👉 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.
📊 Best Turntable Cartridges By Price - TTL Levels
This guide features moving magnet cartridges $500 and under. These are not DJ models.
Best Budget Cartridge Under $40
Staple Entry-Level Cartridge at $70
This model has become the standard for entry-level cartridge. Elliptical cartridge and a sturdy metal cantilever for beginners.
Pre-Mounted Model also available
Pre-Mounted Model also available
Best-selling + Most Popular HiFi Cartridge at $100
👉 This model is our top recommendation for $100 and below. 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.
Top Value Nude Diamond Stylus at $120
👉 Nude diamonds 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.
• Pre-Mounted Model also available
• Pre-Mounted Model also available
Entry-Level Japanese Cartridge at $150
👉 The MP-110 is the most popular Japanese HiFi cartridge under $200. It features an elliptical stylus and gets rave reviews for its sound quality to price ratio.
• Pre-Mounted Model also available
• Pre-Mounted Model also available
A Step Above Elliptical, Nude Microlinear Stylus at $250
👉 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
• Pre-Mounted Model also available
Well-Reviewed Japan-made Cartridge, $300 Range
👉 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.
Nude Diamond Japanese Cartridge at $350
👉 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."
• Pre-Mounted Model also available
• Pre-Mounted Model also available
🥈Honorable Mention: Upgrade To Most Stock Cartridges at $70
👉 This elliptical cartridge is found on many entry-level hifi turntables. Can be upgraded with a stylus swap to OM 10 / 20 / 30.
🥈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.