If you are in the market for an affordable audiophile turntable, or replacement cartridge, it’s easy to get lost looking through the hundreds of affordable phono cartridges that are available. Deciding if you want a moving coil or moving magnet (or moving iron if select one from Grado Labs) cartridge is just one part of the decision making process.
Compatibility with the tonearm is also something that you need to pay attention to; just because you want to mount a specific cartridge on your turntable doesn’t mean that you should without checking with the manufacturer or dealer for advice.
Many entry-level turntables come with a pre-installed cartridge from Audio-Technica, Grado Labs, Sumiko, or Ortofon. Aside from confirming the tracking weight and that the anti-skate is properly set, you’re usually only a few minutes from listening to records in this scenario.
But if you’re looking to upgrade what you already own or don’t love the sound from the pre-installed cartridge on your new table, these are very worthy alternatives and excellent value for the money.
But if you want to elevate the level of playback quality from your records, there are a number of options below $800 that extract a lot more information from the grooves and help shape the tonal presentation of the music.
Your choice of phono pre-amplifier will also impact the overall sound quality in a significant way.
Do not spend more on the cartridge than the table. Even a restored vintage turntable with the right arm will maximize sound quality with even an inexpensive moving magnet cartridge like a Nagaoka MP-110 – versus a $800 Dynavector on an entry-level turntable.
Proper set-up of your cartridge is more important than what you spend. Clean your records and your stylus. Nothing ruins a stylus faster than dirty records.
Best Phono Cartridge Under $250
Nagaoka MP-110 ($149)
Japanese manufacturer, Nagaoka, has been manufacturing outstanding moving magnet phono cartridges for almost 70 years. The entry-level MP-110 is an excellent tracker digging into worn out grooves with authority and delivers a very open and detailed sounding presentation across the entire frequency spectrum. The 5mV output is on the high side, but that also makes it compatible with a wide range of phono pre-amplifiers.
The cartridge is a good match on both entry-level and more expensive turntables and offers a lot of performance in a Rega, Pro-Ject, or SME tonearm for under $150. It may not be as popular as the 2M Red from Ortofon which shows up pre-installed on a lot of entry-level tables, but it offers a smoother ride and with less top end bite.
Pros:
- Excellent tracker
- Very detailed and open presentation
- Entry-level price for one of the best below $250
- Smoother sounding than Ortofon 2M Red
Cons:
- Will make you want to try the more expensive Nagaoka MMs leaving you with less money to spend on records
- Revealing nature highlights every imperfection or scratch
- Could be slightly warmer sounding
For more information: nagaoka.co.jp
Where to buy:
Best Phono Cartridge Under $300
Goldring E4 ($299)
Some cartridges fly under the radar because the brand doesn’t get them into the hands of enough members of the press or because the price doesn’t create enough buzz in comparison to rivals. Goldring have been in business almost as long as Danish rival, Ortofon, and that puts them in rather elite company.
The Goldring E Series are natural rivals to anything Audio-Technica and Ortofon have to offer below $300 and the E4 might best them all. I’ve been listening for the past month (the E4 replaced both the Ortofon 2M Red and Golding E3 on my NAD table) and it’s not even close.
The Goldring E4 is designed to be compatible with all medium-to-high-mass tonearms of the type found on the majority of budget to midrange turntables.
What’s different about the new E4?
The super-elliptical nude diamond stylus features lower effective tip mass, and improved rigidity, which should result in better high frequency detail retrieval than ‘bonded’ elliptical alternatives.
The E4 features a ‘nude’ super-elliptical stylus of just 7.6 x 18 microns (0.3 x 0.7 mil), which is cut and polished from a single homogeneous piece of diamond.
To complement its low tip-mass stylus, the E4 now features a hollow aluminum cantilever tube.
The Goldring E4 delivers a more open and neutral sounding presentation with a wider soundstage. It is also easier to sculpt into a very specific type of sound which will appeal to those who use vintage receivers or amplifiers, or entry-level integrated amplifiers below $1,000 than often veer to the darker side.
Combine all of that with excellent speed, timing, and resolution and you have one of the best sounding entry-level phono cartridges available below $300. Find out more in our Goldring E4 Review.
Pros:
- Easy to install
- Superb value for the money
- Detail retrieval is excellent
- Wide soundstage
- Transparent and very open sounding
- Highlights the pace and timing of every piece of music
- Ideal for older vintage amplifiers with a more organic tone
Cons:
- Some may find it to be lacking in color
- Revealing nature will be too much in cooler sounding systems
- Needs a medium to high mass tonearm
Where to buy:
Best Phono Cartridge Under $400
Denon DL-103 ($349)
Denon introduced the DL-103 in 1962 for professional broadcast use, and it has proven to be of the most popular and reliable phono cartridges of its kind. The low output moving coil design (0.3mV) requires a higher mass tonearm; opening the door to used Fidelity Research, SME, or EMT arms or more expensive modern arms from Kuzma, or Jelco (which recently decided to cease production). Jazz listeners have long prized the DL-103’s tonal balance and open presentation that make both brass instruments and vocals come alive.
The DL-103 requires at least 60 dB of gain to come alive; sticking a step-up transformer between the affordable DL-103 and the moving magnet input of your phono stage can be a transformative experience when everything is set-up correctly. Third party manufacturers have been offering modified DL-103 variants for the past few years at considerable expense, but our advice would be to stick with the stock model from Denon.
Pros:
- One of the most successful MC cartridges of all-time designed for broadcast use
- Superb value for the money
- Consistently good with all kinds of music
- Tonal balance and open presentation make it the best cartridge for jazz
- Excellent pacing
- Performance can be taken to another level with a step-up transformer
Cons:
- Requires a higher mass tonearm
- Low output requires 60 dB of gain
- Needs a better quality table and phono preamp to show off its magic
Where to buy:
Best Phono Cartridges Under $500 (tie)
Hana EL ($475)
Hana’s parent company has been an OEM manufacturer for a number of prestigious Japanese phono cartridge brands for years, but the decision to enter the marketplace with their own cartridges under the “Hana” label has been a huge success so far.
Hana offers three tiers of phono cartridges; creating some welcome competition for Ortofon, Grado, and Audio-Technica, and it is the low-output EL (0.5mV) utilizing an elliptical stylus that shines the brightest with a quality moving coil phono pre-amplifier.
It is also not the hardest cartridge to install and works superbly well on a wide range of tables including a restored Thorens TD-160 Super or TD-125 from Vinyl Nirvana.
An excellent tracker, the EL offers a lush sounding midrange, and slightly rolled-off treble making it an excellent cartridge with a wide range of music and systems. Partnered with a phono pre-amplifier from iFi Audio or Moon by SimAudio, the Hana EL can deliver a lot of performance for only $475.
Pros:
- Solid build quality
- Not difficult to install
- Excellent value for the money
- Works well on higher end turntables
- Very good tracker
- Lush sounding midrange
Cons:
- Warmer tonal balance requires a more analytical sounding preamplifier or loudspeakers
- Treble is slightly rolled-off
- Requires a high-end table and phono pre-amplifier to show off its capabilities
For more information: musicalsurroundings.com
Where to buy:
Sumiko Blue Point No.3 ($499)
Eric Pye did a wonderful job reviewing the Blue Point No. 3 and his observations about its pacing and organic nature piqued my interest. We both share a similar obsession with jazz music and he’s never steered me wrong in regard to great music suggestions.
Eric ran the Sumiko on a vintage Denon DP-1200, whilst I chose to run the Blue Point No. 3 on both Pro-Ject tables and ultimately felt that the more expensive X2 B was a marginally better platform.
The new Blue Point No. 3 cartridges were announced in June 2021, replacing the best-selling Blue Point No. 2, for an affordable ($499.00 each) MC design that produces great detail and stereo separation.
Both cartridges benefit from a new shell design, with a smoothly bevelled front fascia allowing excellent visibility of the stylus tip when mounting.
Pro-Ject offers the Blue Point No. 3 in both high output (2.5mV) and low output (0.5mV) versions.
Superb stereo separation combined with the most natural sounding detail is a huge selling point.
The bass range is tight and quick, but delivered with less impact than its rival from Brooklyn.
With a tonal balance that is somewhere in-between the Goldring and Grado, the Japanese cartridge is likely the best all-around for those looking for detail, texture, pacing, and overall top end performance.
Pros:
- Excellent value for the money
- Stereo separation is top of the category below $500
- Bass is tight, quick, and very detailed sounding
- Easy to install
- Texture and very resolving
- Treble is very clean and detailed
- Superb with jazz and vocals
Cons:
- Needs a better quality turntable
- High output version requires 42 to 45dB of gain
- Bass could be delivered with greater impact
- Favors jazz, chamber music, and acoustic over rock and pop
For more information: sumikophonocartridges.com
Where to buy:
Best Phono Cartridge Under $900
Dynavector 10×5 Mk2 ($800)
Dynavector has offered this high output moving coil cartridge (2.5mV) for more than 20 years, and while not inexpensive, the 10×5 Mk2 may be the best overall cartridge of its kind with superb tracking, a balanced presentation, and excellent dynamics making it a great choice for jazz listeners. Installation used to be a tad cumbersome, but that issue has been resolved with some minor changes to the headshell.
The 10×5 Mk2 may not be the “best” at anything, but it has earned its reputation as a workhorse cartridge that manages to survive expensive table and tonearm upgrades. Vocals and brass have impressive presence, and there is a synergy between the 10×5 Mk2 and tube phono pre-amplifiers that makes it a final destination for many.
Pros:
- Superb tracker
- Balanced presentation
- Strong dynamics
- Presence
- Works well with a wide range of phono preamplifiers but make sure it has at least 42dB of gain
- Will last a long time with proper maintenance
Cons:
- Expensive
- Can be somewhat tricky to install
- It’s not the best on this list at anything but consistently good in all areas
- Needs in the range of 42 to 45dB of gain to match its 2.5mV output
For more information: dynavector.com
Where to buy:
Best Cartridge Under $1,500
Hana ML Series MC ($1,200)
If you pay attention to the high-end phono cartridge market, it is distinctly possible that you may have listened to a number of boutique Japanese MC models over the years and wondered who was really making them. The dirty secret is that Hana’s parent company was likely the OEM manufacturer behind a lot of them.
The resurgence of vinyl was not lost on those behind the scenes and they must have come to the logical conclusion that Ortofon could only make so many cartridges in a year (and that’s a huge number) and that Grado Labs was splitting its efforts between cartridges and headphones, and Audio-Technica was making a killing at the bottom of the market.
Hana was born and its success has been a great development for the industry. Their initial focus on affordable ($450 to $750) high-end MCs helped build the base and they have only recently expanded over the past few years to expensive models that are competitive with anything out there – and that includes some of the best from Dynavector, Ortofon, and Lyra below $3,000.
The “M” Series are available in MH (high-output, 2mV) whilst the ML is the low-output (0.4mV) version. The hand-assembled M Series uses a nude microline stylus that mimics the form of a cutting stylus and delivers superb tracking and incredible detail retrieval.
The 9.5 gram cartridge is easy to install and one of “those” that actually justifies its $1,200 asking price.
It is on the warmer side without depriving the top end of necessary detail, and full of presence and excellent pacing. If you are looking for a neutral sounding cartridge that will deliver greater accuracy – the Hana ML is probably not for you. If you desire that emotional connection to the music where timbral accuracy and texture lures you in – you will love every record with this cartridge.
Pros:
- Build quality
- Very engaging and never too lush sounding
- Solid dynamics
- Good tracker
- Competitive with MCs that are twice as expensive on a good table
Cons:
- Really needs a good table and tonearm to be worth the expenditure
- Not exactly affordable
- Not as neutral sounding as some of its rivals
