of these will be made (see what they did there?), and it costs £22,000 / $29,000 (around AU$45,000). Apparently it will work with any high-end turntable, not just those made by Clearaudio. Of course, if you want to pair it with the brand's £92,000 Statement v2, we're sure that would please Clearaudio no end.

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Japanese manufacturer JICO has launched a new moving magnet cartridge, called the Clipper, and it is now available to buy in the UK. The brand has been manufacturing styli and vinyl accessories for decades – such as steel phonograph needles in the 1950s – focusing mainly on stylus replacements, and most recently making replica Shure 44 series cartridges after Shure left the cartridge manufacturing business in 2018.

The Clipper is JICO's first original moving magnet cartridge and includes some distinctive design technologies to stand out from the crowd. It boasts a dual-fit stylus design, which allows vinyl enthusiasts to swap and fit a variety of stylus options. The Clipper MM comes with its own stylus but is also compatible with a variety of different models including the the Shure N44 and JICO N44 styli, and even vintage Shure models. This allows users to upgrade and explore different sound profiles for their turntable system without having to swap out the full cartridge.

The included stylus for the Clipper MM has a solid nude diamond conical tip that measures 0.7mil with a tip diameter of 0.12mm, and "tracks grooves with exceptional clarity, delivering the smallest details from your vinyl records for a smooth and balanced sound", says JICO.

The Clipper MM also features a unique tapered S cantilever design, which claims to reduce the tip mass in favour of "exceptional vibration fidelity" and promises to deliver greater tracking precision and a dynamic, punchy sound.

The body is made of a glossy black resin and features Clipper’s ApexGlide headshell finger-lift, which gives it a distinctive look that is reminiscent of an airliner's tail fin. This aviation connection is deliberate, as JICO has named its debut cartridge after Pan Am Airways' business class seating, which was called 'Clipper Class' in the 1970s. The brand says: "We chose the name Clipper to convey that this product offers a slightly higher-quality model compared to standard, mass-market MM cartridges."

Available now, the JICO Clipper MM cartridge costs £399.95 / $500 with its original included stylus, while the CRCP/MK1 replacement stylus costs £109.95 / $135. You're not short of great cartridge options at this price, from the Award-winning Nagaoka MP-200 MM to the five-star Ortofon Quintet Blue MC, so the Clipper is in good (and competitive) company.

MORE:

Read the similarly priced Nagaoka MP-200 review

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How to change the cartridge on your turntable

Nagaoka may not be a familiar name to many readers, but this Japanese brand has an impressive and unusual heritage. It was formed in 1940 to make precision parts for clocks and watches, subsequently going on to specialise in machining fine jewels. Over time, this led to an expertise in making diamond stylus tips and ultimately, complete cartridges. Look at the company’s website and you will find it now has fingers in all sorts of pies including headphones, microphones and digital cameras, alongside manufacturing moving magnet cartridges and various hi-fi accessories.

The MP-200 moving magnet cartridge is the step-up model in the company’s long-running MP range. Unpacking this cartridge sends a wave of nostalgia over us, as distinctive colour aside, it looks just like the highly-rated MP-11 we craved in the early ’80s. But, appearance aside, this is a significantly more capable cartridge than that much-loved budget favourite.

Design

The technical highlights here are the use of a low-mass boron cantilever combined with a superfine polished elliptical diamond stylus tip. The cartridge’s internal generator is based around a powerful samarium-cobalt magnet and delivers a decent output of 4mV (1kHz, 5cm/s). There is nothing unusual in terms of loading required from the phono stage, which follows the moving magnet norm of 47kOhms or cartridge weight (6.5g).  

The MP-200’s body is quite chunky but is unlikely to cause any issues unless the partnering tonearm headshell is on the unusually small side. We certainly didn’t have any issues fitting the cartridge to our test turntable. It would be nice if the MP-200’s body had captive nuts to make things a little less fiddly to fit, but apart from that its square front makes alignment a breeze. Nagaoka recommends a tracking force of between 1.5g - 2.0g, and we settled on 1.75g as the best compromise between agility, solidity and tracking security.

Our testing is done with the Nagaoka MP-200 mounted to our reference Technics SL-1000R record player and feeding a Cyrus Phono Signature/PSX-R2 phono stage. We also have the similarly-priced Ortofon Quintet Blue moving coil and a now sadly discontinued Goldring 2500 MM for comparison, alongside a pricier reference in the form of Vertere’s hugely capable Sabre MM.

The rest of our reference system is Burmester’s 088/911MkIII amplifier and ATC’s SCM50 speakers. We also swap in Naim's Nait XS 3 integrated amplifier (using its standard MM phono stage) and the Epos ES-7N speakers to see how the Nagaoka performs in a more price-compatible system. In either use case, the results are excellent.

Sound

The MP-200 is a clear, controlled and entertaining performer. Its talents start with balanced tonality and continue with expressive dynamics and plenty of punch. As we work our way through our record collection it is hard not to be impressed by its composure when playing difficult and dense recordings like Orff’s Carmina Burana and its ability to resolve large amounts of information. This Nagaoka tracks low-level instrumental strands with ease while still managing to make sense of the whole. 

Stereo imaging is crisply focused and nicely layered with the massed choir and instrumentation positioned with conviction and stability. This piece is one of the most demanding we know with its savage dynamics and at times almost frenzied orchestration, yet the Nagaoka remains unfazed, producing a clearer and more precise window into the recording than any price rival we’ve heard. The midrange performance is terrific, with voices coming through in a convincingly natural way, packed with texture and full-bodied.

The MP-200 can be a fun listen too, as we find out during Four Tet’s There is Love In You set. This rich tapestry of electronica shows off the cartridge’s firm grasp of rhythmic drive and its ability to deliver bass with agility, articulation and power. The Nagaoka’s presentation is forthright and direct, which suits music like this well: this moving magnet isn’t a showy performer and doesn’t embellish the sound to make it more exciting. The MP-200 is all about recovering the sound from the record groove without losing the music’s energy and with a minimum of embellishment. It does this superbly.

Verdict

The Nagaoka MP-200 is a great all-rounder. It is well made and easy to fit (lack of captive nuts aside). There is nothing electrically that puts a hurdle in the way of compatibility, and the overall sound is as complete as we have heard at this level. We have no choice but to recommend this cartridge highly.

First reviewed: October 2024. Review updated: November 2024.

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Build 4
• Compatibility 5

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Best cartridges: budget and premium options for your turntable

Rega's current range of turntables has an enviable track record of five-star reviews from What Hi-Fi?, but there is a significant change coming soon that might shake things up. Rega has launched three new moving magnet cartridges in the past few weeks – the Nd3, Nd5 and Nd7 – that aim to deliver ‘next level’ performance for moving magnet designs.

We saw our first glimpse of the range-topping Nd7 back in February at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2024, but now that this trio of new models are officially available to buy, it also means they will replace older cartridge models and can be factory-fitted to Rega's current range of Planar turntables.

The new Nd cartridges are a result of 10 years of development, are hand-made by Rega's technicians and feature an all-new construction. All three cartridges use a powerful neodymium magnet (hence the Nd in the name), which is the most concentrated form of magnet commercially available and offers a high amount of magnetic power for a small volume compared with other magnet types. 

The generator arrangement has been carefully designed with "perfect symmetry" in mind to achieve more accurate channel balance. The cartridges use coil wires of just 38 microns thin, with a relatively low number of turns (1275), which reduces impedance and increases high-frequency performance.  

While the basic design is the same across all three cartridges, it's the stylus tip that is the differentiator. The Nd3 uses a bonded manmade polycrystalline diamond, while the Nd5 uses a "perfect elliptical nude diamond" – which is a purer, higher quality of diamond and step up from the Nd3 in terms of tracking accuracy and detail retrieval. 

At the top of the range is the Nd7, which uses a "Fine Line nude diamond" with the same stylus profile as Rega's high-end moving coil cartridges Apheta 3 and Aphelion 2. Also inspired by the MC range, the body is made out of a glass-filled plastic mould called PPS (polyphenylene sulphide) and you can also differentiate between the three models thanks to the different cover colours.

The prices for each cartridge when bought separately are:

Nd3 - £175 (red cover)
Nd5 - £295 (smoked clear cover)
Nd7 - £450 (clear yellow cover)

But it isn't just the new cartridges that are of interest, it's also how they impact the current Planar 2, Planar 3 and Planar 6 turntables' prices and performance. The new Nd cartridges are now available as factory-fitted options for these five-star turntables, and we are keen to hear just how much of a performance change these next-gen cartridges will have compared with previous cartridge combinations. 

The Nd3 replaces the Elys2 cartridge and the Nd5 replaces the Exact cartridge. The Nd7 is a new tier of moving magnet cartridge for Rega and doesn't replace any model. 

The standard Nd cartridge price is discounted when you opt to have one factory-fitted to your Planar turntable. The UK pricing for the new cartridge and turntable combinations are as follows:

Planar 2 / Nd3 - £599
Planar 3 / Nd3 - £799
Planar 3 / Nd5 - £895
Planar 6 / Nd5 - £1450
Planar 6 / Nd7 - £1575
Planar 8 / Nd7 - £2230

For those curious about the other Rega models: the entry-level Rega Planar 1 and Planar 1 Plus still come with the entry-level Carbon MM fitted as standard, while the brand's moving coil cartridges (Ania Pro, Apheta 3, Aphelion 2) for Planar 6, Planar 8, Planar 10 and Naia turntables remain unchanged.

Rega has also clarified that the Planar 2 comes with the Carbon MM as standard unless you specifically ask for the Nd3 (at an extra cost). The Ania MC – which was tested in our Planar 6 turntable review – is still available and sold separately, but is no longer offered as a fitted option.

We are currently reviewing the Rega Planar 3/Nd3 combination and will soon have the Planar 2/Nd3 turntable in our test rooms too, so stay tuned for the full reviews!

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Read our original Rega Planar 3/Elys 3 review

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If you're on the hunt for a new high-end cartridge to fit on to your high-end record player, then we have good news: Audio-Technica has just launched a new flagship reference-level AT-ART1000X moving coil cartridge.

Audio-Technica has over 60 years of experience in making turntables and turntable-related components, and the new AT-ART1000X is billed as the brand's "most advanced cartridge to date".

Manufactured in Japan, the AT-ART1000X is the next-generation model following on from the previous flagship, the AT-ART1000 (which was launched at 2016's High End Munich). With eight years of development since then, the new cartridge aims to take the brand's "pursuit of sonic excellence to new heights, with a more refined direct power system for improved efficiency and enhanced bass reproduction."

The new MC cartridge continues to use a direct power system whereby the dual coils are placed directly above the stylus tip, which Audo-Technica claims picks up the finer details in music and delivers "unsurpassed" greater transient response. What's new is the coils – they are now rectangular rather than round, and that allows for more of their surface area to be positioned in the magnetic field. Audio-Technica says this results in more efficient and improved output voltage and greater low frequency range for "rich, powerful, and supremely accurate bass" to be delivered.

Each non-magnetic coil is constructed of PCOCC (Pure Copper by Ohno Continuous Casting) wire that is 20µm in diameter and hand-wound "exactly eight times" by skilled experts in Japan to create the newly developed rectangular shape. Each coil is able to generate 0.22mV of output voltage at 3.5 ohms, and they are placed in a tiny 0.5mm gap in the magnetic circuit. 

As before, the AT-ART1000X has a solid boron cantilever with a titanium base and rigid aluminium housing – all to ensure the stylus is able to precisely and consistently read information from the record groove and to disperse any resonance that might affect sound quality. There is a special coating to protect the magnetic circuit from corrosion, ensuring that the cartridge continues to work and deliver the best performance throughout its lifetime.

And you'd certainly hope the new reference cartridge does last a lifetime, as such skill, manufacturing and sonic ambitions come with a high-end price tag. The Audio-Technica AT-ART1000X is available from today, retailing at a cool £4700 / €5500 / $5499. We'd love to see the equally impressive turntable that it's matched with.

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Details matter in audio design. Getting those details right makes the difference between good and great, and right now, we can’t think of a better example of this than Vertere’s new Dark Sabre moving magnet cartridge. We are big fans of the standard Sabre cartridge (£950 / $1199). We reviewed it back in 2022 and it proved that moving magnet cartridges could compete with the very best moving coil options at its premium price.

The Dark Sabre pushes that price boundary even harder. Initially, we wondered whether Vertere had been blinded by ambition. After all, the two Sabre models share many basic ingredients including the generator, telescopic cantilever design and even body construction. But, details matter.

Design & build

Those details start with the stylus tip, the bit that actually makes contact with the record groove. In the Dark Sabre this is a single crystal micro elliptical design that has been precision cut to shape before being attached directly to the two-piece telescopic aluminium cantilever. In the standard Sabre, the elliptical diamond is sintered, not naturally formed, and is bonded to a titanium shank before being punched through the cantilever. The Dark Sabre method is a more precise way of doing things and allows the tip to track the record groove more accurately.

This one change allows Vertere to tweak the cantilever angle and design slightly, and also fine-tune the angle of the generator. This slightly different generator position means that the rigid aluminium cartridge body can be machined into a subtly different shape, which in turn changes the distribution of its mass. All of these are small tweaks, but their cumulative effect is significant.

Elsewhere, things remain largely the same. Both cartridges feature a substantial cartridge body that appears identical unless you place them side by side and notice the slight difference in some of the angles. This body is machined from a solid block of aluminium and then anodised, in the case of the Dark Sabre, black. There are three contact points on the top to ensure it makes rigid contact with the tonearm headshell. Both models feature a common generator design, and it is mounted into the aluminium body by four stainless steel ‘spike’ screws that control unwanted mechanical vibrations. The cantilever remains an unusual design in that it is telescopic and is made of two types of aluminium to maximise stiffness without suffering from undue resonance. 

Compatibility

The Dark Sabre is an easy cartridge to fit thanks to its straight-edged shape. It is quite heavy at 11.5g, but most tonearms should be able to cope. Once mounted to our reference Technics SL-1000R record player it tracks securely at the recommended 2.0g tracking weight, and sounds balanced enough so that we don’t feel the need to tweak too much from there.

Vertere has provided small thumbscrews to secure the cartridge rather than the more conventional Allen bolts. That prevents over-tightening, and potentially any damage to the body or threaded fixing holes. The Dark Sabre’s output is a fairly typical 4.3 mV (@1kHz, 5cm/sec) so there shouldn’t be any issues when it comes to partnering with an MM phono section.

The rest of our set-up is our usual Cyrus Phono Signature/PSX-R2 phono stage, Burmester 088/911 MkIII amplifier and ATC SCM50 speakers. We also give the Dark Sabre’s natural partner, the excellent Vertere Phono-1 phono stage a go to see how the pairing performs. There are no surprises, the all-Vertere combination works well together, though the cartridge proves unfussy, still delivering fine results when used with an out-of-house solution like the Cyrus Phono Signature.

Sound

We start with a comparison with the standard Sabre. We don’t need long. The standard cartridge is as good an all-rounder as we’ve heard at its price and nothing we heard changes that opinion. Equally, if there is the extra budget, and your system is suitably revealing, we can’t imagine anyone not picking the Dark Sabre given the choice. 

Fundamentally, both cartridges share the same musically cohesive character. They are exciting, entertaining and subtle enough to work well with everything from a grand Beethoven Symphony to something as bare-fisted as Nirvana’s Nevermind set. Once set up with care, the tonal balances are nice and even, and they deliver enough in terms of stereo imaging and scale to satisfy.

However, move from the standard cartridge to the Dark Sabre and just about every aspect of the sound improves. As we listen to Beethoven’s 9th Symphony we are aware that the newer cartridge digs up far more information from the record groove. It reveals more in terms of instrumental textures and defines the shape of notes with greater precision. The Dark Sabre delivers more in the way of muscle too, rendering larger-scale dynamic shifts with more heft and confidence. We don’t hear much difference in terms of outright scale, but the pricier cartridge certainly produces more in the way of authority and the ability to capture the sheer majesty of an orchestra in full flow.

Stereo imaging is good with the Dark Sabre’s extra clarity making it even easier to place instruments in the soundstage. We have no issue with the stability of the imaging when the music gets demanding or the way either cartridge layers the instruments.

A switch to the aforementioned Nirvana album or Michael Jackson’s Thriller set shows that the Dark Sabre also delivers more in the way of drive and attack. Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough charges along full throttle with the cartridge handling the changes in musical momentum brilliantly. It digs up so much more detail yet still manages to organise it all in a musical and composed way. Despite resolving so much information, this is not a product that encourages the listener to concentrate on the production or recording techniques involved. Rather, it prefers that the listener simply sit back and enjoy the experience. A surefooted sense of rhythm and lows that exhibit plenty in the way of grip and power help that cause.

Verdict

While it is possible to get some rather tasty moving coils at this level, the Lyra Delos and Ortofon Cadenza Blue come to mind, we think that the Vertere Dark Sabre is talented enough to stand tall against such competition. Also, let’s not forget that its innately higher output means that it will be less demanding of the partnering phono stage. Phono stages with good moving coil inputs don’t come cheap. In conclusion, if you are looking to buy a cartridge at this level don’t ignore the Dark Sabre. It is something of a gem.

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Build 5
• Compatibility 5

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Best cartridges: budget and premium options for your turntable

Audio specialist Goldring has unveiled its latest moving coil cartridge. The new Goldring Ethos SE is a special edition of the brand's established Ethos model (hence "SE"), with the manufacturer proclaiming the new accessory to "sit at the very top of Goldring's range of moving coil cartridges". That's a lot to live up to straight off the bat.

Goldring makes cartridges to suit most budgets, with its E3 model currently holding a What Hi-Fi? Award for best cartridge under £100, while the newer E4 moving magnet cartridge sits around the £199 / €259 / $299 mark. 

The premium Ethos SE, though, is a big step up in cost and, most likely, performance. The Special Edition comes with new pure silver coils with fewer windings and higher conductivity, all of which should lower the overall tip mass for improved tracking and greater transient response. A low-mass cross-armature core, meanwhile, is designed to improve channel separation and convey a more realistic soundstage to the listener.

Elsewhere, a bespoke diamond stylus also boasts a narrow, low tip mass, with a broad contact area for an "enhanced high-frequency response" and "minimised distortion and colouration". The entire cartridge frame is constructed from aircraft-grade aluminium with a low density and high rigidity, while newly designed pole shoes aim to deliver a clean, extended frequency response.

The new aluminium cartridge itself weighs in at around 7.7g, while the SE's diamond stylus measures in at 0.3 x 0.7 mil. The stylus isn't replaceable, but Goldring does offer a re-tip service via its official website.

With the addition of the cartridge's new features and bespoke internal upgrades, Goldring vows that the premium Ethos SE will set "new standards in terms of detail retrieval, channel separation and low colouration". Bold words, indeed.

The Goldring Ethos SE moving coil cartridge is available now, priced at £1299 / €1599 / $1999.

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Read our Award-winning Goldring E3 review

Moving magnet vs moving coil cartridges: which is right for you?

How to change the cartridge on your turntable 

1948 was a big year for fans of Analogue. The long-playing (LP) record that we know and love was launched this year, as were the first moving magnet and moving coil cartridge designs required to play it. To this day, the two cartridge types still dominate to the extent that it would be easy to think that there was no other way of doing that specific job other than by having a small magnet move relative to a coil or vice-versa.

DS Audio would beg to differ. The company isn’t the first to design an optical-type cartridge. There were examples from the likes of Toshiba, Kenwood, Trio and Sharp decades ago, but these failed to catch on for technical reasons (excess heat from the internal bulbs) and commercial (by the late Seventies, the big manufacturers had started to divert resources towards new technology such as CD). But, the idea of an optical cartridge retained much promise.

Build & design

The advent of LEDs is fundamental for DS Audio’s cartridges to work. In the DS 003 optical cartridge, there are two small infrared LED lamps, one for each channel, and a matching pair of light detection photocells. While the DS 003 has a pretty conventional aluminium cantilever (and line contact stylus tip), rather than the cantilever being attached to a magnet (or coil) as it would in a conventional cartridge, here it has a ‘shading plate’ instead. This plate is positioned between the LEDs and the photocells. 

As the stylus traces the bumps in the record groove, this shading plate moves in sympathy and the photocells detect any change in brightness from the light received from the partnering LED. That change in light brightness represents the music signal.

The advantages of such a design are obvious. The mass of the ‘shading plate’, now made of Beryllium rather than the aluminium of the previous generation model, is much lower than a typical coil or magnet, so the stylus tip can track the bumps in the record groove with more agility and accuracy. Also, there are no unwanted internal magnetic effects generated, as there would be in conventional set-ups. The result should be better sound.

There are complications though. Heat is no longer a hurdle, as LEDs produce so much less than the bulbs used in those early designs. But, the cartridge still needs power for those LEDs, and of course, the electrical output from those photocells is very different from that delivered by a conventional cartridge in terms of the relationship between stylus tip movement and electrical output generated. 

All this means that the DS 003 can’t be plugged into a conventional phono stage. Think of the DS 003 and the partnering equaliser box as a package, where the box works as a phono stage and power source for the cartridge. That power is fed through the tonearm cable.

Despite its technological differences, the DS 003 package doesn’t feel any different to use than a conventional set-up. The cartridge is a little bulky but balances out well on our reference Technics SL-1000R’s tonearm and tracks nicely at the recommended 2.1g downforce. Once everything is in place, we also notice that background noise levels are very low. Typical set-ups, even the really quiet ones, usually generate more in the way of hiss and general background hash than this. 

The rest of the system is our usual Burmester 088/911 MkIII amplifier and ATC SCM 50 speakers. We also have Wilson Benesch’s A.C.T. 3Zero floorstanders and Kerr Acoustic K300 Mk 3 standmounts on hand as alternatives to the ATCs. Our usual reference cartridge/phono stage combination is Kiseki’s Purpleheart moving coil feeding Cyrus’s Phono Signature/PSX-R2 phono stage, which weighs in around the same ballpark as the DS 003 package price-wise.

Sound

The two combinations sound surprisingly different. By conventional standards, our Kiseki/Cyrus pairing is crisp, clean and ever so detailed, but it is made to sound a little hazy and congested by the DS Audio combo. There are no two ways about it, when it comes to clarity and precision we haven’t heard anything better anywhere near this price level. The DS Audio DS 003 package defines the leading edges of notes superbly. There isn’t any hardness or undue emphasis, it just sounds bold and natural. 

The DS Audio combo is such a great all-rounder. As we listen to Bob Marley’s Concrete Jungle it is hard not to be impressed by the bouncing articulate bassline and the sheer amount of grunt produced in this region. Low notes dig deep and true but pleasingly remain richly textured and wonderfully agile. Punch and attack? There isn’t a problem here either, as we are treated to a performance that sounds bold and muscular without going over the top. There is a strong sense of rhythmic momentum and plenty of cohesion from the lowest frequencies upwards.

Marley’s voice comes through with passion and natural warmth, remaining easy to follow even when the music becomes busy. There isn’t a shortage of refinement either, with the highs coming through with enthusiasm and bite without getting aggressive.

Moving to Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony shows the DS Audio’s balanced tonality, and ability to track a multitude of instrumental strands without confusion. Large-scale dynamics are rendered with enthusiasm and an impressive degree of authority, yet there is enough in the way of finesse to prevent things from feeling ham-fisted. Some listeners may prefer the more comfortable and sweeter presentation of the Kiseki/Cyrus duo, but as we go through record after record in our collection we form a clear preference for DS Audio’s way of doing things. It is more insightful, more expressive and in the end, more fun.

Verdict

Clearly, this is a huge amount of money to spend on a cartridge/phono stage combination, but in performance terms it is outstanding. The scary thing is that the DS 003 combo sits fairly low in the company’s hierarchy, which makes us wonder just how much better the performance can get. Still, even as it stands, if you have a record-playing system that justifies this kind of expense you owe it to yourself to have a listen to this DS Audio package. It really is hard to beat for the money.

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Build 5
• Compatibility 4

MORE:

Also consider the Kiseki Purpleheart / Cyrus Phono Signature/PSX-R2

Best cartridges: budget and premium options for your turntable

Best phono preamps: budget to high-end phono stages

Vertere Acoustics has just added two new cartridges to its range. The Dark Sabre moving magnet and range-topping XtraX moving coil join the current trio consisting of the Magneto MM (£275), Sabre MM (£950) and Mystic Moving coil (£2650).

The 11.5g Dark Sabre is a careful development of the standard five-star Sabre we like so much, and sits firmly in the price territory traditionally occupied by moving-coil designs. The main changes over the original are the use of a single crystal, nude micro elliptical diamond tip and aluminium telescopic cantilever. 

A new square-shank diamond assembly optimises alignment precision, build consistency and rigidity, while the shape of the stylus tip is claimed to improve tracking ability without increasing surface noise or sacrificing high-frequency response. The revised cantilever, meanwhile, uses two different grades of aluminium to help with stiffness and resonance control. 

The Dark Sabre’s aluminium alloy body is black rather than the distinctive burnt orange of the standard version and features threaded fixing holes with three raised sections on the top plate to ensure stable contact with the tonearm headshell. 

The body is optimised in terms of shape and mass to support the cartridge’s low-mass generator properly. This generator is held in the housing by four stainless-steel ‘spike’ screws (rather than being glued as is conventional) on performance and alignment grounds.

An output of 4.3mV means that the new cartridge will have no trouble working into any standard moving-magnet phono stage, with the Dark Sabre sporting a recommended tracking weight of 2.0g.

The range-topping XtraX moving-coil cartridge, meanwhile, mirrors many of the Dark Sabre’s design ideas. The threaded aluminium body, stylus tip and telescopic cantilever principles are carried over but optimised for this context. Equally, the generator is mounted into the distinctive light-purple body with the same four-point mounting system rather than glued. As with its junior sibling, great care is taken over the generator assembly, and the way it aligns when a record is being played. 

Given that the XtraX is a moving-coil design, it comes as no surprise to find that its output of 0.45mV is much lower than its MM sibling, but this is still pretty healthy as far as such designs go and should pose little problem for any competently designed phono stage. The XtraX’s recommended tracking weight is 2.05g and it weighs a fairly chunky 11.2g.

We were lucky enough to hear both cartridges at Vertere's recent launch event. Comparisons were made to the company’s existing designs and our early impressions from this brief exposure are really positive. We heard each model in a variety of the company’s turntables from the starter DG-1S to the range-topping RG-1 and it's clear that there is a definite hierarchy in the company’s cartridge range, with the Dark Sabre bettering its standard sibling and the XtraX improving on the already excellent Mystic. 

The question of whether they are worth the relative price premiums and how they compare with the wider market will have to wait for a full review. 

Both new models will be available from the end of October. The Dark Sabre moving-magnet cartridge will set you back £1450, while the range-topping XtraX moving-coil model will cost a more substantial £5800 (further prices pending).

MORE: 

Read our Vertere Sabre MM and Award-winning Vertere DG-1 S/Magneto reviews

See our list of this year's Award winners right here

These are the best cartridges, budget and premium for your turntable

How to change the cartridge on your turntable

Goldring E4 isn't just a new moving magnet cartridge; it's the brand new flagship cartridge of the renowned audio company's entry-level E series, which includes the brilliant, five-star Goldring E3 cartridge. 

The E4 slots in above the E3 (which currently holds a What Hi-Fi? Award for best cartridge under £100), and Goldring claims that the new E4 is "the single most cost-effective upgrade owners of budget or midrange turntables will ever make".

That's certainly music to our ears. We at What Hi-Fi? have long held the opinion that upgrading specific components of a good turntable (or any hi-fi system) is a simpler and more budget-friendly way of updating its performance, rather than chucking it out entirely and buying a whole new deck. So if you think your current record player needs a bit of a performance lift, why not consider updating the cartridge? And this E4 cartridge could well be the missing link. 

Goldring's E Series was created with the aim of being "the ultimate upgrade for any modern budget or midrange turntable" when launched in 2020, and the new E4 is designed to be the "pinnacle of E Series engineering and performance."

The new E4 has a hollow aluminium cantilever with a new super-elliptical nude diamond stylus measuring 0.3 x 0.7 mil. The cartridge remains fairly light at 6.9g (the same as the E3), and Goldring recommends a 1.75g tracking weight as the sweet spot.

Coupled with the lightweight yet stiff cantilever, the new stylus's lower mass and improved rigidity reportedly help to track high frequencies with greater accuracy and detail. Goldring's Magnetic Duplex Technology allows the E4 to read the vinyl stereo groove with more accuracy and deliver a more convincing soundstage, and the company assures us that each E4 is made with "optimised channel balance and crosstalk settings" during the production process.

The cartridge body design remains the same throughout the E Series, but each model sports a different colour at the bottom of the body. The starter E1 is red, E2 is green, our five-star E3 is violet, and the new E4 is a fetching shade of blue.

The Goldring E4 cartridge will be available from June/July, costing £199 / €259 / $299. Meanwhile, the E4 stylus will cost £145 / €185 / $275. 

If you're heading to the High End Show 2023 in Munich (18th-21st May) this week, you can see the new Goldring E4 in action. Find them in room A (Atrium) 4.1, F110, alongside QED's Golden Anniversary XT speaker cable and the new Q Acoustics 5000 speaker series.

MORE:

High End Munich 2023: what to expect at Europe’s high-end hi-fi show next week

Read our Goldring E3 review

Moving magnet vs moving coil cartridges: which is right for you?

How to change the cartridge on your turntable 

Your record player is made up of three main parts. There is the deck itself, which is responsible for spinning the disc and providing the home for the tonearm and cartridge. It’s the cartridge that we’re going to focus on here. This is the part that actually touches the record groove and generates the electrical signal that subsequently becomes the music you hear out of your speakers.

• How does a vinyl record make a sound?

How cartridges work

A cartridge is essentially an electro-mechanical device. Let’s go back to some GCSE physics. If you move a magnet near a wire then current is generated in that wire. It sounds so simple, but that physics principle forms the basis of how microphones, speaker drive units and phono cartridges all work.

The main parts of a cartridge are its body, the cantilever which has the stylus tip at one end, a thin coil of wire and a permanent magnet. There is also the suspension that allows the cantilever to pivot as the stylus tip tracks the bumps in the record groove. At the other end of the cantilever you’ll find either the coil of wire or the magnet depending on the type of design.

The names say it all, really. In a moving magnet-type cartridge, it is the magnet that is fixed to the cantilever and moves while the coil of wire is fixed in place. The positions are reversed in a moving coil design. What difference does this change of roles make, given that the electrical music signal is generated in both cases?

More output, less ability?

The most obvious difference between the two types of cartridges is that moving magnets usually have a higher electrical output. Let’s put some numbers on it. A typical moving magnet cartridge such as Ortofon’s 2M Blue is specified to output 5.5mV. Just contrast that to one of the Danish company’s more affordable moving coils, the Quintet Blue, which delivers a claimed 0.5mV. 

These are fairly typical numbers, but there tends to be more variability in the moving coil ranks. It is possible to find high-end moving coils with far weedier outputs than the Quintet Blue, though. The lower output is usually due to a reduced number of coils or thinner wire, both of which reduce inertia and let the stylus react more responsively to the bumps in the record groove. The result?  A reduced output level but better detail resolution.

What does the lower output of a typical moving coil mean for you? Most obviously, you’ll need a phono stage that can amplify the signal that much more. The greater the gain of an amplifier, the more its character and distortions are multiplied. In simple terms, you’ll need a better phono stage. You'll also need a suitably talented turntable deck and tonearm to make the most of the cartridge's performance. All these things will cost more money.

Some cartridges try to blur the boundaries, namely high-output moving coils that get closer to the signal levels a typical moving magnet design can manage. They will even work into a moving magnet phono stage, but in our experience, this type of design usually tends to degrade the very qualities that make moving coil cartridges worth having in the first place.

Performance

What qualities? Sound, of course. We’re not saying that moving coil cartridges will always sound better, but in our experience, as a breed, they usually deliver more in terms of detail resolution and finesse. Once the prices get closer to four figures they certainly paint with a finer brush, sounding more delicate and articulate than most moving magnet alternatives.

There are also exceptions of course. A premium moving magnet such as Vertere’s Sabre MM is priced well into moving coil territory but still has the ability to impress against such competition, but such products are rare.

Things aren’t totally one-sided with sound quality though. Moving magnets tend to have a more robust presentation, quite often delivering a more muscular and punchy sound. This is probably down to their healthier outputs. We know quite a few people that are happy to forgo the refinement and clarity of a quality moving coil for the greater visceral qualities of a moving magnet cartridge. We totally understand that choice.

Price

Price comes into this too, with moving coil cartridges typically costing a fair bit more to buy. While good starter moving magnets such as a Goldring E3 can be had for £89/$189/AU$199, our cheapest moving coil recommendation is that aforementioned Ortofon Quintet Blue at £389/$569/AU$695. Quite a difference. 

Verdict

So which is the right one for you? As usual with most things hi-fi, there isn’t a straightforward answer here. In most cases, if you’ve got a suitably balanced system where the record player costs less than £1000/$1250/AU$1900, it is best to stick with a moving magnet cartridge. Stretch your budget to the point where the rest of your system can make the most of a good moving coil design and you won't be disappointed. But, there are no hard and fast rules, so feel free to experiment.

MORE: 

Ready for a new cartridge? Here's how to change the cartridge on your turntable

See our pick of the best turntables for every budget

Here's our guide to setting up a turntable

...and how to get the best sound from it

Audio-Technica’s newest moving-coil phono cartridge, the AT-MC2022, was released in 2022 to celebrate the famous Japanese company’s 60th anniversary, hence the model number. We were able to listen to the very first one to arrive in Australia, which landed here down under early this year.

It’s a rather special phono cartridge, as it’s built like no other we’ve ever heard of. Rather than the diamond stylus being ‘attached’ to the cantilever, which is the conventional method of building a phono cartridge, the diamond stylus in the MC2022 is not attached to the cantilever at all, but is actually a part of it: the stylus and the cantilever are unified, both formed from a single diamond. Audio-Technica says of this technique: “This unique construction eliminates the distortion caused by conventional bonding of stylus to cantilever, allowing for a purer transmission of the vibration from the record groove to the [two] coils. The very slim 0.22mm diamond cantilever ensures extremely high propagation velocity and fast transient response.”

• A brief history of Audio-Technica's 60 years

Build and design

Of course, Audio-Technica is not the first company to produce a diamond cantilever: that’s been done before, initially for scientific instruments used in atomic force microscopy investigations (by NT-MDT Spectrum Instruments) and also by Japanese company Orbray (formerly known as the Adamant Namiki Precision Jewel Company). Danish company Ortofon sells phono cartridges that use a diamond cantilever (Verismo), as do Japanese companies Koetsu (Bloodstone Platinum) and Dynavector (17DX Karat Diamond).

In all the aforementioned cases, however, the diamond stylus is separate from the diamond cantilever – in fact, the stylus is simply glued to the cantilever using ethyl cyanoacrylate. Because ethyl cyanoacrylate is more commonly known as ‘superglue’, companies that use this technique either don’t mention the attachment method at all, or coyly state that the stylus is ‘bonded’ to the cantilever.

The problem with this particular ‘bonding’ method is, of course, that the movement of the diamond stylus has to first move the glue, after which the glue has to then move the cantilever (after which the cantilever has to move the two coils inside the cartridge body). This means that the transmission of vibration can never be instantaneous. As a very rough analogy, imagine a wooden broom whose brush element is rigidly attached to the wooden handle. When you move the handle back and forth, the brush will move in unison. Now imagine what would happen if you cut the broom handle in half and then used a short length of rubber hosepipe to join the two halves. Good luck trying to sweep a floor with that!

Despite the unique unified cantilever/stylus configuration that completely eliminates that potentially flexible joint, Audio-Technica does have to connect the other end of the cantilever to the dual coils. When we tried to ascertain how this was achieved in the MC-2022, Audio-Technica’s engineering department replied: “This is such an important part of the MC-2022’s construction that it is highly confidential and we are not at liberty to share the exact engineering drawing with you.”

However, if you look carefully at the exploded diagram on page 34 of this review which shows the Audio-Technica AT-MC2022’s construction, you can see there is a small section of what appears to be black piping that appears to fit around the cantilever and then inside the assembly that holds the left- and right-channel coils (as shown within the red ellipse). We would assume that this piping is both press-fitted and glued… but we hasten to make clear that this is merely our assumption – our description of what might be going on is not based on anything provided by Audio-Technica.

It is very important to note that unlike most cantilevers, which are cylindrical, the one in the AT-MC2022 has a square cross-section (0.22mm square), so we are also presuming that the ‘black piping’ is also square because this design would allow superb alignment of parts, plus there would be none of the torsional forces that would otherwise adversely affect a cylindrical cantilever.

As for the dual-coil/magnet assembly in the AT-MC2022, it is derived from the magnetic circuit that Audio-Technica developed for the AT-ART20, which was in turn derived from the one it developed for the AT-ART9XI. The primary difference was that the front yoke was 0.6mm thicker, which improved magnetic flux density, increasing efficiency such that output voltage was improved by more than 15 per cent in the AT-ART20 despite that cartridge using the same number of coil turns as the AT-ART9XI.

The Achilles’ heel in the AT-MC2020’s design is the same one that it shares with all moving-coil cartridges, which is that when the stylus wears out (which it inevitably will if you use it), it is not possible to simply slide in a new stylus assembly, as you could with a moving-magnet cartridge. You instead have to send the entire cartridge back to the manufacturer to have the stylus replaced. This, as you would imagine, is a costly process that, in the case of the Audio-Technica AT-MC2022, is priced at 70 per cent of the cartridge’s price. This means that since the AT-MC2022 is currently retailing for £8999 / $9000 / AU$15,999, the cost of replacing the stylus would be something like £6300 / $6300 / AU$11,200 (plus shipping in both directions, as well as insurance.)

But there are added complications when it comes to replacing the stylus on the AT-MC2022. Firstly, as this is a limited edition model, very few of them will ever be built. A further complication is that with most moving-coil cartridges, replacing the stylus is complicated but nonetheless doable because the worn diamond can be removed from the cantilever and a new diamond ‘bonded’ (!) to the cantilever. It’s so doable, in fact, that quite a few third-party companies (Australia’s own Garrott Bros, for one) offer to replace worn diamond styluses irrespective of the manufacturer of the original cartridge because diamond styluses are easy to acquire (if not quite so easy to fit!).

However, the AT-MC2022 is a special case because you cannot replace the stylus alone but instead have to replace the entire stylus/cantilever assembly, which is not only more difficult but further burdened by the fact that the only place this assembly could be obtained is from Audio-Technica itself, which would of course be unlikely to supply it to third parties. This means you need to work with Audio-Technica Japan’s turnaround time (currently one month) as well as trust that it will have sufficient stock of this part to enable the replacement process to continue into the foreseeable future.

And, just in case you were wondering, that generous three-year warranty Audio-Technica guarantee for the AT-MC2022 does not cover stylus wear! According to Audio-Technica Japan, it covers scenarios such as “stylus misalignment” or “broken internal fragile wires”.

All of which begs the question of how many hours you can play your albums for before a diamond stylus will be sufficiently worn as to require replacement, and the answer to this will depend on who you ask. Famous company Shure, which has been in the phono cartridge business longer than most (since 1925, in fact), skirts the issue with the advice that “typically, if the sound quality has become dulled or not as pristine as originally, then you should replace it. Only the use of a microscope can accurately tell when a stylus needs replacement as flat spots will appear on the diamond tip”. It then continues to offer more definitive advice: “If you think you have more than 500 hours of playing time on your stylus, it is time to consider a new one.”

However the rate at which your stylus wears also depends on the condition of the LPs you play, the playback speed (33.33 or 45rpm) and your sensitivity to the type of distortion that typically arises as a result of the stylus becoming worn (initially a slight fuzziness in the highest frequencies). Because of this, some estimates of expected playback time extend to 1000 hours. If we take this higher figure, and an average playing time of 40 minutes per LP, you’d be able to play 1500 albums before having to think about replacing your stylus. We would recommend regularly inspecting your stylus using a USB microscope (or having your hi-fi retailer do it for you) as well as trying to keep track of the number of LPs you play per week.

As you’d expect, the Audio-Technica AT-MC2022 comes with a complete set of accessories, including a non-magnetic screwdriver, a stylus brush, eight cartridge installation screws (two 5mm-long, two 8mm, two 10mm and two 12mm), a beautiful wooden storage case (see below), and an accessory pouch. Of course, you only need to use two of the screws, but the length you will need depends on the headshell in which you will be installing the cartridge, and using the shortest possible screws will result in the lowest mass. It would have been nice if Audio-Technica had included a stylus down-force gauge (a balance type or electronic one), but we suppose you can’t expect to be handed everything on a platter.

Performance

We started our listening sessions with one of the most famous test records of all time, the Sheffield Track Record, which has only around eight minutes of playing time per side, so you know that it will be more dynamic than any other album you may have heard, and will test the compliance of a phono cartridge; if a stylus can correctly track the Sheffield Test Record, it will be able to track any LP. 

Side 1’s very first track, Amuseum, was all we needed to hear to know that the AT-MC2022 was a superior reproducing device. The drum sound in particular was monumentally good – possibly the best we have ever heard from any phono cartridge. Lenny Castro’s percussion was very clearly in a different space, and the dying fall of the synthesiser notes was clearly evidenced, even despite the volume falling far below that of other instruments being played at the same time.

Our experience of dynamism was made even more palpable with the only other track on Side 1, The Higher You Rise, though perhaps it’s the fabulous sound of Nathan East’s bass guitar that is the highlight of this track. Again, the AT-MC2022 made it sound superb, and able to do so whilst simultaneously delivering Castro’s effervescent hi-hat sonics.

We couldn’t not flip sides, of course, to hear Wise to the Lines and its fantastic percussion/synth intro, which was duly delivered against a perfectly silent background. The Audio-Technica cartridge has a magical way of seeming to mute any surface noise that might be present on an LP, delivering CD-like backgrounds. The final track, with its lovely keys melody, made Le Ballade a great way to close out this part of the session.

Listening to Michael Kiwanuka’s self-titled album from 2019, we couldn’t help but admire the AT-MC2022’s delivery of the entire album, in particular our favourite track, Hard To Say Goodbye. The authenticity of the bird chirps around 1:50 in, the realism of Kiwanuka’s vocal delivery, the sound of his acoustic guitar, complete with fret noises, not to mention the sub-bass... it was all amazingly delivered.

We had to hear how the AT-MC2022 delivered one of the most famous ‘signature’ female vocalists of all time, so it was back in time to Betty Davis’ self-titled 1973 album. Very shortly into the intro of If I’m In Luck I Might Get Picked Up, we revelled in the grunginess of her uniquely scratchy and totally distinctive voice. Unlike lesser phono cartridges, the AT-MC2022 was able to deliver the sharpness and crispness of her delivery without even a hint of sibilance.

Perhaps even more tellingly of the AT-MC2022’s ability to reveal subtleties is the way we could hear how Neal Schon takes over from Doug Rodrigues and when Richard Kermode takes over duties on keys from Greg Errico. The difference in finger-touch is made very clear by the Audio-Technica cartridge.

A decade ago James Blake amazed us with his album Overgrown, and in 2023 the AT-MC2022 amazed us all over again with the purity with which it was able to deliver what is truly a 3D soundfield, and not least on the most incredible track from this album, Retrograde. The humming on the track was so realistic that we thought one of us was actually playing a trick by humming along with the album! (They weren’t.)

The AT-MC2022’s amazing channel separation was clearly evidenced on Take A Fall, with the different vocalists perfectly isolated in their respective channels, while the spectral separation was such that the deep bass FX didn’t modulate the vocals at all. The purity of the female vocals was enchanting – just as it should be.

As for the AT-MC2022’s channel balance, just listen to D’Angelo’s album ‘Voodoo’, which is not only a testament to the exact channel matching of the Audio-Technica AT-MC2022 but also to the sonic accuracy delivered by ‘old-school’ analogue recording techniques and vintage mixing gear. You’d never imagine that Voodoo was recorded in 2000, which is a true credit to the skills and philosophy of D’Angelo’s audio engineer Russell Elevado. The phase accuracy on Playa Playa is perfect, as is the equality of the volume levels in the channels.

Both these attributes are essential to ensure that you will hear Devil’s Pie sounding exactly as D’Angelo wanted it to sound. The panned high-frequency synth sounds work beautifully against the grungy bass line, syncopated finger snaps, disco scratching and funky chorus. It’s an aural feast that truly captures the imagination.

Verdict

The fact that you’ll have to write a cheque for £8999 / $9000 / AU$15,999 to take possession of your very own Audio-Technica AT-MC2022 phono cartridge, and then another one for a good chunk of that figure every time you need to replace its stylus, is really all you need to know to decide whether or not you can afford one. But if you can afford one, you need one, as it’s undoubtedly the best-sounding, highest-performing phono cartridge in the world.

MORE:

How to change the cartridge on your turntable

Read our five-star Vertere Sabre MM cartridge review

Best cartridges 2023: budget and premium options for your turntable

Since designing its first moving coil cartridge in 1948, Ortofon has made more than 100 different models over the years. This experience shines through in the Quintet Blue, one of five models in the new range.

It’s the step-up option in a family that’s topped off by the premium Black cartridge, with its fancy Nude Shibata stylus tip and sapphire cantilever. At around half the money, the Blue makes do with an elliptical tip and aluminium cantilever, but beyond that, it shares much with its pricier sibling.

Build

Both use a conveniently squared-off ABS/body with captive threads that makes mounting the cartridge on an arm and subsequent alignment a breeze. At 9g, the Blue isn’t particularly heavy and so shouldn’t present any difficulty for most arms to balance out.

Looking through the specifications, our attention is drawn to the output voltage figure. At 0.5mV (1kHz, 5cm/sec) it’s on the healthy side for a moving coil, though nowhere near the 5.5mV in-house moving magnet designs such as the 2M Blue deliver. This means you will need a dedicated moving coil input on your amplifier or phono stage, and that perhaps is the biggest issue with the Quintet Blue.

Compatibility

It’s a moving coil with the price tag of a decent moving magnet design, and that for vinyl enthusiasts will be tempting. But, you’ll also need a good phono stage to make the most of it and those aren’t cheap or common.  Something like Musical Fidelity’s MX-VYNL isn't cheap but is more than justified.

We mount the Quintet on our reference Technics SL-1000R record player and feed its signal into Cyrus’s excellent Phono Signature/PSX-R2 phonostage. The rest of our set-up is Burmester's 088/911 MkIII pre/power and ATC’s SCM 50 speakers. This system is way more revealing (not to mention notably more expensive) than the Ortofon’s intending partners, but that doesn’t stop the Quintet from impressing. 

Sound

It doesn’t take long to realise that the Quintet Blue is a terrific performer. It has notably better sonic precision and agility than the highly rated and similarly priced Goldring 2400 moving magnet.

We listen to Orff’s Carmina Burana and the Ortofon responds with a clean and crisp presentation that brims with plenty of detail. The sound is stable and organised, capturing the bristling energy of the piece beautifully. 

The Quintet Blue handles the music’s frantic dynamic swings with composure, refusing to harden-up even when provoked. We’re impressed by its refinement and ability to render treble textures. In comparison, the otherwise excellent Goldring sounds a touch coarse and lacking in subtlety.

The Ortofon is a secure tracker too at the recommended 2.3g. The presentation’s even tonality and pleasing sense of life mean that we don’t feel the need to play around with the tracking weight one bit.

We switch to Nirvana’s Nevermind and the Blue responds with enthusiasm. There’s plenty of attack here as basslines are punched out with glee and no shortage of passion in Kurt Cobain’s vocals.

The Blue is rhythmically surefooted and has a fine sense of drive. That Goldring edges ahead here by adding an extra dose of solidity and muscularity to the proceedings, but even so the Ortofon does well.

Verdict

Given a suitably capable system we have no doubt the Ortofon Quintet Blue will impress. It’s a well-balanced design with no obvious weaknesses. If you’ve always hankered after a moving coil cartridge we can’t think of an alternative we prefer. Buy this one with confidence.

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Compatibility 5
• Build 5

MORE:

See all the What Hi-Fi? Awards 2023 winners

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How to set up a turntable

Sumiko knows plenty about cartridge manufacturing. The company was founded in 1982 and continues to build all of its cartridges in Japan to this day.

The Rainier moving magnet sits at the more affordable end of the company’s Oyster range and looks to be a good choice for those itching for that first upgrade to their turntable.

Build and compatibility

This is a nicely made unit, with a body designed to support the internal generator assembly rigidly while minimising unwanted internal resonances. There’s nothing particularly fancy about the elliptical stylus but it works well enough, helping the Rainier track securely at the recommended 2.0g tracking force. As always, there’s no harm in trying different tracking weights between the recommended limits of 1.8-2.2g to optimise the results for your deck and tastes.

This Sumiko is a thoughtful design that’s easy to fit thanks to captive nuts inset into the body and sensibly squared off edges that make fitting and alignment a breeze. An output of 5mV is pretty normal and so shouldn’t pose any issues with the kind of phono stage this cartridge is likely to be partnered with.

We try the Rainier on a Rega Planar 2 as well as our reference Technics SL-1000R turntable and it impresses regardless. Obviously, a high-end deck like the Technics (which costs around 100 times the price of the cartridge) is about as far from a typical partner for the Sumiko as you can get, but it does help us put a spotlight on the Rainier’s performance and therefore is a useful combination to try.

The rest of our set-up is a combination of the Naim SuperNait 3 integrated amplifier driving KEF LS50 Meta speakers plus our usual high-end reference system of the Cyrus Phono Signature/PSX-R2 phono stage, Burmester 088/911 Mk3 pre/power and ATC SCM50 speakers.

Sound

We wouldn’t judge this cartridge on the first listen. Do that and you’ll find it’s a little coarse, cluttered and tonally grey. However, get in some hours of use and the presentation blooms into something that’s surprisingly musical and engaging. The sound gains notably in refinement, becoming smoother and more fluid. Listening to Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, we can’t help but be impressed at the cartridge’s robust character and the way it conveys the sense of power and scale of this piece.

Detail levels are good, but it’s more the musically cohesive way that the Rainier delivers all that information that makes it special. There’s a good dose of dynamics and plenty of punch when required. Tonally, the results are pleasingly full-bodied with a surprisingly rich and powerful bass – a far cry from the usually thin and forward presentations we tend to hear from cartridges at this level.

Switching to Catch A Fire by Bob Marley & The Wailers shows that the Sumiko can dance too, with a firm grasp of rhythms and an easy-going flow that works well with music such as this. Marley’s vocals come through with passion and nuance, making it easy to understand the emotions he’s trying to communicate. It’s a fine overall performance that has us listening for fun long after the official reviewing process is done.

Verdict

Spend more money and you’ll get increased detail resolution and a subtler way with dynamics. But judged by the standards at this level, this Sumiko is a little gem. Set it up with care and have a little patience, and you’ll find this to be one of the best performers anywhere near this price.

Review published: 2022. Review updated: November 2024.

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Build 5
• Compatibility 5

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Television manufacturers churn out a multitude of new product ranges every year. Speakers and amplifiers tend to survive for three, four, maybe five years before being updated.

But cartridges have a habit of living extraordinarily long lives, quite often lasting decades with only the smallest of tweaks. So it’s a big event when a major manufacturer like Goldring introduces a completely new family of products, as it did with the E Series.

Build and compatibility

The E Series is made up of three models – all moving magnet designs – starting from £60/$119 for the E1 right through to the E3 on test here. The differences between the three come down to the choice of cantilever and stylus tip.

The E3 has an aluminium cantilever with an elliptical tip (0.3 x 0.7mil) while the base model swaps the aluminium for carbon reinforced ABS (posh plastic, fundamentally) and the tip for a 0.6mil spherical design.

The cartridge body design is shared through the range, with the different models differentiated by the colour of the bottom edge. The E3 is a rather nice shade of violet.

The cartridge’s dense plastic body is nicely shaped. It’s obvious plenty of thought has gone into trying to make the E3 easy to fit.

There are captive nuts to make attaching the mounting bolts simple, and a straight edge along the front helping to make alignment quick and easy.

Physically, the E3 is entirely conventional. It’s not particularly heavy at 6.9g and tracks securely at a typical 2.0g. We can’t think of a price-appropriate deck that won’t suit this moving magnet cartridge.

There shouldn’t be any issues as far as electrical matching to the phono stage goes either, thanks to the Goldring’s standard 47kOhm and 100-200pF load requirements.

Sound

It doesn’t take us long to fit and align the E3 onto our resident Rega Planar 2.

We have it playing in the background for a few days before we start serious listening and, once bedded in, this Goldring is an impressively rounded performer. It sounds clean and precise, delivering the bombastic opening to Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony with all the clarity and power it demands.

While majoring on control and composure, the E3 still has enough in the way of dynamic punch and scale to satisfy with music such as this. It’s an organised sound, one that can keep track of myriad instrumental strands without losing its way.

This Goldring skilfully treads the middle path tonally. It’s balanced, delivering enough in the way of treble extension and low frequency weight to satisfy.

Nirvana’s Nevermind is next onto the Rega’s platter and the Goldring takes it all in its stride.

There’s a decent serving of attack and a surefooted way with rhythms. It’s topped-off by a high level of refinement, which keeps even aggressive recordings listenable.

There isn’t quite the forcefulness of more expensive alternatives – the E3 prioritises control – but it’s still a cohesive and musical presentation.

Through the Goldring, vocals are expressive, drums hit hard and there’s a good dose of energy. The sound it delivers is clear, informative and still fun. We can’t ask much more than that at this level.

Verdict

If you’ve got a good mid-priced deck that’s in need of an upgrade to the cartridge, we can’t think of an alternative that’s so capable.

Simply, the E3 is a great buy.

Review published: 2018. Review updated: November 2024.

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How to set up your turntable and get the best results

If your turntable setup is in need of a refresh, it's worth considering changing the current cartridge rather than swapping out the entire record player itself.

It's a simple but effective change, and you might find yourself listening to your record collection with fresh ears thanks to a new, updated cartridge in your vinyl system.

Cartridges come in two types: moving magnet and moving coil.

Moving magnet (MM) cartridges have a cantilever which transfers mechanical vibrations picked up from the record groove straight into movements of the cartridge's magnet.

This movement of the magnet relative to the nearby wire coils induces current in those coils, which is then amplified and turned back into sound by the speakers.

To use an MM cartridge, your amplifier will need an MM phono input to boost and equalise the low-voltage signal.

A moving coil (MC) cartridge, meanwhile, has a fixed magnet and mobile coil. This coil moves within the magnetic field created by the fixed magnet, generating an electromotive force.

Because the coil's moving mass is lighter than that of a magnet there is less inertia and so the increased potential of resolving more information from the record groove.

But do note that these types of cartridges tend to be more expensive and have a much lower output than MM types.

To use an MC cartridge, your amplifier or phono stage will need the necessary gain and ideally the loading adjustments needed for this cartridge type.

We've included both types in our list of the best cartridges, which spans budget to premium models.

We have been testing turntables and cartridges since the beginning of our time (well, since What Hi-Fi? was founded in 1976), and every cartridge on this list has been tested by our experienced, in-house reviewers with the appropriate turntable and system.

You can find more in-depth advice on how to choose your cartridge and find out how we test cartridges, or simply scroll down to see our top picks.

The quick list

Best budget moving magnet cartridge

This impressive Goldring E3 is a cinch to fit and is compatible with plenty of turntables, making it a very versatile cartridge indeed.

The sound is clean and precise, with plenty of clarity and power where required. It also handles rhythm well, and has attack in spades.

The perfect accompaniment to many a midrange deck and easily one of the best cartridges we've heard at the affordable end of the price scale.

Read the full Goldring E3 review

Best mid-price moving magnet cartridge

Sumiko knows plenty about cartridge manufacturing. The company was founded in 1982 and continues to build all of its cartridges in Japan to this day.

The Rainier moving magnet sits at the more affordable end of the company’s Oyster range and looks to be a good choice for those itching for that first upgrade to their turntable.

This Sumiko is a thoughtful design that’s easy to fit thanks to captive nuts inset into the body and sensibly squared-off edges that make fitting and alignment a breeze.

Once up and running it's a surprisingly musical and engaging performer.

Detail levels are good, but it’s more the cohesive way that the Rainier delivers all that information that makes it special.

We hear plenty of punch and a great dose of dynamics when it's required. In a carefully chosen system, this is a superb performer.

Read the full Sumiko Rainier review

Best mid-price moving coil cartridge

Ortofon has been making turntable cartridges since 1948, and it seems like all its expertise went into this one.

The Quintet Blue moving coil is a true five-star product: simple to fit, not too heavy, so easy to balance out, and capable of a sound that's worth every penny of its asking price.

It's an agile sound, with a high level of sonic precision that's brimming with detail. Plenty of refinement is evident too, and it's rhythmically surefooted with a good sense of attack.

Just make sure you partner it with the right kit, otherwise it'll be like fitting pram wheels to a Ferrari.

A strong alternative at this price is the Nagaoka MP-200 – it's a moving magnet rather than a moving coil, but is a terrific all-rounder that is worthy of consideration.

Read the full Ortofon Quintet Blue review

Best premium moving magnet cartridge

The Sabre moving magnet is a carefully considered design, as we’ve come to expect from Vertere.

That bold orange body isn’t just for show. It’s machined out of a solid block of aluminium for rigidity and clamps onto the generator structure with four bolts rather than being glued on performance and alignment grounds.

The cartridge body’s top is raised at three points to ensure a solid and even contact with the headshell, and the front of the top even has a ridge to aid easy alignment.

The result is a bold performer that's confident without being in any way overbearing. Listening to Orff’s rambunctious Carmina Burana, we can’t help but be thrilled by the energy and drive of the music.

We said in our review: "The Sabre delivers this dramatic piece with all the gusto it demands. We get explosive dynamic peaks coupled with an impressive sense of control."

While the Sabre's high £845 / $1199 / AU$1695 price puts it deep into traditional moving coil territory, this is one premium moving magnet we can really get behind.

Read the full Vertere Sabre MM review

Best premium moving coil cartridge

The Pick-it DS2's body is made of a synthetic polymer and shaped by laser, in a bid to create a low-resonance base and help performance. And it works.

The sound is thoroughly robust and dynamically expressive, with plenty of punch and bags of bass. The presentation is composed, and there's a ton of detail to get your teeth into.

It's a doddle to fit and align too, thanks to its square-shaped body.

Costing £599, it's a truly capable and musical performer.

Read the full Pro-Ject Pick-it DS2 review

Also consider

• Nagaoka MP-200: This mid-price MM cartridge is a fresh Award-winner and is a worthy alternative to the Ortofon Quintet Blue MC above. It delivers an all-round excellent performance, with strong dynamics, great detail, balance and precision and pleasing punch. Superb.
• Vertere Dark Sabre: Proving a high-end moving magnet cartridge can compete with the best of moving coils, the Dark Sabre MM delivers an impressively punchy and dynamic sound and digs out phenomenal levels of detail.
• Nagaoka MP110: A cheerful budget upgrade from a reputable brand, this MM cartridge delivers a sweet midrange, subtle detail and dynamics beyond its price point. We'd like less edgy treble and more bass weight, though.
• Ortofon 2M Blue MM: If you want a step up from the budget Ortofon 2M Red, the mid-priced Blue model is a more serious affair with better grip, timing and bass weight. We'd like it to dig out greater insight to go with that even-handedness.
• DS Audio DS-003: What's an optical cartridge? We didn't know either until we tested this unique, high-end cartridge that shows there is a third option for cartridge types, and it sounds fantastic when it comes to clarity, resolution and bass weight.

How to choose the right cartridge for you

When choosing the right cartridge for your turntable, it's important to ask how much should you spend on a cartridge in the first place.

As a rule of thumb, we suggest your cartridge's price should be about a quarter to a third of the price of your turntable.

For instance, if you have a £200 turntable, then a £50-£70 cartridge should be adequate, while a £650 turntable (such as the Rega Planar 3) will require a cartridge that's about £150-£200 (such as the matching Rega Nd3 cartridge).

We have a more in-depth guide on how to change and fit a new cartridge to your turntable, but in general, most cartridges will fit onto most tonearms; you'll just need an alignment tool and a tracking force gauge if fitting the cartridge yourself. If you have a high-end turntable, it’s worth asking the dealer to set it up for you.

There are two types of cartridges – moving magnet and moving coil – and which type you go for will depend on the level (both in price and quality) of the rest of your system.

For most turntables below £1000, it's best to stick with moving magnet (MM) cartridges.

At this level, the partnering amplifier and phono stage can be of varying quality, and a moving magnet will put less of a spotlight on your phono stage's quality because it has a higher output.

If your turntable is at about £1500 and above, then it's worth looking into moving coil (MC) cartridges.

At this higher price level, the partnering phono stage and amplifier in your system will need to be of a certain higher quality level too, and you will reap the rewards of an MC cartridge more in this context.

Many standalone phono stages and amplifiers (or streaming systems) with phono stages built in will quite often support both cartridge types.

However, it's worth bearing in mind that even if a budget phono stage can support MC cartridges, it may not be worth investing as it likely won't be of good quality to show the benefits.

Your phono stage has to be of a certain quality (and therefore higher price point) for the advantages of the higher-priced MC cartridges to be apparent in your system.

And lastly, you don't necessarily have to match turntable and cartridge brands, but many manufacturers that design their own cartridges (e.g. Rega, Vertere) tune them to match their own turntables.

But there are plenty of cartridge makers whose models can be used with any turntable, especially when you get to high-end models – just make sure you read up on reviews (such as ours, of course) to ensure the sonic characteristics will match.

How we test cartridges

What Hi-Fi? has been reviewing turntables and cartridges of all types and across budgets since the magazine started in 1976, and we are proud to do all our testing in-house.

We have state-of-the-art and acoustically treated testing facilities in London and Reading, where our team of experienced reviewers test everything from TVs to turntables, including cartridges.

We are always impartial in our testing and ensure we test and hear every cartridge at its optimum – fitted to the appropriate turntable and phono stage at its price level, and all placed on a sturdy and level surface.

We make sure the cartridge is fitted correctly using the required tools and give them plenty of run in time before serious listening.

We use each cartridge being tested in its best use case with the right electronics, as well as try out a few different options to see how it copes with a variety of products.

We spend ample time testing each cartridge, playing a variety of records and genres of music to get the full picture. H

ere's a selection of the best vinyl records we use to test all things turntable-related.

What Hi-Fi? is all about comparative testing, so we listen to every cartridge we review against the current leader in its price point to gauge how it compares to the best-in-class competition.

We keep What Hi-Fi? winners and a range of cartridges in our stockroom (as well as a variety of turntables) so we can always pit new products against ones we know and love, and we do our best to review as many new models in as many markets as possible to ensure our contextual knowledge is the best it can be.

All review verdicts are agreed upon by the team as a whole rather than an individual reviewer to eliminate any personal preference and bias, and to make sure we're being as thorough as possible.

There's no input from PR companies or our sales team when it comes to the verdict, with What Hi-Fi? proud of having delivered honest, unbiased reviews for decades.

You can read more about how we test and review products on What Hi-Fi? here.

• These are the best record players for every budget
• Moving magnet vs moving coil cartridges: which is right for you?
• How to change the cartridge on your turntable
• Check out the best high-end record players we've tested
• How to get the best sound from your turntable

Audio Technica is expanding its high-end phono range with the introduction of the AT-ART20, a dual-moving coil cartridge featuring a distinctive curved design.

With a claimed frequency response of 20-50,000 Hz, the cartridge uses a nude special line-contact stylus and a 0.28 mm boron cantilever connected to the armature using a stepped-pipe construction for enhanced rigidity and strength.

Constructed from titanium, with an aluminium base and an elastomer undercover, the cartridge's body has been built using manufacturing and polishing techniques borrowed from Japan's eyeglass industry, combining materials that help to reduce both resonance and its overall mass.

The AT-ART20 features dual moving coils in an inverted V shape, which Audio Technica says provides excellent channel separation for accurate stereo imaging and dynamics. In a change from previous designs, the front yoke of the magnetic circuit is 0.6 mm thicker to help improve magnetic flux density, which the company claims increases the output efficiency by more than 15 per cent to 0.55 mV.

The Audio-Technica AT-ART20 Dual Moving Coil Stereo Cartridge available now priced at  £2750 / $2900 /  AU$4999.

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Want to make the switch from a moving magnet cartridge to a moving coil design but don't have access to a moving coil phono input? Goldring's Eroica HX aims to make the move easier.

The British firm's newest creation is designed to fit "virtually any" tonearm and promises to work "straight from the box". And the best part is you won't have to rejig your system – ultra-fine enamelled-copper windings mean the Eroica HX has enough output to work with moving magnet phono inputs.

Elsewhere, Goldring claims the new pure-iron cross-armature design reduces crosstalk, and that the Gyger II diamond stylus – a whole diamond rather than just a diamond tip – will minimise any pesky inner groove distortion.

As for the case, it's made from Pocan, a glass-reinforced plastic material that’s high in rigidity and designed to last. 

The Eroica HX will make its debut at the High End Munich 2022 show later this month, before going on sale at Goldring UK and Goldring USA for £549 / $899 (around AU$1000) in June.

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Audio fanatics like to take sides. You have digital vs analogue, valves vs transistors, or more pertinent to this review, moving magnet vs moving coil cartridges. You see, Vertere Acoustics’ new Sabre sits very much in the premium end of the moving magnet market, and a price point where MC cartridges traditionally dominate.

While conventional wisdom suggests that moving coil designs are the way to go at higher price levels, the Sabre is talented enough to cast a pretty large shadow of a doubt over this view.

Build

This is a carefully considered design, as we’ve come to expect from Vertere. That bold orange body isn’t just for show. It’s machined out of a solid block of aluminium for rigidity and clamps onto the generator structure with four bolts rather than being glued on performance and alignment grounds. The cartridge body’s top is raised at three points to ensure a solid and even contact with the headshell, and the front of the top even has a ridge to aid easy alignment. 

The attention to detail doesn’t stop there. There are beautifully knurled thumbscrews to secure the Sabre to a headshell, and these prevent the user from over-tightening the mounting and causing damage.

Even the choice of stylus tip is done with care. Rather than going for one of the more exotic shapes, Vertere, after listening to various options, has settled on a relatively conventional micro-elliptical tip because it was felt to give a more cohesive and balanced performance in this particular context. That tip is mounted on an aluminium alloy cantilever. 

• How to fit a new cartridge to your turntable

The result is a cartridge with a claimed output of 4mV (1kHz/5cm/sec), something that’s fairly normal for a moving magnet design but way more than a typical moving coil would deliver. This relatively high output means that the Sabre is less demanding of partnering phono stages than MC alternatives would be, simply because the signal doesn’t need as much amplification, so any shortcomings in the phono stage are less magnified.

While the natural home for the Sabre is intended to be something of the level of Vertere’s own award-winning DG-1 Dynamic Groove, there’s no reason it can’t be used on a wide variety of products. Our testing was done with the Vertere mounted on our reference Technics SL1000-R, and it works a treat.

The rest of our system is our reference set up of Cyrus's Phono Signature/PSX-R2 phono stage, the Burmester 088/911MkIII amplifier and ATC SCM50 speakers. We also use the Sabre with its natural partner, the award-winning Phono-1 phono stage, to see what the pairing does.

This is an easy cartridge to fit thanks to the squared-off body shape and those easy-to-use thumbscrew mounting bolts. We have no tracking issues with the downforce set in the middle of the recommended range at 2.0g.

Sound

Once up and running, this cartridge is very easy to like. It sounds bold and confident without being in any way overbearing. Listening to Orff’s rambunctious Carmina Burana, we can’t help but be thrilled by the energy and drive of the music. The Sabre delivers this dramatic piece with all the gusto it demands. We get explosive dynamic peaks coupled with an impressive sense of control.

This cartridge digs up a good amount of detail, but it’s the musically cohesive way it organises that information that really impresses. This is the kind of product that allows the listener to be swept away with the drama of it all, but equally there’s enough in the way of insight to be able to sit back and analyse the recording if desired.

Tonally, this Vertere delivers a full-bodied and solid sound. Its presentation certainly has more in the way of substance and physicality than any similarly priced moving coil we’ve heard. These qualities certainly give it an advantage when it comes to communicating the power and authority of a large orchestra in full flow.

The levels of refinement are pleasing too, with the Sabre refusing to make a meal out of less than perfect recordings. It’s important to note that this doesn’t mean that it hides shortcomings in the recording, but rather that any flaws in the production aren’t unduly emphasised.

Fans of stereo imaging will also be happy as the cartridge’s soundstaging is expansive, stable and nicely layered. There’s a fine impression of scale and enough in the way of low-level detail to recreate the recording venue with conviction.

We switch to Michael Jackson’s The Way You Make Me Feel and the Vertere responds with an impressively surefooted way with rhythms. It sounds right at home, with a taut, punchy and articulate bass that underpins the rest of the frequencies brilliantly. The story is equally positive elsewhere as Jackson’s voice comes through with clarity and substance, and those distinctive horns burst out of the mix with real bite. We’re pleased to note that there’s no shortage of composure and insight alongside all that excitement.

Verdict

It’s clear that the Vertere Sabre is a terrific performer for the money. It tracks securely and is nicely made, but most importantly of all makes us want to listen to our records even more. That makes it an excellent buy in our books. Highly recommended.

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Build 5
• Compatibility 5

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Record Store Day 2021, which brings together over 250 independent record shops across the UK, is gearing up for two big drops on Saturday 12th June and Saturday 17th July. And for the first time, Meantime Brewing Company is proud to become the ‘Official Beer Partner’ for the auspicious musical occasion.

In celebration of the unique event that was founded 14 years ago, the Greenwich-based brewery is launching an exclusive Meantime 33:45 beer. Proceeds from the special batch will be donated to War Child, the specialist charity for children affected by conflict – and the official charity partner of Record Store Day.

The table beer (3.5% ABV) has been brewed especially for RSD and is apparently inspired by the American west coast to offer "a turn-table IPA with Cascade, Chinook and Simcoe hops’ citrus, pine, and floral hits for a truly two-speed player."

Record Store Day and Meantime’s 33:45 beer will be available from Meantime’s new e-shop from today, and in select participating stores from 12th June.

Vinyl lovers visiting their local record store on the official days will also receive limited edition Meantime t-shirts and tote bags at participating record stores as a thank you for their support and contribution, while stocks last. For those who miss out, Record Store Day Meantime 33:45 official merchandise will be available to buy from Meantime's e-shop.

Meantime’s collaboration with Record Store Day is, says RSD, a message of solidarity for the independent record sector and its stores which, throughout the challenges of the past year, have found creative, flexible, and inventive ways to keep serving the music lovers in their communities. 

More than 250 independent record stores will be celebrating in every corner of the UK with an array of special and limited-edition vinyl releases – more on this below. 

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Record Store Day 2021 will now take place on two dates this year, Saturday 12th June and Saturday 17th July. The vinyl event’s organisers have added the July date to the original June one announced last December in order to “shift the Record Store Day energy" across two days and allow “the largest number of stores and record labels to participate around the world”.

While Record Store Day is typically a one-day affair held in April, the global pandemic caused last year’s to take place over three dates in August, September and October, with a Black Friday special drop wrapping up the prolonged affair in November. Acknowledging that the worldwide situation is still disrupting record store supply chains due to production and distribution issues, and warrants flexibility when it comes to such events, the organisers have decided that another multi-day celebration is the best way to make it as successful for as many indie record shops as possible.

On the two Saturdays in the summer, independent record shops around the world – over 230 in the UK alone – will sell specially created, oft-exclusive vinyl releases, hopefully as brick and mortar experiences but no doubt in some regions via online means only. These titles haven’t yet been announced but “will be launched soon”. Watch this space, then.

The second date does offer hope that Record Store Day 2021 might be able to safely feature some live events – in the UK at least. We await further album and event news with bated breath and our collective limbs crossed.

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Looking for a new deck? Here are the best record players you can buy

Installing a new cartridge is something of a rite of passage for turntable owners. It’s a skill that once was common, but now seems to be considered some kind of black art by many.

In reality, it’s not such a hard thing to do provided you have the appropriate tools, a reasonably steady hand and some patience.

So what tools are you likely to need? Typically, cartridge bolts need a 2mm Allen key or a small, flat-bladed screwdriver depending on type of fixing used. Unless you have unusually thin fingers, a small, long-nose plier is handy too.

While things such as Allen keys, screwdrivers and pliers can be found in most toolboxes, few non–audiophiles will have a proper tracking weight gauge or cartridge alignment tool. Fortunately, neither has to cost a fortune and a budget of £20/$25 should cover the purchase of both if you stick with something basic.

Unless this is your turntable's first cartridge, you'll need to start by removing the old one. In this case, make sure you fit the stylus guard before you do anything else to prevent damage to the old cartridge. You never know if you’ll ever need to use it again.

Then disconnect the four lead-out wires from the cartridge as carefully as you can. We like to use those long nose pliers for this. These colour-coded leads are fragile, so only pull them from the metal connector at the cartridge end rather than the wire itself. Once that’s done it’s a simple matter to undo the mounting bolts and take the cartridge off.

Fitting your new cartridge

Once you’ve got the new cartridge out of the box, it’s worth checking that the stylus cover is still properly mounted. Cartridges are immensely fragile and any lack of care will usually result in catastrophic damage.

No matter how careful you are, there are times when accidents will happen. If you have a moving magnet design then it’s usually possible to get a replacement stylus assembly. This won’t be cheap though, typically costing around 60% of the total cartridge price.

If you damage a moving coil cartridge then there’s no cheaper way back. You’ll typically just have to buy another one, or get it repaired at great cost. In short, what we’re saying is: try not to break it in the first place.

We would recommend mounting the new cartridge onto the arm first. Use the supplied fixings. This can be a bit fiddly, particularly if the cartridge body doesn’t have captive nuts. Take your time and don’t over-tighten things; just do the bolts up enough so that the cartridge body doesn’t move around. Don’t worry about alignment at this point.

Next, connect the four lead-out wires. These are colour coded (red, blue, green and white) and you’ll find corresponding markings next to each of the four pins on the back of the cartridge.

This is where the pliers come in handy. If the connectors are a little loose on the pins then you can use the pliers to squeeze them a little tighter. Take care. It’s easy to damage or break those connectors.

Alignment and weighting

Once this is done, it’s time to put the tracking weight onto the rear of the arm. Don’t worry about setting the exact downforce at this point. Just turn the weight until the arm balances and then carry on further towards the arm pivot to add about 1.5-2.0g extra. This just means that the cartridge will sit properly in the record groove rather than float above. Arm bias should be set to zero at this point.

You’ll need the tracking alignment gauge next. Use the parallel lines on this to align the cartridge body. The measurement is done at two different points: one towards the centre of the platter and the other near the outside edge.

Once you align the cartridge at one of these positions, move the arm to the other and re-adjust if necessary. You may find that you have to work between the two a few times until everything lines up just so. This takes a bit of patience but, once the cartridge is aligned correctly, the stylus top will sit at the proper angle in the record groove, distortion levels will drop and record wear will be minimised.

Once you’ve got the correct cartridge position, tighten the mounting bolts fully. Don’t overdo things though, as it’s possible to damage the cartridge body if you go too far. Everything just needs to be tight enough so that the cartridge doesn’t move.

Now you can set the tracking weight properly using the scales. The cartridge manufacturer will recommend a suitable range of downforce, usually between 1.5 and 2.5g, with a specific weight listed as most suitable. That weight would be our starting point but, with production tolerances and the use of different arms, it is sometimes possible to get better sound with a bit of experimentation. It’s usually best to stay within the recommended range, though.

If the sound is a bit dull and lifeless you’ve gone too heavy, while a thin or aggressive presentation means the tracking weight is a little too light. If you overdo the lightness, perhaps in an attempt to reduce record wear, the cartridge will mis-track, damaging the record grooves in the process. Counter-intuitively, if in doubt go a touch heavier – the stylus tip will sit in the record groove with more stability, produce less distortion and cause less damage.

Many upmarket and high-end decks allow the user to adjust tonearm height. Usually, the arm is set to be parallel with a record when playing, though sometimes a cartridge may have a particular preference depending on its design. Generally though, if the arm is too high you’ll get a bright, forward sound and the opposite if the arm is too low.

While it all seems a bit of a hassle to get right, you only have to do it once. With everything properly set and aligned you’ll have minimised any distortion, reduced record wear distortion and optimised the cartridge’s performance. You can’t ask for more than that.

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• Old is gold: why I massively prefer buying old vinyl to new
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DS Audio has decided to share its niche expertise in optical phono cartridge technology with the world for free. Why? The Japanese company has pioneered what has largely been an eight-year solo effort in implementing optical tech in its development of phono cartridges. Now, it wants others to join the optical audio market and help popularise the MM/MC-cartridge alternative.

DS Audio CEO and chief designer Tetsuaki Aoyagi has published literature about optical phono cartridge design on its website. He says he would like to see an increase in optical cartridge take up in more high-end audio systems – undoubtedly due to both his passion for the topic and his interest in selling the cartridges – and hopes that being open about implementation will lead electronics manufacturers to create optical cartridge-friendly tech into their phono stage and amplifier designs. Currently, a DS Audio cartridge requires its own equaliser and so isn't compatible with MM or MC phono stages.

“My goal is that optical cartridges move from being ‘unique’ to ‘popular’,” he says.

To that end, DS Audio is inviting interested manufacturers to contact them to check over proposed designs and answer questions, for free.

Back in 2015, DS Audio brought the first-ever optical cartridge to the UK, following its initial launch two years prior in Japan. It cost, ahem, nearly £7000. As would be the case for the company's following designs, which are more affordable but still very much high-end, the debut DS-W1 used a beam of light – much like you'd see via a digital optical cable – to detect the vibrations from the stylus. DS Audio's argument for this method lies around its inherent elimination of the detrimental friction associated with and caused by traditional MM or MC phono cartridges.

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Audio-Technica’s original AT-OC9 was introduced back in 1987. Priced £400, the OC9 quickly became one of the go-to options for anyone wanting a talented premium moving coil cartridge. It has been in production since then, going through periodic revisions to keep pace with newer rivals.

The company has changed tack with this latest generation and turned this single model into a five-strong range, starting at £210 ($239, AU$469) and going all the way up to £660 ($729, AU$1399). All the cartridges share the same impressively crafted aluminium body but vary in stylus tip shape, cantilever material and internal generator. At £300 ($349 / AU$699), the AT-OC9XEN is the step-up model in the range.

Build

The AT-OC9XEN features a nude elliptical stylus mounted on an aluminium cantilever. As with the rest of the family, its coils use high purity PCOCC (Pure Copper by Ohno Continuous Casting) conductors.

This kind of copper is manufactured to have no crystal boundaries – it is claimed to maintain signal integrity better than other manufacturing methods.

At the heart of the cartridge is a neodymium magnet and iron yoke generator that delivers an output of 0.35mV (@1kHz, 5cm/second). That’s not overly generous but should be enough for most partnering phono stages to work with comfortably.

We’re impressed by the Audio-Technica’s build. By moving coil standards, it’s at the budget end of the market but certainly doesn’t feel it. The sturdy aluminium body is machined with precision and is shaped to be easy to align in a headshell. 

Its two mounting boltholes are threaded to avoid the hassle of having to hold separate nuts during fitting.

The AT-OC9XEN has a suggested tracking range of 1.8g to 2.2g. Once fitted to our reference Technics SL-1000R record player, it works securely at the recommended 2.0g.

Compatibility

We have the similarly priced Ortofon Quintet Blue moving coil and Goldring 2500 moving magnet cartridges on hand for comparisons. The rest of our system is made up of the Cyrus Phono Signature/PSX-R2 phono stage, Burmester 088/911 Mk3 amplifier and ATC SCM50 speakers.

This set-up is far pricier than the kind of systems the AT-OC9XEN would normally be used in, but it puts a magnifying glass on the cartridge’s performance. We also use the Audio-Technica on a Rega Planar 3 to see how it performs with something more price-compatible.

We can’t understate the importance of the phono stage when using a record player, particularly with a moving coil cartridge. The signal levels are so much smaller than a moving magnet alternative – the Goldring outputs 6.5mV of signal rather than the OC9’s 0.35mV – that a spotlight is put on the quality of that phono circuit. If it isn’t good, you won’t make the most of an MC’s theoretical engineering advantages.

Sound

Give it some time to settle and you’ll find that the OC9XEN delivers an impressive combination of clarity and speed. We play Four Tet’s There Is Love In You and the Audio-Technica responds with enthusiasm.

There’s plenty of detail, and also the ability to organise it into a cohesive and musical whole. The cartridge is capable of tracking multiple instrumental strands without confusion, each note drawn with care. This level of insight extends to low frequencies, with deep bass notes painted with texture and confidence.

We’re impressed by the cartridge’s agility throughout the frequency range. It’s a responsive performer with little time for overhang or blurring.

We listen to a range of music from Bob Marley’s Catch A Fire to Kind Of Blue by Miles Davis and Orff’s Carmina Burana, and the Audio-Technica continues to entertain. It’s a talented performer with an enviable degree of precision and openness for the money, though not the most authoritative presentation.

Stereo imaging is pleasingly stable and expansive. This ’OC9 generates a wide, layered and focused soundstage once properly set-up. An admirable sense of stability remains as the music gets more demanding.

Tonally, it’s a touch on the light side, but not so much that it would be an issue in a well-balanced system. The top-end is enthusiastic but stays on the right side of acceptability, despite lacking a touch of refinement. This isn’t what concerns us most, though.

Compared to either the Ortofon or Goldring, the Audio-Technica’s presentation lacks a bit of muscularity and dynamic contrast. Those lows may have well-defined punch, but there isn’t the weight or power of the competition in this area.

When coupled to the cartridge’s restrained dynamics, the result is a sound that’s easier to admire than it is to love. It makes listening to music more of a cerebral experience, and less something that stirs the soul. Some may prefer this trait, but not us.

Verdict

We hope the more upmarket models in the range with their more sophisticated mechanicals avoid these issues. There’s a good chance they might, but as things stand, the OC9XEN has skills but not the all-round game to challenge the class leaders.

SCORES

• Sound 4
• Compatibility 4
• Build 5

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The vinyl revival of recent years has also meant a renewed level of interest in products such as phono stages and cartridges. Sumiko has been in the business of cartridges for more than 40 years and the Sumiko Songbird is the latest addition to its Reference Series.

Manufactured in Japan, the Songbird Low Output – to give it its full name, and draw our attention to the existence of a Songbird High Output – aims to deliver the best of both worlds when it comes to reading the grooves on your records. 

It marries the performance of moving coil cartridges with a design that's compatible with moving magnet phono preamps.

Borrowing learnings and technology from the flagship Sumiko Starling cartridge, the mass has been reduced by in turn reducing the number of high-purity copper coils, while construction vibrations have been kept to an absolute minimum. 

The end result? According to Sumiko: a large stereo image, deep bass, and details that other cartridges might miss. For £899, you'd hope so.

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Vertere Acoustics has upgraded its entry-level DG-1 Dynamic Groove turntable with a new cartridge, the Magneto. Also made by Vertere, it now ships as standard on all DG-1s – and has done for the last month.

The Magneto is closely aligned to the Audio Technica VM520EB that originally came with the summer 2019-launched DG-1, and is stylus compatible with that AT-VM5x range – but there are some subtle improvements.

For starters, the Magneto is "tolerant of records in less than perfect condition", according to Vertere. Which may be the case with many owners of the DG-1, Vertere's most affordable record deck (though it's still far from cheap). Despite this, the cartridge is still very musical, Vertere insists.

Magneto utilises a "finely finished" Elliptical stylus to enhance tracking accuracy, while a permalloy centre shield plate supposedly provides a higher frequency response with electrical crosstalk typically better than 40dB. Its stylus is replaceable, too.

Already bought a DG-1 and want to fit this new cartridge? Vertere will publish a blog and video later in the year filling us in with upgrade options. So stay tuned.

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Grado has simplified its phono cartridge line-up by combining its ‘Statement’ and ‘Reference’ Series into a single range it calls its ‘Timbre’ series, so-named because the bodies of all the cartridges in the series are made from wood. It’s also added an entry-level cartridge to the Timbre Series, the Grado Opus 3, which is available in four versions: high and low output two-channel and high and low output mono.

The Opus 3 is the first Grado cartridge to have a body made from Maple. "Maple produces a vibrant and luscious sound, while staying consistent and clear," said Jonathan Grado, VP of Marketing – (yes, it’s still a family owned, family operated company.) "Through a variation of thermal aging processes, the housing gains the ability to better dampen and control the resonant frequencies".

All four Opus 3 models are fitted with aluminium cantilevers tipped with elliptical diamond styluses, and all are hand-built by Grado in its factory in Brooklyn, using Grado’s own coil winding techniques and a two-step shielding process that Grado says allows it to isolate the wire turns in the coils. "This process creates a cleaner signal path; the music is allowed to travel undistorted through the coils, greatly reducing mechanical noise," says Grado. "There is an extreme clarity over the full frequency range, with absolutely no stridency or shrillness".

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The high-output versions of the Opus 3 have an output of 4.8mV (5 cm/S) and a resistance of 660 ohms. The low-output versions have an output of 1.0mV (5 cm/S) and a resistance of 70 ohms. All models are specified as being able to operate over a frequency range of 10Hz to 60kHz and the two stereo versions are said to deliver an average channel separation of 30dB between 10Hz and 30kHz.

All four models of the Opus 3 are available now, and retail for $275 in the US and AU$500 in Australia, although there's no word on UK availability. In Australia, Grado is distributed exclusively through BusiSoft AV and its authorised dealers.

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Record Store Day 2020 has been officially postponed until June, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt public life around the world.

Originally scheduled to take place on 18th April, Record Store Day 2020 will now take place on 20th June.

The news follows the cancellation of several other tech shows, including High End Munich, MWC and E3. Wider bans on travel and large gatherings have since been put in place in several countries, making further disruption inevitable.

Previously, David Bowie and U2 were among the first confirmed artists for the celebration of all things vinyl, while Metallica announced the launch of their own vinyl club ahead of the big day. A full list of RSD 2020 releases was announced last week.

The full Record Store Day postponement statement reads as follows: 

"Record Store Day is a worldwide event involving thousands of people and small businesses—In our discussions over the last few weeks, as information came and changed daily, and then hourly, we’ve taken all of them into consideration as we go over various options: Stay the course. Move the date. Change the structure of the event.  No one knows what things will look like in any given place in the next five weeks, and decisions for that time period need to be made now, using current facts. 

"There is no perfect solution. There is no easy answer. We’ve decided that the best of all possible moves is to change the date of Record Store Day this year to Saturday, June 20.

"We think this gives stores around the world the best chance to have a profitable, successful Record Store Day, while taking into consideration the recommendations of doctors, scientists, the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control, and the need to be good citizens of both local and worldwide communities.  

"We’re working with all of our partners and our stores to make this change as smooth as possible for everyone who participates in Record Store Day: customers, record stores, artists, labels and more.  Record Store Day is everywhere and we want to hold our party when everyone can gather around safely to celebrate life, art, music and the culture of the indie record store.

"(And hey! Anything with the April 18, 2020 on it just became that much more special!)"

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While we got word of Rega's all-new Aphelion 2 moving coil cartridge at the Bristol Hi-Fi Show last month, the British brand has now officially announced it.

The Aphelion 2, which marks the 4th generation of Rega's MC cartridges, is much the same as the Aphelion 1 but uses the company's latest 'fine line type' diamond profile fitted to the Boron rod cantilever. This diamond profile was introduced on the Apheta 3 and Rega was so pleased with the performance that it's now come to this new flagship cartridge in fine-tuned form. 

Aphelion 2 comprises a neodymium magnet and coil hand wound on an iron cross, and is housed within a single-piece, aluminium black anodised body that Rega says "is a difficult and expensive process requiring all of [its] forty-seven years of experience to achieve". Rega's cartridge design achieves a low-mass generator which is uniquely undamped by using a rhomboid pivot suspension pad for the cantilever, supposedly allowing the stylus greater freedom to track the vinyl groove.

It will now be supplied as standard on Rega's flagship turntable, the Naiad. And the Planar 10 with Aphelion 2 will be priced £6219 (a £529 saving over their combined individual prices). Separately, the Aphelion 2 costs £3149 – the same price as the outgoing Aphelion 1.

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Rega has added a new cartridge option to boost the performance of its mid-range Planar turntables.

The £750 Ania Pro is a moving coil model, which sits between the Ania (£500) and the Apheta 3 (£1250).

The Ania Pro is fitted with a nude diamond stylus to help glean as much detail from the vinyl surface as possible. Rega claims this results in a dynamic and detailed performance, tight bass, warm midrange and accurate highs.

The parts are fitted to a cartridge body which is moulded from PPS (Polyphenylene Sulphide) and features Rega's traditional three-point mounting that ensures accurate cartridge alignment.

In terms of numbers, the Ania Pro has a nominal output level of 350μV, a recommended tracking pressure of 1.75 - 2.00g and it weighs in at 6g. It can be bought separately for the Planar 3 and also come factory fitted for the Planar 6 and Planar 8 turntables - all What Hi-Fi? 2019 Award-winners.

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High-end turntable brand Vertere Acoustics has launched a plush new phono cartridge – the Vertere Mystic Moving Coil, yours for £2000 ($2699, €2498). 

It's a return to the company's high-end roots, following the launch of its most affordable turntable ever, the DG-1 Dynamic Groove. 

So, what do you get for your money? Despite the name, there's nothing 'mystical' here. Rather than reinventing the wheel, Vertere says it has deployed its considerable engineering expertise to level-up performance across the board.

The solid aluminium body, coated in a fetching sapphire blue anodised finish, is specially-tuned to reduced unwanted vibration. 

The Micro Elliptical diamond stylus tip, meanwhile, is designed to stay locked in the groove for maximum retrieval of information. It should fit perfectly to the tonearm, too, thanks to a specially-designed tri-point mount.

Performance-wise, the Mystic Moving Coil promises an output level of 0.5mV and a wide frequency response of 10Hz to 40kHz. 

The Vertere Mystic Moving Coil is due to hit UK stores this week, before arriving the USA and Europe in the second week of December. 

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Sony may have found a way to keep the PlayStation 5 price down and the clue is in a leaked patent of what appears to be a PS5 cartridge.

No, no one is expecting the PlayStation 5 to shun its optical drive in favour of a Nintendo-style cartridge game system. Instead, the smart money is on this patent revealing Sony’s SSD expandable storage system.

The sketch comes courtesy of LetsGoDigital who dug up the patent of the cartridge which was filed by Sony on 5th November 2019. There’s some confusion over just which category it’s been listed under but the fact that the senior art director of Sony Interactive Entertainment, Yujin Morisawa, is registered as the inventor, makes it a solid enough bet that it’s PS5 related. It’s also known that Morisawa is responsible for all the PlayStation associated products.

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Details on patent drawings are rarely technically complete and accurate. Despite that, there’s been plenty of analysis of connector pin structure and the online consensus is that it’s consistent with SSD modules. It also fits with Sony’s promise of lightning fast load times driven by SSDs.

If, indeed, this is the case, then there are some positive implications around pricing given the fears that the PlayStation 5 could be costly. SSD storage isn’t cheap, so instead of being forced to pay for large chunks of internal space, these cartridges could be optional extras to buy if and when gamers have the funds.

The thinking is now that there could be a more affordable, entry-level PS5 with very little storage off the shelf. As ever, more on the PlayStation 5 as we head towards the expected PS5 launch towards the end of 2020.

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Pro-Ject has been a dominant force in the record player market for decades, and over that time it has usually partnered with Ortofon cartridges to complete the package. So, the arrival of its own brand cartridges comes as less of a surprise and more a case of wondering what took the company so long.

The DS2 moving coil cartridge is still built by Ortofon – and is loosely based on its Quintet series – but it is notably different in that it's been specified and voiced by Pro-Ject.

Build

The most obvious difference is the body. Rather than the ABS/aluminium housing of the Quintet, the DS2’s housing is made of polyamide (a synthetic polymer) and shaped by laser. The idea is to create a low resonance base for the internal coil/magnet assembly to work from, so helping performance.

A threaded metal top plate is bonded to the top of this body. It has three raised sections to provide a stable interface between the headshell and the cartridge. The DS2’s stylus tip is nude elliptical, which is about par for the course at this level.

Compatibility

This Pro-Ject is an easy cartridge to fit, thanks to its squared body shape, which makes alignment a breeze – that threaded top plate helps too. It’s not unusually heavy at 9g either, and so should work with most tonearms without issue. 

The recommended tracking weight is 2.2g and though we play around within the suggested range of between 2.0 and 2.5g, we end up settling on that value. It gives the best balance between liveliness and tracking stability.

The Pick-it DS2 has an output voltage of 0.5mV, which is on the healthy side for a moving coil. It means that there won’t be an issue with gain from any decent MC phono stage. While budget offerings, such as Musical Fidelity’s LX2-XPS (£199), will work, you’ll need to spend more on the likes of Rega’s Aria (£839) or Musical Fidelity’s MX-VYNL (£699) to really hear the cartridge’s true capability. 

We mount the Pro-Ject on our reference Technics SL-1000R turntable and connect it into Cyrus’s Phono Signature/PSX-R2 phono stage. The rest of the system is our trusty Gamut D3i/D200i amplifier and ATC’s SCM50 speakers. This set-up is far more ambitious than the kind of system the Pro-Ject is likely to end up in, but it does show just how talented the cartridge is.

Sound

We give the DS2 a few days of use to settle down before we start to audition seriously. We start by setting the Cyrus phono stage to the recommend loading of 20 ohms, but find that the more typical 100 ohms works better. In our set-up at least, this gives the sound a little more sparkle and agility.

Having recently reviewed the Ortofon Quintet Blue (£349) – the step-up model in that range – we find the contrast with the closely related DS2 interesting. The cheaper Ortofon is a superb performer, sounding balanced and nuanced where as the Pro-Ject doesn’t sound as subtle to us. That’s not to damn the Pick-it DS2 though, as it’s also a more robust and dynamically expressive performer. 

We feed it Four Tet’s There Is Love In You and the Pro-Ject feels right at home. It’s a punchy and dynamic cartridge, making the Ortofon sound a little reserved in comparison. 

We love the way it renders bass with such gusto while still having enough in the way of agility and precision to please. The DS2 is good rhythmically too, making sense of the album’s complex production and tracking the album’s varying sense of momentum well.

It has a composed presentation, one that manages to resolve a good level of detail and organise all that information into a cohesive and musical whole. This is something that comes to the fore when we listen to Orff’s Carmina Burana, where the Pro-Ject’s composure under pressure truly impresses, as does the way it handles the music’s vivid dynamic swings.

Tonally, it doesn’t sound wholly neutral, being a little fuller and richer than ideal, but the balance chosen does tend to put the highlight on the music being played rather than encouraging outright analysis. It’s a skilfully judged balance that works well across a wide range of music.

Verdict

This Pro-Ject is a stable tracker and once properly adjusted isn’t easily unsettled, even when given a demanding recording to play. It images precisely too, though the soundstage itself isn’t the most expansive around.

We’re not sure that matters so much when a cartridge is as entertaining and well balanced as this. If you’re looking to upgrade to a moving coil at this level, the Pick-it DS2 should be high on your shortlist. It’s a truly capable and musical performer for the money.

SCORES

• Sound 5
• Compatibility 5
• Build 4

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Last year, in celebration of its 100th birthday, Ortofon released its most technological (and expensive) moving coil cartridge ever, the £8500 MC Century, of which 100 pieces were available. The Danish brand’s technical developments haven’t been restricted to a limited-edition legacy, though, instead used to create an all-new flagship, the MC Anna Diamond.

The permanent new addition takes the original design of Ortofon’s MC Anna, which has until now sat at the top of the brand’s top-tier Exclusive Series range since 2012, but uses a diamond cantilever in combination with an Ortofon Replicant 100 diamond stylus.

Ortofon has taken considerable measures to control consistency and reduce resonance in the name of utmost transparency. For example, the stylus and cantilever connect within a newly-improved generator system that has an iron-cobalt alloy for allegedly greater control. Multiple layers of titanium are welded together to create a single-piece housing that Ortofon says allows for precise density control and high internal damping, too.

Ortofon is also wary of the MC Anna Diamond’s use with a variety of tonearms and turntables, ensuring it has an output impedance of 6 ohms and a low-to-medium output voltage of 0.2m volts.

No stranger to dedicating products to high-end audio figures, Ortofon has created MC Anna Diamond as a tribute to Anna Netrebko, a Russian operatic soprano renowned for her work over the past two decades.

Supplied in a luxury Japanese wood case made with a user booklet and maintenance kit, the MC Anna Diamond is available in the UK from June, priced £7250.

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Audio-Technica has been manufacturing phono cartridges since 1962, so it knows a thing or two about getting the best possible sound from your vinyl. The OC9 cartridge series is one of the company's most highly-regarded products and after 30 years in production, it's time for a fourth generation model, the Audio-Technica AT-OC9X. 

Launching at High End Munich this week, the new OC9 cartridge arrives with a choice of five stylus types: Bonded Elliptical (AT-OC9XEB, £210/€239); Nude Elliptical (AT-OC9XEN, £300/€339), MicroLine (AT-OC9XML, £480/€549), Shibata (AT-OC9XSH, £570/€649), and Special Line Contact (AT-OC9XSL, £660/€749).

Each new cartridge features a dual moving coil structure, separating the audio signal to the left and right channels with "pinpoint accuracy", in an effort to deliver a precise stereo image and wide frequency response.

The Elliptical and Nude Elliptical models feature an aluminium cantilever, a neodymium magnet and pure iron yoke, which promise increased magnetic energy. The Microlinear, Shibata and Special Line Contact models feature a boron cantilever design, neodymium magnet and a permendur yolk. 

Additionally, Audio-Technica has launched a new range of AT-LH headshells to pair with the new AT-OC9X cartridges. Available in three weights – light, mid-weight and higher weight, and each costing £80/$89 – these aluminium headshells aim to keep vibrations to a minimum.

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If you own a Pro-Ject turntable, chances are it uses an Ortofon cartridge.

But Pro-Ject's latest, erm, project could potentially change that in the future. The company has just launched its first ever range of cartridges. All the design and voicing has been done in-house, although Ortofon will build them for Pro-Ject in its Denmark factory.

The Pick-it range consists of two models. The Pick-it S2 (£135) is aimed an the upper end of the entry-level turntable market while the Pick-it DS2 (£525) should appeal to owners of more expensive mid-range models.

The S2 uses Ortofon's Concorde cartridge body. It's been designed to be compatible with more DJ-style turntables, where the tonearm has a compatible locking collar. It simply plugs in and all you need to to is set the tracking weight. The moving magnet design has a high output of 6mV, which Pro-Ject claims will help with system matching.

The DS2 is a new moving coil design which features gold-plated connectors and uses a nude elliptical diamond stylus. It's built using a special Selective Lasering Sintering (SLS) manufacturing process which uses a laser to melt the cartridge housing into a given shape. Pro-Ject claims this produces a virtually vibration-free housing, which helps the cartridge deliver the best audio possible. Both the Pick-it S2 and DS2 are available to buy now.

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The original Roksan Corus cartridge was introduced way back in 1989. It was based, like many others of that time, on Goldring’s excellent 1000 series of cartridges, but a number of engineering tweaks gave it a distinctive sound.

Initially, there were two grades available, and the range-topping Black was a firm favourite at What Hi-Fi? It was excellent; delivering a combination of detail and dynamics most rivals struggled to better.

We’ve had to wait close to 30 years for a new generation of Roksan moving magnet cartridge, so it was with some anticipation that we unbox the new Corus2.

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Build and Compatibility

In some ways it’s a shame the company decided to call it a Corus, as there’s little shared DNA between the old and the new. The new one is based on Audio Technica technology and features that company’s VM dual magnet design (one per channel) rather than having a single magnet as used in most rivals.

The cartridge body is made of aluminium, as is the cantilever, which is completed with a Shibata shaped tip. At 8g this is a fairly hefty cartridge and it tracks securely at 2.0g.

While the old Corus was one of the easiest cartridges to fit thanks to a nicely squared off shape that was easy to align and the use of captive threaded inserts, the new one is undeniably fiddly.

There aren’t any captive inserts for a start, so you’ll have to hold onto the tiny nuts while screwing in the bolts. The 2 also requires the stylus assembly to be removed before the cartridge can be mounted to the tonearm, as there just isn’t enough space to fit the allen key with it in place.

The problem is that when you want to adjust the cartridge position to get everything aligned properly the assembly needs to come back off again each time. It’s a pain. Of course, you can get the dealer to do the job for you, but that might cost you.

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Sound

Once mounted on a Rega Planar 8 it doesn’t take long to realise that this is a capable performer. Sonically, it doesn’t share much with the last one. That cartridge’s fun-loving character has been replaced by a more refined and precise presentation.

The Corus2 sounds commendable crisp and detailed when we listen to Kind Of Blue by Miles Davis. It sets up a wide and expansive soundstage and positions the various members of the group with precision and focus. There’s a good amount of insight and the ability to render instrumental textures with delicacy.

Tonally, it’s nicely balanced. There’s a fine degree of body and authority to the sound and no part of the frequency range is given undue prominence. Once properly run-in we don’t detect any harshness to the presentation.

We become aware of a slight shortfall of rhythmic drive though. While this Roksan defines leading and trailing edges of notes with crispness it doesn’t quite tie things together well enough to convey the momentum of the music well.

This becomes apparent when we play Mary J Blige’s No Drama set where Dr. Dre’s distinctive, hard-charging production comes across with more restraint than we’re used to. It’s still a fun listen, but simply lacks a little of the expected verve.

A quick swap to the Goldring 2400 (£395) restores the full dose of energy – it now sounds fluid, punchy and entertaining. The Goldring is more musically cohesive and ties together the various instrumental strands in a more confident and natural way. The Roksan counters with greater insight into vocal nuances and a touch more control, so it’s not all one-way traffic.

Verdict

The Corus2 is a capable and informative performer. It may not be the most exciting listen you can get for the money, but its broad range of strengths means it will sound at home across a wide range of systems and musical genres. Just remember to get someone else to fit it.

SCORES

• Sound 4
• Compatibility 4
• Build 4

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Earlier this year, Ortofon launched the Stylus 2M Blue 100, a special edition run of the Stylus 2M Blue that bears a ‘100’ logo printed on the underside of the stylus body. 

The company is now extending that treatment to its Stylus 2M Bronze 100 and Stylus 2M Black 100 styli, which also feature the same technical specifications as their originals - just with a printed logo.

These three new styli have been released to incentivise customers to upgrade their turntable experience during Ortofon’s 100th anniversary year. 

Ortofon's UK distributor Henley Audio is offering the two latest styli at a 20 per cent discount while stocks last, too.

The Stylus 2M Bronze 100, which offers the next step up in performance from the 2M Blue, is therefore priced £185 - a saving of £45 over its normal price.

The Stylus 2M Black 100, meanwhile, costs £300 (£70 less than its usual RRP) and is the natural upgrade for the 2M Bronze.

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Audio Technica introduces entry-level VM95 cartridge range

In addition to launching its first ever pair of true wireless buds, Audio Technica has today announced the launch of six new budget moving-magnet cartridges - one of which succeeds the company’s AT95E budget cartridge that appears on the AT-LP5 turntable we handed five stars and an Award to.

Audio Technica claims the AT-VM95E (£44) improves on the AT95E’s output level, dynamic range and frequency response, with its aluminium cantilever, elliptical stylus and new coil design delivering an increased output of 4mV.

Below the 95E sits the AT-VM95C (£29), which is furnished with a conical stylus plus new aluminium cantilever and coil designs.

Next up are the AT-VM95EN (£99) and AT-VM95ML (£149), which feature elliptical and Line Contact MicroLinear styluses, respectively.

The AT-VM95SH (£179), meanwhile, sports a Line Contact Shibata stylus.

Last but not least, the AT-VM95SP (£69) has been designed exclusively for 78rpm SP records.

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