Goldring Elite Moving Coil Cartridge (Exchange)

The Goldring Elite (Exchange) is available at a reduced price through Goldring’s cartridge exchange programme. Customers return an existing moving coil cartridge in any condition (excluding user damage) and receive a brand-new Goldring Elite in return. The cartridge itself is identical to the standard Elite — Goldring’s third-tier moving coil, positioned above the Eroica HX and below the Ethos. As a low-output moving coil design, it delivers a nominal output of 0.5 mV and requires a phono stage with a dedicated MC input.

Gyger S Stylus

The Elite is fitted with a Gyger S nude diamond stylus, a line-contact design shaped to more closely resemble the geometry of the original record cutting head than conventional elliptical or conical profiles. The result is a more precise tracing of fine groove detail across the full frequency range, with more accurate mid-range tonality and reduced sibilance on high-frequency passages. The stylus is non-replaceable — when it eventually wears, the exchange programme provides a cost-effective upgrade path.

Pure Silver Coils and Neodymium Magnetic Circuit

The generator coils are hand-wound with pure silver wire, which Goldring states provides substantially higher signal definition than conventional copper winding. The magnetic circuit uses neodymium rare-earth permanent magnets, which allow a higher field strength to be generated for a given magnet mass. This contributes to the Elite’s low equivalent tip mass of 0.35 mg, supporting accurate stylus motion at the specified tracking force range of 1.5–2.0 g.

Pocan Body and Hand Adjustment

The cartridge body is moulded from Pocan®, a glass-reinforced polyester selected for its rigidity and low mass. Total cartridge mass is 5.7 g (6.6 g with mounting hardware). Each Elite unit is individually adjusted for azimuth and compliance by hand, rather than relying on production tolerances alone. Channel balance is specified within 1 dB at 1 kHz and channel separation better than 25 dB at 1 kHz.

Installation

The Elite uses a standard half-inch (12.7 mm) fixing centre and is compatible with any tonearm that accommodates a standard headshell mount. It requires a phono stage with an MC input presenting a load resistance of 100 Ω and a load capacitance of 100–500 pF. The recommended tracking force is 1.7 g nominal.