Goldring E1 Cartridge

The Goldring E1 is the entry-level model in Goldring’s E Series of moving magnet cartridges, designed as an affordable upgrade for budget to mid-priced turntables fitted with a standard ½-inch mount headshell. Sitting below the E2, E3, and E4 in the E Series lineup, the E1 offers Goldring’s core engineering at the most accessible price point, making it a natural first step up from a factory-fitted cartridge.

Magnetic Duplex Technology

Like every model in the E Series, the E1 features Goldring’s proprietary Magnetic Duplex Technology™ — a dual-magnet generator assembly that mirrors the geometry of the original record cutting head. Where many competing cartridges use a single magnet shared between both channels, Magnetic Duplex Technology dedicates one magnet to each pickup coil. This arrangement reduces crosstalk between channels and improves stereo separation, resulting in a more defined and involving soundstage.

Stylus and Cantilever

The E1 uses a bonded spherical diamond stylus with a 15 µm (0.6 mil) tracking radius, mounted on a carbon-fibre reinforced cantilever. Carbon fibre is both lightweight and rigid, offering effective signal transmission from the groove wall to the generator assembly. The spherical profile tracks cleanly across a wide range of record conditions, making the E1 tolerant of older or well-played vinyl where a more aggressive stylus profile might struggle.

Each E Series cartridge is micro-adjusted during production using a dedicated adjustment screw, pre-setting the stylus angle so that the cartridge achieves optimised channel balance with zero horizontal tracking adjustment required at installation. This makes the E1 straightforward to fit — mount, align, set tracking force, and play.

Within the Range

The E Series progresses through stylus and cantilever upgrades. The E2 shares the E1’s spherical stylus profile but upgrades to an aluminium cantilever for improved stiffness and reduced distortion during loud passages. The E3 moves to a super-elliptical stylus, extracting finer groove detail. All three share the same Magnetic Duplex generator, body, and mounting dimensions, so upgrading within the range requires only a cartridge swap — no headshell or alignment changes.