To deal with the expanding demand of people, a variety of products are also available. However, getting a product is pretty easy, but picking the correct one is not. You can never be sure about the quality, efficiency, and performance of a product just by looking at it.
Likewise, nowadays the buying experience is low-touch and high-tech. Hence, it’s quite normal to become disheartened after purchasing a product. However, if you are looking forward to buying a best Turntable Cartridges, you should be aware of some aspects.
Our group has researched and compiled all the best products of markets in a list. To assist you with this task, we will also present you with a buying guide here. Now, you can just glance over products’ reliability, features, and other essential information before deciding the right pick for you.
Then, what are we waiting for? Let’s dive into the article!
The Most Highly Reviewed Turntable Cartridges
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| Place | Image | Product Information | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Marantz TT- S Manual Belt-Drive Premium Turntable by Marantz |
9.1
|
|
| 2 |
|
Ortofon M Black Moving Magnet Cartridge by Ortofon |
9.4
|
|
| 3 |
|
Audio-Technica AT-ART XA Dual Moving Coil Cartridge by Audio-Technica |
9.1
|
|
| 4 |
|
Ortofon M Red Moving Magnet Cartridge by Ortofon |
9.8
|
|
| 5 |
|
Audio-Technica AT-VM C Dual Moving Magnet Turntable by Audio-Technica |
9.8
|
|
| 6 |
|
Audio-Technica AT-ART XI Dual Moving Coil Cartridge by Audio-Technica |
9.7
|
|
| 7 |
|
Clearaudio Professional Setup Maintenance Toolkit for Turntables by Clearaudio |
9.8
|
|
| 8 |
|
Audio-Technica AT-VM ML Dual Moving Magnet Turntable by Audio-Technica |
9
|
|
| 9 |
|
Hana MC Moving-Coil Stereo Cartridge with Nude by Hana |
8.9
|
|
| 10 |
|
Audio-Technica AT SA Shibata Nude Dual Moving by Audio-Technica |
9.3
|
Our top 15 Best Turntable Cartridges Reviews in 2023
Marantz TT-15S1 Manual Belt-Drive Premium Turntable with Cartridge Included | Floating Motor for Low-Vibration & Low-Resonance | A Smart, Stylish Option for Vintage Vinyl Records
Highlighted Features
- VINYL MAKES A MAGNIFICENT COMEBACK – The warmth of analog music supersedes all digital forms. Marantz brings alive the old school charm with its Reference Series TT-15S1 Turntable (33 1/3 & 45 rpm) – an absolute stunner for your treasured albums
- THE ULTIMATE VIBRATION-FREE LISTENING EXPERIENCE – Advanced cutting-edge materials & the uniquely configured design with FLOATING MOTOR MOUNT CONSTRUCTION helps in deadening vibrations & keeps distortions at bay. A pure delight for a music connoisseur.
- IT'S ALL IN THE DETAILS. Better than any turntable on the market, TT-15S1 features a solid plinth belt-drive, a precision AC asynchronous motor, a heavy platter, reference class anodized aluminum manual tonearm, & everything you need for its assembly
- TOP OF THE CLASS PHONO CARTRIDGE FROM CLEARAUDIO – Included with this turntable is the Virtuoso MM Cartridge with an ebony wood body, diamond stylus, lightweight aluminum cantilever and highly effective cartridge damping mechanism for a quieter background
- EXTRA STABILITY FOR UNEVEN PLANES – The 3 height-adjustable solid aluminum feet provide a strong base to the turntable, keeping the position intact even on an irregular surface
Additional Info :
| Brand | Marantz |
| Color | Grey |
| Item Dimensions | |
| Height | 3 |
| Width | 43 |
| Length | 33 |
| Weight | 85.55 |
Ortofon 2M Black Moving Magnet Cartridge
Highlighted Features
- Universal fit for most turntables
- Upgrade to the Ortofon 2M Red, 2M Blue and 2M Bronze
- The Ortofon 2M Black offers the best of everything, true to the groove
- The Ortofon 2M Black is graced with a Shibata diamond with a slim, highly polished profile
- Stylus is replaceable
Additional Info :
| Brand | Ortofon |
| Color | Off-white |
| Item Dimensions | |
| Height | 13 |
| Width | 23 |
| Length | 35 |
| Weight | 14.69 |
Audio-Technica AT-ART9XA Dual Moving Coil Cartridge
Highlighted Features
- The dual moving coils of the system are aligned in an inverted V shape, which provides high separation and wide response for clear sound localization and minimal distortion
- The Shibata stylus ensures accurate high and mid-low range reproduction, and the boron cantilever provides excellent response characteristics
- The specially designed magnetic circuit optimizes energy in the magnetic gap where the generator coils are located
- A complete redesign of the armature offers a 20% increase in the cross-sectional area of the generator coil to provide an output voltage of 0.2 mV
- Using PCOCC (Pure Copper Ohno Continuous Cast) wire for the coils achieves pure signal transfer
Additional Info :
| Brand | Audio-Technica |
| Color | White |
| Item Dimensions | |
| Height | 15 |
| Width | 36 |
| Length | 21 |
| Weight | 61.56 |
Ortofon 2M Red Moving Magnet Cartridge
Highlighted Features
- Universal fit for most turntables
- Upgrade from stock cartridges
- The Ortofon 2M Red is an all-purpose cartridge that delivers open, dynamic sound with a slight touch of warmth
- The Ortofon 2M Red features an Elliptical diamond
- Can be upgraded with an Ortofon Stylus 2M Blue
Additional Info :
| Brand | Ortofon |
| Color | Off-white |
| Item Dimensions | |
| Height | 9 |
| Width | 38 |
| Length | 22 |
| Weight | 20.21 |
Audio-Technica AT-VM95C Dual Moving Magnet Turntable Cartridge Blue
Highlighted Features
- VM95 Series dual Magnet cartridge with 0.6 mil Conical stylus
- Aluminum cantilever
- Specially wound coils increase output voltage
- Durable low-resonance polymer Housing
- Threaded inserts in cartridge body enable cartridge to be mounted to headshell with just two screws - no nuts required
Additional Info :
| Brand | Audio-Technica |
| Color | Multicolor |
| Item Dimensions | |
| Height | 7 |
| Width | 28 |
| Length | 36 |
| Weight | 93.66 |
Audio-Technica AT-ART9XI Dual Moving Coil Cartridge
Highlighted Features
- The dual moving coils of the system are aligned in an inverted V shape, which provides high separation and wide response for clear sound localization and minimal distortion
- The SLC stylus ensures faithful reading of the music signal, while the boron cantilever offers excellent response characteristics
- The specially designed magnetic circuit optimizes energy in the magnetic gap where the generator coils are located. Enjoy dynamic playback with an output voltage of just 0.5 mV
- Using PCOCC (Pure Copper Ohno Continuous Cast) wire for the coils achieves pure signal transfer
- The machined aluminum base supports both the magnetic circuit and the vibration system, ensuring excellent playback stability
Additional Info :
| Brand | Audio-Technica |
| Color | Silver |
| Item Dimensions | |
| Height | 15 |
| Width | 26 |
| Length | 43 |
| Weight | 81.99 |
Clearaudio Professional Setup/Maintenance Toolkit for Turntables/Tonearms/Cartridges, AC135
Highlighted Features
- Professional, perfect complete set of instruments and accessories to calibrate any turntable and keep it in top-shape. UNIVERSAL - designed for all types of turntables, tonearms and cartridges.
- Each of the instruments and even the smallest accessory made of the highest quality materials - characteristic of CLEARAUDIO product quality.
- All the "pieces of the puzzle" gathered in a practical case and arranged in a thoughtful way.
- Included: 1. Bearing Oil 2. Weight Watcher digital scale w/calibration weight 3. Level gauge 4. Mini level gauge 5. Diamond Stylus Brush 6. Elixir of Sound (stylus cleaning fluid) 7. Cartridge & Tonearm alignment gauge w/Stroboscope Test Disc and Speed Light 8. Headshell cable set
- 9. Demagnetized mini screwdriver 10. White Gloves 11. Cartridge Mounting Screws 12. Headshell Spacer Plates 13. Tweezers 14. Flashlight for easy inspection of the tip of the needle 15. LP Drill 16. Allen key set 17. A set of gold plated connectors for cartridge 18. Magnifying Glass 19. 180g Trackability Test Record
Additional Info :
| Brand | Clearaudio |
| Color | Multicolor |
| Item Dimensions | |
| Height | 20 |
| Width | 29 |
| Length | 21 |
| Weight | 90.63 |
Audio-Technica AT-VM95ML Dual Moving Magnet Turntable Cartridge Red
Highlighted Features
- M Series dual Magnet cartridge with 2.2 x 0.12 mil Micro-Linear stylus
- Aluminum cantilever
- Durable low-resonance polymer Housing
- Threaded inserts in cartridge body enable cartridge to be mounted to head shell with just two screws - no nuts required
- Compatible with any at-vmn95 Replacement stylus
Additional Info :
| Brand | Audio-Technica |
| Color | Black |
| Item Dimensions | |
| Height | 18 |
| Width | 40 |
| Length | 42 |
| Weight | 75.49 |
Hana MC Moving-Coil Stereo Cartridge with Nude Microline Tip - ML (Low Output)
Highlighted Features
- Hana MC Moving-Coil Stereo Cartridge with Nude Microline Tip - ML (Low Output)
Additional Info :
| Brand | Hana |
| Color | Grey |
| Item Dimensions | |
| Height | 10 |
| Width | 30 |
| Length | 22 |
| Weight | 79.98 |
Audio-Technica AT33SA Shibata Nude Dual Moving Coil Turntable Cartridge Beige
Highlighted Features
- Features a Shibata line-contact stylus, known for its superior high-range performance and strong mid and bass sound
- Stylus is mounted on a tapered boron cantilever with a double damper for reduced weight and better audio quality, particularly in the higher frequencies
- Dual moving coils provide excellent channel separation and are affixed within a strong but lightweight VC mold to greatly reduce unwanted vibration
- Uses a neodymium magnet and a permendur yoke for dramatically enhanced magnetic energy
- PCOCC (Pure Copper by Ohno Continuous Casting) coils ensure pure audio transmission
Additional Info :
| Brand | Audio-Technica |
| Color | White |
| Item Dimensions | |
| Height | 15 |
| Width | 36 |
| Length | 22 |
| Weight | 65.8 |
Audio-Technica AT-OC9XSL Dual Moving Coil Cartridge with Special Line Contact Stylus
Highlighted Features
- Dual Moving Coil design, featuring independent coils for both left and right channels, provides outstanding channel separation
- The coils are aligned in a reverse V-shaped formation, which exerts less pressure on the stylus, thereby minimizing distortion
- The cartridge body is pre-threaded, enabling it to be mounted onto the headshell or integral tonearm with just two screws – no nuts required
- Features nude Special Line Contact stylus and boron cantilever with accurate tracking ability and high transient response
- A neodymium magnet and permendur yoke provide dramatically increased magnetic energy
Additional Info :
| Brand | Audio-Technica |
| Color | Black |
| Item Dimensions | |
| Height | 8 |
| Width | 23 |
| Length | 41 |
| Weight | 16.82 |
Sumiko Songbird Reference Series High Output MC Phono Cartridge
Highlighted Features
- Songbird is part of Sumiko's prestigious Reference Series
- Open-architevture Moving Coil Cartridge
- Long 7-Micron Stylus Face
- Provides excitement to otherwise anemic classical system setups
Additional Info :
| Brand | Sumiko |
| Color | Off-white |
| Item Dimensions | |
| Height | 16 |
| Width | 30 |
| Length | 22 |
| Weight | 16.22 |
Audio-Technica AT-VM95E/H Turntable Headshell/Cartridge Combo Kit Green
Highlighted Features
- Note: This part of the stylus is extremely delicate and can bend from any slight force
- VM95 Series dual Magnet cartridge with 0.3 x 0.7 mil Elliptical stylus
- Specially wound coils increase output voltage and Aluminum cantilever
- Threaded inserts in cartridge body enable cartridge to be mounted to head shell with just two screws - no nuts required
- Universal 1/2"-mount head shell for 4-pin Turntable cartridges
Additional Info :
| Brand | Audio-Technica |
| Color | Unknown |
| Item Dimensions | |
| Height | 20 |
| Width | 31 |
| Length | 36 |
| Weight | 27.48 |
Audio-Technica AT-VM95E Dual Moving Magnet Turntable Cartridge Green
Highlighted Features
- VM95 Series dual Magnet cartridge with 0.3 x 0.7 mil Elliptical stylus
- Aluminum cantilever
- Specially wound coils increase output voltage
- Durable low-resonance polymer Housing
- Threaded inserts in cartridge body enable cartridge to be mounted to headshell with just two screws - no nuts required
Additional Info :
| Brand | Audio-Technica |
| Color | Silver |
| Item Dimensions | |
| Height | 10 |
| Width | 27 |
| Length | 44 |
| Weight | 30.45 |
Hana SL Series Moving Coil Cartridges
Highlighted Features
- Hana SL Series Moving Coil Cartridges
Additional Info :
| Brand | Hana |
| Color | White |
| Item Dimensions | |
| Height | 11 |
| Width | 36 |
| Length | 44 |
| Weight | 43.01 |
Why 1st Product is Best Compare to Others
1st product has many incredible facts over other products. That’s why we’ve ranked it on top of this list.
The excellent quality of a good product is that it will fulfill all the needs a user have and solve the real problem. These quality is exists on this product. Be understandable by users, perform users task as easily and efficiently as possible.
Bottom line, this product is finesse for use, features that meet consumer needs and give customer satisfaction and conformance to standards.
Thing to Consider Before When Buying Turntable Cartridges
There might be several products available in the market. Even though we’ve narrowed the list, you could still be in a dilemma while picking the perfect Turntable Cartridges.
For easing this complication, we are going to provide a buying guide for you in this section. This buying guide will include all the fundamentals and factors that you must consider before purchasing a product.
Capabilities
Capabilities are the tasks that the product is potentially able to perform. Undoubtedly, it’s an important factor in judging a product. Due to variations in the product’s functionality and specifications, capabilities differ from product to product.
Before buying the product, you should consider your purpose for buying. Only then you can decide which capabilities are essential for fulfilling your buying purpose. A product with higher capabilities will require a high price.
If you are planning to use the product for home use, you should choose a product with moderate capabilities. This will keep the product’s cost at a reasonable stage. But, if you have to use the product for professional purposes, you have no chance to neglect the higher product capabilities.
Efficiency
People always look for high-efficiency products before buying. But in most cases, products with high efficiency are pretty expensive.
In this matter, the term cost-efficiency is also related. That means getting maximum efficiency with the probable minimum cost and waste.
Ease of operation and handling of the product are also relevant to efficiency. The complex design of the product might make handling difficult. Also, this type of product comes at a high price. That’s why you should choose an easily designed product that will be easy to handle. Moreover, it will also save you money.
Cost-effectiveness
Cost-effectiveness is a mandatory parameter for getting the most possible advantage with optimum costing. If you are spending a good amount of money on the product, you must make sure that it is producing the expected result.
Cost-effectiveness doesn’t mean the product will be cheap. It means that the product price is justified by its quality. Sometimes, even a cheap product might not be cost-effective but the premium one may have cost-effectiveness.
Therefore, when buying, only budget and cost don’t matter. Undoubtedly cost-effectiveness is the most essential thing that you have to consider before selecting a product. If a product is costly, and it’s saving your time while providing you with maximum beneifts, then buying that product is worthwhile.
Maintenance
Maintenance is a set of activities that are mandatory to keep a product in a performing condition. This could be of various types such as corrective, perfective, adaptive, and preventive maintenance. Hence, maintenance cost is a vital parameter in the decision of selecting a product.
Sometimes, cheap products can result in higher maintenance costs. In the end, the total cost might exceed the total cost for an expensive product with lower maintenance costs. That’s why calculate wisely before buying.
Trustworthiness
Honesty, transparency, quality, consistency, and sustainability make a product trustworthy. Trustworthiness is one of the vital parameters that should be considered. You can be deceived by disloyal sellers, the goods could be illegal or might be a replica product.
That’s why always check customer reviews about the product. Then you can decide which product is trustworthy. Moreover, a product with a warranty and return policy is always trustable. Because, you are assured that if the product turns out faulty, you have the complete right to return or exchange the product.
FAQs
This FAQs section is the most vital. Because, here, we are going to attach some most recently asked questions about Turntable Cartridges.
Is buying snobby Turntable Cartridges worthwhile?
People buy snobby products for maintaining social status. In such cases, keeping social laminate becomes more important than product quality. Hence, you will choose the popular product neglecting its efficiency, features, and price.
But, it’s a relief that, if a particular product becomes a standard of maintaining social status, then it must have premium attributes. So, picking the snobby product is worthwhile when you have a flexible budget.
How to prevent buying a replica Turntable Cartridges?
You have to conduct a little bit of research about the product before purchasing. Therefore, you will be able to distinguish between the replica and the authentic one.
But, while buying a product online you can’t distinguish between those. In this case, you have to go through the customers’ testimonials about that product.
Which one should I choose between cost-efficient and cost-effective Turntable Cartridges?
When your budget for buying the product is low, you should go for a cost-efficient product. This will ensure that you get higher efficiency and quality at a minimum price. The main point is minimum cost here.
On the other hand, if you have no problem with the budget, you should pick the cost-effective one. This will provide you with the most possible premium quality with the spent money. Here, the main focus is on maximum quality.
Final Word
Choosing the best fit is becoming difficult, as the market is being crowded with every passing day. But, we have tried to attach all the best Turntable Cartridges that are present in the market. We hope, now you will be able to pick the perfect good among those according to your requirements.
Furthermore, the buying guide will also be pretty much helpful for you to compare goods and eventually pick the right one. This right one is never the same for everyone, it differs from person to person.
So, use your conscience and knowledge along with the buying guide to find your best-fit product. We wish you good luck with that!