The Vinyl Passion Music Room
Phono Cartridges
We keep a selection of our favourite cartridges from each manufacturer, these are available for demonstration in our Music Room Also we offer a professional fitting service. For impartial advice to help you make the right decision or to place an order please call 01623 844478
Click on each cartridge
To see the manufacturer’s full range and specifications.We represent the companies we believe to be the best.
Upgrading your phono cartridge is one of the most effective upgrades you can make for your turntable. The most common type of phono cartridge is the "moving magnet" (MM) type which offers excellent all-round sound quality, is relatively inexpensive and offers the benefit that you can replace the plug in stylus without changing the whole cartridge. Consequently we also sell a range of replacement styli to suit the cartridges we stock. In contrast, "moving coil" (MC) cartridges are the alternative type which are generally more expensive than moving magnet cartridges, but offer the best possible sound quality although you cannot replace the stylus on the end. So once the needle wears out, you need to replace the whole cartridge but this will take at least 1000 hours and if looked after with our Vinyl Passion dust buster stylus cleaner its life can be increased by up to a further 1000 hours. We also sell cartridges specifically for use with Mono records and also 78 cartridges, (which cannot be played by a normal Phono cartridge). When selecting if changing from a standard unit as fitted to your model of turntable even the most inexpensive it is important to first make sure the compliance matches the tone arm you intend to use and also to set it up accurately. If you are in any way unsure we have many years of experience in matching the best combinations within your budget. Simply call us on 01623 844478 for expert advice, We are also happy to fit and set up at our premises for a small fee.
Audio - Technica
The Vinyl Passion Music Room is one of only 3 Excellence retailers in the UK authorised by Audio Technica to both sell and demonstrate the most advanced cartridge in the world today
If you are looking for the very best in vinyl playback book an appointment today and experience the sheer musicality that is The ART-1000
this really is the finest we have ever experienced in 35 years…
Established in 1962, Audio-Technica is a worldwide group of companies devoted to the design, manufacture, marketing and distribution of problem-solving audio equipment. Initially known for state-of-the-art phonograph cartridges, Audio-Technica now creates high-performance microphones, headphones, wireless systems, mixers and electronic products for home and professional use.Winner of numerous industry awards, Audio-Technica manufactures products that set quality, durability and price/performance standards for live sound tours, broadcast and recording studios, corporate and government facilities, house-of-worship venues, and more. Audio-Technica microphones deliver versatile solutions at high-profile sports broadcasts, including the World Cup, the Super Bowl, and the Commonwealth Games, as well as the Summer Games in Beijing (2008), Athens (2004), Sydney (2000), and Atlanta (1996), and the Winter Games in Torino (2006) and Salt Lake City (2002).
Sumiko
For over thirty years Sumiko has been driven by a collective passion for making the best sound possible in the analog format. Sumiko has done so while striving to develop the best sounding designs in each price class to best complement our customers’ music systems. Sumiko’s current phono cartridge offerings reveal the magic within your treasured collection of vinyl recordings.
Benz Micro
Benz Micro phono cartridges have been in production since the 1980s, earning a reputation throughout the world as one the top brands in the field. Ernst Benz, founder and designer of the original Benz-Micro cartridges, retired in 1994 and sold the cartridge production operation to Albert Lukaschek, his close associate and designer of the Benz-Micro PP-1 phono stage. In 2000, Albert relocated and modernized the factory, employed a highly-skilled workforce, introduced many new models, and expanded OEM cartridge manufacturing. In the past year, Albert has streamlined the factory, focusing on the most popular high-end Benz models: the LP-S MR, Ruby Z, and Gullwing SLR, among others. 2015 sees the re-introduction of a Benz Micro classic, the S Class models of the Wood Body SL (low), SM (medium) and SH (high), that all incorporate the Benz Micro Ridge stylus coupled to the 4th generation cross-coil-generator based cartridges. Originally introduced in the early 1990s as the LO.4, MO.9 and H2O, these generator designs are also used in the very popular Benz Micro Glider and ACE models, which remain in very limited production.Hand-building a phono cartridge is a highly developed skill, requiring specially trained technicians working with microscopes and ultra small-scale manufacturing. A competitive global business environment and technically demanding jobs have made finding skilled workers a major concern. Ongoing changes in the Swiss workforce, including the growth of both the high-end watch industry and technology fields, have reduced the pool of skilled technicians and the potential for new trainees. Benz Micro’s current production team represents the best of the best for producing state-of-the-art phono cartridges. These changes in the labour force, combined with further advances in design and materials, have resulted in Benz-Micro models that surpass all previous versions in music reproduction. These factors have led to the decision to suspend re-building services and upgrade customers’ older worn or damaged Benz models with new cartridges.