Grado Cartridges

For over half a century, Grado has been a family owned businesses in the audio industry. They are famous for phono cartridges and headphone designs - holding over 48 patents. Time honored manufacturing knowledge and attention to detail generates the highest levels of pitch control, harmonic accuracy, and bass quality to be achieved. Nothing leaves the factory until it sounds pure Grado.

How good are their cartridges?

The OTL moving magnet stylus with cantilever design will make your records sound quieter, improve the height, width, and depth of the soundstage, and offer more detail than previously obtainable.

Grado's Gold Phono Cartridge

The Prestige Series by Grado is designed for high output and excellent stability under severe use. A considerable tip mass reduction results in a frequency response to 50 kHz and beyond and tracking forces from 1-2 grams.

Acclaimed by experts as virtually the finest pickups in the world at their price. Prestige models available in both 1/2" mount and P-mount. All styli in the Prestige series are user replaceable. For best results, Custom Home Hi-Fi optionally provides precision and measured installation.

The newly redesigned Silver1 and Gold1 have had their coil design reconfigured, and the effective moving mass of their generating system has been reduced by 17%. The Silver1 and gold1 models use a four piece OTL cantilever technology, ultra-high purity long crystal (UHPLC) oxygen free copper wire in the coils and Grado's specially designed elliptical diamond mounted on a brass bushing.

Grado's Red1 and Blue1 Phono Cartridges

The newly redesigned Blue1 and Red1 have had their coil design reconfigured, and the effective moving mass of their generating system has been reduced by 17%. The Blue1 and Red1 models use a four piece OTL cantilever technology, standard oxygen free wire in the coils and Grado's specially designed elliptical diamond mounted on a brass bushing.

The Red1 model is selected from the Blue1 production run and meets higher test specifications. Approximately 10% of the production run will meet these standards and become Red1 models. We normally recommend the Red1 for economical purchases.

Grado's Reference Series Phono Cartridges

The Reference Series of wooden cartridges are a fixed coil design, hand-crafted at Grado labs from a specially selected species of mahogany. An intricate procedure of curing is done between production steps to achieve optimal sonic quality. This series generator/stylus module is not replaceable* allowing a redesigned one-piece magnetic circuit and a reduction of chassis resonances.

The Reference Series utilizes manufacturing and assembly techniques of fantastic accuracy and precision. The result is virtual perfection.

Reference Series cartridges should only be used with the finest turntables. Recommended tracking force is 3/4 to 2 grams