Goldring E4 Phono Cartridge

Goldring E4 phono cartridge is a flagship moving magnet cartridge in the great value E range and sits above the E3, E2 and E1 models. Goldring claim that this cartridge is the best upgrade owners of budget or midrange turntables could make.

A cartridge upgrade is often the best way of improving the sound of a budget turntable. The new E4 sits above the well respected and award winning E3, but improves upon this cartridge further. E4 features an unbonded diamond tip, for less distortion and an improved transient response. Finally, precision manufacturing means that no azimuth adjustment is necessary.

Lightweight tracking

The E4 has a lightweight aluminium cantilever and a super-elliptical nude diamond stylus. The cartridge itself is also light at just 6.9g. This results in a low tracking weight of 1.75g. The result of having a low-mass stylus, is greater high frequency tracking and detail.

Goldring use Magnetic Duplex Technology to deliver a more convincing soundstage. Furthermore, the cartridges are precision manufactured to optimise the channel balance and crosstalk. Finally, the E range cartridges are colour coded with the E4 being a shade of blue.

Why an elliptical stylus?

The new 0.3 x 0.7 mil elliptical stylus is cut from a single piece of diamond. Cheaper tips are usually bonded to another material. The precision-cut diamond has a lower tip mass, which means that it can recover more high frequency detail.

Notably, there are more advantages to an elliptical stylus, they will not mis-track or overshoot when tracing high-frequency information. There is also less distortion and an improved transient response. The cantilever that the tip is attached to, is made of hollow aluminium, for low mass and improved tracking.

Magnetic Duplex Technology for better stereo separation

Stereo records have a “V” shaped groove. The groove contains audio information, on each side. Consequently, each channel is at a 45-degree angle. Moving magnet cartridges usually have a single large magnet that interacts with two vertically mounted coils.

However, a single magnet can permit high levels of crosstalk. This tends to reduce the left and right separation, of the audio signal. Whereas the E4 has two smaller low-mass magnets, that only work with their partnering coil, this gives improved channel separation and a more accurate soundstage.

Good azimuth built-in

Budget turntables usually do not have an azimuth adjustment, this can result in increased crosstalk and uneven channel balance. Azimuth is described as, the angle the vertical centre line of the stylus makes with the surface of the record. This needs to be exactly perpendicular to the groove and not twisted. This is especially important with an elliptical tip that has a small contact area. Therefore the E4 range features very precise manufacturing, to ensure that good azimuth is built in, with no further adjustment needed.

Moving magnet versus moving coil

Most budget cartridges use the moving magnet principle. Normally these have slightly higher mass due to the magnet being mounted on the cantilever, however, the E4 has two smaller magnets giving lower mass. Additionally moving magnet cartridges have a relatively high output. On the other hand, moving coil cartridges are more expensive to produce and have an output of only a few hundred millivolts. Consequently, they often need an additional preamp stage. Moving coil cartridges have the advantage of lower mass due to there being no magnet on the cantilever. Two moving coils are used instead.

Who are Goldring?

Goldring are one of the best known cartridge manufacturers in the world, with many years of experience. Goldring are a German company that have been involved in audio since the days of shellac discs and gramophones. In the 1920’s they developed a new sound box for acoustic record players. The mid twenties marked the beginning of electrical recording using microphones. Since then Goldring has constantly innovated.