Goldring E4 Cartridge

The Goldring E4 is the flagship cartridge in Goldring’s E Series, a range of moving magnet designs built for budget to midrange turntables. Sitting above the E1 (£69), E2 (£79), and E3 (£109), the E4 represents the maximum refinement available from the E Series platform. Designed and manufactured in the UK, it targets listeners who want the best possible moving magnet performance without moving to a more complex moving coil setup.

Stylus and Cantilever

The E4 uses a nude super-elliptical diamond stylus measuring 7.6 × 18 µm (0.3 × 0.7 mil), cut and polished from a single homogeneous piece of diamond. The “nude” mounting means the diamond is bonded directly to the cantilever without an intermediate shank, reducing tip mass and improving high-frequency tracing accuracy.

The cantilever is a hollow aluminium tube. The combination of low mass and high stiffness allows the stylus to track medium-to-high frequencies with greater accuracy while reducing distortion and mistracking at the recommended playing weight of 1.75 g (adjustable between 1.5 and 2.0 g).

Magnetic Duplex Technology™

The E4 incorporates Goldring’s Magnetic Duplex Technology™, which positions two low-mass magnets at the same angles as the generator coils. Each magnet interacts with its own dedicated coil, reducing crosstalk between channels. The result is improved stereo separation and a more accurate soundstage compared to single-magnet designs used in the lower E Series models.

Output and Compatibility

Output is rated at 3.5 mV ± 3 dB at 5 cm/s, which is slightly lower than some competing MM cartridges. Phono stages with adequate gain should have no difficulty, but it is worth confirming compatibility if the system’s gain margin is tight. The E4 presents a standard 47 kΩ load impedance with a recommended load capacitance of 100–200 pF (150 pF nominal).

Mounting uses the standard ½-inch (12.7 mm) fixing centres, compatible with the vast majority of tonearm headshells. The recommended tonearm effective mass range is 5–20 g, covering most medium-to-high-mass arms found on budget and midrange turntables. Each E4 leaves the Goldring factory with azimuth optimised during production, so no further adjustment is needed.

What the Press Says

• Recommended — Hi-Fi Choice