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📊 Best Turntable Cartridges By Price - TTL Levels

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This guide features cartridges $500 and under. These are not DJ models.

16 Results

16 Results

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The Lab's favorites
at each price point.

Ortofon: Omega OM Cartridge
affordable upgrade for listening turntables
Ortofon

Omega OM Cartridge

$46.99

$46.99

↳ Best Budget Cartridge under $50

👉 Ortofon's most affordable elliptical stylus cartridge. If you're on a budget, this is a great option and will perform better than un-marked stock cartridges.

The Lab's favorites
at each price point.

Audio-Technica: AT-VM95E Phono Cartridge (w/ Ellipitical Stylus)
out / get alert
solid entry-level model w/ elliptical stylus
Audio-Technica

AT-VM95E Phono Cartridge (w/ Ellipitical Stylus)

$74.00

$74.00

↳ Staple Entry-Level Cartridge at $74

👉 This model has become the standard for entry-level cartridges. Elliptical cartridge and a sturdy metal cantilever for beginners.

Pre-Mounted Model also available

The Lab's favorites
at each price point.

Ortofon: Super OM 5E Cartridge
Ortofon: Super OM 5E Cartridge
staple low-mass listening cartridge w/ improved linearity, channel separation + reduced distortion
Ortofon

Super OM 5E Cartridge

$99.99

$99.99

↳ Upgradeable Entry-level HiFi Cartridge at $100

👉 Great sounding elliptical cartridge. When you're ready to upgrade, you can swap the OM 5 stylus with the OM 20 or OM 30.

The Lab's favorites
at each price point.

Ortofon 2M Red Hifi Cartridge
industry standard audiophile listening cartridge
Ortofon

2M Red MM Turntable Cartridge

$109.99

$109.99

↳ Best-selling + Most Popular HiFi Cartridge at $110

👉 This model is our top recommendation for the $100 price range. An elliptical stylus connects the 2M's great engine (5V output). When you're ready to upgrade, you can swap the Red stylus for Blue or Silver.

The Lab's favorites
at each price point.

Audio-Technica: AT-VM95EN/H Mounted Cartridge & Headshell Combo
pre-mounted audiophile cart w/ nude elliptical stylus
Audio-Technica

AT-VM95EN/H Mounted Cartridge & Headshell Combo

$159.00

$159.00

↳ Top Value Nude Diamond Stylus, pre-mounted at $159

👉 Nude diamond styluses are prized for their clarity and accuracy (vs. diamond-tipped, which feature a diamond tip bonded to a metal shank). The VM95en is one of the most affordable nude diamond cartridges on the market. Comes pre-mounted on quality AT-HS6BK headshell.

The Lab's favorites
at each price point.

Ortofon: 2M Silver Cartridge Mounted - Turntable Lab Exclusive
step up from 2M Red w/ silver coil wire, pre-mounted w/ easy screw-on headshell, exclusivo!
Ortofon

2M Silver Cartridge Mounted on Silver SH-4 Headshell - Turntable Lab Exclusive

$179.00

$179.00

↳ High-End Audio + Easy Installation at $179

👉 The 2M Silver is an upgrade to the popular 2M Red. This comes factory mounted on an Ortofon headshell for easy installation. Lab-Exclusive configuration.

The Lab's favorites
at each price point.

Ortofon: 2M Blue Cartridge Mounted on SH-4 Headshell (Black)
true high-end performance at excellent price, nude diamond stylus, lab pick
Ortofon

2M Blue Cartridge Mounted on SH-4 Headshell (Black)

$269.99

$269.99

↳ Nude Diamond Stylus, Easy Installation at $250 Range

👉Ortofon's most affordable nude diamond stylus model. Better sound detail and forgiveness than the popular 2M Red; unmounted also available.

The Lab's favorites
at each price point.

Audio-Technica: VM540ML Microline MM Cartridge
out / get alert
microline nude diamond stylus, top of the line in 500 series
Audio-Technica

VM540ML Microline MM Cartridge

$279.00

$279.00

↳ A Step Above Elliptical, Nude Microlinear Stylus at $250 Range

👉 Microlinear stylus has a special shape that has more contact area with the grooves in the record, resulting in more sound detail.

• Pre-Mounted Model also available

The Lab's favorites
at each price point.

Sumiko: Moonstone MM Phono Cartridge
affordable high-end cartridge, hand-crafted in Japan
Sumiko

Moonstone MM Phono Cartridge

$349.00

$349.00

↳ Well-Reviewed Japan-made Cartridge, $350

👉 A tight-specced elliptical stylus and upgraded cantilever deliver great dynamics and wide frequency range. Sumiko's revamped Oyster series has been one of the best reviewed cartridge lines since its introduction in 2020.

The Lab's favorites
at each price point.

Ortofon: Quintet Red Moving Coil MC Cartridge
Ortofon: Quintet Red Moving Coil MC Cartridge
all-purpose MC cartridge w/ open, dynamic sound + a slight touch of warmth
Ortofon

Quintet Red Moving Coil MC Cartridge

$399.00

$399.00

↳ Entry Point to Moving Coil Design at $400

👉 If you want to explore the qualities of moving coil (more sound detail, requires MC compatible preamp) the Quintet Red is the most affordable option we offer. The Red is known to be a well-rounded cartridge for all types of music. Ortofon describes its output as: "open, dynamic sound with a slight touch of warmth."

The Lab's favorites
at each price point.

Nagaoka: MP-150H Cartridge Mounted on Headshell
Nagaoka: MP-150H Cartridge Mounted on Headshell
out / get alert
nude diamond stylus model w/ headshell made in Japan
Nagaoka

MP-150H Cartridge Mounted on Headshell

$419.95

$419.95

↳ Nude Diamond Pre-Mounted Japanese Cartridge at $400 Range

👉 Most affordable nude-diamond stylus in the Nagaoka line. This super-light tip glides across grooves with great tracking, resulting in a sound users call "bright."

The Lab's favorites
at each price point.

Hana: EL Moving Coil Cartridge - Elliptical Stylus / Low Output (for MC Preamps)
brilliant sound at relatively low price, for high output preamps
Hana

EL Moving Coil Cartridge - Elliptical Stylus / Low Output (for MC Preamps)

$475.00

$475.00

↳ Japanese Moving Coil Design under $500

👉 In our opinion, the best value Moving Coil (MC) cartridge. Made and tuned by a Japanese company that has been making MC cartridges for over 50 years. MC cartridges have lighter mechanisms which pick up sound details better than Moving Magnet (MM) cartridges.

This EL Model is made for preamps with MC setting, the EH model works with MM preamps.

The Lab's favorites
at each price point.

Ortofon: 2M Bronze Cartridge Mounted on SH-4 Headshell
high-end Nude Fine Line stylus, factory mounted
Ortofon

2M Bronze Cartridge Mounted on SH-4 Headshell (Black)

$499.99

$499.99

High-end Nude Fine Line Stylus Mounted For Convenience at $500

👉 The 2M Bronze's Fine Line stylus (similar to Linear stylus or Shibata shape) gets better contact with record groove resulting in less distortion and better detail. This version is factory mounted on an Ortofon SH-4 headshell.

The Lab's favorites
at each price point.

Ortofon: OM 5E Eliptical Cartridge
staple listening cartridge, upgradeable
Ortofon

OM 5E Eliptical Cartridge (OM5E)

$85.99

$85.99

🥈Honorable Mention: Upgrade To Most Stock Cartridges at $86

👉 This elliptical cartridge is found on many entry-level hifi turntables. Can be upgraded with a stylus swap to OM 10 / 20 / 30.

The Lab's favorites
at each price point.

Grado: Prestige Green Cartridge
popular audiophile listening cart, hand-assembled in Brooklyn
Grado

Prestige Green Cartridge

$125.00

$125.00

🥈Honorable Mention: Local Brand, Hand-Selected For Specs at $125

👉 Grado hand-assembles their cartridges in Brooklyn. The Green model is hand-selected from Grado Black cartridge runs, and designate the top 15% in sound tests.

The Lab's favorites
at each price point.

Ortofon: Concorde Music Hifi Cartridge
headshell-less hifi model based on Ortofon's popular DJ cartridge silhouette, upgradeable w/ any stylus in the series
Ortofon

Concorde Music Hifi Cartridge

from $169.99

from $169.99

🥈Honorable Mention: One-Piece Design With Choice of (5) Stylus Models

👉 Based on Ortofon's industry standard DJ cartridge silhouette, the Concorde Music offers easy installation, high quality stylus choices, and the ability to upgrade with any stylus in the line.

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