Yes, cartridges are a critically important part of the chain, just as important as the turntable itself.

Cartridges are transducers, like microphones, headphones and speakers. You may already realise just how much each of these contributes sonically.

Precision

Cartridges do incredible work, converting minuscule groove modulations, via the stylus and cantilever, into tiny electrical signals, via magnets and wire. These tiny electrical signals must then be amplified in a linear fashion in order not to generate distortion, which is another incredible story.

This work requires a staggering level of precision and materials engineering. That’s why my Ortofon MC-A90 for example is so bloody expensive! You get what you pay for with anything that relies on this level of precision and expensive materials. The cost vs. performance correlation is fairly linear; the more you pay, the better the results and this applies to camera lenses, speakers, musical instruments, and cartridges.

Performance

Cartridges cost anything from $10 to $10,000+ and their performance varies from unlistenably bad record-destroying to sublime! I always recommend people spend as much as they can on a good cartridge as it’s a huge part of the sound of a turntable.

Better cartridges give the added benefits of preserving precious vinyl and longer life. The larger contact area of a Shibata or line-contact diamond exerts lower pressure at the interface between the stylus and vinyl groove. This causes less friction, and therefore less heat and record wear. Quality cartridges/styli provide anywhere from 1000 – 2000 hours useful life, compared to just 200 – 500 hours for a cheapy.

Cheap vinyl playback systems like Crosleys and other department store junk will wear away your records before your eyes! Don’t EVER play your records on something like this if you care about them.