Tagged: cartridges
7 articles we've published with this tag.
Cartridge break-in: what actually changes in the first 40 hoursDoes a new cartridge really need 40 hours to "open up"? I measured one to find out what's mechanical fact and what's audiophile folklore.By Marcus Vale- Air-bearing and tangential-tracking arms: is the extra complexity worth it?Air-bearing linear-tracking tonearms promise zero tracking error. I've lived with them. Here's what they actually fix, and what they quietly break.By Sofia Laurent
Cartridge loading and capacitance: what the numbers actually do to your signalResistive loading and capacitance aren't just set-and-forget specs. Marcus Vale explains how they reshape your cartridge's frequency response and why the numbers matter.By Marcus Vale- Tonearm geometry explained: overhang, azimuth and VTA for serious vinyl playbackOverhang, azimuth, VTA, SRA — four alignment parameters that determine whether your cartridge sounds sublime or merely acceptable. Sofia Laurent explains what each one does and how to set it properly.By Sofia Laurent
- How to set phono stage gain and loading for any cartridgePhono stage gain and loading decide whether a cartridge sounds thin, dull or right. Marcus Vale explains the maths, the settings and the listening tests.By Marcus Vale
Audio-Technica AT-MCD1 cartridge: one-piece diamond stylusThe Audio-Technica AT-MCD1 cartridge pairs a one-piece CVD diamond cantilever and stylus with a dual moving-coil generator, priced at US$11,000.By Priya Anand
Ortofon's MC Vertex: a solid-diamond cantilever arrives at the top of the rangeOrtofon unveiled its most advanced moving-coil cartridge ever at High End Vienna on June 4, 2026. Here's why the MC Vertex matters for serious vinyl listeners.By Priya Anand