Cartridges
The Grado Statement 2 Cartridge
It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Grado Labs. This Brooklyn company, also known for their diverse crop of headphones has been making incredible phono cartridges for decades now. Read More >
The Koetsu Onyx Platinum
Mounting a $10,000 phono cartridge gives you a bit of respect for surgeons: one slip and kaboom! All that craftsmanship down the drain. Read More >
The Sensitive Sound Art-Majestic MC Cartridge
Zeroing in on the tonal characteristics of a phono cartridge and keeping it within a budget that makes sense is often one of the biggest challenges facing an analog enthusiast, but it can be done. Read More >
The Clearaudio Charisma V2
Audiophiles love to argue the merits of moving magnet vs. moving coil cartridges. Come to think about it; they love to argue about nearly everything. Read More >
The Gold Note Donatello MC Cartridge
After spending a lot of time on opposite ends of the price spectrum with Gold Note’s $3,000 high output MC Machiavelli cartridge and their $385 Vasari MM, the Donatello MC strikes a great spot at $1,075 – offering tremendous sonics, versatility and value. Read More >
The Gold Note Machiavelli Cartridge
For many, when you ask them to complete the sentence “Italian high performance….” they might say “cars, Ferrari,” or “bikes, Ducati. Read More >
Ortofon’s 2M Black
I’m sorry to say we are late to the party on this one… Ortofon’s 2M Black has received numerous accolades from nearly every hifi magazine on the planet and with good reason – it’s a fantastic sounding cartridge. Read More >
Ortofon Cadenza Bronze
Spinning Anya Garbarek’s Smiling and Waving on staffer Earle Blanton’s system, I’m blown away by how neutral, clean and airy Garbarek’s voice flows through his towering Magnepan 20. Read More >
Phasemation PP-1000 MC Phono Cartridge
My quest for the Phasemation PP-1000 cartridge started four months ago, when I was perusing photos from a good friend’s recent excursion to Asia and the exotic analog setups he saw on his journey. Read More >
Dynavector DV-20X2 Low-Output Moving-Coil Cartridge
Dynavector has been a household name in the phono-cartridge business since the mid-1970s. I have fond (albeit slightly faded) memories of an early generation Dynavector moving-coil cartridge that set me back a couple of C-notes (big bucks for that era). Read More >
SoundSmith Sussurro Paua Cartridge
Two years ago, TONE awarded SoundSmith our Analog Product of the Year award for its cartridge aptly named The Voice, a moving iron design that retails for just under $2,200. Everyone who had a chance to audition it in our reference system was astonished by its ability to deliver such a high level of performance for such a reasonable price. Read More >
Koetsu Urushi Sky Blue
Three of my favorite things come in bright blue: Smurfs, rare Porsche 911’s (only a few came from the factory in Mexico Blue), and Koetsu’s Urushi Sky Blue phono cartridge. To most audiophiles, Koetsu summons up a vision of analog exotica that defies definition and affordability. Read More >
Ortofon MC Vivo Cartridge
MC Vivo is not the latest hip-hop sensation, but it’s sensational nonetheless. Read More >
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