Goldring Elite Moving Coil Cartridge
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Availability
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Family-Owned Authorized Dealer
Family-Owned Authorized Dealer
We're an authorized dealer for every brand listed on this site, so your warranty is valid and fully supported. We're a real brick-and-mortar shop in Chestertown, MD with shelves of actual inventory, not a drop-shipper. Family-owned and run for three generations, since 1978.
Delivery and Shipping
Delivery and Shipping
Free shipping for most items over $100! Local delivery up to 500 miles more with minimum qualifying purchase.
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The Goldring Elite Moving Coil Cartridge is an ultra high-performance, low-output model that integrates Goldring's traditional design elements. Featuring advanced magnetic circuitry with a neodymium magnet and an ultra-rigid Pocan® body, the Elite offers precise groove information retrieval and a smooth, extended frequency response. Its Gyger S line-contact diamond stylus and hand-wound Swedish iron armature with pure silver wire provide enhanced definition compared to standard record cartridges. The Elite embodies Goldring's commitment to traditional British audio technology and design.
Key Features
- Gyger S Stylus Profile: Features a polyhedral, line-contact diamond stylus with a 6 µm radius for precise tracking and enhanced high-frequency detail.
- Efficient Magnetic Circuit: Utilizes a neodymium (NdFeB) magnet, reducing overall mass and improving trackability for a flat and extended frequency response.
- Low-Mass Pocan® Body: Constructed from ultra-rigid, glass-reinforced polyester, keeping the cartridge mass below 6.0 g for improved stability and resonance control.
- Expert Adjustment: Individually adjusted for azimuth and compliance by Goldring’s expert craftsmen, ensuring optimal channel balance and minimal cross-talk.
- Hand-Wound Swedish Iron Armature: Enhanced with pure silver wire for higher definition sound reproduction.
Design and Build
The Elite cartridge features a robust Pocan® body made from ultra-rigid, glass-reinforced polyester. This construction securely holds all fixed components in place, minimizing unwanted vibrations that can affect sound quality. The precision-milled aircraft-grade aluminum chassis enhances rigidity and reduces resonances, ensuring stable and accurate sound reproduction. The Gyger S line-contact diamond stylus is mounted on a stiff and lightweight alloy cantilever, optimized for stability and precise groove tracing. The hand-wound Swedish iron armature with pure silver wire offers higher definition sound reproduction, enhancing the cartridge's overall performance.
Performance
Equipped with a Gyger S line-contact diamond stylus, the Elite excels in tracing fine groove details with precision. The narrow, low tip-mass design ensures smooth, extended highs with low distortion and minimized sibilance. The efficient magnetic circuit, featuring a neodymium magnet and low reluctance pole shoes, delivers a flat and extended frequency response, particularly in the upper registers. The cross-shaped Swedish iron armature enhances channel separation and produces a detailed and dynamic soundstage, providing an immersive listening experience.
Versatility and Compatibility
The Goldring Elite is compatible with a wide range of budget to midrange turntables, thanks to its standard mounting specifications and straightforward installation process. Designed to work seamlessly with standard moving coil phono inputs of integrated amplifiers, the Elite offers low-output flexibility for various audio setups. Whether upgrading an existing cartridge or enhancing an obsolete system, the Elite provides a versatile solution for achieving quality vinyl playback. Its expert-adjusted azimuth ensures a proper stereo soundstage without the need for additional adjustments.
The Listening Room Experience
At The Listening Room, we take pride in offering more than just high-fidelity audio equipment. We provide expert advice, personalized service, and a commitment to helping you find the perfect sound system for your space. From delivery to custom setup, our goal is to ensure that every piece of equipment you purchase performs at its absolute best in your environment. Trust us to be your partners in achieving outstanding sound quality.
Specifications
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Stylus Profile | Gyger S line-contact |
| Cantilever | Aluminum alloy |
| Stylus Type | Non-Replaceable |
| Frequency Range | 20 Hz – 30 kHz ±2 dB |
| Frequency Response | 12 Hz – 32 kHz |
| Channel Balance | <1 dB at 1 kHz |
| Channel Separation | >25 dB at 1 kHz |
| Sensitivity | 0.5 mV ±1 dB @ 1 kHz @ 5 cm/sec (RMS) |
| Static Compliance | 18 mm/N |
| Equivalent Tip Mass | 0.35 mg |
| Vertical Tracking Angle | 20° |
| Stylus Radius | Gyger S |
| Load Resistance | 100 Ω |
| Load Capacitance | 100 – 500 pF |
| Internal Inductance | 2 µH |
| Internal Resistance | 8 Ω |
| Cartridge Mass | 5.7 g |
| Total Mass (incl. Fixings) | 6.6 g |
| Fixing Centre | 12.7 mm (0.5 in) |
| Playing Weight | 1.5 – 2.0 g (1.7 g recommended) |
Which step-up transformer setting suits the Goldring Elite?
Which step-up transformer setting suits the Goldring Elite?
Goldring says its moving coils have quite high outputs for their number of windings, so they do not need much stepping up. On a step-up transformer with 40, 12 and 4-ohm taps, Goldring recommends the 40-ohm tap, a gain of ten, and advises avoiding the 4-ohm tap, which it says would probably clip. Into an MC phono stage, load the Elite at 100 ohms.
What is the Elite's Gyger S stylus?
What is the Elite's Gyger S stylus?
A nude natural diamond with a patented line-contact profile shaped to resemble the record cutting head more closely than earlier types. Goldring says it gives accurate mid-range tonality with high-frequency sibilance banished. Goldring notes the Gyger S profile is more demanding of setup, so adjust vertical tracking angle carefully.
Which tonearms and settings suit the Elite?
Which tonearms and settings suit the Elite?
Goldring recommends tonearms of 5 to 20g effective mass and a tracking force of 1.5 to 2g, 1.75g nominal. It puts out 0.6mV into 100 ohms with 100 to 550pF, stands 17mm tall, and mounts with M2.5 x 8mm screws and nuts.
Goldring Elite or Eroica LX?
Goldring Elite or Eroica LX?
The Elite steps up from the Eroica LX's Gyger II stylus to the line-contact Gyger S on an aluminum cantilever, and hand-winds its Swedish iron armature with pure silver wire, which Goldring says gives much higher definition. Goldring rates its channel separation at 30dB against the LX's 25dB, with 0.6mV of output against 0.5mV.
What happens when the Elite's stylus wears?
What happens when the Elite's stylus wears?
Goldring says moving coil styli are not user-replaceable. It offers a repair and retip service, and an exchange service that trades a worn moving coil for a new equivalent or better Goldring model through an authorized Goldring dealer.

