{"title":"Grado Timbre Cartridges","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Timbre Series is where Grado's cartridge design gets serious about materials. Each model pairs an elliptical diamond stylus with a carefully selected cantilever and OCC copper coils, all housed in hand-shaped wood bodies that contribute to the cartridge's resonance control and tonal character. The Reference4 and Master4 use American Osage wood with machined boron cantilevers. The Sonata4 and Platinum4 feature Mediterranean Olive wood with aluminum cantilevers. The Opus4 is crafted from American Maple.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAvailable in both 4.0mV and 1.0mV output configurations, plus stereo and mono versions, the Timbre Series fits a wide range of phono stages and playback preferences. The \u003ca href=\"\/products\/grado-reference4-phono-cartridge\"\u003eReference4\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"\/products\/grado-master4-phono-cartridge\"\u003eMaster4\u003c\/a\u003e deliver the most refined tracking and resolution in the series. The \u003ca href=\"\/products\/grado-sonata4-phono-cartridge\"\u003eSonata4\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"\/products\/grado-platinum4-phono-cartridge\"\u003ePlatinum4\u003c\/a\u003e balance performance with accessibility. The \u003ca href=\"\/products\/grado-opus4-phono-cartridge\"\u003eOpus4\u003c\/a\u003e opens the door to wood-bodied Grado sound at $300.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"grado-reference4-phono-cartridge","title":"Grado Reference4 Phono Cartridge","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Grado Reference4 is the flagship of Grado's Timbre Series of wood-bodied moving iron phono cartridges, pairing an elliptical diamond stylus with a machined boron cantilever in an American Osage housing. Available in four configurations (high-output and low-output, stereo and mono), the Reference4 uses Grado's patented flux-bridger generator with OCC copper coils to deliver the series' most detailed and controlled performance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eKey Features of the Grado Reference4\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eElliptical Diamond Stylus:\u003c\/strong\u003e Dual-radius contact profile for accurate tracking and natural tonal balance across the frequency range.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMachined Boron Cantilever:\u003c\/strong\u003e Five-piece OTL cantilever design achieving additional tip mass reduction over the Sonata4 and Platinum4 models.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFlux-Bridger Moving Iron Generator:\u003c\/strong\u003e Grado's patented system combines moving coil transient speed with moving magnet output and loading simplicity.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOCC Copper Coils:\u003c\/strong\u003e Oxygen-free continuous-cast copper for improved signal purity and channel balance.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAmerican Osage Wood Housing:\u003c\/strong\u003e Dense domestic hardwood with natural resonance damping properties.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFour Output Configurations:\u003c\/strong\u003e High-output (4.0mV) and low-output (1.0mV) in both stereo and mono, matching any phono stage and record collection.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHand-Built in Brooklyn, NY:\u003c\/strong\u003e Assembled and voiced at Grado's Sunset Park facility.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eAbout Grado Labs\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGrado Labs has been building phono cartridges and headphones by hand in Brooklyn, New York since 1953. Four generations of the Grado family have refined the company's patented flux-bridger moving iron generator system, which delivers the speed and detail retrieval associated with moving coil designs while maintaining the higher output and simpler loading requirements of moving magnet cartridges. Every Grado cartridge is hand-assembled in the same Sunset Park facility where Joseph Grado first began his work over seven decades ago, then tested and voiced before it ships.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eMachined Boron Cantilever with OTL Technology\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Reference4 and Master4 both use Grado's five-piece OTL (Optimized Tip-to-Link) cantilever technology, achieving an additional 5% tip mass reduction compared to the four-piece design used in the Sonata4 and Platinum4. The machined boron cantilever provides exceptional stiffness relative to its weight, transmitting stylus vibrations to the generator efficiently without the energy storage that softer materials introduce. The difference between the Reference4 and Master4 comes down to component selection and tolerancing, with the Reference4 receiving the tightest grading in the Timbre Series.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- inline image --\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0555\/5073\/8528\/files\/reference4-inline-01.jpg?v=1778523363\" alt=\"Grado Reference4 phono cartridge, American Osage wood housing, Timbre Series flagship\" style=\"width:100%;max-width:1000px;height:auto;border-radius:12px;margin:16px 0;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt the Reference4 level, component grading is the lever. The cantilever assembly, generator coils, magnet pole pieces, and stylus profile inspection all receive the line's strictest tolerances. The flagship status means a unit failing any of the Reference4 inspection thresholds drops down to Master4 inventory, not back into a Reference4 box. That is how Grado maintains the consistency that lets the Reference4 sit at the top of the Timbre line without resorting to a separate generator design.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eAmerican Osage Wood Housing\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNew to the \/4 generation, the Reference4 and Master4 are housed in American Osage wood, replacing the Australian Jarrah used in previous Timbre models. Osage is among the densest and hardest domestic hardwoods available, with natural damping properties that help isolate the generator from airborne and mechanical vibrations. The updated housing geometry in the \/4 series also improves installation stability, making cartridge alignment easier during setup.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- inline image --\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0555\/5073\/8528\/files\/reference4-inline-02.jpg?v=1778523367\" alt=\"Grado Reference4 cartridge profile showing five-piece OTL boron cantilever\" style=\"width:100%;max-width:1000px;height:auto;border-radius:12px;margin:16px 0;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOsage is not a common cartridge housing material outside of Grado. The species is native to the central United States and was historically prized for bow staves and tool handles because of how hard and dense it stays at typical moisture content. The wood also holds its dimensions under humidity swings, which makes it a strong housing material for a cartridge generator: it does not move the way some hardwoods do, and its damping behavior holds up across the cartridge's working temperature range.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eHigh-Output and Low-Output Options\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Reference4 is available in both 4.0mV (high-output) and 1.0mV (low-output) versions. The high-output version works with any standard moving magnet phono input, while the low-output version pairs with MC-capable phono stages for potentially wider dynamic range and lower noise floor. Both output levels are available in stereo and mono configurations, giving the Reference4 the broadest compatibility of any Grado cartridge.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eExplore the Full Grado Timbre Series\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Reference4 is the flagship of Grado's Timbre Series. All five Timbre models share the flux-bridger generator and elliptical diamond stylus, with differences in cantilever technology, housing material, and component grading:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/grado-master4-phono-cartridge\"\u003eGrado Master4\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e - Machined boron cantilever in American Osage, the Reference4's closest companion.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/grado-sonata4-phono-cartridge\"\u003eGrado Sonata4\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e - Aluminum cantilever in Mediterranean Olive wood, the mid-point of the Timbre lineup.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/grado-platinum4-phono-cartridge\"\u003eGrado Platinum4\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e - Aluminum cantilever in Mediterranean Olive wood, sharing the Sonata4's architecture with looser grading tolerances.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/grado-opus4-phono-cartridge\"\u003eGrado Opus4\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e - Aluminum cantilever in North American Maple, the Timbre entry point.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eListeners ready to move beyond the Timbre Series step up to the Grado \u003ca href=\"\/products\/grado-statement4-phono-cartridge\"\u003eStatement4\u003c\/a\u003e, the entry to the flagship \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/grado-lineage-cartridges\"\u003eLineage Series\u003c\/a\u003e with its nude Shibata diamond stylus.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\n\u003ch5\u003eThe Flux-Bridger Moving Iron Generator\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery Timbre Series cartridge runs on Grado's flux-bridger moving iron generator, a patented design that sits between conventional moving magnet and moving coil topologies. In a moving iron generator, the coils and magnets stay fixed while a small, low-mass iron armature on the cantilever responds to groove modulations. Because the moving element is just iron, not a magnet or a coil pack, the system carries less moving mass than a standard MM and roughly comparable mass to many MC designs, which is what gives Grado cartridges their characteristic speed and transient detail.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe practical advantage is loading simplicity. Both high-output and low-output Timbre cartridges present an inductive load that any moving magnet phono stage can drive (high-output versions) or that any MC-capable stage can handle (low-output versions). There is no compromise on cartridge loading, no need for step-up transformers on the high-output models, and no exotic phono stage requirement. The flux-bridger architecture also makes Grado cartridges relatively tolerant of capacitance variation in the tonearm cable, which simplifies setup compared to some MM designs that depend on precise capacitive loading to flatten their response.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eOCC Copper Coil Wire\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Timbre Series uses oxygen-free continuous-cast copper for the generator coil wire, the same OCC copper specification used across the entire \/4 generation. Continuous-cast copper is drawn through a heated mold in a single, unbroken process, producing long crystal grains aligned with the wire's length. The result is a wire with fewer grain boundaries per inch than conventional oxygen-free copper, which translates into more consistent electrical behavior across the audio band and improved channel-to-channel matching when paired coils are wound from the same batch.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCoil wire matters more in moving iron designs than it does in many MM cartridges because the generator's output is directly tied to the coil's electrical characteristics. Grado specifies OCC across every Timbre model precisely because consistency at the coil is one of the cleanest ways to lock in repeatable performance unit to unit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eHigh-Output, Low-Output, Stereo, Mono\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery Timbre cartridge ships in four configurations: high-output stereo (4.0mV), low-output stereo (1.0mV), high-output mono, and low-output mono. The high-output 4.0mV version pairs with any standard MM phono input, the same input that handles the vast majority of installed phono stages. The 1.0mV low-output version is intended for MC-capable phono stages or step-up transformers; the lower output trades some absolute gain for a potentially quieter noise floor and (depending on the phono stage's MC topology) more headroom on dynamic passages.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe mono configurations are true mono generators with the coils summed at the cartridge, not a stereo cartridge with a mono switch in the preamp. For collectors with significant pre-1958 mono LPs, a true mono cartridge eliminates vertical groove noise that a stereo pickup will reproduce as rumble or surface hash, and it improves apparent resolution on the playback of mono pressings. The mono variants are marked Special Order and No Returns, consistent with how most cartridge manufacturers handle true-mono SKUs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eTracking Force and Compliance\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll five Timbre models share the same tracking-force window of 1.6 to 1.9 grams, with most installations dialing in at 1.75 grams as a starting point. Compliance is specified at 20 µm\/mN, which places the Timbre Series squarely in the medium-compliance range that pairs comfortably with most modern tonearms. Effective mass between 9 and 14 grams at the headshell is the sweet spot. Cartridge weight runs 9 grams across the aluminum-cantilever models (Opus4 through Sonata4) and steps up to 10 grams on the Master4 and Reference4, so headshell weight is the main variable to balance during arm matching.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor VTA, start parallel to the record surface and adjust by ear once break-in is past the first 20 to 30 hours. Cartridges in this category typically need that early use time before the suspension settles into its working stiffness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eThe Listening Room Difference\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe're a third-generation family business with a brick-and-mortar showroom in Chestertown, Maryland, and a reputation built on exceptional service and relentless passion for hifi. Whether you're visiting in person or ordering online, we bring decades of experience, personalized service, and honest guidance to every interaction. We don't just ship boxes. We help build systems, answer your questions like real humans, and make sure every detail of your setup is right, from the cables to the final connection. Our passion is helping you get the most out of your gear, with support that lasts well beyond the sale.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eGrado Reference4 Specifications\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eCartridge Type\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003eMoving Iron (Flux-Bridger)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eStylus\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003eElliptical Diamond\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eCantilever\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003eMachined Boron (5-Piece OTL)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eOutput Voltage\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003e4.0mV (High Output) \/ 1.0mV (Low Output)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eCoil Wire\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003eOCC Copper\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eBody Material\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003eAmerican Osage Wood\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eTracking Force\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003e1.6 - 1.9 grams\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eCartridge Weight\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003e10 grams\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eCompliance\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003e20 µm\/mN\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eMount\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003eStandard ½\" Mount\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eConfigurations\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003eHigh-Output Stereo, High-Output Mono, Low-Output Stereo, Low-Output Mono\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eOrigin\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003eHand-built in Brooklyn, NY, USA\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e","brand":"Grado","offers":[{"title":"High-Output Mono","offer_id":42681431490656,"sku":"GRADREF4HOMO","price":1500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Low-Output Stereo","offer_id":42681433391200,"sku":"GRADREF4LOST","price":1500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Low-Output Mono","offer_id":42681433423968,"sku":"GRADREF4LOMO","price":1500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"High-Output Stereo","offer_id":42681433587808,"sku":"GRADREF4HOST","price":1500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0555\/5073\/8528\/files\/grado-reference4-hero.jpg?v=1775507509"},{"product_id":"grado-master4-phono-cartridge","title":"Grado Master4 Phono Cartridge","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Grado Master4 sits just below the Reference4 in Grado's Timbre Series, sharing the same machined boron cantilever and American Osage wood housing in a cartridge that balances performance and value. Built around Grado's patented flux-bridger moving iron generator with OCC copper coils, the Master4 is available in four configurations to match any phono stage and listening preference.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eKey Features of the Grado Master4\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eElliptical Diamond Stylus:\u003c\/strong\u003e Dual-radius profile for accurate tracking and balanced tonal presentation.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMachined Boron Cantilever:\u003c\/strong\u003e Five-piece OTL design with 5% lower tip mass than the four-piece cantilevers used in the Sonata4 and Platinum4.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFlux-Bridger Moving Iron Generator:\u003c\/strong\u003e Grado's patented low-mass generator for moving coil speed without the loading complexity.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOCC Copper Coils:\u003c\/strong\u003e Oxygen-free continuous-cast copper for improved signal clarity.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAmerican Osage Wood Housing:\u003c\/strong\u003e Dense domestic hardwood with natural vibration damping, new to the \/4 generation.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFour Output Configurations:\u003c\/strong\u003e High-output (4.0mV) and low-output (1.0mV) in stereo and mono.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHand-Built in Brooklyn, NY:\u003c\/strong\u003e Assembled and voiced at Grado's Sunset Park facility.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eAbout Grado Labs\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGrado Labs has been building phono cartridges and headphones by hand in Brooklyn, New York since 1953. Four generations of the Grado family have refined the company's patented flux-bridger moving iron generator system, which delivers the speed and detail retrieval associated with moving coil designs while maintaining the higher output and simpler loading requirements of moving magnet cartridges. Every Grado cartridge is hand-assembled in the same Sunset Park facility where Joseph Grado first began his work over seven decades ago, then tested and voiced before it ships.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eBoron Cantilever and OTL Technology\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Master4 shares the Reference4's five-piece OTL cantilever assembly with a machined boron rod. This construction reduces effective tip mass by approximately 5% compared to the four-piece OTL design in the Sonata4 and Platinum4, allowing the stylus to follow groove modulations more precisely. Boron's high stiffness-to-weight ratio means vibrations travel from the stylus tip to the generator with minimal delay or energy loss. The distinction between the Master4 and Reference4 is in component selection and quality grading, not architecture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- inline image --\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0555\/5073\/8528\/files\/master4-inline-01.jpg?v=1778523355\" alt=\"Grado Master4 phono cartridge, American Osage wood housing\" style=\"width:100%;max-width:1000px;height:auto;border-radius:12px;margin:16px 0;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMachined boron is the same cantilever material used in many cost-no-object moving coil cartridges. Grado specifies it on the Master4 and Reference4 because the flux-bridger generator's transient response is fast enough to expose any energy storage in the cantilever, and boron's stiffness-per-gram is the highest of any material in widespread cartridge use short of single-crystal diamond. The trade-off is fragility: boron cantilevers are stiffer but more brittle than aluminum, which is one reason Grado retains aluminum on the lower-tier Opus4 through Sonata4 models where price-to-replacement-risk balance favors the more forgiving material.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eAmerican Osage Wood Housing\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNew to the \/4 generation, the Master4 and Reference4 are housed in American Osage, one of the densest and hardest domestic hardwoods. The wood provides natural vibration damping without the added mass of synthetic materials, and its resonant properties complement the flux-bridger generator's output characteristics. Grado has refined the housing geometry for the \/4 series, improving cartridge stability during playback and simplifying alignment during installation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- inline image --\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0555\/5073\/8528\/files\/master4-inline-02.jpg?v=1778523359\" alt=\"Grado Master4 cartridge close-up showing machined boron cantilever\" style=\"width:100%;max-width:1000px;height:auto;border-radius:12px;margin:16px 0;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOsage's density (around 0.8 g\/cm³ at typical moisture content) is what gives the Master4 its housing character. The wood damps cartridge body resonances broadband rather than at any single peak, and its hardness allows for tight mounting tolerances at the threaded inserts. For installers, that means cartridge screws torque to a consistent stop without the housing creeping under load, which keeps azimuth from drifting between setup and final adjustment.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eExplore the Full Grado Timbre Series\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Master4 is the second-highest model in Grado's Timbre Series, positioned between the Reference4 and the Sonata4:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/grado-reference4-phono-cartridge\"\u003eGrado Reference4\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e - The Timbre flagship, with the tightest component selection in the series.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/grado-sonata4-phono-cartridge\"\u003eGrado Sonata4\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e - Aluminum cantilever in Mediterranean Olive wood, offering Timbre performance at a lower price point.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/grado-platinum4-phono-cartridge\"\u003eGrado Platinum4\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e - Aluminum cantilever in Mediterranean Olive wood, second-step in the line.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/grado-opus4-phono-cartridge\"\u003eGrado Opus4\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e - Aluminum cantilever in North American Maple, the Timbre entry point.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAbove the Timbre Series, Grado's flagship \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/grado-lineage-cartridges\"\u003eLineage Series\u003c\/a\u003e introduces nude Shibata diamonds and sapphire or boron cantilevers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\n\u003ch5\u003eThe Flux-Bridger Moving Iron Generator\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery Timbre Series cartridge runs on Grado's flux-bridger moving iron generator, a patented design that sits between conventional moving magnet and moving coil topologies. In a moving iron generator, the coils and magnets stay fixed while a small, low-mass iron armature on the cantilever responds to groove modulations. Because the moving element is just iron, not a magnet or a coil pack, the system carries less moving mass than a standard MM and roughly comparable mass to many MC designs, which is what gives Grado cartridges their characteristic speed and transient detail.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe practical advantage is loading simplicity. Both high-output and low-output Timbre cartridges present an inductive load that any moving magnet phono stage can drive (high-output versions) or that any MC-capable stage can handle (low-output versions). There is no compromise on cartridge loading, no need for step-up transformers on the high-output models, and no exotic phono stage requirement. The flux-bridger architecture also makes Grado cartridges relatively tolerant of capacitance variation in the tonearm cable, which simplifies setup compared to some MM designs that depend on precise capacitive loading to flatten their response.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eOCC Copper Coil Wire\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Timbre Series uses oxygen-free continuous-cast copper for the generator coil wire, the same OCC copper specification used across the entire \/4 generation. Continuous-cast copper is drawn through a heated mold in a single, unbroken process, producing long crystal grains aligned with the wire's length. The result is a wire with fewer grain boundaries per inch than conventional oxygen-free copper, which translates into more consistent electrical behavior across the audio band and improved channel-to-channel matching when paired coils are wound from the same batch.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCoil wire matters more in moving iron designs than it does in many MM cartridges because the generator's output is directly tied to the coil's electrical characteristics. Grado specifies OCC across every Timbre model precisely because consistency at the coil is one of the cleanest ways to lock in repeatable performance unit to unit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eHigh-Output, Low-Output, Stereo, Mono\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery Timbre cartridge ships in four configurations: high-output stereo (4.0mV), low-output stereo (1.0mV), high-output mono, and low-output mono. The high-output 4.0mV version pairs with any standard MM phono input, the same input that handles the vast majority of installed phono stages. The 1.0mV low-output version is intended for MC-capable phono stages or step-up transformers; the lower output trades some absolute gain for a potentially quieter noise floor and (depending on the phono stage's MC topology) more headroom on dynamic passages.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe mono configurations are true mono generators with the coils summed at the cartridge, not a stereo cartridge with a mono switch in the preamp. For collectors with significant pre-1958 mono LPs, a true mono cartridge eliminates vertical groove noise that a stereo pickup will reproduce as rumble or surface hash, and it improves apparent resolution on the playback of mono pressings. The mono variants are marked Special Order and No Returns, consistent with how most cartridge manufacturers handle true-mono SKUs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eTracking Force and Compliance\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll five Timbre models share the same tracking-force window of 1.6 to 1.9 grams, with most installations dialing in at 1.75 grams as a starting point. Compliance is specified at 20 µm\/mN, which places the Timbre Series squarely in the medium-compliance range that pairs comfortably with most modern tonearms. Effective mass between 9 and 14 grams at the headshell is the sweet spot. Cartridge weight runs 9 grams across the aluminum-cantilever models (Opus4 through Sonata4) and steps up to 10 grams on the Master4 and Reference4, so headshell weight is the main variable to balance during arm matching.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor VTA, start parallel to the record surface and adjust by ear once break-in is past the first 20 to 30 hours. Cartridges in this category typically need that early use time before the suspension settles into its working stiffness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eThe Listening Room Difference\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe're a third-generation family business with a brick-and-mortar showroom in Chestertown, Maryland, and a reputation built on exceptional service and relentless passion for hifi. Whether you're visiting in person or ordering online, we bring decades of experience, personalized service, and honest guidance to every interaction. We don't just ship boxes. We help build systems, answer your questions like real humans, and make sure every detail of your setup is right, from the cables to the final connection. Our passion is helping you get the most out of your gear, with support that lasts well beyond the sale.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eGrado Master4 Specifications\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eCartridge Type\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003eMoving Iron (Flux-Bridger)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eStylus\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003eElliptical Diamond\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eCantilever\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003eMachined Boron (5-Piece OTL)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eOutput Voltage\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003e4.0mV (High Output) \/ 1.0mV (Low Output)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eCoil Wire\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003eOCC Copper\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eBody Material\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003eAmerican Osage Wood\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eTracking Force\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003e1.6 - 1.9 grams\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eCartridge Weight\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003e10 grams\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eCompliance\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003e20 µm\/mN\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eMount\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003eStandard ½\" Mount\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eConfigurations\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003eHigh-Output Stereo, High-Output Mono, Low-Output Stereo, Low-Output Mono\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eOrigin\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003eHand-built in Brooklyn, NY, USA\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e","brand":"Grado","offers":[{"title":"High-Output Mono","offer_id":42681431523424,"sku":"GRADMASTER4HOMO","price":1000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Low-Output Stereo","offer_id":42681433456736,"sku":"GRADMASTER4LOST","price":1000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Low-Output Mono","offer_id":42681433489504,"sku":"GRADMASTER4LOMO","price":1000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"High-Output Stereo","offer_id":42681433620576,"sku":"GRADMASTER4HOST","price":1000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0555\/5073\/8528\/files\/grado-master4-hero.jpg?v=1775507511"},{"product_id":"grado-sonata4-phono-cartridge","title":"Grado Sonata4 Phono Cartridge","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Grado Sonata4 is the mid-point of Grado's Timbre Series, a moving iron cartridge pairing an elliptical diamond stylus with an aluminum cantilever in a Mediterranean Olive wood housing. It carries the Timbre Series' flux-bridger generator and OCC copper coils, bridging the gap between the entry-level Prestige Series and the boron-cantilevered models that sit above it in the Grado lineup.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eKey Features of the Grado Sonata4\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eElliptical Diamond Stylus:\u003c\/strong\u003e Dual-radius contact profile for balanced tracking and tonal accuracy.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAluminum Cantilever:\u003c\/strong\u003e Four-piece OTL design with 10% tip mass reduction over Prestige Series cantilevers.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFlux-Bridger Moving Iron Generator:\u003c\/strong\u003e Grado's patented design for low-mass, high-speed signal generation.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOCC Copper Coils:\u003c\/strong\u003e Oxygen-free continuous-cast copper for cleaner signal transmission than standard copper windings.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMediterranean Olive Wood Housing:\u003c\/strong\u003e Warm-toned hardwood body with natural damping characteristics, new to the \/4 generation.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFour Output Configurations:\u003c\/strong\u003e High-output (4.0mV) and low-output (1.0mV) in both stereo and mono.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHand-Built in Brooklyn, NY:\u003c\/strong\u003e Assembled and voiced at Grado's Sunset Park facility.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eAbout Grado Labs\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGrado Labs has been building phono cartridges and headphones by hand in Brooklyn, New York since 1953. Four generations of the Grado family have refined the company's patented flux-bridger moving iron generator system, which delivers the speed and detail retrieval associated with moving coil designs while maintaining the higher output and simpler loading requirements of moving magnet cartridges. Every Grado cartridge is hand-assembled in the same Sunset Park facility where Joseph Grado first began his work over seven decades ago, then tested and voiced before it ships.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eAluminum Cantilever with OTL Technology\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Sonata4 and Platinum4 use Grado's four-piece OTL (Optimized Tip-to-Link) cantilever, an aluminum design that achieves a 10% tip mass reduction compared to the cantilevers used in the Prestige Series. Lower tip mass means the stylus can respond to groove modulations faster, improving tracking of complex passages and recovering finer detail from the record surface. The aluminum cantilever provides a different balance of properties than the machined boron used in the Reference4 and Master4: slightly warmer tonal character with very good transient response, making the Sonata4 well-suited to extended listening sessions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- inline image --\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0555\/5073\/8528\/files\/sonata4-inline-01.jpg?v=1778523348\" alt=\"Grado Sonata4 phono cartridge, Mediterranean Olive wood housing\" style=\"width:100%;max-width:1000px;height:auto;border-radius:12px;margin:16px 0;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe four-piece OTL is also the highest aluminum cantilever in the Timbre line. Stepping above the Sonata4 means moving to machined boron in the Master4 and Reference4, a different material with different tonal trade-offs. Listeners who value the slight warmth and forgiveness aluminum provides on bright recordings often prefer to stay on the Sonata4 rather than chase the additional resolution of the boron-cantilevered models.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eMediterranean Olive Wood Housing\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNew to the \/4 generation, the Sonata4 and Platinum4 are housed in Mediterranean Olive wood, replacing the Australian Jarrah used in previous Timbre models. Olive wood's grain structure provides effective natural damping of mechanical vibrations, while its density contributes to stable tracking. The updated housing geometry refines the cartridge profile for easier installation and improved stability during playback.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- inline image --\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0555\/5073\/8528\/files\/sonata4-inline-02.jpg?v=1778523351\" alt=\"Grado Sonata4 cartridge profile showing four-piece OTL aluminum cantilever\" style=\"width:100%;max-width:1000px;height:auto;border-radius:12px;margin:16px 0;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe shared Olive housing between the Sonata4 and Platinum4 is intentional. Grado uses the same wood and the same cantilever architecture for both, then differentiates the two on component grading. The Sonata4 receives the tighter pairing of the two, with closer matching of the left and right channel coils and a stricter window on stylus profile inspection. From a buying standpoint, the Sonata4 represents the highest performance available within the aluminum-cantilever, Olive-housing platform.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eExplore the Full Grado Timbre Series\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Sonata4 sits in the middle of Grado's five-model Timbre Series:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/grado-reference4-phono-cartridge\"\u003eGrado Reference4\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e - Machined boron cantilever in American Osage, the Timbre flagship.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/grado-master4-phono-cartridge\"\u003eGrado Master4\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e - Machined boron cantilever in American Osage, sharing the Reference4's architecture.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/grado-platinum4-phono-cartridge\"\u003eGrado Platinum4\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e - Aluminum cantilever in Mediterranean Olive wood, sharing the Sonata4's architecture with looser grading tolerances.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"\/products\/grado-opus4-phono-cartridge\"\u003eGrado Opus4\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e - Aluminum cantilever in North American Maple, the Timbre entry point.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNew to Grado? The \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/grado-prestige-cartridges\"\u003ePrestige Series\u003c\/a\u003e offers the same flux-bridger technology with user-replaceable styli starting at $140.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\n\u003ch5\u003eThe Flux-Bridger Moving Iron Generator\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery Timbre Series cartridge runs on Grado's flux-bridger moving iron generator, a patented design that sits between conventional moving magnet and moving coil topologies. In a moving iron generator, the coils and magnets stay fixed while a small, low-mass iron armature on the cantilever responds to groove modulations. Because the moving element is just iron, not a magnet or a coil pack, the system carries less moving mass than a standard MM and roughly comparable mass to many MC designs, which is what gives Grado cartridges their characteristic speed and transient detail.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe practical advantage is loading simplicity. Both high-output and low-output Timbre cartridges present an inductive load that any moving magnet phono stage can drive (high-output versions) or that any MC-capable stage can handle (low-output versions). There is no compromise on cartridge loading, no need for step-up transformers on the high-output models, and no exotic phono stage requirement. The flux-bridger architecture also makes Grado cartridges relatively tolerant of capacitance variation in the tonearm cable, which simplifies setup compared to some MM designs that depend on precise capacitive loading to flatten their response.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eOCC Copper Coil Wire\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Timbre Series uses oxygen-free continuous-cast copper for the generator coil wire, the same OCC copper specification used across the entire \/4 generation. Continuous-cast copper is drawn through a heated mold in a single, unbroken process, producing long crystal grains aligned with the wire's length. The result is a wire with fewer grain boundaries per inch than conventional oxygen-free copper, which translates into more consistent electrical behavior across the audio band and improved channel-to-channel matching when paired coils are wound from the same batch.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCoil wire matters more in moving iron designs than it does in many MM cartridges because the generator's output is directly tied to the coil's electrical characteristics. Grado specifies OCC across every Timbre model precisely because consistency at the coil is one of the cleanest ways to lock in repeatable performance unit to unit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eHigh-Output, Low-Output, Stereo, Mono\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery Timbre cartridge ships in four configurations: high-output stereo (4.0mV), low-output stereo (1.0mV), high-output mono, and low-output mono. The high-output 4.0mV version pairs with any standard MM phono input, the same input that handles the vast majority of installed phono stages. The 1.0mV low-output version is intended for MC-capable phono stages or step-up transformers; the lower output trades some absolute gain for a potentially quieter noise floor and (depending on the phono stage's MC topology) more headroom on dynamic passages.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe mono configurations are true mono generators with the coils summed at the cartridge, not a stereo cartridge with a mono switch in the preamp. For collectors with significant pre-1958 mono LPs, a true mono cartridge eliminates vertical groove noise that a stereo pickup will reproduce as rumble or surface hash, and it improves apparent resolution on the playback of mono pressings. The mono variants are marked Special Order and No Returns, consistent with how most cartridge manufacturers handle true-mono SKUs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eTracking Force and Compliance\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll five Timbre models share the same tracking-force window of 1.6 to 1.9 grams, with most installations dialing in at 1.75 grams as a starting point. Compliance is specified at 20 µm\/mN, which places the Timbre Series squarely in the medium-compliance range that pairs comfortably with most modern tonearms. Effective mass between 9 and 14 grams at the headshell is the sweet spot. Cartridge weight runs 9 grams across the aluminum-cantilever models (Opus4 through Sonata4) and steps up to 10 grams on the Master4 and Reference4, so headshell weight is the main variable to balance during arm matching.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor VTA, start parallel to the record surface and adjust by ear once break-in is past the first 20 to 30 hours. Cartridges in this category typically need that early use time before the suspension settles into its working stiffness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eThe Listening Room Difference\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe're a third-generation family business with a brick-and-mortar showroom in Chestertown, Maryland, and a reputation built on exceptional service and relentless passion for hifi. Whether you're visiting in person or ordering online, we bring decades of experience, personalized service, and honest guidance to every interaction. We don't just ship boxes. We help build systems, answer your questions like real humans, and make sure every detail of your setup is right, from the cables to the final connection. Our passion is helping you get the most out of your gear, with support that lasts well beyond the sale.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eGrado Sonata4 Specifications\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eCartridge Type\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003eMoving Iron (Flux-Bridger)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eStylus\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003eElliptical Diamond\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eCantilever\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003eAluminum (4-Piece OTL)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eOutput Voltage\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003e4.0mV (High Output) \/ 1.0mV (Low Output)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eCoil Wire\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003eOCC Copper\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eBody Material\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003eMediterranean Olive Wood\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eTracking Force\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003e1.6 - 1.9 grams\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eCartridge Weight\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003e9 grams\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eCompliance\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003e20 µm\/mN\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eMount\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003eStandard ½\" Mount\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eConfigurations\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003eHigh-Output Stereo, High-Output Mono, Low-Output Stereo, Low-Output Mono\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eOrigin\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003eHand-built in Brooklyn, NY, USA\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e","brand":"Grado","offers":[{"title":"High-Output Mono","offer_id":42681431556192,"sku":"GRADSONATA4HOMO","price":600.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Low-Output Stereo","offer_id":42681433522272,"sku":"GRADSONATA4LOST","price":600.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Low-Output Mono","offer_id":42681433555040,"sku":"GRADSONATA4LOMO","price":600.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"High-Output Stereo","offer_id":42681433653344,"sku":"GRADSONATA4HOST","price":600.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0555\/5073\/8528\/files\/grado-sonata4-hero.jpg?v=1775507514"},{"product_id":"grado-platinum4-phono-cartridge","title":"Grado Platinum4 Phono Cartridge","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Grado Platinum4 is the second model in Grado's Timbre Series of wood-bodied moving iron phono cartridges, sharing the Sonata4's Mediterranean Olive housing and four-piece OTL aluminum cantilever but with tighter component tolerancing and more refined voicing. It sits between the entry-level \u003ca href=\"\/products\/grado-opus4-phono-cartridge\"\u003eOpus4\u003c\/a\u003e and the mid-range Sonata4, offering a meaningful step up in selection grading within the line.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eKey Features of the Grado Platinum4\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eElliptical Diamond Stylus:\u003c\/strong\u003e Dual-radius contact profile for balanced tracking and tonal accuracy.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAluminum Cantilever:\u003c\/strong\u003e Four-piece OTL design with 10% tip mass reduction over Prestige Series cantilevers.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFlux-Bridger Moving Iron Generator:\u003c\/strong\u003e Grado's patented design for low-mass, high-speed signal generation.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOCC Copper Coils:\u003c\/strong\u003e Oxygen-free continuous-cast copper for cleaner signal transmission than standard copper windings.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMediterranean Olive Wood Housing:\u003c\/strong\u003e Warm-toned hardwood body with natural damping characteristics, new to the \/4 generation.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFour Output Configurations:\u003c\/strong\u003e High-output (4.0mV) and low-output (1.0mV) in both stereo and mono.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHand-Built in Brooklyn, NY:\u003c\/strong\u003e Assembled and voiced at Grado's Sunset Park facility.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eAbout Grado Labs\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGrado Labs has been building phono cartridges and headphones by hand in Brooklyn, New York since 1953. Four generations of the Grado family have refined the company's patented flux-bridger moving iron generator system, which delivers the speed and detail retrieval associated with moving coil designs while maintaining the higher output and simpler loading requirements of moving magnet cartridges. Every Grado cartridge is hand-assembled in the same Sunset Park facility where Joseph Grado first began his work over seven decades ago, then tested and voiced before it ships.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eMediterranean Olive Wood Housing\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNew to the \/4 generation, the Platinum4 and \u003ca href=\"\/products\/grado-sonata4-phono-cartridge\"\u003eSonata4\u003c\/a\u003e are housed in Mediterranean Olive wood, replacing the Australian Jarrah used in previous Timbre models. Olive wood's grain structure provides effective natural damping of mechanical vibrations, while its density contributes to stable tracking. The Platinum4 and Sonata4 share the same housing material and cantilever type, with the primary difference being component selection and voicing tolerances.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- inline image --\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0555\/5073\/8528\/files\/platinum4-inline-01.jpg?v=1778523340\" alt=\"Grado Platinum4 phono cartridge, Mediterranean Olive wood housing\" style=\"width:100%;max-width:1000px;height:auto;border-radius:12px;margin:16px 0;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOlive's natural grain pattern means no two Platinum4 housings look identical. Grado treats this as a feature of the hand-built character of the line. The wood is sourced as billet and shaped to the \/4 generation's revised housing geometry, which carries flatter mounting surfaces and slightly tightened stylus-to-mounting-hole tolerances compared to the previous Timbre series. The result is easier alignment with most modern protractors and less rocking at the headshell interface.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eTimbre Series Positioning\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Timbre Series spans five models across two wood types and two cantilever materials. The Platinum4 and Sonata4 use aluminum cantilevers in Olive wood, while the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/grado-master4-phono-cartridge\"\u003eMaster4\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"\/products\/grado-reference4-phono-cartridge\"\u003eReference4\u003c\/a\u003e step up to machined boron cantilevers in American Osage wood with five-piece OTL construction. The boron cantilever in the upper models provides greater stiffness and a 5% reduction in tip mass over the aluminum design. All five Timbre models share the same flux-bridger generator, OCC copper coils, and elliptical diamond stylus.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- inline image --\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0555\/5073\/8528\/files\/platinum4-inline-02.jpg?v=1778523344\" alt=\"Grado Platinum4 cartridge profile showing four-piece OTL cantilever assembly\" style=\"width:100%;max-width:1000px;height:auto;border-radius:12px;margin:16px 0;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Platinum4's position in the line is a tier above the entry: it carries the same four-piece OTL aluminum cantilever as the Sonata4 and the same Mediterranean Olive housing, so the differences upstream of the boron-cantilever models come down to component tolerancing rather than architecture. For listeners weighing the jump from the Opus4, the Platinum4 brings denser wood, a more complex cantilever, and a quieter signal floor at the cost of $100. For listeners weighing the Platinum4 against the Sonata4, the difference is tighter grading within the same architecture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\n\u003ch5\u003eThe Flux-Bridger Moving Iron Generator\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery Timbre Series cartridge runs on Grado's flux-bridger moving iron generator, a patented design that sits between conventional moving magnet and moving coil topologies. In a moving iron generator, the coils and magnets stay fixed while a small, low-mass iron armature on the cantilever responds to groove modulations. Because the moving element is just iron, not a magnet or a coil pack, the system carries less moving mass than a standard MM and roughly comparable mass to many MC designs, which is what gives Grado cartridges their characteristic speed and transient detail.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe practical advantage is loading simplicity. Both high-output and low-output Timbre cartridges present an inductive load that any moving magnet phono stage can drive (high-output versions) or that any MC-capable stage can handle (low-output versions). There is no compromise on cartridge loading, no need for step-up transformers on the high-output models, and no exotic phono stage requirement. The flux-bridger architecture also makes Grado cartridges relatively tolerant of capacitance variation in the tonearm cable, which simplifies setup compared to some MM designs that depend on precise capacitive loading to flatten their response.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eOCC Copper Coil Wire\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Timbre Series uses oxygen-free continuous-cast copper for the generator coil wire, the same OCC copper specification used across the entire \/4 generation. Continuous-cast copper is drawn through a heated mold in a single, unbroken process, producing long crystal grains aligned with the wire's length. The result is a wire with fewer grain boundaries per inch than conventional oxygen-free copper, which translates into more consistent electrical behavior across the audio band and improved channel-to-channel matching when paired coils are wound from the same batch.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCoil wire matters more in moving iron designs than it does in many MM cartridges because the generator's output is directly tied to the coil's electrical characteristics. Grado specifies OCC across every Timbre model precisely because consistency at the coil is one of the cleanest ways to lock in repeatable performance unit to unit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eHigh-Output, Low-Output, Stereo, Mono\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery Timbre cartridge ships in four configurations: high-output stereo (4.0mV), low-output stereo (1.0mV), high-output mono, and low-output mono. The high-output 4.0mV version pairs with any standard MM phono input, the same input that handles the vast majority of installed phono stages. The 1.0mV low-output version is intended for MC-capable phono stages or step-up transformers; the lower output trades some absolute gain for a potentially quieter noise floor and (depending on the phono stage's MC topology) more headroom on dynamic passages.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe mono configurations are true mono generators with the coils summed at the cartridge, not a stereo cartridge with a mono switch in the preamp. For collectors with significant pre-1958 mono LPs, a true mono cartridge eliminates vertical groove noise that a stereo pickup will reproduce as rumble or surface hash, and it improves apparent resolution on the playback of mono pressings. The mono variants are marked Special Order and No Returns, consistent with how most cartridge manufacturers handle true-mono SKUs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eTracking Force and Compliance\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll five Timbre models share the same tracking-force window of 1.6 to 1.9 grams, with most installations dialing in at 1.75 grams as a starting point. Compliance is specified at 20 µm\/mN, which places the Timbre Series squarely in the medium-compliance range that pairs comfortably with most modern tonearms. Effective mass between 9 and 14 grams at the headshell is the sweet spot. Cartridge weight runs 9 grams across the aluminum-cantilever models (Opus4 through Sonata4) and steps up to 10 grams on the Master4 and Reference4, so headshell weight is the main variable to balance during arm matching.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor VTA, start parallel to the record surface and adjust by ear once break-in is past the first 20 to 30 hours. Cartridges in this category typically need that early use time before the suspension settles into its working stiffness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eThe Listening Room Difference\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe're a third-generation family business with a brick-and-mortar showroom in Chestertown, Maryland, and a reputation built on exceptional service and relentless passion for hifi. Whether you're visiting in person or ordering online, we bring decades of experience, personalized service, and honest guidance to every interaction. We don't just ship boxes. We help build systems, answer your questions like real humans, and make sure every detail of your setup is right, from the cables to the final connection. Our passion is helping you get the most out of your gear, with support that lasts well beyond the sale.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eGrado Platinum4 Specifications\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eCartridge Type\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003eMoving Iron (Flux-Bridger)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eStylus\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003eElliptical Diamond\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eCantilever\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003eAluminum (4-Piece OTL)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eOutput Voltage\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003e4.0mV (High Output) \/ 1.0mV (Low Output)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eCoil Wire\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003eOCC Copper\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eBody Material\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003eMediterranean Olive Wood\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eTracking Force\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003e1.6 - 1.9 grams\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eCartridge Weight\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003e9 grams\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eCompliance\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003e20 µm\/mN\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eMount\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003eStandard ½\" Mount\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eConfigurations\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003eHigh-Output Stereo, High-Output Mono, Low-Output Stereo, Low-Output Mono\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eOrigin\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003eHand-built in Brooklyn, NY, USA\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e","brand":"Grado","offers":[{"title":"High-Output Stereo","offer_id":42681461407840,"sku":"GRADPLATINUM4HOST","price":400.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"High-Output Mono","offer_id":42681461440608,"sku":"GRADPLATINUM4HOMO","price":400.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Low-Output Stereo","offer_id":42681461473376,"sku":"GRADPLATINUM4LOST","price":400.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Low-Output Mono","offer_id":42681461506144,"sku":"GRADPLATINUM4LOMO","price":400.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0555\/5073\/8528\/files\/grado-platinum4-hero.jpg?v=1775507516"},{"product_id":"grado-opus4-phono-cartridge","title":"Grado Opus4 Phono Cartridge","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe Grado Opus4 is the entry point to Grado's Timbre Series, the first step up from the Prestige line into wood-bodied cartridges with OCC copper coils. It pairs an elliptical diamond stylus with a three-piece OTL aluminum cantilever in a North American Maple wood housing, and it's available in four output configurations to match any phono stage. The most affordable way into Grado's wood-body construction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eKey Features of the Grado Opus4\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eElliptical Diamond Stylus:\u003c\/strong\u003e Dual-radius contact profile for balanced tracking and tonal accuracy.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAluminum Cantilever:\u003c\/strong\u003e Three-piece OTL design, a step up from Prestige cantilevers in assembly precision.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFlux-Bridger Moving Iron Generator:\u003c\/strong\u003e Grado's patented design for low-mass, high-speed signal generation.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOCC Copper Coils:\u003c\/strong\u003e Oxygen-free continuous-cast copper, the same coil wire used across the entire Timbre Series.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNorth American Maple Wood Housing:\u003c\/strong\u003e Light, resonant hardwood body new to the \/4 generation, replacing the previous series' plastic housing.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFour Output Configurations:\u003c\/strong\u003e High-output (4.0mV) and low-output (1.0mV) in both stereo and mono.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHand-Built in Brooklyn, NY:\u003c\/strong\u003e Assembled and voiced at Grado's Sunset Park facility.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eAbout Grado Labs\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGrado Labs has been building phono cartridges and headphones by hand in Brooklyn, New York since 1953. Four generations of the Grado family have refined the company's patented flux-bridger moving iron generator system, which delivers the speed and detail retrieval associated with moving coil designs while maintaining the higher output and simpler loading requirements of moving magnet cartridges. Every Grado cartridge is hand-assembled in the same Sunset Park facility where Joseph Grado first began his work over seven decades ago, then tested and voiced before it ships.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eNorth American Maple Housing\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Opus4 introduces wood construction at the Timbre entry level, housing the generator in North American Maple. Previous entry-level Timbre models used the same plastic housing as the Prestige Series. The \/4 generation's move to Maple gives the Opus4 natural resonance damping properties that plastic cannot replicate. Maple is lighter and less dense than the Mediterranean Olive used in the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/grado-platinum4-phono-cartridge\"\u003ePlatinum4\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"\/products\/grado-sonata4-phono-cartridge\"\u003eSonata4\u003c\/a\u003e, or the American Osage used in the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/grado-master4-phono-cartridge\"\u003eMaster4\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"\/products\/grado-reference4-phono-cartridge\"\u003eReference4\u003c\/a\u003e. Each wood choice contributes a different character to the final sound.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- inline image --\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0555\/5073\/8528\/files\/opus4-inline-01.jpg?v=1778523332\" alt=\"Grado Opus4 phono cartridge, North American Maple housing\" style=\"width:100%;max-width:1000px;height:auto;border-radius:12px;margin:16px 0;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMaple's role on the Opus4 is to introduce wood-body construction at the lowest price point in the Timbre line. Previous entry-level Timbres relied on a plastic shell shared with the Prestige Series, which kept costs down but limited how much the housing could contribute to damping. Moving to Maple at $300 closes that gap and is the single biggest structural change between the Prestige Series and the Timbre entry.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eThree-Piece OTL Cantilever\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Opus4 uses a three-piece OTL (Optimized Tip-to-Link) cantilever, one step below the four-piece design used in the Platinum4 and Sonata4. Both are aluminum, and both reduce tip mass compared to the Prestige Series. The difference is in assembly precision: the four-piece design adds an additional joint that further decouples the stylus tip from mechanical noise. For the price difference between the Opus4 ($300) and Platinum4 ($400), the jump to four-piece OTL and Olive wood housing is a meaningful upgrade for listeners who want the best the aluminum cantilever platform can offer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- inline image --\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0555\/5073\/8528\/files\/opus4-inline-02.jpg?v=1778523336\" alt=\"Grado Opus4 cartridge close-up showing aluminum cantilever and elliptical stylus\" style=\"width:100%;max-width:1000px;height:auto;border-radius:12px;margin:16px 0;\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWithin the Opus4 itself, the three-piece OTL is matched to the cartridge's positioning: it carries the same flux-bridger generator, OCC copper coils, and elliptical diamond stylus as every cartridge above it in the Timbre line, but uses the simpler cantilever assembly to hit the $300 price point. Listeners who later step up to a four-piece OTL cartridge on the same turntable will hear the cantilever's contribution clearly, the rest of the signal chain stays the same.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\n\u003ch5\u003eStepping Up From Prestige\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMost Opus4 buyers arrive from the Prestige Series, often from the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/grado-gold4-phono-cartridge\"\u003eGold4\u003c\/a\u003e at the top of that line. The jump from Gold4 to Opus4 is the structural change from a polymer housing with a user-replaceable stylus to a wood-bodied cartridge with OCC copper coils and a three-piece OTL cantilever. Performance gains come from the cantilever architecture and the wood damping, not from stylus shape, which stays elliptical across both products.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eThe Flux-Bridger Moving Iron Generator\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery Timbre Series cartridge runs on Grado's flux-bridger moving iron generator, a patented design that sits between conventional moving magnet and moving coil topologies. In a moving iron generator, the coils and magnets stay fixed while a small, low-mass iron armature on the cantilever responds to groove modulations. Because the moving element is just iron, not a magnet or a coil pack, the system carries less moving mass than a standard MM and roughly comparable mass to many MC designs, which is what gives Grado cartridges their characteristic speed and transient detail.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe practical advantage is loading simplicity. Both high-output and low-output Timbre cartridges present an inductive load that any moving magnet phono stage can drive (high-output versions) or that any MC-capable stage can handle (low-output versions). There is no compromise on cartridge loading, no need for step-up transformers on the high-output models, and no exotic phono stage requirement. The flux-bridger architecture also makes Grado cartridges relatively tolerant of capacitance variation in the tonearm cable, which simplifies setup compared to some MM designs that depend on precise capacitive loading to flatten their response.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eOCC Copper Coil Wire\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Timbre Series uses oxygen-free continuous-cast copper for the generator coil wire, the same OCC copper specification used across the entire \/4 generation. Continuous-cast copper is drawn through a heated mold in a single, unbroken process, producing long crystal grains aligned with the wire's length. The result is a wire with fewer grain boundaries per inch than conventional oxygen-free copper, which translates into more consistent electrical behavior across the audio band and improved channel-to-channel matching when paired coils are wound from the same batch.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCoil wire matters more in moving iron designs than it does in many MM cartridges because the generator's output is directly tied to the coil's electrical characteristics. Grado specifies OCC across every Timbre model precisely because consistency at the coil is one of the cleanest ways to lock in repeatable performance unit to unit.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eHigh-Output, Low-Output, Stereo, Mono\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery Timbre cartridge ships in four configurations: high-output stereo (4.0mV), low-output stereo (1.0mV), high-output mono, and low-output mono. The high-output 4.0mV version pairs with any standard MM phono input, the same input that handles the vast majority of installed phono stages. The 1.0mV low-output version is intended for MC-capable phono stages or step-up transformers; the lower output trades some absolute gain for a potentially quieter noise floor and (depending on the phono stage's MC topology) more headroom on dynamic passages.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe mono configurations are true mono generators with the coils summed at the cartridge, not a stereo cartridge with a mono switch in the preamp. For collectors with significant pre-1958 mono LPs, a true mono cartridge eliminates vertical groove noise that a stereo pickup will reproduce as rumble or surface hash, and it improves apparent resolution on the playback of mono pressings. The mono variants are marked Special Order and No Returns, consistent with how most cartridge manufacturers handle true-mono SKUs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eTracking Force and Compliance\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll five Timbre models share the same tracking-force window of 1.6 to 1.9 grams, with most installations dialing in at 1.75 grams as a starting point. Compliance is specified at 20 µm\/mN, which places the Timbre Series squarely in the medium-compliance range that pairs comfortably with most modern tonearms. Effective mass between 9 and 14 grams at the headshell is the sweet spot. Cartridge weight runs 9 grams across the aluminum-cantilever models (Opus4 through Sonata4) and steps up to 10 grams on the Master4 and Reference4, so headshell weight is the main variable to balance during arm matching.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor VTA, start parallel to the record surface and adjust by ear once break-in is past the first 20 to 30 hours. Cartridges in this category typically need that early use time before the suspension settles into its working stiffness.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eThe Listening Room Difference\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe're a third-generation family business with a brick-and-mortar showroom in Chestertown, Maryland, and a reputation built on exceptional service and relentless passion for hifi. Whether you're visiting in person or ordering online, we bring decades of experience, personalized service, and honest guidance to every interaction. We don't just ship boxes. We help build systems, answer your questions like real humans, and make sure every detail of your setup is right, from the cables to the final connection. Our passion is helping you get the most out of your gear, with support that lasts well beyond the sale.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch5\u003eGrado Opus4 Specifications\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctbody\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eCartridge Type\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003eMoving Iron (Flux-Bridger)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eStylus\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003eElliptical Diamond\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eCantilever\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003eAluminum (3-Piece OTL)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eOutput Voltage\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003e4.0mV (High Output) \/ 1.0mV (Low Output)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eCoil Wire\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003eOCC Copper\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eBody Material\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003eNorth American Maple Wood\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eTracking Force\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003e1.6 - 1.9 grams\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eCartridge Weight\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003e9 grams\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eCompliance\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003e20 µm\/mN\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eMount\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003eStandard ½\" Mount\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eConfigurations\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003eHigh-Output Stereo, High-Output Mono, Low-Output Stereo, Low-Output Mono\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"background-color:#f3f3f3;padding:12px;width:34%;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eOrigin\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd style=\"padding:12px;width:66%;\"\u003eHand-built in Brooklyn, NY, USA\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/tbody\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e","brand":"Grado","offers":[{"title":"High-Output Stereo","offer_id":42681461538912,"sku":"GRADOPUS4HOST","price":300.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"High-Output Mono","offer_id":42681461571680,"sku":"GRADOPUS4HOMO","price":300.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Low-Output Stereo","offer_id":42681461604448,"sku":"GRADOPUS4LOST","price":300.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Low-Output Mono","offer_id":42681461637216,"sku":"GRADOPUS4LOMO","price":300.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0555\/5073\/8528\/files\/grado-opus4-hero.jpg?v=1775507518"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0555\/5073\/8528\/collections\/grado-reference4-hero.jpg?v=1775509018","url":"https:\/\/listenroom.com\/collections\/grado-timbre-cartridges.oembed","provider":"The Listening Room","version":"1.0","type":"link"}