The Point of Contact
It's where the magic happens. A tiny diamond tracing a microscopic groove, translating physical information into pure sound. Welcome to the world of cartridges and styli.
The Transducer of Sound
The phono cartridge is a marvel of electromechanical engineering. Its job is to convert the kinetic energy from the stylus moving through the record groove into an electrical signal. This signal is then amplified and sent to your speakers. The two dominant technologies for this process are Moving Magnet (MM) and Moving Coil (MC).
Moving Magnet (MM)
The most common type of cartridge. A tiny magnet is attached to the end of the stylus cantilever. As the stylus moves, the magnet vibrates between two sets of coils, inducing a current. MM cartridges are known for their affordability, user-replaceable styli, and higher output voltage, meaning they work with most standard phono preamps.
Moving Coil (MC)
Favored by audiophiles for their superior detail and clarity. Here, the coils are attached to the cantilever and move within a fixed magnetic field. This design is lighter, allowing for a more precise response to the groove's modulations. MC cartridges have a lower output and require a dedicated MC phono stage. The stylus is also not typically user-replaceable.
The Shape of Sound
The stylus is the only part of your system that makes direct contact with the record. Its shape determines how much of the groove's information it can read. More advanced shapes can trace the groove walls with greater accuracy, revealing more detail and nuance.
Conical (or Spherical)
The original, simplest, and most common stylus shape. It's durable and forgiving of setup errors, but its large radius means it can't trace the finest modulations in the groove, sometimes leading to inner-groove distortion.
Elliptical
A significant step up. The elliptical shape has a smaller front-to-back radius, allowing it to sit deeper in the groove and make more precise contact with the walls. This results in better frequency response, especially at high frequencies.
Microline (or Shibata, Fine Line)
These advanced "complex" shapes are designed to mimic the cutting head used to create the master record. They have a very narrow side radius and a wider front-to-back radius, providing maximum contact with the groove wall. This translates to exceptional detail retrieval, extended high-frequency response, and longer record and stylus life.