Why The Quality Of Your Cartridge/Stylus Is Critical To Your Sound Quality

If you have ever seen a photo of a LP record through an electron microscope,the powerful magnification reveals a rarefied landscape of peaks and valleys more like northern Arizona than a flat 12" vinyl LP.With this level of detail it is easy to wonder about the near miraculous workings of a stylus and phono cartridge.It is often mooted that a phono cartridge has a greater effect on record playback than the turntable itself.No two cartridges sound alike so there is an abundance of choice available to the music listener.

The stylus is an extremely important component of the phono cartridge.Typically being made of diamond,it forms approximately 80% of the cost of the cartridge/stylus combination.There are several styles of stylus tips available at varying costs and as you go up in the cut of the diamond you improve the musical information retrieval and achieve better sound.Some stylus tip styles include elliptical,fine line,spherical and shibata.

Inside the cartridge body magnetic conductors surround the magnet.As the magnet moves it's magnetic field is distributed between the conductors.Magnetic energy flows through the centre of the copper coils and produces an electrical which is sent to the amplifier to be reproduced through the speakers.

The cartridge/stylus combination on cheap turntables (sub $300) are typically worth between $20 and $30 and are usually not a diamond tip.They produce poor sound quality and have a high tracking weight which does an excellent job of damaging your records.The minimum cost of any cartridge/stylus on turntables we recommend starts at $60 and does have a diamond tip stylus.In fact we have a $599 turntable on display that comes standard with a $140 cartridge/stylus.....it sounds very special and competes with turntables up to a cost of $1000.When it is on demo in our showroom it is amazing how many customers comment on it's superb sound for the price.Going the extra mile in the area of cartridge/stylus will make a huge difference to your music reproduction.

We also stock a range of cartridges which can be purchased to upgrade your old cartridge and provide significant sound improvement to your record playing system.Cartridges from leading brands such as Ortofon,Rega,and Audio Technica will take the enjoyment of your music listening to a new level.