Note / AI Disclosure: This page is unrelated to my law practice, and I'm not affiliated with or endorsed by any manufacturer, brand, or retailer. I used AI tools to help build this page and to aggregate specs from public sources (e.g., manufacturer websites/datasheets, manuals, forums, etc.). I do my best to review things, but some details may be wrong, incomplete, inconsistent, or change over time, so please confirm anything important with the manufacturer or original source. Use this as hobby reference material at your own risk. One extra caution: if you ask an AI to "verify" these specs, it may cite my site as the source, so make sure you're verifying the original source, not my aggregation.

 

Vintage cartridges often exist in multiple revisions (body/stylus variants) and may be decades old, so published specs can vary. If a field shows “—”, it wasn’t listed for that model. Please verify critical specs before buying.

Vintage Phono Cartridge Comparison Tool

How to interpret vintage cartridge specs (quick guide)
  • MM vs MI vs MC: Moving‑magnet (MM) and moving‑iron (MI) typically output a few mV and run into 47 kΩ. Moving‑coil (MC) outputs are often lower and usually need different gain/loading.
  • Output voltage: Higher output generally means easier gain matching, but not necessarily “better.” Compare like‑for‑like test conditions (1 kHz, 5 cm/s is common).
  • Compliance & tonearm match: Higher compliance cartridges usually prefer lower‑mass arms; low compliance can suit heavier arms. Specs can be quoted at different frequencies (10 Hz vs 100 Hz), so treat numbers as approximate.
  • Loading: MM often assumes 47 kΩ and a capacitive range; MC often lists a recommended resistive load. Vintage documentation can be inconsistent.
  • Stylus profile: Conical is forgiving; elliptical is more detailed; line‑contact shapes (Shibata/MicroLine/etc.) can track inner grooves better but are fussier about setup.
  • Vintage reality: Revisions, OEM vs aftermarket styli, and retipping can change the “real” specs. Always verify with the sources listed for the exact stylus you plan to use.

Cartridge A

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Cartridge B

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Sources list (for convenience)

Links below include manufacturer pages when available, plus third‑party databases, manuals, and archived spec sheets. Some resources may require a login. If a model has no dedicated page, the link is a search query.